Green cheek conure stopped stepping up from cage

NikkiandPickles

New member
Sep 8, 2019
14
4
Qld Australia
Parrots
One baby green cheeked conure
Hi everyone,
I am pretty new to parrots. Pickle is my first and I just canā€™t get my mind to fully understand parrot behaviour.
Background: I got pickle from a pet shop at around 12 weeks of age early last September, he/she was easy to gain trust and we seem to have bonded quite well, sharing breakfast each day and since I work from home he often sits with me and ā€˜helpsā€™ out haha.
Since day 1 he comes and sits in the door of his cage when I open it and I have lured him to step into my finger with a treat. About a month or so ago he started refusing to step up onto one of my hands out of the cage, I would offer the other hand and he would step up and everything would be fine. Over the last 2 weeks he has still comes and sits in the cage door when I open it but repeatedly bites (not too hard but hard enough) every time I offer my hand. If he climbs to the top of the cage I can sometimes get him to step onto my shoulder but never my hand.
Once he is away from the cage he will step up readily and grooms me, he doesnā€™t appear at all afraid???
Iā€™m so puzzled how to deal with this behaviour and would love any advice or suggestions please?
 

chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
4,349
2,119
Maryland - USA
Parrots
Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
So youā€™re honeymoon is over, Iā€™m sorry to say. Many, but not all, birds will go through an immediate phase where they are very compliant almost out of here. Once they get settled, they begin to test boundaries, and thatā€™s exactly what youā€™re doing now.

How do you combat it? By going back to square one with training.

Remember that stepping up is a trick, I need to be treated as such. Never peel toes to pick up the bird. Get the bird to step up using treats, as a Luer if you have to for a short period of time.
remember that stepping up is a trick, and needs to be treated as such. Never peel toes to pick up the bird. Get the bird to step up using treats, as a Luer if you have to for a short period of time.

Reward every time the bird steps up nicely. Wonā€™t step up at all? Ok, close the door, wait a couple minutes and try again. Rinse and repeat until the bird comes out voluntarily for a treat.
 
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NikkiandPickles

New member
Sep 8, 2019
14
4
Qld Australia
Parrots
One baby green cheeked conure
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  • #5
So youā€™re honeymoon is over, Iā€™m sorry to say. Many, but not all, birds will go through an immediate phase where they are very compliant almost out of here. Once they get settled, they begin to test boundaries, and thatā€™s exactly what youā€™re doing now.

How do you combat it? By going back to square one with training.

Remember that stepping up is a trick, I need to be treated as such. Never peel toes to pick up the bird. Get the bird to step up using treats, as a Luer if you have to for a short period of time.
remember that stepping up is a trick, and needs to be treated as such. Never peel toes to pick up the bird. Get the bird to step up using treats, as a Luer if you have to for a short period of time.

Reward every time the bird steps up nicely. Wonā€™t step up at all? Ok, close the door, wait a couple minutes and try again. Rinse and repeat until the bird comes out voluntarily for a treat.

Thanks, I figured it was a honeymoon thing but was a bit baffled by the fact that he clearly wanted to be with me and readily stepped up at other times than when he was at the cage. What sort of treats do you think would work well?
 

chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
4,349
2,119
Maryland - USA
Parrots
Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
I must apologize for my lack of proofreading after using voice to text :headwall:

LURE was the word. It means to hold a piece of food inches from them and make them follow it to where ever you want to go.

This contrasts with normal training where the treat is hidden from sight until the trick is performed. Luring is good in the first session or two but should begin to be phased out.

For what treat to use, thatā€™s up to your bird. What food would he murder for? Thatā€™s the treat you use for the first week or two. After that, he gets used to performing the trick (step up) and you can use something less valuable.

As example, when I first introduce a new trick to my eclectus, Iā€™ll use cheese. Itā€™s a bit taboo admittedly, lactose and all, but seriously: he would end me for a piece of cheese, and it gets him over fear and over motivational jumps VERY quickly. After a couple sessions when itā€™s clear heā€™s starting to pick up on the trick, I use nuts instead. Find your birds Achilles heel and use it against him to get the behavior your want.
 

Cagzo

Active member
Jan 14, 2020
264
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5
106
Mid Glamorgan,South Wales,UK
Parrots
One Pineapple Conure.
Hatched late 2018.
Very interesting as my bird is the same. Fine when I first had her,then now and again she refused to step up from the cage,so I wedged a dowel perch in the open door for her to get on,fine for a while,but now she wants to bite when I ask her to step up.
Shes different when I put her cage in the kitchen,the minute I open the door shes straight on to my arm or shoulder.
Has a tantrum when I put her back in though!
"A two year old on crack" whoever said that wasnt kidding!
 
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NikkiandPickles

New member
Sep 8, 2019
14
4
Qld Australia
Parrots
One baby green cheeked conure
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Thanks so much for the help. Today once I managed to get him onto my shoulder from the cage top, I took him to the kitchen bench where he happily steps up and worked on stepping up and rewarding over and over. Then I returned him to the cage, left him for a few minutes and opened the door and asked him to step up for a treat, he was hesitant at first but he did step up, so thatā€™s a big improvement. I tired again a little while later and he wasnā€™t going to oblige so I closed the door and walked away.

I really think Chris-md was exactly right about my not treating stepping up as a trick, he had become stubborn and itā€™s going to need continued work but thatā€™s all it is, stubbornness. Iā€™m so glad to have made some progress ����������
 

chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
4,349
2,119
Maryland - USA
Parrots
Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Or cress is progress, Iā€™m just glad the cause, effect, and way forward are crystal clear for you. Knowing that, youā€™ll have this licked fairy quickly. Keep it up, Iā€™d say two weeks or less (if you came back and said it was all better in three days, I wouldnā€™t be surprised).

Birds are smart
 

clark_conure

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2017
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Minnesota
Parrots
A crossover Quaker Scuti (F), A Sun conure named AC, A Cinnamon Green Cheek conure Kent, and 6 budgies, Scuti Jr. (f), yellow (m), clark Jr. (m), Dot (f), Zebra(f), Machine (m).
IMO

Don't worry, sometimes birds test their dominance..

Like morning routine I put birds on towel over the shower rail and I sit and we ...do our business.


When we are all done, I'll go to get a bird and sometimes it will say no....


Then I go to get the other bird and it's like sure. Then the first bird will say ok. This is an everyday thing and it rotates which bird...

One thing for sure though if your bird doesn't step up, walk out of the room and out of eyeline for say....10-15 seconds and then go back...THEY WILL STEP UP. Life is no fun for a conure without a victim...I mean audience. Try it you will be surprised.
 

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