New conure biting

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cowgirl11

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Jul 7, 2011

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• Jul 7, 2011

• #1

Hi everyone,
I have had cockatiels, lovebirds and parakeets all my life and recently I purchased a year old male sun conure. He was handfed as a baby and is pretty tame. I have one problem though,
Sometimes when I go to take him out of his cage and he doesn't want to go he starts to bite, and he is starting to bite pretty hard. Once he is out he doesn't bite. Only when he is in his cage. Right now when he goes to bite I just keep my finger in place (even if he is biting) and say "step up" until he eventually does. Is there anything else I can do to make him come out easier? Thanks!

 

suebee

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Jan 13, 2011

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• Jul 7, 2011

• #2

put a perch onto his door, get him to go on that before you open door an then get him to step up from that, or let him come out of his cage then ask for step up

his only defending his teritory when you put your hand into his cage lol

 

CAGLulu

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Jun 8, 2011

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Parrots

Congo African Grey (Lulu)

• Jul 7, 2011

• #3

Hey

I've had kind of a similar problem with my AG, that you have with your Conure. When I first got her home, I let her stay in her cage a couple hours to settle in. After she seemed comfortable, I took her out, and walked with her around the house. After 1-2 weeks, she began to be uncomfortable with me putting my hand/finger in her cage. She would not bite me, but I could tell on her body language that she would if I did not remove my hand. I decided to use a stick to get her out, and that worked just fine. After 2-3 weeks I tried to take her out with my hand again, and it went perfectly. She just stepped up without any problems and has done it ever since. I think that they are very uncomfortable with us putting our hands in their "safe-home" when they don't trust us 100% .

 

OP

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cowgirl11

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• Jul 7, 2011

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• #4

Thanks for the quick replies! I just had him out and he was sitting on my lap, and when I asked him to step up he bit me and held on. I didn't jerk my hand away, I kept in my finger there and push it into his beak a little more and kept saying step up and he just kept biting. I am starting to see that he only steps up when he feels like it, and when he doesn't want to, he bites. How do I let him know that biting is not ok?

 

CAGLulu

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Congo African Grey (Lulu)

• Jul 7, 2011

• #5

It is very good that you are keeping your finger in place, and not removing it when he bites. If he keep on biting when you push his beak a bit, then try to take your finger out, and push his beak to the side, turn around and go.
I got told that when they bite, it is good if you say "ouch" or something like that in a firm voice.

 

OP

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cowgirl11

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• Jul 7, 2011

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One thing I read was, teach them to be gentle with their beaks by letting them play with your skin but when they get to rough say "be gentle" and give them a toy to chew on. I'm working on this right now and hopefully it will work! He can get so cranky sometimes though and I want him to make sure he doesn't think he can get his way by biting

 

CAGLulu

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Congo African Grey (Lulu)

• Jul 7, 2011

• #7

I can't see the idea of giving your Conure a toy for biting you? I may be wrong, but I can't see the idea in it . Maybe if the bird understood what "be gentle" mean, but I don't think that she understands it... for now .

 

OP

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cowgirl11

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• #8

I kind of thought that too... But I also heard that saying something like "ouch" may amuse them and make them do it on purpose?

 

CAGLulu

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Congo African Grey (Lulu)

• Jul 7, 2011

• #9

Yup I've heard that... The most important thing to do when they bite, is to make sure that they don't find your reaction funny, so that can cause them to bite again to get the same reaction. So I can't really understand why I've been told to say "ouch" in a firm voice... maybe they don't think it is funny? LOL.
If I was you, I would make sure not to pull my finger right away when she bite, but push her beak a bit to the side, and then turn around and go. Parrots loves attention so we need to use that in our advantage .

 

lexx510

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Mar 13, 2011

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Bay Area, CA

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Pineapple Green Cheek Conure

• Jul 7, 2011

• #10

cowgirl11 said:

Thanks for the quick replies! I just had him out and he was sitting on my lap, and when I asked him to step up he bit me and held on. I didn't jerk my hand away, I kept in my finger there and push it into his beak a little more and kept saying step up and he just kept biting. I am starting to see that he only steps up when he feels like it, and when he doesn't want to, he bites. How do I let him know that biting is not ok?

Click to expand...

Your parrot is probably asking himself, "How do I let my owner know, that poking me with his finger when I'm not ready to come out is not okay?" Hence, why he bites.

Don't force him to do anything he doesn't want to do. Biting is his way of telling you to back off after you've failed to read his body language. If he's not yet ready to come out of his cage, give him time and make him feel comfortable and at ease. Respect your bird and build trust - - do not force. When he's ready, reinforce him for the behavior so that he will be more likely to do it again in the future.
If you want your bird to do something, you want him to be able to associate the behavior with something positive/reinforcing. Sticking him with your finger when he's clearly not ready to come out is by no means reinforcing. In fact, it is more of a punishment because it frustrates/frightens him. Would you be motivated to do something if it results in you being punished for it? Probably not...

 

Last edited: Jul 8, 2011

Amber

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Jun 1, 2011

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• Jul 8, 2011

• #11

I never force Alex out of his cage. I will open the cage door so he can come out to me as he wants to. I do stick my hands in to change food, and I will ask him to 'hop up' if I would like him to come out, but I never force him to come out. He understands it is his safe home, and if he doesn't want to interact with anyone or is scared he is always able to go back to his cage and no one will try to pressure him out. I understand this is not the answer for everyone, but I think having a spot your bird knows is theirs, and is safe is important to make them feel secure.

I think a lot of birds get territorial because they feel like their spot is under threat and they need to defend it and reassert that this is their safe spot.

 

PrettyInInk87

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Jul 6, 2011

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San Diego

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"Apple" Yellow-sided Green Cheeck Conure

• Jul 8, 2011

• #12

Great thread! I've been lurking a bit... I'll soon be getting a Conure that has a biting problem and is a one person bird. I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping for the best when I bring him home.

 

Scotty T

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May 26, 2011

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Red Factor Sun Conure

• Jul 8, 2011

• #13

There are a lot of great comments here, I agree with many.

The one thing to realize is that conures are starved for attention, the best method of dealing with this issue is to not give the bird attention.

If you go to get the bird and it bites or trys to bite, then you close the cage again.

Eventually the little baby will get so bore with not being played with that it will start to understand that this behavior is not getting him out of the cage.

Some times it takes awhile but it's the best method. They need attention so bad, you take that away and their curious little minds will figure out a new way to get out, by not biting.

 

OP

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cowgirl11

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• Jul 9, 2011

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• #14

Thanks for all the info! He is a great bird but I don't want his biting to get out of hand.
Now when he is being playful he will lick my fingers and sometimes he gets carried away and bites down too hard.. I don't think he is being aggressive, I just think he doesn't know how strong his beak is. So when he does that I just say "no" put him down and walk away for awhile. Am I doing the right thing?

 

Amber

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Jun 1, 2011

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• Jul 9, 2011

• #15

cowgirl11 said:

Thanks for all the info! He is a great bird but I don't want his biting to get out of hand.
Now when he is being playful he will lick my fingers and sometimes he gets carried away and bites down too hard.. I don't think he is being aggressive, I just think he doesn't know how strong his beak is. So when he does that I just say "no" put him down and walk away for awhile. Am I doing the right thing?

Click to expand...

Alex does a similar thing, he hasn't learnt his strength yet. He will be nibbling on your fingers, then CHOMP. Ouch!

When this happens I used to say "No" and move him off of me (onto the bed, couch, whatever is handy). Now he's learnt that the word 'no' itself means he is being naughty and stops straight away, because if he doesn't, he gets moved.

Thats what worked for us, but different birds and different people will have methods that work better for them.

 

OP

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cowgirl11

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• Jul 9, 2011

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• #16

I'm going to try that! Thanks