Update on Skye and Luka & question

I had both birds out of cage yesterday... They flew around like they'd been here for a long time... They would land on me, as I was sitting in my chair... I just pretended I didn't know they were there... They would come right up to my face, and were ever so gentle...

It was quite difficult to get them back in their cage, as they're afraid of hands, and don't know how to step up... Luka eventually landed on the drop-down door, and I let him inside... Skye eventually flew to my arm, and putting my arm in the cage, she got inside as well.

Also they're afraid of nothing!(except for hands). They will terrorise Max (I thought I would have to be careful of Max not hurting the conures), and I don't really want that... It might settle down, after they know each other better...

I bought Luka and Skye as breeders, but as they seem quite tame, I would like to keep them that way...

My question is: Should I clip them once, so I can teach them some basic manners, or leave them unclipped and maybe clicker train some manners into them????

Personally, if they're that tame already, I wouldn't clip them and instead try to clicker or treat train them. I clipped our alex when we got her and I kind of wish I didn't. I've always clipped my birds until now and it's amazing the change of heart I've had now that I have flighted birds. Watching our alex stand on top of her cage, flapping like crazy trying to get some lift is just heartbreaking and she has developed a slight case of feather chewing that I can only assume is out of frustration of not being able to fly. Luckily she is starting her molt, I'm just hoping she lets her flights grow out without chewing them up. And I feel like I should note, she was very afraid of everything when we got her and as soon as you would get anywhere near her she would take off and our house has over 20 foot ceilings in the main part of the house, letting her fly seemed impossible without trimming her and showing her that we aren't going to hurt her, so I guess I don't regret it entirely as she is much more trusting now, but if she would have been as receptive as your GCC's are, I don't think I would have trimmed her. Hope this makes sense, it's kind of late, not sure my brain is functioning at maximum capacity

Unless they're absolutely hard to handle, doing fly attack, and doing evil stuffs around the house and being little brats. I personally probably wouldn't clip them cause it sounds like they seem pretty tame to be doing what they're doing. It shouldn't be hard to train them as they seem to be liking you already to be flying onto your arms. My conure before was bought as breeders too, but she was friendly like yours so I never clipped her, she learned to step up eventually and loves to sit on my best friend's shoulders. Giving kisses and everything. Good luck!!

Thanks! I really don't want to clip them... I'll start them on clicker training, within their cage...

I don't clip my birds either. Right now Pete is still growing back wing feathers from his former owner clipping him. If he was always clipped he may not know how to fly yet. I'll guess I'll be finding out. I might clip Merlin though because of her vision problem. I dont' want her to get scared, try to fly and smash into a wall or something. But, unless it's a safety issue I think birds are happier if they can fly. It sounds like your birds are pretty tame and maybe someone grabbed them or something to make them afraid of hands. It sounds like they aren't scared of the rest of you though.

I've never clicker trained a pair of flighted, breeding conures before... We have started target training, which is going very, very slowly, because, when one flies off, the other does as well... Now, they haven't been out since Tuesday, but still get as much attention as Max...

Today I was putting new toys in their cage, and they both got around me and flew out...

They will land on my head and my shoulders, and while I was eating my breakfast, they came and sat on my bowl of oats, and even went on my hand, which was holding my spoon...

When they were sitting elsewhere, I could have my hand close (about 10cm) away... Skye would keep on checking out my hand, biting it... I kept telling her 'gentle', and wiggled it, so she would step back.

Luka went up under my chin, and accepted a full head scratch...

Max is not as afraid of them, as the was the other day... but he certainly doesn't want to interact...