New Sun Conure

Jez

New member
May 19, 2009
228
0
NY
JUst got my new Sun named Loko about two weeks ago. I'm not sure his/her exact age or much at all, but the guy said that [now] hes about a week away from ending hand feeding if that helps to tell.
He's doing great and steps up greatly, sits on my shoulder, loves to come out and everything. He hates being in the cage when he knows im home, and loves to come out and play or cuddle - he even slept on me one night. SOmetimes he runs around my room and pecks at the mirror lmao.

THe only issue so far is he is a little bit nippy. MOst of the time it isnt hard, it hurts a tiny bit but never drew blood or anything - what can I do to stop this? Besides kind of pushing his beak, saying no, and maybe walking away for a minute?

Also, he is sneezing quit a bit, or coughing? After he eats he will do this then also randomly during the day - is this something to worry about?

Also, what are some tricks or fun things I should do with him? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
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MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
Are you hand feeding the baby yourself or is he still with the breeder????
 
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Jez

Jez

New member
May 19, 2009
228
0
NY
  • Thread Starter
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I am myself. Using pretty bird formula, he said to continue doing so until he doesnt want it anymore.
 

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
Since he's with you now you should have him checked out by a avian vet if he's sneezing and such! Make sure to keep him warm!!!
 

KiwiPlusUs1025

New member
Feb 23, 2014
101
0
South Florida
Parrots
Yellow Side Green Check Conure
My GCC sneezes too. Its kind of cute. lol I took her to the vet when I 1st noticed it and the vet said that it was normal. Just like we (humans) sneeze on occasion. But I would take MikeyTN's advice and take him/her to a avian vet. Good luck with your new family member. :)
 

Anansi

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Staff member
Super Moderator
Dec 18, 2013
22,301
4,211
Somerset,NJ
Parrots
Maya (Female Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Jolly (Male Solomon Island eclectus parrot), Bixby (Male, red-sided eclectus. RIP), Suzie (Male cockatiel. RIP)
JUst got my new Sun named Loko about two weeks ago. I'm not sure his/her exact age or much at all, but the guy said that [now] hes about a week away from ending hand feeding if that helps to tell.
He's doing great and steps up greatly, sits on my shoulder, loves to come out and everything. He hates being in the cage when he knows im home, and loves to come out and play or cuddle - he even slept on me one night. SOmetimes he runs around my room and pecks at the mirror lmao.

THe only issue so far is he is a little bit nippy. MOst of the time it isnt hard, it hurts a tiny bit but never drew blood or anything - what can I do to stop this? Besides kind of pushing his beak, saying no, and maybe walking away for a minute?

Also, he is sneezing quit a bit, or coughing? After he eats he will do this then also randomly during the day - is this something to worry about?

Also, what are some tricks or fun things I should do with him? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Hello, Jez.

Sounds like you're bonding quite well with Loko. That's great! And, from the sounds of it, he's not an aggressive biter, nor is he biting out of fear. There are several possibilities that might be causing the nipping.

He might not quite understand how much pressure from his beak is painful for you. Or there may be times that you're doing things he doesn't necessarily like. In nature, that's how they let you know to quit doing something when their body language isn't relaying the message.
And finally, sometimes a bird will nip when they're with their favored person if someone/something approaches that they deem a threat.

So, I think your first step is to observe your bird and figure out which of these (or which combination) is causing the nipping. And then you can properly act to prevent the behavior. If it's a matter of you doing something that he dislikes, learning his body language will tell you when to back off... BEFORE the warning nip.

If he's reacting to a perceived threat from someone approaching, increased socialization may be in order.

And if he just doesn't know his own strength, then you'll need to work on bite pressure training. There are a number of different techniques people use for this. Birdman666 has often given very good advice on this and looking up some of his posts would probably be very helpful to you. Personally, I use the wobble technique, distraction and short timeouts.

The wobble technique is used when he is on your arm. If the pressure from his beak starts to become uncomfortable, give a controlled wobble of your arm. Not enough to make him fall, as that could damage the trust between you, but just enough to threaten his balance. This is an unpleasant sensation for them. At the same time say no, calmly yet firmly. No shouting or drama in your voice, as some birds find that enjoyable.
Done correctly, your bird will eventually come to associate excess beak pressure with both the unpleasant sensation of a loss of balance and the word no. Given time, just saying no will be enough to tell him that it's time to ease up.

Timeout pretty much speaks for itself. Just keep it to five minutes or less. Any more, and the lesson will be lost on him.

And distraction is simply interposing a small, bird-safe object for him to bite in lieu of your flesh. A toy or a safe piece of wood, can be put between his beak and your skin as he goes for the bite. This will distract him (usually), as he'll get caught up in chewing the distractor rather than on you.

Hope all this helps. Keep us updated on your progress.
 
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