How to make your conure less afraid of hand?

Serena344 · Feb 25, 2017

I'm a new owner, I bought a green cheeked conure 4 days ago and he's about a year old.
he came from a family where his owner was a small kid, they didn't want hium anymore because he wasn't tame and the kid tried t grab the bird with his hands all the time. so I'm guessing he's afraid of hands now.
he's not afriad of our dog, he's always moving towards him, but whenever we come close to the cage with our hands he goes to the far other side.
I've got him to come and get sunflower seeds from my hands through the cage, but whenever my hand is close to the cage he still tends to back down.
It takes him some time to come and grab seeds but when he has grabbed one he'll remain there for more (still always backing a few steps whenever the hand comes close) and whenever I kind of, rotate the seeds so show him he comes towards my hand.

But like I said, I'm a first time owner and not realy sure how to act towards him being afraid of my hands. I'm not sure how to make him be less adraid too, there has been progress over the past days but I'm afraid I might do something wrong.

He clearly doesn't know how to step up and I'm afraid he's been neglected by his last family, he's not from a breeder that raises them and has no papers so I assume he also hasn't had much attention done to him at the breeders home. (if that makes sense)

I always leave the cage door open and sit next to the cage all day, he gets screamy when I leave the room so I do think he likes me being there. He doesn't realy play either, and he doesn't want to eat fruit either. But from what I understood, his last family didn't feed him fruit.

I'm sorry if this isn't the right place to post this, but I just don't know what to do and thought it would be better to ask before I do stupid things. Also, my apologies for my bad english, I'm not a native.

(I know how to take care of him, just, not how to make him more tame)

Flboy · Feb 25, 2017

Cute little guy! My JoJo was terrified of hands when I first got him! He was continually being groped but every person that walked by him. What you're doing is good, it takes time for him to reassociate hands with something good! JoJo would step up in the beginning, but I had to approach him with my hands palm side up coming from below him not coming over his head. If he will step up on a perch, that is a perfect way to move him around for now!
Try not to give in to his screaming too often, or you can really have a mess on your hands! NEVER squirt him with water as a means of correction! Never tap him on his beak ether!
Offer him a nice bowl of water to take a bath in, and you may find this to be a perfect opportunity for him to mellow out and sit with you after!
Please be overly paranoid about the relationship with the dog! Our first bird, Tango, was killed right in front of us! We could not move fast enough!

Remember, you are not taming him, you are earning his trust!

Paulmandy · Feb 25, 2017

You are going to get lots of advice from so many experienced owners..as i am in exactly the same position as you i just wanted to add something.... mine is 7 months had him about 3 weeks now. He was exactly as you have described yours.. i am taking it so slow. Hes got to get used to you and used to maybe his more quieter surroundings.. mine doesnt liked being handled in his cage. He doesnt like my hands going anywhere near him .in the cage. . he was constantly grabbed.before .so i guess i can totally understand.
I used a round stick for him to step up when he was out of the cage.. he quickly learned... now i have a perch outside for him to sit on. I take him there and he sits. .. it took 20 - 30 mins to take seeds from my fingers. Never in the cage always outside. It has taken him a week to take seeds from an outstretched hand. Hopefully he will soon step on my hand to get a seed. Thats my next step..but really all i can add .
To me His cage is his home and his previous owners violated his space. He screeches and flaps about if i go near him in there. But once out hes a funny intelligent and yes i will say willing to learn little bird. It will take some time for him to bond and to TRUST you.. trust is the biggest thing if they have been through so much before they came to you.. but in time i firmly believe your little bird will come to love you.. have patience because in 3 weeks i have had mine he has come so far.. he understands verbal commands. Like you want out.... he comes to the cage door and . He knows the word no..when he starts to peel paint from my shelf he then flys back to his perch when i say it..lol.. your going to have such an amazing journey.. dont rush.. go at his pace. If you rush him he wont trust you. I wish you lots of luck and most of all enjoy.. .... and just my opinion as a newbie owner too... hopefully experience bird owners will help you .

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Serena344 · Feb 25, 2017

Flboy said:
Cute little guy! My JoJo was terrified of hands when I first got him! He was continually being groped but every person that walked by him. What you're doing is good, it takes time for him to reassociate hands with something good! JoJo would step up in the beginning, but I had to approach him with my hands palm side up coming from below him not coming over his head. If he will step up on a perch, that is a perfect way to move him around for now!
Try not to give in to his screaming too often, or you can really have a mess on your hands! NEVER squirt him with water as a means of correction! Never tap him on his beak ether!
Offer him a nice bowl of water to take a bath in, and you may find this to be a perfect opportunity for him to mellow out and sit with you after!
Please be overly paranoid about the relationship with the dog! Our first bird, Tango, was killed right in front of us! We could not move fast enough!

Remember, you are not taming him, you are earning his trust!

that's good to hear! though he is very afraid of new toys or sticks in his cage, he starts attacking them right away or going to the far side of the cage again for a long period of time. I try to ignore him until he stops screaming again, and once he's silent for a while I take my seat again.
I think I'm going to try the perch thing, once he's less afriad of sticks or my hand palms. I don't think his last owners have given him the opportunity to bathe him, I ordered a small bathing house for him to use until he trusts me enough to come outside.ah yes, we are scared of that too! we only allow him near the cage if he's with us, we keep the dog in a sepperate room if the cage is open. thank you for your help! ^^

(although i'm not sure you'll recieve this because I don't know how forums and answering works)

GaleriaGila · Feb 25, 2017

Serena, you sound like a caring and open-minded person.
Thank you for rescuing this little darling.
I think you're on the right track, and I predict a wonderful relationship for you two!
Time is on your side.

Serena344 · Feb 25, 2017

Paulmandy said:
You are going to get lots of advice from so many experienced owners..as i am in exactly the same position as you i just wanted to add something.... mine is 7 months had him about 3 weeks now. He was exactly as you have described yours.. i am taking it so slow. Hes got to get used to you and used to maybe his more quieter surroundings.. mine doesnt liked being handled in his cage. He doesnt like my hands going anywhere near him .in the cage. . he was constantly grabbed.before .so i guess i can totally understand.
I used a round stick for him to step up when he was out of the cage.. he quickly learned... now i have a perch outside for him to sit on. I take him there and he sits. .. it took 20 - 30 mins to take seeds from my fingers. Never in the cage always outside. It has taken him a week to take seeds from an outstretched hand. Hopefully he will soon step on my hand to get a seed. Thats my next step..but really all i can add .
To me His cage is his home and his previous owners violated his space. He screeches and flaps about if i go near him in there. But once out hes a funny intelligent and yes i will say willing to learn little bird. It will take some time for him to bond and to TRUST you.. trust is the biggest thing if they have been through so much before they came to you.. but in time i firmly believe your little bird will come to love you.. have patience because in 3 weeks i have had mine he has come so far.. he understands verbal commands. Like you want out.... he comes to the cage door and . He knows the word no..when he starts to peel paint from my shelf he then flys back to his perch when i say it..lol.. your going to have such an amazing journey.. dont rush.. go at his pace. If you rush him he wont trust you. I wish you lots of luck and most of all enjoy.. .... and just my opinion as a newbie owner too... hopefully experience bird owners will help you .

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I'm glad to hear you're making progress, and that your bird has already made such a progress since you got him! I hope mine will also learn to trust me more, but as you said, it takes time. and I will nor rush him haha, thank you for your advice! and good luck with your journey too!

Paulmandy · Feb 25, 2017

Mine likes to bath in his water bowl

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Flboy · Feb 25, 2017

Paulmandy said:
Mine likes to bath in his water bowl

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I have a big dog bowl, JoJo's bath takes a good half hour! He really gets into it and plays. Completely soaks the counter! I avoid having him bathe in the cage for fear of rust!

snowflake311 · Feb 25, 2017

Use food! That is the best way to a birds heart. Even wild birds can learn to trust the hand that feeds them.

You just need to find his favorite food or if you have time in the morning right when you open his cage try and hand feed him.

Good luck don't give up.

Skittys_Daddy · Feb 26, 2017

Wanna trade? I got a connie who is addicted to my hands.

Serena344 · Mar 2, 2017

GaleriaGila said:
Serena, you sound like a caring and open-minded person.
Thank you for rescuing this little darling.
I think you're on the right track, and I predict a wonderful relationship for you two!
Time is on your side.

Ah thank you! I hope I am, currently he's screaming non-stop all day and it's driving my mother to madness.

Serena344 · Mar 2, 2017

Paulmandy said:
Mine likes to bath in his water bowl

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Mine too, but he doesn't want to come out for a bigger bowl.

Serena344 · Mar 2, 2017

snowflake311 said:
Use food! That is the best way to a birds heart. Even wild birds can learn to trust the hand that feeds them.

You just need to find his favorite food or if you have time in the morning right when you open his cage try and hand feed him.

Good luck don't give up.

I got him to take sunflower seeds and veggies from my fingers, not from my opem hand yet since it still scares him. And thank you! I'm trying to find his favourite still.

Serena344 · Mar 2, 2017

Skittys_Daddy said:
Wanna trade? I got a connie who is addicted to my hands.

I'll hope mine gets addicted too haha, no trade needed.

snowflake311 · Mar 2, 2017

Serena344 said:
snowflake311 said:

Use food! That is the best way to a birds heart. Even wild birds can learn to trust the hand that feeds them.

You just need to find his favorite food or if you have time in the morning right when you open his cage try and hand feed him.

Good luck don't give up.

Click to expand...

I got him to take sunflower seeds and veggies from my fingers, not from my opem hand yet since it still scares him. And thank you! I'm trying to find his favourite still.

Safflower seeds are my birds Fav. I make sure his food during the day is only pellets and I give him Safflower seeds as a treat. They are easy to find.

gracebowen · Mar 2, 2017

My Jade still wont step up. It took 4 months to be able to touch him. Now he demands scritches 😅

Skittys_Daddy · Mar 2, 2017

Skittles was already hand-tamed when I got him, so he really had no fear of hands. He does not however, like to be grabbed or picked up (he doesn't attack me or bite, if I try- I just know he doesn't like it from his reaction so I try not to do it). For a while when I would put my hand near his back (to pet him) he would fly off thinking I was going to grab him.

So once I was able to pet him without him flying off (usually when I was holding him or cuddling him) I started making this little noise (tapping my tongue to the top of my mouth) whenever I put my hand near him. Its a 'signal' for him that its safe, I'm not going to grab him. Birds, in my experience, aren't real fond of being grabbed. That's why we finger tame them.

Now, even if I want to pet him, most of the time he will just lift up one wing expecting scratches. Once I've scratched him, him let me pet him, but not before. lol.

Sometimes a long while back, when he was on my shoulder and he saw my hand, he would bite me (not hard) thinking I was taking him off. Now, if he is on my shoulder and I want to pet him, I just make that noise I came up with and he lets me pet him.

I cannot tell you how effective coming up with that noise has been. Birds are VERY smart and they will come to associate different sights and sounds with different things and we can use this to our advantage in training and taming.

How to make your conure less afraid of hand?

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