couple questions, new owner here

[Skidood]

Hi Group

I just purchased a hand-tame 2 yr old GCC this morning. It came from what seemed a loving home where it was able to fly around at least 2 hours a day.
The bird is settling in well. When I slowly place my hand inside, he has already let me rub his head a little but he wont step up yet and often bites. He seems to like me though, or at lest finds me quite interesting. Often will squawk when I leave the room.
My question is, can I assume I should not let him out of the cage until he readily climbs onto my finger and/or lets me hold him without a fuss?
Or should I let him out for exercise and see if he flies back to the cage when he wants food or sleep?
The previous owner told me he will not fly back to his cage and go inside to settle down. She always had to place him back in.

Thank you !!

 

[itzjbean]

Have you set up a play gym or area for him? As far as letting a new bird fly around, it could be disastrous, especially if you can't get him back in. Consider a wing clip for his safety so he won't go flying when you open the cage. It will give you control until he can be trusted outside the cage and he can learn his new surroundings without worry of him flying into a wall, into something, etc. You can also consider closing all windows with the curtains and covering TV's or anything he could run into with blankets. Take him around in a travel cage and show him what windows and walls and things are.

 

[Skidood]

Have you set up a play gym or area for him? As far as letting a new bird fly around, it could be disastrous, especially if you can't get him back in. Consider a wing clip for his safety so he won't go flying when you open the cage. It will give you control until he can be trusted outside the cage and he can learn his new surroundings without worry of him flying into a wall, into something, etc.

Thanks. Despite the advantages I won't be clipping his wings.
The windows all have horizontal or vertical blinds which are never drawn aside or retracted upwards, and I intend to put masking tape (until I can find something nicer) on the mirrors.

He has a BIG cage but I have no gym set up.

 

[TheBirdBuds]

Playgrounds are relatively cheap for what they are. You can buy them at pretty much any pet store that has a bird section. I got my small 8x10" parakeet one at a petco for twenty dollars. They seemed to have enjoyed it until my Jenday chewed it into nothingness :/ And i would suggest clipping his wings but if you do not want to completely trim them so he can still fly (just not as fast) you can do them to where they have a little more than half of their flight feathers. That's what I do with my conures.

 

[LordTriggs]

I prefer getting them to a point where they will step on a perch before coming out so as to avoid unnecessary scares and trauma for them, a week or 2 in the cage learning to step-up for a treat isn't going to mentally scar them. I say a perch because it's good to teach them to step-up onto a perch at first in case anyone else needs to pick him up at any time!

I play area outside of the cage is really good to have. You can go anywhere from cheap tabletop ones for like $30 all the way to full Java stands which can be well over $100.

I advise against wing-clipping until they are at least 6 months old so their muscles and air-sacks develop properly and they can learn to land, it's also an incredible feeling having your conure fly to you, you know then that it was entirely their choice to come to you. If you can get them to be happy on a perch being carried by you you can show them the windows and mirrors, not to say accidents don't happen of course but letting them touch the mirrors and windows lets them realise that they're solid objects. For the first couple times I covered my mirrors using towels and it worked a treat. I will say though if even when they're step-up trained they

The biggest thing right now is to find out a good treat food, I found raisins to be the food of choice for mine so give them a go but try other things too and see what interests him, then you can begin teaching him. Hope to hear more updates on the little guy!

 

[Skidood]

Update. I have had him (or her) for 30 hours. Things are going extremely well.
-Coco has been exploring the house
-she fell asleep on my chest and explored inside my T-shirt
-she usually won't let me out of her sight
-she has thoroughly enjoyed a water bath under the faucet in the kitchen sink..she enjoyed this with her previous owner so she jumped into the sink without me helping.
-she enjoys spending time on my shoulder and watches what I'm doing
-after spending a few hours out of her cage, she let me put her back in and she stayed in with the door open, long enough to eat and drink some water
-she only pooped on me ONCE!!! lol...
I'm smitten with her.

BTW she is a yellow-sided.

 

[clark_conure]

Sounds about right, especially with a conure that was already from a loving home. He/she justed needed to get to know you. You have nothing but enjoyment from now on.