new forum member with Tango a GCC

[Rufio850]

Hey name is Dennis and I own a soon to be one year old Green Cheek Conure named Tango. He is in his second time molting and I feel for him. Any suggestions on helping him be at ease? I occasionally break off his pin feathers to help but I noticed he is getting more nippy towards everyone so I'm assuming he is just constantly annoyed.

 

[weco]

Molting is a very itchy proposition for a bird...unlike our hairs, which we really never feel growing, their new feathers come with sheaths, that sometimes irritate the follicles as they push up to full length, so yes, I guess you could look at it as annoyance.....

All but one of my birds likes to have me squeeze the sheaths on their head & neck feathers.....I just gently rub them between my fingers & they fall apart...just be careful not to push the new feather down or side to side as this may cause you to get nipped, it's a bit painful to the bird.....

Frequent baths helps some birds handle molting better also.....

 

[Rufio850]

Yes he's definitely accustomed to moving his head around so my fingers are on them and I do that. But rubbing will actually get them off? I use my nails (when longer) to pinch them and he likes it but occasionally I will slip and he nips. Also speaking of baths is there an age when they REALLY enjoy bath time? Like in the shower?

 

[MonicaMc]

Welcome to the forum!

Re: molting? Great food and lots of bathes! A little extra protein and vitamin A wouldn't hurt during the molting process...

Also, GC's are nippy by nature, so that sounds like typical behavior... although I would highly recommend looking into positive reinforcement and clicker training!


Be careful not to get the early pin feathers and work mostly with the more mature ones!

Bathes? Well, varies for each bird. As some humans pay prefer showers over bathing or visa versa, so do parrots also vary in what they enjoy! Try different ways of bathing him or allowing him to bathe!

• Try luke-warm water
• Try cold water
• Try ice-cold water
• Try a spray bottle
• Try a plant mister
• Try in the sink with the water running or just some water in the bottom
• Try in the sink with the sprayer
• Try in the tub with some water in the bottom
• Try a casserole dish or similar with some water
• Try the dish with ice
• Try the dish with foot toys
• Try the dish with some leafy greens like endive or other types of lettuces that may create a "natural" bowl
• Try the dish with a vacuum cleaner
• Try in the shower with you - watching you having a blast getting wet!
• Try dancing the bird into the shower with the water already going
• Try spritzing yourself, and have fun doing it! Then spritz the bird
• Try outside in an empty cage large enough to spread wings during a nice rain shower
• Try outside in an empty cage using the hose with a mist/shower attachment

 

[Rufio850]

He has nipped me twice. When I first got him (his 1st time molting at 6 months old) then he was the sweetest thing never bit or nipped. He would chew on my hands but just to play. Now his second time is when he's molting again he's a little more irritated. So what do u mean by positive reinforcement and clicker training?

As for bath I'll try different methods Thanks!

 

[aliray]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

[wenz2712]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Rufio850]

Thanks ali!

 

[Rufio850]

Thanks wenz!

 

[MonicaMc]

He has nipped me twice. When I first got him (his 1st time molting at 6 months old) then he was the sweetest thing never bit or nipped. He would chew on my hands but just to play. Now his second time is when he's molting again he's a little more irritated. So what do u mean by positive reinforcement and clicker training?

As for bath I'll try different methods Thanks!

When birds are babies, they can often be "man handled" and don't care. However, like humans, babies grow up! And as they grow, they want more respect... so you can't expect an adult bird to act the same as a baby.

Plus, being hormonal or going through a molt can make them extra nippy and temperamental.

Clicker training is based on the foundations of positive reinforcement. It's giving birds the choice to do as you ask, not as you demand. You also give them a reward or incentive for doing so. (why work a crappy job if you didn't get paid to do it?) Positive reinforcement is a way to learn how to communicate with your bird, and your bird in turn with you.

Lara Joseph did a blog about "command" vs "request" that I really like...
Taking the ?Command? out of the Positive Reinforcement Vocabulary | Lara Joseph

And there are a bunch of websites out there on clicker training and positive reinforcement! Not to mention trainers like Barbara Heidenreich, Susan Friedman, Melinda Johnson, Karen Pryor, etc!

 

[Mirlito]

Hi and welcome!