Oh oh oh it's that time again. (I have a new foster!)

[Indy]

Yes, I still have Prissy who is certainly not as good as I'd like her to be (She hates to leave her cage) but because I think part of Prissy's problem is that she craves another feathered friend to play with I decided that I'd rather it be noisier then have a lonely Priss. And I'm working on some more enticing playstands to get her out. So here's hoping!
But it's summers and because I foster I don't have to make a forever commitment (Please don't buy a bird over the summer simply because you have enough time. Like I said I foster. I only keep these birds for a few months)
So we got another foster, Watson who is /evil grin/ a green cheeck conure.
Now my hands are permanently red and the skin is consistantly broken. So we know he has a biting problem.
But other then that man he's a doll. He hangs out with me, makes nests in my hair and bites me hard.
I don't react of course but it hurts, so if any one has any other biting remedies please share hem! (Prefferably ones that save my fingers which are all swollent and red)

 

[Indy]

Watson's back story is unfortunately the common one sung by ex-bird owners.
He was bought at a pet store and he bit his owner a few times so she just let him be. Then she promptly decided she didn't want him any more. So he went to a rescue and then to my home.
He's got such potentail it breaks my heart, he wants to be near people.no one ever taught him how.
It's an entirely new problem I'm excited to fix. He's only a year old since Februaury. He's such a little kid. Any amount of effort would have made this lil guys life so much easier. But I have him now and when he leaves me I swear he'll be as sweet as he can be.

 

[suebee]

don't know about conures, but this hand biting thing, looking back i think nut got over it??

i did the none reaction, the leaving her be, enticing her to follow rather then get her to step up, even the OWW and walked away, none of which i felt was the one that worked, other then over time and trust, and starting up a rather rigid routine. once she got an idea of routine, she bit/attacked less, and now its rare

i think perch/stick training him might be a good idea, this way when you pass him on, he'll be easier to handle for his new family

 

[Indy]

Ok.
/wants something to work/
Mostly it's nipping which is ok but I'm currently nursing a bloody hand which is not. Anything to stop the extremely painful ones?
<3
Thank chu though

 

[dishgal1]

Ahhh I so remember when my baby was young and got over bitey.....I did not know what to do, the thought crossed my mind that I had made a huge mistake getting him. That is probably what happened with the one you have. Finally I was determined to get him out of biting at least down to a minimum. Routine brings forth stability IMO. He grew out of the excessive biting within a few weeks. May take longer for yours because of his circumstances.
Forrest my GCC has his routine down to a tee. When he first gets up, he flies to potty stand, munches on his pellets, then off to the couch where he does not want to be bothered or moved for at least an hour, after that everyone is up for grabs. He spends a lot of time going from room to room with me throughout the day. Once he settles in I think his biting will ease up. I don't think they ever entirely give up biting but learn not to bite so hard. Good luck and bless you for taking on the little guy.

 

[GCC]

If i get a 3month old GCC will it have a big biting problem???

 

[MonicaMc]

That depends entirely on the bird, how the bird was raised as well as the bird going through maturity.

All birds bite, and green cheeks especially are known for being nippy birds. My interaction with green cheeks has been limited, but I can't say that I've noticed them to be any nippier or worse than other species... I've even interacted with a couple that were "known biters" or "very nippy", and unless it's just me, these birds really weren't "bad" birds or anything like they were reported to be...

I constantly see people asking for advice though about nippy green cheeks once they purchase one and bring the bird home.