6week old baby conure

[MetalBird Crux]

My baby green cheek conure, is okay with hanging in my shoulder but hates it when I try to slowly pick it up from its box to hand feed or to play with. Everything g is okay until I use my hands. screeches as if its being bitten or tail pulled. I got (unsexed) them at 5 weeks old. Does the bird need more time to adjust or is this just its personality. Breeder claims that it was being hand fed but I’m not sure. I just finished weening my 9 week old green cheek. She was a walk in the park. But my new baby bird is proving difficult to tame or get use to being handled. Will my bird adjust? And learn to be handled? Or is it it’s personality?

 

[DonnaBudgie]

My baby green cheek conure, is okay with hanging in my shoulder but hates it when I try to slowly pick it up from its box to hand feed or to play with. Everything g is okay until I use my hands. screeches as if its being bitten or tail pulled. I got (unsexed) them at 5 weeks old. Does the bird need more time to adjust or is this just its personality. Breeder claims that it was being hand fed but I’m not sure. I just finished weening my 9 week old green cheek. She was a walk in the park. But my new baby bird is proving difficult to tame or get use to being handled. Will my bird adjust? And learn to be handled? Or is it it’s personality?

Perhaps the breeder did most of their hand feeding without actually holding the baby in their hands. Some breeders "hand feed" by letting the baby stay in a container and holding the syringe of formula up to their beak instead of cradling the baby in their hands while feeding, which isn't much better for producing a hand tame baby than having the parents feed it. I think you should handle your new baby with your hands during all feedings and as much as possible between feedings to prove that your hands are friendly and fun. At such a young age your baby should become completely comfortable with your hands by the time its weaned at nine weeks. In the meantime I wouldn't let the baby sit on your shoulder until it's is completely comfortable with your hands or it may be difficult later on to reach up with your hand and take them off your shoulder without getting bitten. It's funny how parrots can be completely comfortable with some of their owners' body parts (faces and shoulders usually) and be scared of others (hands usually). Let us know how baby does.