advice please! 2nd conure, big problems

[jim14qc]

Hi,

I had a lot of changes in the last month and am having a lot of problems. Please help if you have any insight!

I've had Haddock since August 1, 2012. So about 1 year. He's born July 2012. He had to spend 3 weeks at my grandma's in October because of work (out of province) but other than that basically always with my home and I was single for the first few months so I spent a lot of time gaming with him on my shoulder or him just sitting around while I did wathever.

We were strongly bonded, he would ALWAYS want to come out of his cage and play with me. If I left a room he was in, he would fly to whatever room I was going to and land on my shoulder. If I let him out of the cage and tried to put him on his stand he'd come back to my shoulder.

He was too much of a ****** considering I had gf and was working a lot, and I felt bad for him being alone from 8 to 6 every day + some evenings when I had **** to do.

I got a new job in a new city a month ago and moved him with me to a new apartment. I also, at the same time, bought a new bird (different breeder), same GCC type, because I wanted him to have company in day time. The new conure is very loud and VERY dominant. Because I'm in a condo I couldn't tolerate the noise of the new GCC so I used the breeder technique (she told me when I bought the second GCC) to spray a water gun at the conure (small gun) to teach him that screeching is not OK. It's not worked very well.

Now, Haddock is VERY PISSED at me and will run away from me.... runs away in his cage if I try to get him out, and when he's out runs away if I gry to get him. When he's on my hand he respects my authority but he always looks very stressed when I want to pet him.

HELP? I think it's either because we had a HEAT WAVE, or because of the new bird, or because of the water gun. Please help, any tips! I want to make him like me again. They do not share a cage (they did for a week, but no more).

 

[weco]

He's upset because he feels like he's been replaced.....you don't mention a current GF, but if she's a live-in, he's probably upset about her too......loosing both position and attention, probably still getting used to the new environment also.....

Hopefully both birds are in their own cage & if so, you might want to keep them that way, at least for the foreseeable future, to give you the opportunity to resurrect your relationship with him.....when you come home, he should be greeted first, then when you let him out, he should be first & he should be played with first.....he was the first bird...and when you're talking to them, always address him first.....once he begins to think he's recovered some of his previous position, I'm pretty sure you're going to see a decided attitude change, but don't force him...he'll come around.....

When giving out treats, giving Haddock his a few minutes before giving to your other GCC will also be noticed...by both birds.....

Good luck.....

 

[BillsBirds]

I would also like to add...get rid of the water gun! It's cruel, disrespectful, and annoying to them. Please do not do things like that ever again. These birds are sensitive, intelligent creatures. Wonder why it has not worked? How would you like being sprayed with a water hose every time you did something that someone didn't like?

 

[jim14qc]

I would also like to add...get rid of the water gun! It's cruel, disrespectful, and annoying to them. Please do not do things like that ever again. These birds are sensitive, intelligent creatures. Wonder why it has not worked? How would you like being sprayed with a water hose every time you did something that someone didn't like?

Yes I stopped that 2 weeks ago... I tried it on the breeder's suggestion. It wasn't a good idea.

Thanks to you both for the ideas!