Bed for GCC?

[Sandibth]

Hello all. Do green cheek conures need some type of bed to sleep in? I know it’s silly question but I have a good reason for asking

 

[noodles123]

No-- avoid these. They can sleep on the perch and those beds they sell often become hormonal triggers (as you don't want them in shadowy/nest-like spaces) and because snuggle huts are super dangerous as far as blockages, strangulation etc. If they have a bed or shadowy space, they will often be obsessed with going in there, but that doesn't mean it is positive for their well-being.

If you have been allowing your bird access to snuggle huts, don't. Snuggle huts are extremely dangerous for other reasons as well, but definitely contribute to hormones in the vast majority of users...same with tents, coconuts, under tables, in bedding/blankets, piles of paper, shadowy spaces etc. They should have no access to shadowy spaces as these spaces are preferred by them due to nesting tendencies and the presence of such spaces amplifies their hormonal response/triggers them and can also make them more territorial/cage aggressive.

see above-- this is legitimate advice....You can find it from parrot experts and vets all over.

 

[Sandibth]

Ok so now I will confess and please go easy on me! I humanized my GCC and could not imagine her sleeping without a bed so she has always had a triangle hut in her cage made from fabric and I check constantly to make sure no threads. Here is the problem...she has turned in to a mean bird who screeches constantly. She bites everyone now and has even started biting me. She is healthy and has been to vet recently. She has toys and out of cage time for several hours. I cover her cage at 9pm and remove cover at 7am so she gets 10 hours sleep....so now I’m wondering if it has anything to do with the hut. She will be 3 in March.

 

[Sandibth]

When I say bite I mean aggressively and bringing blood!

 

[Laurasea]

I have safe type tents for mine, sbd always have.
GCC are sexual mature at 6 months to a year...

Sure you can have a hormonal year..

But its so easy fir something to happen and they loose trust or develop fear of hands. Mine is 7, we have had this happen several times, most times I know what went wrong, sometimes I don't.

But what always works is feeding treats by hand a zillion times a day, and rebuild trust.

Now she is cage protective, if I touch the outside of the cage she is there to bute me quick! Mist times I can ask her to come out at the door, but sometimes I have to let her come out on her own. Then she is sweet.

With GCC you have to pay attention to body language. I can pet her cuddle, then she is like I will bite you! Then I wait usually just a few seconds and I can pet her again. She us like a cat...lol. I don't get bit, and our relationship is fantastic, but I could get bit every single day if I didn't pay attention.

 

[noodles123]

When she is not in the room (and preferably occupied---and preferably in the morning) I would secretly remove that tent and make sure the rest of her day is positive. You will get some push-back and confusion (I am sure)...but given the behaviors you are seeing, I would secretly remove it and give it a week or so--- on top of ensuring sleep routine and no sexual petting.


Laurasea's advice is also legit, although many birds really cannot handle any hut (safe or other) but it isn't totally black and white. I KNOW my bird cannot handle shadowy spaces, as she is obsessed with them when hormonal and more erratic if she has access. In the wild, they do not generally spend time in nests unless they are babies or making babies.



Your bird is definitely an adult and if the behavior just started within the past year or so, I'd be skeptical of the hut. If you remove it and the behavior continues for weeks, then it could be more.. It is also super important to pay attention to their body language as well.

 

[Laurasea]

I also agree with Noodles, some burds get wound up or some years their urges are different.

I hsve hormonal birds right now. They are humping stuff regurgitation to each other spend more time calling fir a mate, and gaurd weird spots outside of their cages. But they are all still sweet to me, no bites or bad behavior..

I just hate if things are just like oh well it hormonal.. Because 9 out of 10 yiu hsve let your relationship slide. Your burd isn't out of the cage enough or getting enough one on one time with you.

Re haul everything. Get her foraging. Create a hanging jungle gym over her cage. I use ceiling hook fishing line, hang a huge spiral perch over the cage to just a few inches above cage. Add treat sticks, easy to shred stuff like yucca chips. Burds like to act like monkeys, create a fun space.

If she isn't interacting with her environment sbd toys,, then yiu haven't bern creative enough. I hang beads outside of tge cage right next to a perch on the inside, drives them nuts trying to get at it. GcC like to untie knots, make them real easy at first. A cup fill of plastic bottle caps. Or float bottle caps in a shallow dish put one seed in each plastic cap, they love fishing them out. The dollar store has plastic box with trays that are tiny, mine can pull it open to get a seed. There are endless things you can do!!

Mine aldo spend a lot of time on the hunks of veggies I give twice a day.

I have a large shallow dish do they can take a bath when they choose. People have gotten little toy fountains for bsby baths they use..

Her thrm engaged in life making choices doing natural behaviors.

This is a great article lots of great stuff a d not for just "stressed" Birds
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/

Here is the dollar store drawers , and a paper back book she likes to shred

I know I'm nit focused on the bites. Because treat feeding and trust building, more time together are part of it. But usually a bigger part is improving every aspect of their life.

 

[Sandibth]

She has a parrot gym she plays on every evening and that is the only time she is quiet or friendly. That being said there is one other thing...my 2 grandchildren moved in a few months ago. They don’t bother her, they are just present in ‘her home’. Her main cage is in the family room but her gym is upstairs and when she is playing on it just me and my husband are up there with her. Could she be jealous of my grandkids? Would that cause the screeching and biting? Even with me?

 

[Laurasea]

Yes. Or even just the stress of new people.
Re introduce the kids. Let them stand by cage and say hi. Explain to your bird the situation. If she takes seed nice they csn give her one. Or get a small treat only dish. And every time they say hi and put a seed in it. When everyone comes or goes they should say hi and bye( if leaving the house) and hello when come home. Abd everyone should come say good morning, abd good night. A behavior specialist had my freind do this with a CAG that was having issues. It really helped!

Plus yiu might need to spend extra time with her so she knows she is important

 

[noodles123]

absolutely- 500% could be jealous or upset by this change

 

[Scott]

Perfect advice above! I'd start with the easy issue of tent removal and give it a day or two. If no improvement, behavior modification techniques may be helpful.

 

[Tman]

I like to add a few more good Ideas.
The first one is by a toy made out of soft material. Put it up on the highest perch so she can cuddle up to it.
(Picture below).
Also she has claimed the cage hers, take everything thing out of the cage and redo the interior so it's not the same that way the cage will be different and not the one she was calling hers