GCC baby chosing advice.One bites a lot and one pretty much doesnt. Which one?

[Bert]

I have put down a deposit on a baby unweaned yellow sided turquoise green cheek conure and it loves to bite me and I make sure not to react but he keeps on and it's hard biting too. They have a pineapple one that really doesn't bite at all and when it does it isn't hard. Should I switch my deposit to the pineapple? I have played with the bird many times and I think the pineapple is a better choice since it's not so nippy but i want some more opinions so please help me!! Thanks in advance!!

 

[Chunky]

I am completely biased having had my baby pineapple for a couple of weeks. He is a dream to train and biting too hard has virtually stopped with pressure training. In fact, he often grabs my finger or an ear lobe, then, slowly bites down to find the boundary of my tolerance. When i say no in a sharp but growly voice, he lets go and starts again more gently. Obviously each bird is different, but i would say go for the bird thats friendliest from the get go. Life is much easier that way. Also, my little boy is such an entertainer, he has alreadt turned my world upside down (in a good way)

 

[Bert]

I am completely biased having had my baby pineapple for a couple of weeks. He is a dream to train and biting too hard has virtually stopped with pressure training. In fact, he often grabs my finger or an ear lobe, then, slowly bites down to find the boundary of my tolerance. When i say no in a sharp but growly voice, he lets go and starts again more gently. Obviously each bird is different, but i would say go for the bird thats friendliest from the get go. Life is much easier that way. Also, my little boy is such an entertainer, he has alreadt turned my world upside down (in a good way)

Thanks a lot for your advice! I agree with you on that. My heart says get the nicer one. I have read a thread and some folks were saying the turquoise can be wilder but im not sure I believe that but it does seem true with the two turquoise babies that are at the breeders place. They two turquoises are both hyper but the pineapple always seem very calm everytime I have visited them.

 

[Chunky]

I am completely biased having had my baby pineapple for a couple of weeks. He is a dream to train and biting too hard has virtually stopped with pressure training. In fact, he often grabs my finger or an ear lobe, then, slowly bites down to find the boundary of my tolerance. When i say no in a sharp but growly voice, he lets go and starts again more gently. Obviously each bird is different, but i would say go for the bird thats friendliest from the get go. Life is much easier that way. Also, my little boy is such an entertainer, he has alreadt turned my world upside down (in a good way)

Thanks a lot for your advice! I agree with you on that. My heart says get the nicer one. I have read a thread and some folks were saying the turquoise can be wilder but im not sure I believe that but it does seem true with the two turquoise babies that are at the breeders place. They two turquoises are both hyper but the pineapple always seem very calm everytime I have visited them.

As i said before each individual bird is different, but i do agree that Chunky is very calm. He rarely flinches, even at loud bangs and unexpected noise.
He is extremely friendly, but i put that down to being hand reared.

I hope you make the right choice for you. I have no other experience with conures, but maybe someone else can give a different input.

 

[Bert]

Thanks Chunky! I really appreciate your opinion! They are all hand reared babies by the way so thats why I was concerned that one bites and the other one doesn't.

 

[Chunky]

This is how laid back and calm he is. He fell asleep on his back in the palm of my husbands hand this morning.

 

[Lullx]

My normal GCC Genevieve was and continues to be a little firecracker. She was shy in the pet store when I first met her, then started nipping at me as she got used to me (I went to visit her several times). She was hand raised by the small store's owner.
She had a biting problem for a few months, but with a lot of patience and training, she's now really wonderful. The wild ones tend to be sillier and hilarious to be around, and well worth the effort.
Please also keep in mind that when they grow up and mature, their personalities change a little. Genevieve became incredibly snuggly and no longer bites unless she's scared.

Go with whichever conure you feel most comfortable with, but I just wanted to chime in to say that there's no such thing as a lost cause with these birds. If you have the time and ability to deal with a firecracker, I say go for it! That biting behavior can be corrected in time

 

[Dinosrawr]

What a sweet heart! I agree with everything that's been said. I just also want to add that at some point, you will likely still have to deal with a bird that will bite. Every bird goes through hormones, and during that time your cuddly snuggly sweet feather baby may transform into a sporadic, chomping green monster over night. I already went through it with Avery, and I'm very glad to have her back as my snuggle bug again. So I guess I'm just trying to say be prepared, because bites are inevitable with an animal that communicates with its beak

Congratulations on your new baby! And Lullx, Genevieve is absolutely precious!

 

[Bert]

Thanks everyone! I know that all birds bite at some point i just don't want to start out with issues and then have them get worse biting wise when the hormones kick in. The breeders think that the biting bird is a male and the non biting one is a female. I have always had female dogs because i believe they are sweeter and train better. Is this the same for conures?

 

[Dinosrawr]

I wouldn't say you can generalize the sexes in conures. I have a DNA sexed female who is sassy as could be with a huge attitude to boot. She is sweet and cuddly, but she's not afraid to boss you around or bully you if you let her. I've only been able to teach her a few tricks because she gets offended at certain hand movements and chomps reeaaaal hard when she is, haha. She's also always been very naturally nippy, ever since I got her almost two years ago. We always guessed she was female because of all the sass she gave us, and we were right, hahaha!

 

[Lullx]

I haven't DNA'd Genevieve yet, but I'm planning to very soon (I've been holding out for an AAV certified vet and finally found one!). I believe she's a she because of exactly what Dinosrawr said haha. So very sassy.
In a very general sense, male birds tend to be a little more manageable in most species. But they're all so individual that I don't really like telling new owners which gender usually acts like what.

If you have a better feeling about the pineapple, go with that one He or she is going to be your companion for a few decades, so it's all your decision!

 

[Bert]

Thanks again everyone!!! This forum is great for answers!!

 

[Bert]

I'm going back Thursday to play and make a decision. I wish I had more time but they are taking the birds to a bird show to possibly sell so i have to make a decision before Saturday. Both birds are cute to me in their own way so i cant decide on cuteness dang it ha ha. Wish me luck!

 

[Lullx]

Be sure to go with your heart! The last thing we want is you regretting your decision ):

Hopefully we've helped ease your mind if you end up taking the bitey one.

 

[Bert]

Thanks again!! I'm so torn over what to do. My parents may have to keep the bird once in a blue moon if i go out of town so i don't want one they are scared of. i feel like the nippy one will be ok in time and maybe more fun but i sure don't want it to be the other way. Where is a magic eight ball when you need one ha ha

 

[Lullx]

Maybe ask the shop owner if you can give them both a treat? If Miss Nippy behaves enough to eat the treat and not you, that's a good sign!

A big part of curbing biting behavior is distraction. Bendy straws were a life saver in my house when I was training Gené to not bite. I'd hold the straw and put that in front of her face. She loves chewing on them and would forget about wanting to chomp down on me.

 

[Bert]

Thanks again! They are at a breeders house and I'm not sure if they are eating treats yet but I will ask and see if I can bring them something. I like the straw idea versus my finger lol

 

[Lullx]

Plain popcorn makes a good, healthy-ish snack. Or even a piece of cooked whole grain or veggie pasta! Millet sprays are usually the safe bet. All of my birds except for Phaedrus goes crazy over them.

I also use popsicle sticks so they can chew and shred things, but bendy straws are easier to come by, and easy for them to fling around.

Here's Gené going crazy with a straw when I first got her.

 

[Bert]

I love that video. Thanks for posting it! I'll try one of those treats if I can take some with me for the birds or some straws or popsicle sticks of i can find any.

 

[Anansi]

...I have put down a deposit on a baby unweaned yellow sided turquoise green cheek conure and it loves to bite me and I make sure not to react but he keeps on and it's hard biting too...

Just wanted to chime in, here, on the "no reaction" method of dealing with bites. I don't know why this technique gets so much play, but I'm hoping to save you from an unnecessary investment of pain and blood for the purpose of bite pressure training your bird.

Remember that when birds nip or bite, they are most often communicating with you. They might be letting you know that they're afraid, or annoyed. Or they might even be playing. Thing is, they may not understand how much pressure is too much pressure. So why meet their attempts at interaction with stoic silence?

You definitely want to keep your reaction controlled, of course. After all, they might find an animated reaction amusing and actually seek to trigger a repeat performance for their own amusement. So you should tell them "No," in a firm, yet even, voice. If they clamp down, grip the beak just above the point with the thumb and index finger of your free hand (ie the one not being used as a nibble toy) and with a gently twisting motion pull the beak away from your ailing flesh.

There should be no question in his/her mind that you find the current level of bite pressure unacceptable. Subsequent infractions should lead to a repeated "No" and a timeout of around 15 minutes. (Not feasible in a bird store, I know. This is more for when you get them home.) Wash, rinse, repeat.

The method Lullx mentioned is also very effective with repeated use. Again, the goal is to bite pressure train your bird with minimum pain and bloodshed. Distraction, deflection and timeouts are all viable tools for that purpose.

Good luck on your decision, and make sure to post pics once you make your final choice!