Malicious Baby GCC

[SupahKoopa]

I bought a 5 month GCC this last Friday becuase I wanted to finally own a pet bird. He was so sweet the first day but then afterwards he started to become VERY mean. He would purposely grab me just to bite me to the point where he pierces through skin and I start bleeding. I looked up on what to do but none of the steps are working and I don't know how much longer my hands can take it. Any advice?

 

[MikeyTN]

Are you flinching when he bites? Since the bite is that nasty where it drawls blood I would suggest in stick training. Where you hold two sticks and practice step up from one stick to another. Repeat the process over and over. Keep doing that for several days until he masters the process then you can try from stick to hand.

 

[SupahKoopa]

Are you flinching when he bites? Since the bite is that nasty where it drawls blood I would suggest in stick training. Where you hold two sticks and practice step up from one stick to another. Repeat the process over and over. Keep doing that for several days until he masters the process then you can try from stick to hand.

He knows to step up, and I try to not flinch because I figured I'd be encouraging him to bite if I do flinch. It's just the past two days he'd just get bitey. I don't mind the small nibbles and I'm not sure to to encourage nibbles and not bites..

 

[SupahKoopa]

He also seems to hump my hand now and then, is it a dominance issue? Where he tries to be the alpha bird?

 

[ZephyrFly]

where/who did you get your bird from? 5 months seems too early for that (not the biting issue)

 

[SupahKoopa]

where/who did you get your bird from? 5 months seems too early for that (not the biting issue)

I bought the GCC from PetCo. for Black Friday, and he was sweet day one then afterwards he just turned into a little monster. He literally breaks skin and it's becoming frusterating. I have bite marks and blisters all over my hand and I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm starting to think I'm not fit to be a parrot owner, but I truly do want to try and continue.

 

[ZephyrFly]

I wouldn't have though petco would sell a bird aged wrong knowingly.... then again i don't know petco (none of them in the uk). Make sure your bird gets at least 10 hours of undisturbed sleep a night. With the humping it sounds like hormonal behaviour but he shouldn't have that at 5 months old. gcc get hormonal/hit puberty at 12months/1year (give or take a few months).

Talk to him through the cage, offer millet when he's good (keep fingers away) and when confident try short, gentle scritches through the bars.

When all seems calm, have him out for a bit (an hour at a time or so), practice stepping up with a stick instead of your hand, and when he does bite put him away for 10 min (no attention) then have him out again or at least talk to him, get a toy of a bit of plain paper and play with him through the bars (no fingers).

This is only what I'd do, there'll be others with better advice I promise. AND you don't seem like a bad parrot owner you're just new. Great for you though, you're asking for help and not just hiding him away or giving up on him, so well done you

 

[Flboy]

Don't give up on the baby! It will take time, but he can be turned around. He is blaming you for a crappie life up to this point and is scared! When scared all they know to do is attack!

 

[SupahKoopa]

I wouldn't have though petco would sell a bird aged wrong knowingly.... then again i don't know petco (none of them in the uk). Make sure your bird gets at least 10 hours of undisturbed sleep a night. With the humping it sounds like hormonal behaviour but he shouldn't have that at 5 months old. gcc get hormonal/hit puberty at 12months/1year (give or take a few months).

Talk to him through the cage, offer millet when he's good (keep fingers away) and when confident try short, gentle scritches through the bars.

When all seems calm, have him out for a bit (an hour at a time or so), practice stepping up with a stick instead of your hand, and when he does bite put him away for 10 min (no attention) then have him out again or at least talk to him, get a toy of a bit of plain paper and play with him through the bars (no fingers).

This is only what I'd do, there'll be others with better advice I promise. AND you don't seem like a bad parrot owner you're just new. Great for you though, you're asking for help and not just hiding him away or giving up on him, so well done you

The certificate said his hatch date was June if this year so he seems too young to be showing signs of bluffing. And I don't know what made him just turn all of a sudden from a sweet heart to a little demon with wings. But I'll try what you said. Thank you for the advice. I just don't want to be disheartened but I don't want to stress out the little guy either.

 

[ZephyrFly]

He's in new place, he needs some time to adjust and learn when that he can't be biting you that hard. A little biting is normal but he has to learn what is execptable.

 

[JellyBean]

Congrats on your new baby... There is a lot of threads here on the forum for dealing with aggression and a new bird.. I genuinely think that he just needs a little time and patience.. He is probably feeling very frightened - new place, new environment, new person.

Just give him time... with regards to the "not-reacting" to biting. I disagree, when JellyBean my GCC starting being more aggressive whilst he was going through puberty, I thought I would not react - it just got worse. Finally I took Birdman's advice and gave him mini-time outs whilst saying NO to his biting and told him he was a Bold Bird.. He hated being put back into his cage, so the biting stopped!!

Best of luck and please do stick with it!! Post some pics...

 

[Kyoto]

Welcome to Green cheek conures. They are moody, biters, and when they love you they are the most awesome little buddy you could ever wish for. Getting to that loving point takes work. They don't just automatically accept you, you must earn their respect and learn to understand their body language and emotions and needs.

If you don't have the patience to learn how to handle him, I would suggest finding someone who has experience to come work with you and him together.

 

[Kyoto]

Congrats on your new baby... There is a lot of threads here on the forum for dealing with aggression and a new bird.. I genuinely think that he just needs a little time and patience.. He is probably feeling very frightened - new place, new environment, new person.

Just give him time... with regards to the "not-reacting" to biting. I disagree, when JellyBean my GCC starting being more aggressive whilst he was going through puberty, I thought I would not react - it just got worse. Finally I took Birdman's advice and gave him mini-time outs whilst saying NO to his biting and told him he was a Bold Bird.. He hated being put back into his cage, so the biting stopped!!

Best of luck and please do stick with it!! Post some pics...

I agree, the not reacting simply doesn't work with many birds. If she is preening me and gets too rough, Kyo responds best if I made a noise like she would make if I hit a blood feather while preening her... that is unless she is just being a grumpy butt and purposely biting me to get a reaction, then she gets put on the floor.

If she won't knock it off, she gets up on top of her cage as a warning. If she still wants to bite me, I put her down and start to pretend to leave the room which she DOES NOT want, so she'll fly after me like a child. She usually stops by then, because she knows the next step is going back in her cage and watching me work on schoolwork, or have me leave to go to work early, instead of being out with me. That was this morning, after being an absolutely loving little sook all last night (she preened my face for an hour so sweetly I could have cried).

Mind you, she really likes me so this works. If she didn't like me I'd be rewarding the biting by leaving. Which is what my husband does every time her interacts with her (she does not like him) and that is a whole other story. Big Work in Progress there

 

[Minimaker]

It's discouraged, but I used cloth gloves in the first week with my untamed conure. Didn't hurt him a bit, didn't damage our relationship either. I'm just not into bleeding profusely or having open cuts because I have my hands in hot water a lot. He quickly realized when he chomped me it didn't hurt me. And it gave him an attitude adjustment. I moved him from a cage to a table top play gym next to me daily and fed him treats with my bare hands because he wasn't trying to bite them if I was offering treats there. I talked to him a lot, did desensitizing exercises like putting my finger in front of him just out of reach so he would get used to my bare fingers. He realized I wasn't actually trying to touch him and relaxed. Then I would treat him while he was relaxed to reward the behavior. In time I was able to get my finger closer to him to the point I was touching his beak with no bites. He's still a bit cage protective, some birds are and conures have been known for this. After awhile I didn't have to wear gloves anymore and he got more used to being handled and more trusting of me because of the treats and fresh food. I started with raspberries and apple and worked into fresh greens. Pine nuts are an excellent treat for a conure, they really love them.

 

[SupahKoopa]

Thank you all for your advice, I'll try my best and Ill post pictures soon He's been a bit more tender after I left for a while and let him get accommodated with his cage. I'm assuming he's feeling fearful because it's a new environment and it takes time for him to warm up. He doesn't bite AS bad as before now. I'll be sure to update you, and thank you again.

 

[Tropical]

where/who did you get your bird from? 5 months seems too early for that (not the biting issue)

I bought the GCC from PetCo. for Black Friday, and he was sweet day one then afterwards he just turned into a little monster. He literally breaks skin and it's becoming frusterating. I have bite marks and blisters all over my hand and I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm starting to think I'm not fit to be a parrot owner, but I truly do want to try and continue.

I recently saw a 5 month old GCC at PetCo... you wouldn't have happened to get him from a PetCo in Palm beach Gardens, FL? As they had the cutest GCC but I was told he wasn't "tame". I would try putting on thick gloves on so you can handle him more comfortably until he settles in. I wouldn't give up on him.... you would be surprised how the meanest birds can really become the nicest little things.

 

[SupahKoopa]

where/who did you get your bird from? 5 months seems too early for that (not the biting issue)

I bought the GCC from PetCo. for Black Friday, and he was sweet day one then afterwards he just turned into a little monster. He literally breaks skin and it's becoming frusterating. I have bite marks and blisters all over my hand and I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm starting to think I'm not fit to be a parrot owner, but I truly do want to try and continue.

I recently saw a 5 month old GCC at PetCo... you wouldn't have happened to get him from a PetCo in Palm beach Gardens, FL? As they had the cutest GCC but I was told he wasn't "tame". I would try putting on thick gloves on so you can handle him more comfortably until he settles in. I wouldn't give up on him.... you would be surprised how the meanest birds can really become the nicest little things.

No I live in Chicago and I got him from here. Here's the baby.

He doesn't seem to want to step up another time when he finally gets on my hand so that's when he bites me. I'm not sure why he randomly gets so moody out of no where. Last night he was preening my hand and being so sweet and this morning he just wants to maul my hands.

 

[Tropical]

He's so beautiful! I love his dark feet. I know I'm weird, I love it when they have darker feet/beaks. I would give him some time.... I'm positive he will eventually warm up to you. I cannot wait to get my first GCC... I'm already prepared to be dealing with a handful

GCCs even look mischievous... they just look like trouble makers lol. Many yrs ago my aunt's new tiel was HORRIBLE.... the tiel would bite so hard through gloves!.... but after some time (I don't remember how long exactly) he was a totally different bird. Good luck with the little cute devil