Need help with my green cheek

[Alicia_Rodney]

I have a green cheek and his name is Rodney. I have had him for a year now. For the last three months his attitude has changed so much. One minute is the sweetest thing cuddling with me and giving me kissed. Then out of no where he starts attacking and bitting me. He gets so aggressive to were he is making my fingers bleed. I have read a lot of things where you should put them in their cage me they act like this. But he will keep on biting as I put him away and it hurts. I will wait about 5 to ten mins until I get him back out. And when I get him he is the sweetest bird again. He will let me put my hands in the cage and he will jump right on and is ready get out of the cage. And it is very random when he starts to attack. It could be five mins after I take him out or it can be an hour later. I don't know what to with him. And everything I have read doesn't seem to work. It's so frustrating and I just want him t be happy.

 

[SilverSage]

How old is he? Could it be adolescent hormones? Has anything changed lately in his environment or diet?

 

[Alicia_Rodney]

He is a year and half. He is a picky eater. So I'm still trying to finds foods we will eat. I started giving him a little bit of baby food; I started that yesterday. I'm afraid that he does not have a good diet. And if I give him a bowl of veggies in his cage he just throws them all on the ground or bottom of his cage. And he only eats his pellets if they have been sitting in water long enough to make them soft. I'm in college and I am in a different apartment then last year. He also travels back and forth with me when I go home on weekends. But he has been traveling with since the day I got him a year ago.

 

[RiosMom]

Trust me, I know how you feel and so do many others here!

1. Could be adolescent hormones like SilverSage said. In that case, a little more cage time when aggressive. Have you tried training him? It gives his mind something else to think about and helps build your bond. Is he getting good, undisturbed sleep? That is so important! When Rio was going through this I moved her into a sleep cage in a quiet room to do 2 things...get great sleep and to lessen cage aggression (which you don't seem to have). Moving his cage to a different location could help...shakes things up!

2. Food! I just read an article about this and if he has a favorite food, offer him that plus one or two things chopped up small that end up "clinging" to the fav food. He will get a taste of it and then possibly love it! Don't put a whole bunch of new stuff in, just a taste. Don't give up... Rio acted like strawberries were evil and now devours them! Have you tried making bird bread? It's a great way to sneak in veggies (using puréed baby food veggies). I put a little seed in there because she wants those badly.

3. Be consistent with your cues. When he bites, a firm no and then put him down. I turned my back on her and walked away, which she hated. A bad bite=cage time not in my sight. A few minutes later I would come back and offer out, any aggression and I walked away. When he bites, don't scream ouch...that is a reinforcer for many...they got a response. Have you tried pin pointing the "antecedents", what happens before, a bite? I know for me, I was nervous when I thought she might bite and that stressed her out...and she bit!

These guys are great, but complicated! Trial and error apply here and it's important to remember how complex they are. They are very adept at knowing our slightest mood and act accordingly. It won't last forever and your bond will be stronger for working through this. I was a human pin cushion for a few months, mostly because I was a slow learner! Once I really analyzed, experimented and worked for the desired behavior things changed, but it was hard work! When your baby starts to grow up you start a new chapter of interacting with them...but that doesn't mean it isn't still a great, loving relationship!

I hope this helps!

 

[Alicia_Rodney]

I have tried training and I work with him all the time. But I feel like it's getting no where. I do the step with him. About after few times he starts getting nippy and sick of it.
I put him to bed between 9 and ten. And soon as he sees me get into bed, he runs in to his cage and gets in to his little bed. And his cage is in my room so at night I will put him in there and shut off the lights and close the door so he can get sleep. He normally gets up around 7 or 8. Depending on the time he goes to bed.
I'm going to keep on experimenting with his foods and find what he really like. But I have not yet tried the breads yet. Do you have any good recipe?
I try and put him down when he bites and walk away, but the problem is his wings are not clipped. When I'm home (not at college) I have dogs and I want him to be able to get away just in case something happens.
When he bites its very random. I could be doing homework, watching tv, or even petting him. He also attacks everything I put up to my head. Like my toothbrush, make up and other things. Sometimes it's hard not to nervous with him because he is so unpredictable. Thanks for all of the help!

 

[legal_eagle]

You might consider if you're doing something that he finds annoying or frightening. Are you handling him too much or petting him when he doesn't want it? Are you waving your fingers or hand in front of him, or touching him on his back so he feels vulnerable. I think these are much more likely the causes of your biting problems. I have had a GCC for 14 years ... she bites about once a year, because she is afraid. She comes out of her cage on her own, and I let her hang out with me rather than trying to get in her face a lot and expect her to always respond warmly to my wanting to cuddle or pet her. I would back off with yours and give him some space to just be with you.

 

[Alicia_Rodney]

He is such a love bug. And always wants to be with me or on me. One minute he is just sitting with me and next he will bite my neck or fingers. My hands can be somewhere else laying flat, and he will run over and bite them. I don't pet him unless he wants to. And he shows me when he wants to be pet. I also don't put my fingers in his face because I know he will bit me if I do.
But I also read that they have different bits. Like playing ones and the ones that he does when his is being mean. Is this true?
He also never likes being in his cage. If I'm home then he thinks he needs to out and with me.

 

[legal_eagle]

Sounds like a solution might be to have him out of the cage with you, but not on you or in your immediate vicinity. I have a flexible perch on top of my GCC's cage where she spends time watching me and hanging out when I don't want her on my shoulder, which is probably 70% of the time. She preens me a lot, but doesn't bite. There would be more opportunity for biting if she were always on me.

 

[Alicia_Rodney]

That would work but his wings are not clipped. I have a few stands for him in my apartment that he will hang out on and preen. But If I'm out of his sight he freaks out and comes looking for me.

 

[bob1]

It may be he has an ego do to him having his flight feathers. I read one conure was very aggressive until he clipped his wings and the then voila all was better. It may not be the answer but then again it may be.

 

[Alicia_Rodney]

I want to clip is wings. But i also have dogs and ferrets. And at the same time I like the fact he can get away if something happened. And I know it might help with is bitting and stuff. It's just hard to pick which now is best for him.

 

[bob1]

I keep my birds wings clipped for safety even though I own a bird dog.

 

[Akraya]

Sounds like the douchebag stage, Misha finished that a couple of months ago, he's 3 in Feb. You just need to be really conscious of their cues to leave them alone, Mishas is a touch of his beak on my hand (very quick and I never noticed it) but if I kept doing what I was doing then it was me getting bitten and blood everywhere. If he starts to bite just step back to give him some space for around 15secs then get him to step up and put him away, if I go to put Misha away straight after he's bitten he just arcs up even more. Don't worry, its part of the joys of being a conure owner and it WILL pass, just be really observant to his body language, even more so than usual.

 

[Kalidasa]

If you've got ferrets you should really consider leaving him flighted. Ferrets as you know are bloodthirsty killers, I I very much doubt they would be able to resist a hobbled bird. Just try to keep working with him, as was mentioned this is most likely hormonal. Make sure he's getting at least 12 hours of dark and quiet sleep. So many birds go thru hormonal aggression. It passes.

 

[MonicaMc]

Birds who are flighted have more choice than birds who are clipped. Clipped birds are more vulnerable. I'd rather have an independent, confident bird than a bird that must depend on me... and as I say that, I have two conures, one flighted, one growing in her flights, and both demand to be on me!


Alicia, is it possible that your green cheek just has pent up energy he needs to get out of his system???? Is it possible you could encourage him to fly more often and get him interacted in games that'll wear him out?

 

[Jayyj]

I'd read very carefully about clipping before going down that route to solve the problem you have. Flight is a bird's first natural first line of defense, and taking that away might have a psychological impact that is the opposite of what you're looking for. Also if he's used to flying to be with you he's likely to end up on the floor a few times, which might not be the best thing if you have other pets - and having seen a clipped bird crash land on top of the family cat I'm pretty sure I'll never clip a bird in my household. I'm not saying don't clip if you need to, just weigh it up carefully first.

 

[Alicia_Rodney]

I think he does have pent up energy. I can never find things that will keep interested for more then two minutes. I have looked up toys to make and he is not interested in any of them, or ones I buy.

 

[Kalidasa]

Flight recall and games with flying as the focus are the best way to burn off excess energy, and it's good for them. I use a clicker because she likes to attack it, and click from different parts of the house so she can come and yank the clipper out of my hands and throw it. Or you could use treats. Just use the same word or sound everytime you want him to fly to you, make a game out if it, and reward with lots of scratches, attention, and/or treats.

 

[Alicia_Rodney]

We kinda do flying games. I can go to one room and say his name and he will fly to me. But he gets so bored easily I feel like. I don't know I think he is just stubborn bird.