New conure owner needs help

[brogax]

Hi Guys,

We've got ourselves a green check conure ( cinnamon mutation i guess)

Today is his 3rd day with us, and so far he's truly lovely ( 8 weeks old according to the seller)

He loves cuddles - does not seem to like the idea of him/her needing to go into cage as he tries everything he can to get out back to my chest to cuddle up and sleep I'd love him loose around my house and most of the time I let him sit on me but have really hard time at night putting him back in the cage - any tips?!

He/she is very friendly loves cuddles and head rubs and prefers also a hand on him whilst he's on my chest sleeping, demanding for rubs by chirping


I have IRN's when they scream they do trigger him to fly around the house, also he keeps landing on my head rather then hands - any way to train him to stop? because he has quite sharp nails, and its quite a work getting him out of my hair afterwards

What size cage would be suggested for a green cheek conure?

How old does he have to be for us to start training?

Any suggestions of treats ? I've read sprouts and bee pollen is really good for the little ones, is this true?

Also, is there a way to sex the bird at all? thinking of a name but having hard time deciding without knowing if its a she or he

My IRN's have given me completely different experience so all of this feels very new

 

[Flboy]

Hi! He is already working you!
My JoJo was the same way. Cage = treat! Also, so that he learns that cage doesn’t mean end of fun, put him in several times a day and take him back out in a few minutes! Explain to him what you are doing!

 

[noodles123]

Hi and welcome--
First of all, is he weaned?...If so, read the following and if not, refer back to it once he is weaned lol...
I know you have a very sweet and new baby, but you want to limit the "cuddles" now. If you set a precedent and overdo it, you will have a hormonal monster on your hands within the near future. Stick to petting on the head only. Make sure that you build trust---solid trust...3 days is NOTHING in bird time, but this is a very young bird, and they are bound to be more trusting--nevertheless, there tends to be a weird honeymoon period in which birds are both scared and seemingly "loving" (do not let this trick you into assuming that you guys have a solid bond already-- I mean, you could, but 3 days is VERY early to have established real trust).
The point is, you need to :
A) establish a solid relationship (outside of physical contact--petting on the head only, feed from your hand when you can, leave cage open and allow him to exit and enter freely if you can do so safely and without shutting the cage each time he enters, do quiet things near the cage, talk about what you are doing as you do it "I am taking out the trash" etc etc),
B) allow the bird to initiate interactions involving step-ups etc for now,
C) Ignore any attention-seeking screaming (but understand that you can likely prevent it from happening by talking to your bird from the other room---if your bird screams, do not come running back in----if they make a sound you want to hear all of the time, do come back in, because if they are wanting attention and they get it, then they will repeat that sound in the future (as long as other less desirable noises don't produce similar reactions)

..Observe, observe, observe, because when they hit puberty, they change and you have to be an expert at reading their signals, and you must have already established independence and boundaries or your relationship will be misinterpreted as sexual and things will get bad. If you have any snuggle huts, boxes, pillows, shadowy ledges, or allow your bird under clothing, stop that ASAP (and remove any huts etc from the cage). These places create hormonal issues and health problems and they have no business in your bird's life (no matter how much they love them).

If bitten (unless it is truly an accident) DO NOT REACT...Do not scold, flail or anything---if you know it was an attention-seeking bite, put the bird down, but if fear is a possibility (and for the next few months, it will be) do not put the bird down right away..Instead, in the case of a fear-biter, you must get better at reading signals in order to prevent crossing unspoken boundaries....Sorry if I rambled...It's a lot to think about...

 

[GaleriaGila]

I like your style already!
Open-minded, friendly... you're gonna fit right in.
Patagonians are not typical conures, by most accounts, but here's something I hope you might find interesting, or at least fun...
I'm glad you're here!
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/77615-patagonian-conure-tutorial.html

 

[EllenD]

My main concern is the age...Green Cheeks don't fully wean until they are 12-13 weeks old, so either your bird is much older than you were told, or you are hand-feeding him formula...If you're hand-feeding him, then do you know all about the proper ambient and formula temperatures, feeding schedule, how to feed him properly without aspirating him, etc.?

Any bird you have for only 3 days hasn't yet settled-in to your home, and they haven't yet bonded with anyone or given you their trust, so it takes time for things to calm down...Give the baby much, much more time and slow way down with trying to push/force things, or expect things of him quite yet...

You need a pretty large cage for a Green Cheek...The cages you see at pet shops like Petco that say they are "Conure Cages" are about half the size you need...Just as important is that you make his cage a place he likes to go by adding many different types of toys and foraging activities, and so that boredom doesn't become an issue...

Just slow down and again, as Noodles said, this is the Honeymoon-Period, so things are going to change quite a bit throughout the next few months, and then again around 1 year-old when he hits puberty...

 

[brogax]

My main concern is the age...Green Cheeks don't fully wean until they are 12-13 weeks old, so either your bird is much older than you were told, or you are hand-feeding him formula...If you're hand-feeding him, then do you know all about the proper ambient and formula temperatures, feeding schedule, how to feed him properly without aspirating him, etc.?

Any bird you have for only 3 days hasn't yet settled-in to your home, and they haven't yet bonded with anyone or given you their trust, so it takes time for things to calm down...Give the baby much, much more time and slow way down with trying to push/force things, or expect things of him quite yet...

You need a pretty large cage for a Green Cheek...The cages you see at pet shops like Petco that say they are "Conure Cages" are about half the size you need...Just as important is that you make his cage a place he likes to go by adding many different types of toys and foraging activities, and so that boredom doesn't become an issue...

Just slow down and again, as Noodles said, this is the Honeymoon-Period, so things are going to change quite a bit throughout the next few months, and then again around 1 year-old when he hits puberty...

I like your style already!
Open-minded, friendly... you're gonna fit right in.
Patagonians are not typical conures, by most accounts, but here's something I hope you might find interesting, or at least fun...
I'm glad you're here!
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/77615-patagonian-conure-tutorial.html

Hi and welcome--
First of all, is he weaned?...If so, read the following and if not, refer back to it once he is weaned lol...
I know you have a very sweet and new baby, but you want to limit the "cuddles" now. If you set a precedent and overdo it, you will have a hormonal monster on your hands within the near future. Stick to petting on the head only. Make sure that you build trust---solid trust...3 days is NOTHING in bird time, but this is a very young bird, and they are bound to be more trusting--nevertheless, there tends to be a weird honeymoon period in which birds are both scared and seemingly "loving" (do not let this trick you into assuming that you guys have a solid bond already-- I mean, you could, but 3 days is VERY early to have established real trust).
The point is, you need to :
A) establish a solid relationship (outside of physical contact--petting on the head only, feed from your hand when you can, leave cage open and allow him to exit and enter freely if you can do so safely and without shutting the cage each time he enters, do quiet things near the cage, talk about what you are doing as you do it "I am taking out the trash" etc etc),
B) allow the bird to initiate interactions involving step-ups etc for now,
C) Ignore any attention-seeking screaming (but understand that you can likely prevent it from happening by talking to your bird from the other room---if your bird screams, do not come running back in----if they make a sound you want to hear all of the time, do come back in, because if they are wanting attention and they get it, then they will repeat that sound in the future (as long as other less desirable noises don't produce similar reactions)

..Observe, observe, observe, because when they hit puberty, they change and you have to be an expert at reading their signals, and you must have already established independence and boundaries or your relationship will be misinterpreted as sexual and things will get bad. If you have any snuggle huts, boxes, pillows, shadowy ledges, or allow your bird under clothing, stop that ASAP (and remove any huts etc from the cage). These places create hormonal issues and health problems and they have no business in your bird's life (no matter how much they love them).

If bitten (unless it is truly an accident) DO NOT REACT...Do not scold, flail or anything---if you know it was an attention-seeking bite, put the bird down, but if fear is a possibility (and for the next few months, it will be) do not put the bird down right away..Instead, in the case of a fear-biter, you must get better at reading signals in order to prevent crossing unspoken boundaries....Sorry if I rambled...It's a lot to think about...

Hi! He is already working you!
My JoJo was the same way. Cage = treat! Also, so that he learns that cage doesn’t mean end of fun, put him in several times a day and take him back out in a few minutes! Explain to him what you are doing!

Yes according to the seller fully weaned, with my little experience I wouldnt know myself but he/she is not shy around food and taking care of himself.

I struggle even more now with him being in the cage - he climbs up all the bars and sticks near the cage doors as soon as I get in the room, once out he flies or climbs up on my chest or face to cuddle up and sleep, demands petting by chirping as well and I i dont give head rubs he shows attitude, chirping and i dont know how to describe it but he kinda shows that he's not happy with his voice and wings.

as soon as he gets on my chest he falls asleep, either eats or sleeps

Anyone can help me and tell me how to keep this birdy being happy in cage? he's extremely desperate to get out and stay with me at all times and I feel bad when I need to leave and put him in the cage

 

[noodles123]

My main concern is the age...Green Cheeks don't fully wean until they are 12-13 weeks old, so either your bird is much older than you were told, or you are hand-feeding him formula...If you're hand-feeding him, then do you know all about the proper ambient and formula temperatures, feeding schedule, how to feed him properly without aspirating him, etc.?

Any bird you have for only 3 days hasn't yet settled-in to your home, and they haven't yet bonded with anyone or given you their trust, so it takes time for things to calm down...Give the baby much, much more time and slow way down with trying to push/force things, or expect things of him quite yet...

You need a pretty large cage for a Green Cheek...The cages you see at pet shops like Petco that say they are "Conure Cages" are about half the size you need...Just as important is that you make his cage a place he likes to go by adding many different types of toys and foraging activities, and so that boredom doesn't become an issue...

Just slow down and again, as Noodles said, this is the Honeymoon-Period, so things are going to change quite a bit throughout the next few months, and then again around 1 year-old when he hits puberty...

I like your style already!
Open-minded, friendly... you're gonna fit right in.
Patagonians are not typical conures, by most accounts, but here's something I hope you might find interesting, or at least fun...
I'm glad you're here!
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/77615-patagonian-conure-tutorial.html

Hi and welcome--
First of all, is he weaned?...If so, read the following and if not, refer back to it once he is weaned lol...
I know you have a very sweet and new baby, but you want to limit the "cuddles" now. If you set a precedent and overdo it, you will have a hormonal monster on your hands within the near future. Stick to petting on the head only. Make sure that you build trust---solid trust...3 days is NOTHING in bird time, but this is a very young bird, and they are bound to be more trusting--nevertheless, there tends to be a weird honeymoon period in which birds are both scared and seemingly "loving" (do not let this trick you into assuming that you guys have a solid bond already-- I mean, you could, but 3 days is VERY early to have established real trust).
The point is, you need to :
A) establish a solid relationship (outside of physical contact--petting on the head only, feed from your hand when you can, leave cage open and allow him to exit and enter freely if you can do so safely and without shutting the cage each time he enters, do quiet things near the cage, talk about what you are doing as you do it "I am taking out the trash" etc etc),
B) allow the bird to initiate interactions involving step-ups etc for now,
C) Ignore any attention-seeking screaming (but understand that you can likely prevent it from happening by talking to your bird from the other room---if your bird screams, do not come running back in----if they make a sound you want to hear all of the time, do come back in, because if they are wanting attention and they get it, then they will repeat that sound in the future (as long as other less desirable noises don't produce similar reactions)

..Observe, observe, observe, because when they hit puberty, they change and you have to be an expert at reading their signals, and you must have already established independence and boundaries or your relationship will be misinterpreted as sexual and things will get bad. If you have any snuggle huts, boxes, pillows, shadowy ledges, or allow your bird under clothing, stop that ASAP (and remove any huts etc from the cage). These places create hormonal issues and health problems and they have no business in your bird's life (no matter how much they love them).

If bitten (unless it is truly an accident) DO NOT REACT...Do not scold, flail or anything---if you know it was an attention-seeking bite, put the bird down, but if fear is a possibility (and for the next few months, it will be) do not put the bird down right away..Instead, in the case of a fear-biter, you must get better at reading signals in order to prevent crossing unspoken boundaries....Sorry if I rambled...It's a lot to think about...

Hi! He is already working you!
My JoJo was the same way. Cage = treat! Also, so that he learns that cage doesn’t mean end of fun, put him in several times a day and take him back out in a few minutes! Explain to him what you are doing!

Yes according to the seller fully weaned, with my little experience I wouldnt know myself but he/she is not shy around food and taking care of himself.

I struggle even more now with him being in the cage - he climbs up all the bars and sticks near the cage doors as soon as I get in the room, once out he flies or climbs up on my chest or face to cuddle up and sleep, demands petting by chirping as well and I i dont give head rubs he shows attitude, chirping and i dont know how to describe it but he kinda shows that he's not happy with his voice and wings.

as soon as he gets on my chest he falls asleep, either eats or sleeps

Anyone can help me and tell me how to keep this birdy being happy in cage? he's extremely desperate to get out and stay with me at all times and I feel bad when I need to leave and put him in the cage

Have you taken him to a Certified Avian Vet to verify that he is healthy and that he is indeed weened? Additionally, you can get a bird scale (or attach a t perch to a scale and account for the added weight) then you can weigh him every other day or so to ensure that he isn't losing weight. Without medical information, it is hard to advise you because an unweened (or partially weened) baby is going to behave differently and have different needs than an older bird.

If he is healthy and weened):
Do not hold him as much---You need to establish a healthy routine and independence. Teach him to play with toys and don't come running if he screams for you because you aren't attending to him. Do not approach until the screaming stops (guessing this will happen if it hasn't).
You can try target training to get him to stay on a perch in the room unless called, but it's too early for that.
Still, don't pick him up every time you are in the room etc or he will expect it. Will he hang out on the cage top (open) without flying off? You definitely cannot go to him every time he wants you....You should focus more on play and less on cuddles if you can. He is going to get into a cycle of expecting this and it will become unhealthy when he matures.

 

[Sunnyclover]

Sounds like he's begging to be fed formula. My Finley did that exact thing and he wasn't fully weaned and looked like he was eating solid foods but at a closer inspection he was just eating like one soft fruit very slowly and tossing most the food on the floor of his cage. Please take him to a Avian Vet.

 

[conureluver77]

Hi Guys,

We've got ourselves a green check conure ( cinnamon mutation i guess)

Today is his 3rd day with us, and so far he's truly lovely ( 8 weeks old according to the seller)

He loves cuddles - does not seem to like the idea of him/her needing to go into cage as he tries everything he can to get out back to my chest to cuddle up and sleep I'd love him loose around my house and most of the time I let him sit on me but have really hard time at night putting him back in the cage - any tips?!

He/she is very friendly loves cuddles and head rubs and prefers also a hand on him whilst he's on my chest sleeping, demanding for rubs by chirping


I have IRN's when they scream they do trigger him to fly around the house, also he keeps landing on my head rather then hands - any way to train him to stop? because he has quite sharp nails, and its quite a work getting him out of my hair afterwards

What size cage would be suggested for a green cheek conure?

How old does he have to be for us to start training?

Any suggestions of treats ? I've read sprouts and bee pollen is really good for the little ones, is this true?

Also, is there a way to sex the bird at all? thinking of a name but having hard time deciding without knowing if its a she or he

My IRN's have given me completely different experience so all of this feels very new

Sounds you got quite a sweetheart. Reguarding the claws and sex next time you go to the vet ask for a trim and a specific sex test that will tell you the gender. As for training I'm in the midst of that too as mine haven't been held much so I'm starting from scratch.
My 2 new baby conures I bought, I got their nails trimmed and got the sex test done and found out one is a girl. I have to take the other again because they didn't have enough DNA. Good luck with the tests, naming & training!

 

[conureluver77]

My main concern is the age...Green Cheeks don't fully wean until they are 12-13 weeks old, so either your bird is much older than you were told, or you are hand-feeding him formula...If you're hand-feeding him, then do you know all about the proper ambient and formula temperatures, feeding schedule, how to feed him properly without aspirating him, etc.?

Any bird you have for only 3 days hasn't yet settled-in to your home, and they haven't yet bonded with anyone or given you their trust, so it takes time for things to calm down...Give the baby much, much more time and slow way down with trying to push/force things, or expect things of him quite yet...

You need a pretty large cage for a Green Cheek...The cages you see at pet shops like Petco that say they are "Conure Cages" are about half the size you need...Just as important is that you make his cage a place he likes to go by adding many different types of toys and foraging activities, and so that boredom doesn't become an issue...

Just slow down and again, as Noodles said, this is the Honeymoon-Period, so things are going to change quite a bit throughout the next few months, and then again around 1 year-old when he hits puberty...

I like your style already!
Open-minded, friendly... you're gonna fit right in.
Patagonians are not typical conures, by most accounts, but here's something I hope you might find interesting, or at least fun...
I'm glad you're here!
http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/77615-patagonian-conure-tutorial.html

Hi and welcome--
First of all, is he weaned?...If so, read the following and if not, refer back to it once he is weaned lol...
I know you have a very sweet and new baby, but you want to limit the "cuddles" now. If you set a precedent and overdo it, you will have a hormonal monster on your hands within the near future. Stick to petting on the head only. Make sure that you build trust---solid trust...3 days is NOTHING in bird time, but this is a very young bird, and they are bound to be more trusting--nevertheless, there tends to be a weird honeymoon period in which birds are both scared and seemingly "loving" (do not let this trick you into assuming that you guys have a solid bond already-- I mean, you could, but 3 days is VERY early to have established real trust).
The point is, you need to :
A) establish a solid relationship (outside of physical contact--petting on the head only, feed from your hand when you can, leave cage open and allow him to exit and enter freely if you can do so safely and without shutting the cage each time he enters, do quiet things near the cage, talk about what you are doing as you do it "I am taking out the trash" etc etc),
B) allow the bird to initiate interactions involving step-ups etc for now,
C) Ignore any attention-seeking screaming (but understand that you can likely prevent it from happening by talking to your bird from the other room---if your bird screams, do not come running back in----if they make a sound you want to hear all of the time, do come back in, because if they are wanting attention and they get it, then they will repeat that sound in the future (as long as other less desirable noises don't produce similar reactions)

..Observe, observe, observe, because when they hit puberty, they change and you have to be an expert at reading their signals, and you must have already established independence and boundaries or your relationship will be misinterpreted as sexual and things will get bad. If you have any snuggle huts, boxes, pillows, shadowy ledges, or allow your bird under clothing, stop that ASAP (and remove any huts etc from the cage). These places create hormonal issues and health problems and they have no business in your bird's life (no matter how much they love them).

If bitten (unless it is truly an accident) DO NOT REACT...Do not scold, flail or anything---if you know it was an attention-seeking bite, put the bird down, but if fear is a possibility (and for the next few months, it will be) do not put the bird down right away..Instead, in the case of a fear-biter, you must get better at reading signals in order to prevent crossing unspoken boundaries....Sorry if I rambled...It's a lot to think about...

Hi! He is already working you!
My JoJo was the same way. Cage = treat! Also, so that he learns that cage doesn’t mean end of fun, put him in several times a day and take him back out in a few minutes! Explain to him what you are doing!

Yes according to the seller fully weaned, with my little experience I wouldnt know myself but he/she is not shy around food and taking care of himself.

I struggle even more now with him being in the cage - he climbs up all the bars and sticks near the cage doors as soon as I get in the room, once out he flies or climbs up on my chest or face to cuddle up and sleep, demands petting by chirping as well and I i dont give head rubs he shows attitude, chirping and i dont know how to describe it but he kinda shows that he's not happy with his voice and wings.

as soon as he gets on my chest he falls asleep, either eats or sleeps

Anyone can help me and tell me how to keep this birdy being happy in cage? he's extremely desperate to get out and stay with me at all times and I feel bad when I need to leave and put him in the cage

Sounds like he isn't fully weaned. Also conures are extremely social from what I've read up on so try putting several toys. It might help keep him from constantly demanding attention from you.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Loads of info already written but remember what you sow now you will reap for the rest of their lives. Don't get into bad habits. Stroke only their head so no sexual imprinting is formed, you are not a mate. If you don't rectify the not wanting to go back to the cage soon it will be a devil of a job which will make life harder for you. Always pair the going back to the cage with a postive/reward. Remember to not acknowledge bad behaviour. Enjoy!

 

[Orin2017]

Pretty bird! I’m in the same boat with you, me being a relatively new owner of a female cinnamon green cheek conure too that only wants to cuddle with us and nothing else. I empathize with you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Squeekmouse]

When I got Yoda I was told GCC's were affectionate and cuddly and I hoped it was true, but I was skeptical.... now that I've experienced the overwhelming love and affection that Yoda gives and desires, I realize people were UNDER-stating. That's why they're so great!!!