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Kwilliams

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Hii, I'm kirsty and my little conure is called Bruce..
I feel a little at loss if I'm honest so any help is welcomed haha. I've done research etc yet I still feel like i don't have a clue what I'm doing wrong ๐Ÿ˜–
Firstly Bruce is a baby, I've signed him up for a full check over etc.
His only been with us since Saturday so I know this all takes time.. during the day he literally screeches non stop.. if I'm there.. if I'm not. He does this thing where he turns his back to me lowers himself and screeches I'm assuming this is him frightened ๐Ÿ˜ช he happily used to take food from my fingers through the bars however now his going for my actual finger haha. Can anyone give me ANY tips on anything I can do to settle him I and make him actually like me.. thanks ๐Ÿ˜‚โค
 

saxguy64

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Welcome to the Forums, Kirsty! How old is Bruce? If he's very young, as in not fully weaned, he may be screeching for food. Not solid food, but what he would get from parents, so formula in your case. Here's a thread that might help: https://www.parrotforums.com/threads/so-you-bought-an-unweaned-baby.74363/

Even if he's on solid food, he may have been force weaned, and not actually ready for adult type feeding just yet.

Keep us posted, and always feel free to ask questions. We're here to help in any way we can.
 
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Kwilliams

Kwilliams

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The man said his around 11months but if I'm honest I don't think he had a clue. He is sooo calm during the night really content will sit and make little noises to me etc its just the day time it's non stop, he was on a all seed diet when I got him so I'm in the process of trying to get fruit and veg into him but I will 1000% look into that thank you I wasn't even aware. Would you still suggest that at the age his likely at? Hoping to get him seen soon so he can be properly checked over etc.
Thank you for your reply!!
 

LaManuka

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Welcome Kirsty and Bruce! What a gorgeous little baby you've got yourself there! :love:

Have you had Bruce out of the cage and interacting with you yet? There are folks out there and YouTubers etc who advocate leaving a new bird in his cage for anything up to a week in order to "acclimatise" them to their new surroundings, but this has never been necessary in my experience if a parrot has been hand raised. Mind you, that will also depend on how long he was at the pet store or aviary or wherever it was that you bought him from, but that in itself is very difficult to know for sure.

Kudos to you for booking him in for a wellness check! Health checks and annual checkups are hugely important when adopting a new bird, in order to establish a baseline of wellness and to nip any potential nasties in the bud. I don't know if the vet that you have lined up for this is an avian specialist, but the following link may help you to locate one near you if they aren't...


Meanwhile, thank you again for joining our ever-expanding, virtual international flock, we're so happy to have you and Bruce aboard! :)
 
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Kwilliams

Kwilliams

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Welcome Kirsty and Bruce! What a gorgeous little baby you've got yourself there! :love:

Have you had Bruce out of the cage and interacting with you yet? There are folks out there and YouTubers etc who advocate leaving a new bird in his cage for anything up to a week in order to "acclimatise" them to their new surroundings, but this has never been necessary in my experience if a parrot has been hand raised. Mind you, that will also depend on how long he was at the pet store or aviary or wherever it was that you bought him from, but that in itself is very difficult to know for sure.

Kudos to you for booking him in for a wellness check! Health checks and annual checkups are hugely important when adopting a new bird, in order to establish a baseline of wellness and to nip any potential nasties in the bud. I don't know if the vet that you have lined up for this is an avian specialist, but the following link may help you to locate one near you if they aren't...


Meanwhile, thank you again for joining our ever-expanding, virtual international flock, we're so happy to have you and Bruce aboard! :)
Thank you! His such a beautiful bird he really is. I just dont want to mess up and do something wrong all the advice I keep being given is so conflicting. I had him from a bird shop and I honestly don't think his ever had time out of his cage the poor baby. He came out yesterday and didn't have a clue how to get back into his cage, his extremely nippy at the minute to haha. Honestly i must've spent hours looking for a avian specialist and thank god eventually I found one. The pet store claimed he was handled however all signs make me feel he hasn't he certainly isn't keen on hands anywhere near him he seems petrified during the day however so happy and content come night time.. I just feel like I'm messing up and I don't know how ๐Ÿ˜–
 

LaManuka

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Aaaawwwww, poor baby Bruce, and poor you! I do understand that feeling - my Lilly the lorikeet was PETRIFIED of me for her first few weeks at home here and it broke my heart to see her so panic stricken whenever i so much as came into the same room as her! Despite having been hand fed as a baby, she spent about a month or more in an aviary and had virtually reverted back to a wild state and it took me almost another month to convince her that I wasn't going to eat her! Unfortunately when they tell you that a baby bird is "hand raised" it often means that they were hand fed by a human and may not have been handled very much beyond that. Obviously I have no way to know if this is true for Bruce for sure, but baby parrots are sometimes pulled from the nest too early, before their parents have had a chance to teach them manners or how to be a bird, hence the biting and nippiness that you are experiencing. If Bruce's wings have been clipped, which is pretty common, this might also be another factor in his current patterns of behaviour.

It does sound to me however that Bruce does want to have a relationship with you! He has been through many changes already in his short life and does not know that he is now in his forever home, so it will take time for him to build that trust in you, but little by little it will come! I've linked up another couple of resources for you, one was written specifically with budgies in mind but I think you'll still be able to glean a fair bit of info from it...



Your avian vet will also be an absolute goldmine of info, tips and tricks on taming and behaviour so ask them plenty of questions while you're there! It certainly does sound like Bruce already has his claws wrapped around your heart and I am so glad the two of you are here! :)
 
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Kwilliams

Kwilliams

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Aw that's so lovely thank you. I think his just worried bless him, his wings aren't clipped and I have no intention of doing so I want him to be able to fly around happily haha. Its the turning his back to me lowering and squarking that gets me ๐Ÿ˜ช feels like he don't want me around. I don't want to over step and scare him further. Thank you so much for the links I will have a look now, really appreciate everyone's advice xx
 

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You can do this. You have the right mindset, and you're willing to learn, exactly what generally makes a great parrot mom.

Kind of makes sense that he's more likely to calm down at night. That's when they would naturally be settling in for the night. How much sleep is he getting? A regular sleep schedule is super important, and typically about 12 hours is needed. Not enough sleep can cause a cranky bird, and hormonal behavior. Which leads to another thing. If he's actually 11 months, he could possibly be entering puberty. A time when his hormones are running wild and causing any manner of behaviors, from amorous to mean and aggressive. This too shall pass, so be patient. Just know that the rush of hormones causes behavior that he has zero control or understanding of. Try to keep the sugary foods, including sugar from fruits to a minimum, as that can trigger the hormonal behavior too.

His fear of hands, well, if he was handled by the person at the shop, and was actually okay with it, could simply be that you're a new person to him. He doesn't know you yet. Parrots have no natural reason to trust us humans. We have to earn it. Sometimes it happens quickly, other times, not so much. It's only been a very short time with you. Just move at his place, and don't push beyond that. Deep breaths, and loads of patience. So worth it when it happens.

Also, bribery is a powerful tool for your arsenal. Small treats for any positive behavior or interaction. Set yourself up as a source of good things, always. Reprimand or punishment in any form will always work against you and destroy trust. As one of our members says, "Only good things come from humans."
 
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Kwilliams

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He goes to sleep around half 7 and wakes around the same time, he just seems so stroppy during the day and on edge bless him. I never personally seen him be handled by anyone there so i can't honestly say what his experience was like I doubt it would have been a nice one being in a shop having people poke their fingers and faces in on him though. I've attempted the treat when he calms down however when I go close again he goes wild so I feel like I'm at a loss. He just turns his back at me and lowers down and squarks.
Honestly thank you so much for your words of wisdom I'm trying to learn as much as I possibly can and just do best by him.
 

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Okay, you might start with having a treat bowl for him near wherever he feels comfortable hanging out. Absolutely fine if that's in his cage. Drop a little treat in there whenever you pass by. Don't force any interaction, just drop it in, and continue with your routine. Good things come from humans. It's a building block to begin his understanding that you're not a threat. Always be the source of positive things, never negative. Forced interaction is a negative in his mind.
 

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A warm welcome to Kirsty and Bruce! Thank you for joining and diligently seeking the best life for Bruce!! Magnificent advice and links above, respect for considering early veterinary well-check. We love pictures, if you'd like to share!
 

Zoruace

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if i were you i will start from square one tbh , put your hand in her cage for about five minutes in the same perch she is on the reward keep repeating closer and closer each day till she is comforatble try target trainig through the bars and only reward him if he touches the target gently once he mastered targeting throught the bars open the door and maybe put a branch/perch so that he can come out and retreat when he feels threatened once your bird can come and go comfortably start offering you hand and a target behind it so he has to step up to get it keep repeating and reward once she steps up not when she touches the stick if she puts one foot still reward her she will get comforatble overtime she might be screaming because she wants to waste energy or for food try giving her a flight cage if she already has one offer toys there is still a ton to do but i want waste time typing if it doesnt work for your bird please update me if it does work so i caan tell you more steps :) (this worked for my aviary raised tiel now she is super interactive and sorry for my spelling im a fast typer haha)
 
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Kwilliams

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if i were you i will start from square one tbh , put your hand in her cage for about five minutes in the same perch she is on the reward keep repeating closer and closer each day till she is comforatble try target trainig through the bars and only reward him if he touches the target gently once he mastered targeting throught the bars open the door and maybe put a branch/perch so that he can come out and retreat when he feels threatened once your bird can come and go comfortably start offering you hand and a target behind it so he has to step up to get it keep repeating and reward once she steps up not when she touches the stick if she puts one foot still reward her she will get comforatble overtime she might be screaming because she wants to waste energy or for food try giving her a flight cage if she already has one offer toys there is still a ton to do but i want waste time typing if it doesnt work for your bird please update me if it does work so i caan tell you more steps :) (this worked for my aviary raised tiel now she is super interactive and sorry for my spelling im a fast typer haha)
OK so I've attempted the hand and he literally goes for the bite. What do you recommend for that? His now trying to nip even when attempting treats through the cage. ๐Ÿ˜ฉ
 

Zoruace

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OK so I've attempted the hand and he literally goes for the bite. What do you recommend for that? His now trying to nip even when attempting treats through the cage. ๐Ÿ˜ฉ
this might sound wierd my tiel did the same and i used tweezers and slowly made my hand climb it till the tip or just offer it in a bowl lol
 

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I'm glad you found us. This is a great place for education and support. I hope you'll stick with us.


9lhIlM0.jpg
 

saxguy64

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Just curious, how is the adorable little Bruce doing?
 
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