Nippy baby bird?

[snowflake311]

We just adopted a black capped conure. He seemed to pick us so we took him home last night.

I knew he was nippy when I met him. It did not bother me I know we can work throw it. His hatch date is 3-24-16 could be the 25th. Anyways he is very confident, playful ,curious, quite, but nippy! Loves being around people so far. He is not scared of much and I love that. He seems very laid back in a way.

Oh he loves to use he beak and test us. Sometimes he will start gentel then bite harder. My daughter and I are going to start working with him. In the store I would do the earth quake method if he was on my hand it works. If you put your hand in the cage to step up he nips kind of hard. He is not one to be bossed around. When he gets my finger I turn it to cause him to let it go. Not sure what I should do. I do not pull or make a sound. Sometimes I have to grab his beak and open it. He is not showing any aggressions it's not a mean bite. it's just him being a naughty conure. I feel like he is testing me and trying to controle me. He is so young and I am his first person. He is said to be hand fed I don't know more like hand tamed.

I would love some tips on how to work with this. He is a really smart bird seems to be a very quick learner. Training him should be easy. Before I was going to work he came over and wanted to come out so I went to put him on my finger if nipped me. I turned my finger then closed the cage.

My last parrot was a senegal she only put her beak on you to make you bleed. She was not nippy like this guy. So this is new to me. He is like a puppy not a bird. I like that about him.

Also what treats do your conures love. I want to do reward based training.

Here he is I need to get more photos but he is still so new.

 

[Flboy]

Ah, was waiting for you to start a thread on this! Study this thread.
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

The read is a bit dry, took me several times over several days! But, I be a bit slow!
What your baby is doing is normal...but... You need to divert the action before it becomes 'normal' to your baby! Otherwise, the nips Will become worse!
Remember, though, your baby uses his beak as a third hand! As he steps up, he will judge the distance with his beak, also trying to steady you.myou pull away, well then, I need to hold your finger harder! Please, never try to out bluff a conure! He is fully willing to die to hold his ground and it becomes heartbreaking to deal with the little guy
Beautiful little guy!!

 

[snowflake311]

So should I pull away when I see he is going to bite?

Should I just leave him alone and let him come to me?

I have been trying treats and he is not that into it?

When he bites what should I do?

When he is on me biting what do I do?


HE is not ok with me going in his cage.

I know he is very new and young. I am afraid he is just too bossy. His personality is very strong. He has this fresh side to him. I knew about it but I thought if he was in a new place he would be ok. I thought if he got out of the store he would be better. He might not trust us yet. He has only been with us one day...... I should just leave him alone let him adjust. I know I need to not push him. I never pushed my bird Kiwi I need to try that with this one duh. It's been 20 years since I had a baby bird.

I need tips what to do what not to do? Nothing worth having comes easy.

 

[snowflake311]

OK so just now I went in opened the cage and walked away sat down. He jumped out and ran to me. I am not pushing him I said F it do what you want. He is sitting on my sholder happy as can be. Playing with my hair.

At first he nipped me so I put him down and off. Not sure if he should be a sholder bird yet. But it's how we will bond.

 

[snowflake311]

So I needed to find a good reward and sholder time is working as a great reward. If he bites my ear or nibbles it off he goes. If he steps up nice he is rewarded with sholder time. My husband came in and he stepped up no biting. I was being over dramatic in my other post and afraid I made the wrong choice.

He just does not like hands in his cage or near his cage. I get it. I can't force him to do stuff duh. Right now he under my hoodie on my sholder so cute! He is in a little cave doing lititle beak sounds. I need to get him a snuggle cave.

 

[snowflake311]

We are working on bonding. Having breakfast together right now. He is going to be a really cool bird. It's been a long time since I had a parrot so It is taking some time to get back in bird mode but I think I am remembering.

 

[ZephyrFly]

I don't have any advice besides be consistent and keep on it.

But your little guy is a proper little handsome man!

 

[BIRDIGIRL]

Your doing great Snowflake...I dont know about the little conures but I do know the larger ones can be territorial about their cage...my Roger White Eyed Conure was but outside the cage you could do anything with him once I had tamed him...he wasnt hand tame like your little guy. If you need to put your hands in the cage for something while he is in there try doing the task with one hand while offering him a preening toy with the other...strips of leather on a preening toy intrigued Roger and always distracted him while I changed his food bowl or water. I learned to use a perch to take him out of the cage if I needed him out in a hurry otherwise Id open the door and let him come out at his own pace. When cleaning the cage its good to have another space for him like a perch if he will stay on it and not fly back yo you and get in the middle of what you are doing or (and I think this is a better idea for you) get a travel cage for him and put him into it at a safe distance from the cage as its being cleaned. You will need the carry or travel cage anyway for routine trips to the vets. Your baby is actually behaving very well and has settled in so quickly with you...you are so lucky he picked you he sounds like a little darling. Im not an expert by any means on Conures having only ever had the one so if any of the Conure folk want to correct me in anything I have said please feel free to do so . I love the pic...Hes Adorable
It might be best not to let him have any of the milk in that cereal though

 

[snowflake311]

Your doing great Snowflake...I dont know about the little conures but I do know the larger ones can be territorial about their cage...my Roger White Eyed Conure was but outside the cage you could do anything with him once I had tamed him...he wasnt hand tame like your little guy. If you need to put your hands in the cage for something while he is in there try doing the task with one hand while offering him a preening toy with the other...strips of leather on a preening toy intrigued Roger and always distracted him while I changed his food bowl or water. I learned to use a perch to take him out of the cage if I needed him out in a hurry otherwise Id open the door and let him come out at his own pace. When cleaning the cage its good to have another space for him like a perch if he will stay on it and not fly back yo you and get in the middle of what you are doing or (and I think this is a better idea for you) get a travel cage for him and put him into it at a safe distance from the cage as its being cleaned. You will need the carry or travel cage anyway for routine trips to the vets. Your baby is actually behaving very well and has settled in so quickly with you...you are so lucky he picked you he sounds like a little darling. Im not an expert by any means on Conures having only ever had the one so if any of the Conure folk want to correct me in anything I have said please feel free to do so . I love the pic...Hes Adorable
It might be best not to let him have any of the milk in that cereal though

Yeah I am not pushing him. I never pushed my Kiwi (the Senegal) I never let her bite me but she was not nippy like this guy.

I have started using a stick for step up when on the cage or if he is in a mood. He adjusts very well to everything and never seems very scared. He is a brave little guys one reason I felt he would be good for me.

He came out and ate one Cheerio and went back in and eat his food. It is Soy milk not cow milk. That should not be too bad right? I know cow milk can't be good for birds.

My daughter has been using the distraction technique when playing with the bird. She gives him something to chew on and then gets him to step up. it also keeps him entertained when on her.

His name is Nipaneye. Not sure how else to spell it. My daughter came up with it. Say ( nip an eye) fast that is the name. It is different I know.

 

[Terry57]

He is so adorable! Congratulations! As for treats, some of my conures like safflower seeds, others prefer pine nuts. My friends prefers millet. I would just try a bunch of things, and when you find his favourite, reserve that threat only for when you are training.

 

[TacoNTiki]

Nipaneye is very unique... You can call him "nip" for short (which is a great green cheek name)! Our GCC's name is Tiki. Our daughter named him and at the time we didnt know he was a boy. Lately, I thought we could of named him "pivot" because he will half dangle holding on with his beak and pivot around in a circle... It's so comical to watch his little antics.

 

[snowflake311]

Now we are calling him Sprinkles or Nippy, My husband and I like the name Pesto. My daughter and I can not agree on a name. He is still so awesome but still likes to bite just out of the blue or if he is bored. If you are holding him on your finger too long with nothing for him to do he will bite. He has started nipping the neck when on the shoulder. This is the worst. I feel like he is nipping the hair that is close to the neck and then ends up biting the neck. He is not biting my ear anymore. He will bite my daughters and husbands. SO I remove him from the shoulder for a time out away from me not in the cage. He is good about stepping up off the shoulder. OH NO I just thought of something he might be bitting to get off the shoulder. I will keep shoulder time shorter. His attention spand is that of a baby. just now he was begging to go on my shoulder. He stepped up perfect so I let him on. He was good. Than he started moving around a lot so I took him off he happily hopped on my hand and on to the table to explore. I think we are understanding each other better already.

I do realize sometimes he might bite to get me to put him down. I need to read that better. I don't want to reward the bite. I am afraid I might have done this a few times. Most of the time I say "no bites" then remove him from me. I have even been able to reward the no bites. If I say no bites and he stops I say "good bird" then he gets a treat. It has worked a few times.

I know he is trying to tell me things but I have never had a Conure and he is very different from my Senegal. I could read her so well but I did have her for 15 years and since she was a baby. I remember when we first got her things were not that easy. This little guy confuses me a bit. I am starting to understand him a bit more.

I am learning now that a lot of new conure bites are because the 2 of us just don't know each other that well. We are both still getting to know each other. It took a to gain the trust of my bird Kiwi the Senegal. Kiwi was crazy and attached my mom. It's been a week since we got Sprinkles he is doing great learning so fast. We just love him.