imouse1
Active member
Hey, Guys!
As most of you know, I'm new to conures except what I thought to research in advance of rescuing Sir Birb from the big box store.
I know it is very important for him to have a routine in which he gets food, gets his cage cleaned, goes to bed, etc. And conures are basically cats with wings from what I've read on these forums lol
He's been home a week now and his naps are pretty erratic, which could be due and owing to the change from big box to home or from his unique circumstances of not being held for nearly 3 weeks because of a supposed injury he turned out not to have.
Other than my Mom rhe first day and my brother earlier today, I am (to my knowledge) the only one who has had interaction with him. I have PR a couple times a week and OR the same but separately so it is possible someone came in here but based on how he treated NY walking nicotine patch of a brother, that wasn't the case. I am in a noisy house during the day because the doges #Can'tStopWon'tStop but nothing after 7PM / before 8AM *or* any interaction between Gregg and any other animal in the house outside of me.
I don't want to wake him him from his naps because he's a growing boy but he's having a hard time settling at night. Like, super, super hard. He'll perch and start tucking in his beak then just start to snore then...be up for three hours. This isn't disruptive to me but I caught him on his nanny cam so I'm worried he isn't getting enough sleep.
*But* I'm also worried the reason is because he is getting the big mad at night.
So, while all this is going on I'm trying to create positive associations with him when I put my hand(s)in the cage, like when I go to change out food and water I try to reward him so he's getting something while I'm taking stuff away, and then I return those when I take out/wipe down the toys to clean them off, then return those when I clean out the tray, then another tray. Conures are defensive by nature and it's important for them to see good things not experience bad things.
The last few days, though, he has upped his biting game *hard* (pun intended). I get the dipped fingernails because my nails are very thin due to s### genetics. The only times I've broken them before has been breaking a finger in a car door or something similar. I can get them to survive bleach, ammonia,vinegar, hot water, cold water, whatever.
Until now. I've pulled back before he's swallowed any pieces (THANK GOD) but he's pretty pissed at me. I trier breaking it up a little today but uh, he's still big mad. He bit me almost hard enough to break the skin over the bruise he's been working on on my arm and I put him him to bed without his black grape (so far his most favorite thing). He cooed at me for, like, 45 minutes but I didn't break down because I usually do and I think I'm setting us both up for failure.
The bruise he has been working on is on my arm. I've been, again, trying to do positive associations with him so give him some fruit (which he was initially fine with and now drops IMMEDIATELY in favor of coming at me), put hand in cage (because he needs a clean one), do things, give fruit, leave no fruit in cage so it's a treat/reward. But today he's been biting the ever-loving Jesus out of me so I haven't given him any fruit at all. No squawking or warning until he goes absolutely ape####. I'm careful when I shower to use neutral soap with no scents. I wash my hands before getting into the cage. I even changed my shirt in case it was that color. Just getting worse.
Things started out great, he was even presenting for me and letting me pet him on Day 2 unexpectedly. But the big mad has set in, as I said. He seems confused on why he's not getting his fruit but even now I can hear him eating his millet...angrily...in the dark...behind his three blankets he tried to tear up earlier...3 hours after being put to bed.
100% willing to be patient. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something, especially if it is obvious. This is more for his safety than mine because I don't want to react suddenly and crush or impale him when he's doing what animals do. I want to correct what I'm doing wrong instead of punishing him because I don't want to lose any more trust (if there is any left for him he feels he can) and I want us to grow. He doesn't need any more big box abuse so help steer me, please!
TIA!
PS - I was using a list that talked about edible plants for birds that listen dandelion and hibiscus so I gave him some of those that were growing in my garden. 100% pesticide (except for diatomaceous earth in the soil for the centipedes and marigolds growing nearby), herbicide, and fertilizer free (unless you count the compost I made and put in at the beginning of the season lul). The same list had basil flowers on there, which another member said was likely toxic so I didn't give him any. Now I'm worried when I'm seeing the other flowers on otter lists going both ways. Is it possible he has been poisoned? Should I take him in?
PPS - Our vet canxelled because their office got the RSV going around and there's no one healthy enough to talk to parents. Currently looking for someone else within an hour's drive even though his carrying case got delayed (since it's unlikely I'm gonna get him in anyway). He has some obvious pin feathers but the way things are right now I'd be too scared to reach for them then have him flip and it plucks one or bursts a nearby blood feather.
As most of you know, I'm new to conures except what I thought to research in advance of rescuing Sir Birb from the big box store.
I know it is very important for him to have a routine in which he gets food, gets his cage cleaned, goes to bed, etc. And conures are basically cats with wings from what I've read on these forums lol
He's been home a week now and his naps are pretty erratic, which could be due and owing to the change from big box to home or from his unique circumstances of not being held for nearly 3 weeks because of a supposed injury he turned out not to have.
Other than my Mom rhe first day and my brother earlier today, I am (to my knowledge) the only one who has had interaction with him. I have PR a couple times a week and OR the same but separately so it is possible someone came in here but based on how he treated NY walking nicotine patch of a brother, that wasn't the case. I am in a noisy house during the day because the doges #Can'tStopWon'tStop but nothing after 7PM / before 8AM *or* any interaction between Gregg and any other animal in the house outside of me.
I don't want to wake him him from his naps because he's a growing boy but he's having a hard time settling at night. Like, super, super hard. He'll perch and start tucking in his beak then just start to snore then...be up for three hours. This isn't disruptive to me but I caught him on his nanny cam so I'm worried he isn't getting enough sleep.
*But* I'm also worried the reason is because he is getting the big mad at night.
So, while all this is going on I'm trying to create positive associations with him when I put my hand(s)in the cage, like when I go to change out food and water I try to reward him so he's getting something while I'm taking stuff away, and then I return those when I take out/wipe down the toys to clean them off, then return those when I clean out the tray, then another tray. Conures are defensive by nature and it's important for them to see good things not experience bad things.
The last few days, though, he has upped his biting game *hard* (pun intended). I get the dipped fingernails because my nails are very thin due to s### genetics. The only times I've broken them before has been breaking a finger in a car door or something similar. I can get them to survive bleach, ammonia,vinegar, hot water, cold water, whatever.
Until now. I've pulled back before he's swallowed any pieces (THANK GOD) but he's pretty pissed at me. I trier breaking it up a little today but uh, he's still big mad. He bit me almost hard enough to break the skin over the bruise he's been working on on my arm and I put him him to bed without his black grape (so far his most favorite thing). He cooed at me for, like, 45 minutes but I didn't break down because I usually do and I think I'm setting us both up for failure.
The bruise he has been working on is on my arm. I've been, again, trying to do positive associations with him so give him some fruit (which he was initially fine with and now drops IMMEDIATELY in favor of coming at me), put hand in cage (because he needs a clean one), do things, give fruit, leave no fruit in cage so it's a treat/reward. But today he's been biting the ever-loving Jesus out of me so I haven't given him any fruit at all. No squawking or warning until he goes absolutely ape####. I'm careful when I shower to use neutral soap with no scents. I wash my hands before getting into the cage. I even changed my shirt in case it was that color. Just getting worse.
Things started out great, he was even presenting for me and letting me pet him on Day 2 unexpectedly. But the big mad has set in, as I said. He seems confused on why he's not getting his fruit but even now I can hear him eating his millet...angrily...in the dark...behind his three blankets he tried to tear up earlier...3 hours after being put to bed.
100% willing to be patient. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something, especially if it is obvious. This is more for his safety than mine because I don't want to react suddenly and crush or impale him when he's doing what animals do. I want to correct what I'm doing wrong instead of punishing him because I don't want to lose any more trust (if there is any left for him he feels he can) and I want us to grow. He doesn't need any more big box abuse so help steer me, please!
TIA!
PS - I was using a list that talked about edible plants for birds that listen dandelion and hibiscus so I gave him some of those that were growing in my garden. 100% pesticide (except for diatomaceous earth in the soil for the centipedes and marigolds growing nearby), herbicide, and fertilizer free (unless you count the compost I made and put in at the beginning of the season lul). The same list had basil flowers on there, which another member said was likely toxic so I didn't give him any. Now I'm worried when I'm seeing the other flowers on otter lists going both ways. Is it possible he has been poisoned? Should I take him in?
PPS - Our vet canxelled because their office got the RSV going around and there's no one healthy enough to talk to parents. Currently looking for someone else within an hour's drive even though his carrying case got delayed (since it's unlikely I'm gonna get him in anyway). He has some obvious pin feathers but the way things are right now I'd be too scared to reach for them then have him flip and it plucks one or bursts a nearby blood feather.