Sudden cage aggression?? help

[fijii]

I've had my conure for a little over a year. I was told hes about 3 years old now. He was mean when we got him, but we trained him and he never bit again, until recently. For the past 8 months, he has randomly started being cage aggressive but only towards me. If i even walk into the room he fluffs all his feathers up and does an "angry dance" lol. If i reach into his cage he will bite me HARD. He doesnt do this to anybody else. I remember the day this behavior started. Everything was fine that day, then i went to walmart and when i got home he bit me when i tried to get him out of his cage. It has been like that ever since. If somebody else gets him out he will usually be nice to me, but sometimes he will even bite me outside of the cage. Even if i reach in his cage with a treat, he will just rip it from my fingers violently. I really dont know what to do, please help.

 

[plumsmum2005]

It is possible that this is the start of hormones kicking in? What type of Conure do you have?

Do you make sure he has 12 hours sleep time/rest/quiet? If not that is something you can do? A sleep cage in another room works well.

Have you got him on a good diet?

 

[fijii]

He is a Green cheek conure. He always gets 12 hours of sleep. Hes fed zupreme fruit blend

 

[fijii]

Hes also been continuously getting pin feathers since i got him. I thought that molts only lasted a couple of weeks, but he just always has pin feathers.

 

[T00tsyd]

Perhaps he's just feeling his hormones. I haven't yet got to hormone age, but when Syd gets stroppy I go back to basics, more cage time, chat, ignore until he chats back, and simply wait til he makes the moves. Then step up with stick and no hands at all until he proves himself again.

One thing I have discovered - the more needy I am the more he backs off. If I play hard to get he comes round - I'm hoping it will stand me in good stead when he does get hormonal.

Maybe the pins are annoying him too. Do you help preen him?

 

[plumsmum2005]

Give plenty of showers to help those new feathers and maybe consider an organic no colour pellet. Do you feed veggies and fruits?

 

[itzjbean]

My cockatiels enjoy the Zupreem fruit pellets too, but I also feed them additional things to really give them the variety they like. It would be wise to incorporate different foods in your conure's diet, and maybe some tasty food could help the relationship between you and your conure. You can feed them a variety of chopped up veggies, fruits, cooked beans and pasta. The behavior itself sounds hormonal, and should ebb with time.

 

[Notdumasilook]

Ever try helping with those pin feathers? For YEARS I preened my BFA around his head and neck... This will increase yalls bond. I kept my thumbnail and little finger nail a bit long and used it gently like a beak.. and Cookie really appreciated the help. Might help a lot with his mood.

 

[Flboy]

This is an easy fix! STOP REACHING INTO THE CAGE!
His home, his rules! I keep a pile of small perches at our fid's cages just for the times when they are 'in that mood'!
This has become a learned response for whatever reason!
This is a fit for your situation!
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

The only bite that can't be rewarded is the one that never occurs.

 

[clark_conure]

I break this rule sometimes, but I agree with flboy, his cage is his...I only enter it to add food ,water, get him if he's calling me or to clean it. I'd try sitting down waiting and putting your hand near the door. He's not a newborn and you can't teach and old dog new tricks so just saying look i'm your pet you come with me won't work...He has his rules in place. You need to put in the time to bend those rules back to your side. Maybe he's just mad you're so presumptuous that he'll go whenever you let him out. Birds can be finicky. Just open the cage and wait OR even better, walk away...thats when he will star calling for you. Wait for him to get to the door or out on top of the cage to pick him up....don't go in after him. Once you re-establish that bond and trust he might let you in his cage again. Also for bites outside the cage give a time out on the floor., make him come back to you...in the cage....uhm you kinda broke the rules.