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picture of Rocky the black capped conure

3K views 16 replies 7 participants last post by  GRANNYKAT50 
#1 ·
Here is the new flock member
Rocky

 
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#3 ·
WAIT A MINUTE! I recognize that beautiful bird! Are you the husband/significant other of "Grannyat50" from Talk Parrotlets????? Bet you are!

You have a beautiful bird -- congrats!
 
#4 ·
This is GrannyKat50 I am signed on under husbands user.
I have a question that maybe someone can answer for me.
Do baby birds go through something similar to a teething stage. Everybody at Pet Samrt said Rocky was a lover and a cuddler. Rocy keeps biting me. Not like he's mad but pinches me really hard. I was trying to feed him some millet and he would eat a little and then he would go after my finger. He was on my shirt and crawled into my hair and when I tried to get him off he got ahold of my finger and wouldn't let go. If I go to hang something in the cage he comes up to my arm and bites. When he bites I have to use my fingers to open his beak cause he won't let go. He would open the doors to the cage if I didn't have locks on them. This morning he was on the floor and walks over to me and bit me. I am being patient. I am just getting sore fingers and black and blue arms. Is he just testing me or what?
 
#5 ·
Yes, they tend to go through a phase where they're exploring their beak and their boundaries - how hard can I bite Mom/Dad before they tell me no?

If he's nipping you in the cage he could be getting possessive of his cage as well.

Generally, around 6-8 months or so small conures go through their hormonal phase - basically just like people. He's a teenager and he's seeing what rules he can break :giggle:
 
#6 ·
It seems to me this is very common among the pyrrhura conures. Sometimes I think my green cheek thinks biting and gnawing is an olympic sport. (She was hatched at the end of May.)

The more time I spend with Shira, the more times we have when she is not biting, but she still has many, many biting minutes. She will have spells when she is just plain mad, and at those times the only thing to do is to totally ignore her. I am hoping she and I can work out a better system once she is finally home, which had to be put off until tomorrow evening. (I was supposed to bring her home today.)

She has taken to biting really hard when I return her to her cage, and it was suggested that I give her a piece of millet when I put her in the cage. I did that the last time, and it worked. She went for the millet instead of me. It was only the first try at that, so time will tell how well it works.

As Jenny said, it seems to me almost all parrots go through a "teething" stage, but I do think the pyrrhuras are much more persistent about it than any other types of birds I've ever handled.

I have seen one very sweet opaline black cap that as far as I know never went through a biting stage, and one rosifrons. Unfortunately, those were not my birds.

I do think things will get better for you.
 
#7 ·
Thanks everyone. I can tell it isn't a mean bite or a mad bite. he just won't let go. Rocky is chewing on everything. I made a toy with leather strips and Rocky goes crazy over it. Was even chewing on Food dishes Just a while ago rocky flew to the floor and I picked him up and he crawled into my hair and started pinching my neck. When I went to remove hime I got the screechy noise. Knew he wasn't happy.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the advice Nanay. Libby will be 6 months old on Aug. 27 and is starting her first molt, so can be a little nippy sometimes. She's not tooooo nippy, but sure can let me know when she thinks things aren't going HER way! I put her back on top of her cage, wait a couple of minutes, then take her back and she's usually okay. I don't want to put her in her cage when she bites. I want her to love being in or out of her cage and not think of being in the cage as "punishment" in any way.

She's such a wonderful bird and I'm so in love with her, so we'll work through it I'm sure!
 
#9 ·
Yes they do go thru a teething stage. My black cap still bites on a regular basis. I think its his thing. I don't allow it I put him back. Some days are no bites and other days he doesn't want to be handled at all. All my conures are chewy!. Tuco is also Remmy's buddy body guard and cage mate. We think Tuco is Remmy's pet. You have a little cutie. How old is he?
 
#10 ·
He is 4 months old.
We have made some progress though Rocky still bites hard, he seeks me out. I was sitting at the computer and he flew to the floor. Than he caming running over to me and crawled up my pant leg then up my shirt then went to sit on my head. When I try to take him off he screeches and bites my fingers but he does really want to be by me. I put a dish of water in with him yeaterday and he reallt loved getting wet. I tried video taping him today but it did not turn out good. Right now he is chewing on a cuttle bone and a willow branch.:lovehearts:
 
#13 ·
Yes, Granny, I wouldn't let Rocky on your shoulder until he knows YOU'RE the boss! Sitting on your shoulder is a priviledge, not a right. It sounds like he's really trying to run the household and be the boss!

Angelina (my Parrotlet) is more of a shoulder-sitter than Libby (my Conure). However, ONE bite and off she comes! Angelina used to go after my earlobe and/or my earring ALL the time. She finally gave up because she got tired of losing her shoulder rights!

I NEVER let my birds get on my head! Not my head! They would REALLY feel dominant then and probably poop too -- YUCK!
 
#14 ·
Shira isn't allowed any shoulder time at all right now because she isn't well enough trained. I don't allow any of my birds, even the tiny bourkes who probably couldn't hurt me if he wanted to, to determine when they will have shoulder time. They all wait for my permission before getting on my shoulder and must step off immediately when asked or they don't get back up there for a while until they are being consistently more obedient. Shira isn't consistently obedient about anything right now, but she is good about staying down where she is permitted, so she can learn. :yesnod:

It does take some time to teach this concept to a bird, though.

I'm glad your guy isn't mad. That makes it much easier. They sure can latch on, though, can't they?
 
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#15 ·
Sometimes Remmy my gcc will land on my head, or I might put him up there for a funny. He thinks its grand! Its an individual thing depending on the bird. And no I don't leave him there, he will poop on my head! Any way my hair is too short for him to hold on.
The nippy stage is not a good time to try it though:biggrin5:
 
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