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HELP!!! My Pineapple Conure Hates Me. :0*(

iLuvJackSparrow

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I'm Going To Try, And Make This Story As Short As Possible... O.k. 1st Off I Got My Pineapple Conure On September 15th, So I've Had Him Less Then A Man Month. He Had Been In The Store For Almost 1 Year. The Store Got Him Oct. ??, 2014, He Was Born On July 21, 2014, So He's Basically Been A Pet Store Bird Basically His Whole Life Until I Bought Him. O.k. So Before I Bought Him, My Husband, And I Feel In Love With Him, Because He Rolled On His Back, He Was So Cute... Anyways Make To Make This Short, We Went In To The Store To See This Conure, I Had Spoke To The Manager Many Times To Get Him, And I Asked If We Could Play With Him, And Interact With Him For A While. the Manager Did Warn Me He Nibbles Or Bites A Bite. My Husband, And I Played With Him A Good 15-20 Minutes, He Was Such A Sweet Bird, Stayed With Me, And Didn't Try To Bite Me Or Beak Me Once. This Girl Came In Buying A Cage For A Bird She Said Some Man Was Outside, And This Green Cheeck Conure Landed On Him, He Tried To Find The Owner Of It, But Couldn't And He Didn't Want It So He Gave It To Her. She Told Us The Story, And Turns Out She Works At The Pet Store, And We Told Her We Were Going To Get The One We Wanted, She Then Told Us That She Works With Our Bird, And IShe Said Our Bites, And Drew Blood From Her. My Husband, And I Were Like I Played With Him For 15-20, And He Did Nothing. I Would Have Took Him That Day, But His Nails Hurt Me, And Gave Me Rashes, So The Manager Said He Would Get Them Trimed For Me. So I Finanlly Got Him Home On The Sept. 15, 2015, I Couldn't Wait. The 1st Week I Had Him, He Was Sweet As Can Be, Although I Noticed Him Biting My Finger Nails. A Week Laters I Notice Him, Nibbling On My Hands, And Biting, Beaking Quit Hard. Last Week Sometime, He Bit Me Really Hard, And Drew Blood. I'm So Sad, Because My Husband, And I Love Our Bird Already... I Don't Want To Have To Give Him Back To The Store. Please If Anyone Can Help, I Would Really Appreciate It.
 

sunnysmom

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Hi and welcome to the forum. First, your bird doesn't hate you. You really haven't had him that long and he's still probably adjusting to his new home. What do you do when your bird bites you or beaks you? How do you react? Is there any type of pattern to his behavior?

@webchirp ? @echobird ?
 

Greencheek Lee

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One of mine is the same age (1 week difference), and he is in a "testy" period. He's been biting my boyfriend more and displaying hormones. You are going to have to give it time and work. Read on the Conure Court of this board and you will get lots of information. Don't give up on him, any bird can and will test you. He is young and you can work through it. I know it is frustrating, but it is well worth it in the end.
 

webchirp

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You have to give him time to adjust and he is testing the waters so to speak. Also, some birds are nippier than others. Watch his body language. What are you doing before he bites? How are you reacting? He doesn't hate you but rather wants to see what he can do and what reaction you are going to give.

@Monica has better techniques...I usually get chomped on regularly. Someday she needs to come and train all of us!
 

Monica

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What happens before the bite? What happens during the bite? What occurs after the bite?


Is he nibbling and biting because he's bored? If yes, providing plenty of toys for him to interact with while he's out will help. Also, it can be quite stimulating if you teach them 'tricks', such as turn around, shake head yes/no, wave, etc.

Has he been out for a while and just getting cranky because he's hungry and/or thirsty? Sometimes, less is more. Shorter interaction times more frequently throughout the day is healthier than longer, less frequent interactions for many birds. Being out for too long may be overwhelming to them and they need breaks every now and then. :)

Does he bite in, on or around the cage? Maybe you need to change your approach. Many birds may find coming out of their cage a traumatic experience because they are trapped and have no where to go. When they are forced out of their cage when they are trying to say "No" as politely as they can using body language and voice clues, they may escalate to actual biting as a more 'aggressive' *NO!* If you ignore the bite, it may teach them that they need to bite harder. If you back off before they bite, learn to read their body language, and learn to work with them instead of against them, you can, in effect, teach them not to bite. The only bite that can't be rewarded is the one that never occurs.



He will probably benefit from positive reinforcement training, often under the guise of clicker training. It is the process of rewarding desirable behaviors while trying to prevent or redirect undesired behaviors. Bird looks at you, reward with a favored treat. Bird moves towards you, reward. Bird touches you, reward. Bird puts a foot on you, reward. Bird puts both feet on you, give him lots of goodies!!!!!! If the bird is screaming, what can the bird do instead of screaming? Is it playing with toys? Ringing a bell to get your attention? Making a specific noise instead of screaming? Or maybe the bird is screaming out of boredom and needs to learn how to play with toys? Maybe something is frightening the bird outside the window? Maybe there's something new in the home that is bothering the bird?

Positive reinforcement does not involve punishing a bird in the manner that most people understand. Physically punishing a bird can result in an aggressive or very scared and timid bird - NOT RECOMMENDED! Time outs as a form of punishment aren't always effective since birds have a short attention span and quickly forget about a behavior you may find undesirable. "Punishment" for a bird could be the removal of a potential reward or even the removal of yourself from the bird. It doesn't need to be more than a few seconds, let alone a few minutes!



Birds are also much like us, they are living, breathing beings. They, too, have likes and dislikes. :) Although we may be ready to interact with birds at any given moment of the day, the birds themselves may not always be ready to interact with *US*, so it doesn't hurt to give them some time alone and try again later. :) Not only that, but birds can also be interacted with in a hands off manner! Dancing, singing or just being outright silly! :D
 

iLuvJackSparrow

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1st Off I Wanted To Thank Each And Every One Of You For Responding Back To My Message. I Really Do Appreciate All Your Help.
I Tried To Play With My Bird Again, After Leaving Him Alone For About 1-2 Days. I've Been Trying, And Now When I Open His Cage To See If He Wants To Come On My Hand All He Does Is Fluff Up, And Tries To Bite Me It Looks Like.
So The Store Got Him October 9, 2014, And He Was Born 7-21-2014.
So He Wad Basically Stuck In The Store For Practically 1 Year.
1st Week I Had Him, He Learned To Climb To The Top Of The Cage, And I Would Put My Hand Under Him, And He Would Fall In My Hand.
Now All He Wants To Do Is Bite Me, And It Really Sadeness Me, Because I Don't Think I Can Deal With This Anymore. I Was Told By The Pet Store To Give Him Some Space, And Time, And He Seems To Be Just Getting Worst.
I Feel Extremely Bad, Because He Would Rather Stay In His Cage Then Come Out, And Play With Me.
I Don't Want Him To Have To Live In The Cage For The Rest Of His Life As A Show Bird, And Not Have The Love That Maybe Someone Else Can Give Him. I Would Rather Him Be With Someone That Knows How To Handle Then Me. I Love That Bird To Bits, But I Guess I'm Just Not The Right Mom For Him. :0( That Me The 1st Day I Got Him. I'm So Happy Now I'm So Sad, And I Hope, And Believe My Dession Of Bring Him Back Is The Right One. :0*( I'm Going To Miss Him.
View attachment 209829
 

Lady Jane

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Bird people need a great deal of patience. I am sorry you feel you cannot handle him. If he goes from home to home he will never be settled. If you truly do love him you would not want to see him re homed again and again.
 

iLuvJackSparrow

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Yes, I Know That, Please Believe Me, Because I Do Want To Cry... I Feel Very Bad, Because I Just Don't Know What To Do. :0*( I Kind Of Wish I Never Got Him In A Sense, Because I Wouldn't Have To Make Such A Hard Choice. I Just Wish I Knew Why He Was So Angry With Me. I Feel Like He's Mad, And Up-Set With Me, And Of Corse I Can't Speak Bird So I Have No Clue Why He Is So Mad At Me. :0( And I Do Love Him, But If I'm Not The Right Mom For Him What's The Point? I Don't Want To Have To Leave Him In A Cage For The Rest Of His Life, That Wouldn't Be Fair To Him. If Anyone Of You Tell Me It's O.k. To Just Lease Him In The Cage, I Wouldn't Believe It, Because I Know That Is Wrong. :0( P.S. He Has A Whole Bunch Of Toys, He Even Has A Little Bed To Sleep In At Night, That He Love.
 

Monica

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iLuvJackSparrow

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I Tried To Post This Picture In The Above Post, But It Didn't Work. Still New To This Forum/Group. But Seriously This Is What A Sweetheart This Bird Was When 1st Got Him. :0*( If I Didn't Have The Pictures Of Me, And Him, I Would Think I Was Crazy Or Losing My Mind With The Way He Is Being With Me Now. It Just Really Breaks My Heart, Because I Don't Know What I Did To Him To Make Him So Distrustful, And Angry At Me. I Mean It Seems Like All He Wants To Do Is Bite Me Now. The Second I Open The Cage He's Fluffed Up, Mouth Open Ready To Bite. :0( I'm Not A Person That Gives Up Easily, But On This One I Think I'm Going To Have To.
Plus I Have To Say Since He Bit Me, I Am Quit Afraid Of Him Now. As Stupid As That Sounds I'm Afraid Of My Bird. :0*( IMG_20150925_125252.jpg
 

MorganW

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Try giving him a treat every time you go over to see him. Don't have any other interaction for a while and don't prolong it. If he gets a lot of treats from you, Then he will associate you coming over with something good happening. When I first got my conure she went crazy for sunflower seeds. Just trying to offer some advice, hope it all works out.
 

iLuvJackSparrow

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Before The Bite? I Did As I Always Do. Like I Said He Would Go To The Top Of Cage, And I Would Put My Hand Out, And He Would Come Down On My Hand. But This Time He Just Didn't Want To Come Down I Guess, And Just Bit Me. Now I Don't Do Much I Open Cage He Climbs Up, But Fluffs Up, And Mouth Wide Open, And Wants To Bite.
 

iLuvJackSparrow

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What Am I Supposed To Do After The Bite? This Girl That Got The Free Green Cheek Conure, Told Me To Flick Him On The Beak, Which I Though Was Not Right At All, But I Have To Say I Tried Once, And Never Did It Again. And She Suppose To Be An Animal Specialist. He Bit Me In The Cage, So I Just Left Him In The Cage.
 

Monica

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I agree with Morgan in that it can help to just feed him treats. You don't have to physically interact with him, just talk to him, offer him treats (sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, dried fruits, etc) so he associates a positive thing with you.

I've worked with some untamed, parent raised budgies and cockatiels, and have worked with a couple of conures as well. Here's my thread about working with the cockatiels.

"Self-Tamed" Cockatiels | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum


With Jayde, my red throated conure girl, she came to me at the age of 3 years old from a member of this forum. Jayde wanted physical attention very badly, but was afraid of it at the same time. I had heard of birds with this behavior before, but had never seen it first hand. If I walked over to her, she'd run as far away from me as she could. If I walked away, she would attempt to follow me as best she could *without* leaving her cage most of the time. Unlike you, I *COULD NOT* interact with Jayde when she first got here without getting bit, so I left her be! I moved the cage around the house so she could be "with" me without having to be *ON* me. I would even open the doors up so she could come in and out as she pleased. Then I added a perch to the outside of the cage so she could sit near me (cage was as tall as I was, and if I was sitting, she would be above me.... she wanted to come 'down' to me though).

One day I was sitting on the floor next to the cage and she was on top of the cage. She got curious and climbed down the side of the cage to come see me, however she would get scared and scamper back up the cage. She repeated going down the side of the cage then back up for several minutes before she decided to be brave enough to climb onto my shoulder. Once she did, she was *SO* ecstatic! Bobbing her head away, whispering, flashing her eyes and making all sorts of conure noises, plus preening my skin and hair! After that, it was simply figuring out how to teach her to step up onto my hand or wrist - but starting from my shoulder.


The thing is, I *let* her be. I didn't ask her to step up, I didn't force her to step up. I left her alone. Now, that doesn't mean I *ignored* her, as I still talked to her, gave her head scritches when she allowed, and moved the cage around the house with me. I just didn't physically handle her, and I think this helped her. I gave her the choice to be with me.




So I'll be one of those people that will happily say to leave him be! No, I don't mean to ignore him, but don't ask anything of him! Talk to him, feed him treats, sit down next to his cage, or maybe move his cage around the house with you so he can be near you without having to leave his cage. Once he learns that you don't mean any harm and that he has a choice, and you equal good things, then he'll have a desire to interact with you more. It just requires some patience! :)
 

Monica

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As far as the bite goes.... well, the best thing to do is to not get bitten! ;) Seriously!


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


If you can learn to read his body language and back off before he bites, you are teaching him not to bite.



I *DO NOT* recommend any form of physical punishment for biting, such as beak flicking. Just bad advice!
 

birdle

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What a cute bird. He is still new to you. I would just not handle him right now like the others have said. I don't force my brds to do things. I am still figuring out my new conure and have been bitten a little so have backed off and just last night the flew to me on his own, no bites as I didn't reach out for him. Just give him time. I understand being scared after you've been bitten, but once time passes and a relationship forms the bites will be less frequent. Don't give up
 

Lady Jane

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Please do put blame on yourself. This bird had a bad start in a pet store. It's not your fault. Please take the advice of our bird wise members.
They will work with you here. Read all the information in the links. You are not the only person this has happened to. You can try perch training him instead of your finger. It will get better if you keep trying and take the advice here. We all want to save this bird.
 

sunnysmom

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Hang in there. :) I know it's hard but try not to get frustrated or upset around your bird as I think they sense this and makes them act worse. When I first got my tiel, there were times that I felt myself getting frustrated and I literally gave myself a time out. :) I would walk away for a few minutes or I would sing a silly song to him. Singing to him made me be not frustrated and I think it relaxed him too. :)
 

Jennyday

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Our green cheek was very different when we first got her versus now! In the beginning she was very quiet and kind of shy. Now she is all over the place and sometimes nippy as well. Give your baby some time! Try target training him. Training helps a lot!

Sorry you are struggling with him! :sadhug2:
 
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