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Bonded rescue conures

T c

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T c
I kind of inherited a pair of green cheeks after their owner (family friend) could not keep them anymore. They have been in the same cage together since the original owner got them (3-4 years) and are now bonded. I've been training them every day for a few months now, but when it comes to cage aggression, hand hatred, and over all behavior issues, there has been little to no improvement. I've been thinking about getting them their own separate cages next to each other so hopefully they'll open up to me more and not be so obsessed with each other or encourage each other to bite(they lunge/bite then start regurgitating/beaking in each other's mouths as if to say "good job"). I have to hide my hand in a sweater to change their dishes and stick train them, they are aggressive in and outside of the cage. I'm wondering if anyone here has experience with a pair of rescue birds with attitudes or if anyone has experience seperating aggressive bonded birds? And yes they do get to be aggressive toward each other when it comes to food or when another person is paying attention to one bird the other gets jealous. *all advice welcome, I've never dealt with birds with such big issues*
 

T c

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I've posted in several threads but I don't know if I'm doing it right :(
 

Wardy

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@webchirp @Monica might be able to offer you some advice the only advice i would offer initially if they have been in a cage together for 3-4 years dont split them right now.
You might get advice from someone with more experience of this to do this but i would wait until this is offered.
 

Wardy

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I have tagged a couple of people on your other thread who may be able to offer you advice.
 

Sparkles!

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I have over 20+ years of rescue and fostering birds. Vast majority turned in due to behavioral issues that their owners couldn’t handle. Many of them conures.

Separating or breaking up a clearly bonded pair of birds will gain you nothing, and may actually exacerbate the negative behavior you’re seeing. As far as them being aggressive to one another, please describe more of what you’re seeing that leads you to believe this. Pairs can and do squabble with each other, but this doesn’t mean they should be separated. But, we need more info.

You can work on being able to safely have your hands inside the cage to do chores. That may take way more time than you realize, but it is entirely possible. In order to start gaining their acceptance of hands, you must ensure that your hands aren’t coming across at threatening in any way. So no trying to grab or touch, no force holding, etc. Stick training often solidifies hand fear if the stick is being used as a tool to move a bird that does not want to be moved. The goal is the bird to wanting to trust, wanting to be near the stick (or hand).


What are these two eating? Are they food or treat motivated? Are either showing signs of breeding or nesting? If this is a male:female pair and they’re hormonal, there might not be a hand they’ll ever trust in the cage.
 

T c

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Aggressive toward each other includes one (cinnamon) biting the other (yellow sided) when she is focused on screaming, looking tough, playing with a toy, eating, or receiving training/treats. One time she kept chasing him and biting his feet while he hung upside down on the perch seconds away from making him fall. Chasing him in literal laps around the cage. 8/10 times the yellow side has done absolutely nothing except be near the other one to recieve this abuse.

As far as food, they came on seeds but I've recently moved them to pellets and they get black oil sunflower seeds for training treats. Both are pretty food motivated but the cinnamon has a hard time focusing on training because she's constantly screaming for my husband/ any man in the house (Even though she hates them and bites them the most).

Also I'm unsure of their sex but I call them she/he just to differentiate between the two. As far as nesting, they used to have a happy hut but after I read they were bad I took it out and they calmed down a little bit. But now around the bottom of their cage I have the torso of an old t-shirt cut to act like a cage skirt and when I wake them up/ get close to their cage while they're in it they get down to the bottom of the cage and start running/ charging/ biting the shirt trying to pull it into the cage. They've also spent more time at the bottom of the cage since I put the shirt there so i think they might think of the bottom as a nesting area.
 
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Wardy

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You cant beat the information @Sparkles! gives she was very much my go to for info when i was new to the forum i would just say dont expect this to be resolved overnight there is going to be work involved and patience on your part.

I have two connures they bite each other they try and rob food from each other just hang in there remove the t shirt that could be initiating aggression take a breath slow down.

if they have been in a cage for 3-4 years together this is a behaviour that they are very well used to your not and i get that i would leave things as are now give as much detail as possible pics of cage and you will get the advice you need.
 

T c

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I guess what I'm really asking is will these ever really be "pet birds"? When they were babies the owner said they could pick them up and they were cool, but then life got too busy so they kept them in the cage and said after leaving them in the cage is when the aggression started. My husband hates these birds because he thinks all they do is scream and bite but I really care about them but I'm just not sure what to expect from them long term.

I will take pics of their cage soon
 

Wardy

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I guess what I'm really asking is will these ever really be "pet birds"?
I think so yes with the right approach things will improve massively
 

MnGuy

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I guess what I'm really asking is will these ever really be "pet birds"? When they were babies the owner said they could pick them up and they were cool, but then life got too busy so they kept them in the cage and said after leaving them in the cage is when the aggression started. My husband hates these birds because he thinks all they do is scream and bite but I really care about them but I'm just not sure what to expect from them long term.

I will take pics of their cage soon
Hard to say, and it's not a guarantee even with single parrots. I think it's important to keep trying and going at their pace, and at the same time, to accept that they may never be "pets" in the traditional sense and see how you feel about that prospect.
 

T c

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20211207_111329.jpg

I still need to give the bars a good scrubbing, I've taken off the shirt now. Originally they only came with the cage, a generic wooden dowel that came with the cage(I've since taken it out), 3 bowls, and one old cotton rope toy in the middle of the cage.
 

MnGuy

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View attachment 398795

I still need to give the bars a good scrubbing, I've taken off the shirt now. Originally they only came with the cage, a generic wooden dowel that came with the cage(I've since taken it out), 3 bowls, and one old cotton rope toy in the middle of the cage.
Good for you for giving them a new and better life. I think a much bigger cage with a lot of perch options and toys may help diffuse some of their energy and aggression toward each other and you. I think small cages can make many birds and animals nervous and agitated.

Good luck.
 

T c

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Good for you for giving them a new and better life. I think a much bigger cage with a lot of perch options and toys may help diffuse some of their energy and aggression toward each other and you. I think small cages can make many birds and animals nervous and agitated.

Good luck.
Thank you, that's why I was trying to ask about separate cages as I'm not sure if I should get one big one or one each of a similar size (maybe taller) as the one now.
 

Wardy

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Agree with the above a larger cage would benefit them both.
 

JewellBird

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I guess what I'm really asking is will these ever really be "pet birds"? When they were babies the owner said they could pick them up and they were cool, but then life got too busy so they kept them in the cage and said after leaving them in the cage is when the aggression started. My husband hates these birds because he thinks all they do is scream and bite but I really care about them but I'm just not sure what to expect from them long term.

I will take pics of their cage soon
I think that with time and patience progress can be made, but you also have to accept that they may never be personable and tame in the ways you are wanting them to be. I had rescued two gcc's over a year ago (Jade and Einstein, Einstein has since passed away from some continual health issues that he had, but Jade is still a part of my flock) and Jade came to me scared to death of people, terrified of hands, screamed non-stop and was so afraid that she would not come out of her cage for the first 3-4 months after I got her, because she had never been let out much previously and was so scared. Jade is still very anxious, and I have accepted the fact that she may never be as personable as my other birds, but now over a year later with a lot of time, patience, a large cage, plenty of toys and a good diet she now actually comes out of her cage every day, doesn't scream all of the time like she used to. She is still afraid of hands, and I know that she may never be comfortable enough to step up, or be personable with me, but at the same time every little, tiny bit of progress just means that much more, just her letting me be within 3 feet of her without her flying away, or when she comes close to my hand, actually plays with one of her toys etc. I know that she is happy now and that I am doing the best I can for her, so even though she may never be like some of my other pet birds, she is still such a special "pet bird" to me. So basically, what I'm trying to say is don't give up on them, let them have more time to settle in, be patient, I would get a larger cage and a variety of toys too and see if that helps with some of the squabbles they are having, take them to the vet for a wellness exam, if they haven't already been and just do lots of research on behavior, there is a wealth of information and ideas on here and always feel free to ask any other questions along the way.

Thank you, that's why I was trying to ask about separate cages as I'm not sure if I should get one big one or one each of a similar size (maybe taller) as the one now.
If you are going to get a new cage, definitely go with one longer, rather than taller. Birds move horizontally, so they make use of the horizontal space a lot more than the tall space. You can find a lot of information about good cages in this section of the forum, or you can even make a thread here asking about what cages might be the best options that fit into your specific price range and needs: Toys & Cages Bypass | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum
 
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