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Dragon2000

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Hello! I recently got a conure October 2nd of this year. She’s a 7 month old Turquoise Green cheek conure. She’s a cutie but to say she’s nippy is an understatement. I honestly at first thought she might’ve been chomping out of stress which couldve very well been since she was new to everything. (But before she would just back away and not go near) But after a few interactions she seemed to have become pretty comfortable of my presence in a way. Like she will take food from my hand and take any toys I hand to her, she even goes as far as to sit with or on me and vibe. I even taught her to step up already (ofc onto an extra perch I have cuz ya know- hand chomps )But if she notices my hand like say while I’m holding said extra perch she feels the need to chomp as hard as possible. Like I can take a bite I’ve had numeral animals with sharp baby teeth and even beaks too. But it’s like every time she “nips” my hand she manages to break skin every time and I’m trying to stay calm to not spook her (I have weird reflexes tho sometimes I react fast) but like she’s takin a chunk a skin and I do bleed sometimes. I’ve managed to avoid her beak sometimes by redirecting her attention to her toys and such but if I’m not careful enough she gets meh! She even likes to bite chunky looking exposed skin (she nipped my knee before too but in that given time she seemed to preen my leg and went too hard). i honestly don’t get it. Maybe her beak is too sharp and she’s exploring my hand as a new thing , maybe she has a habit of biting fingers thru other interactions with humans , maybe she’s figuring out pressure or she could straight up not like me but idk how to get her to ease up .I don’t want to force her to things she doesn’t wanna do (now or in the future) but I would feel a bit more comfortable if she could at least step up to my hand just incase of emergencies (and to do recall training, she’s not flighted now but I know once her wings grow she’s gonna be a strong flier) and ik it’s a lil early on in the companionship to be interacting/worrying like this but we are making progress she already likes to get out of her cage on her own and I’ll transport her via stick to other places to eat chop or to let her crawl around. I just don’t know what the next step or what to do next to progress more through this problem.I would like all the advice.
 

Tina&Mill

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Conures are known to be nippy sometimes! She could be protecting her cage, as Millie used to do this when i first ot her as well!
You can try wearing some thick gloves, and slowly teach her that when she bites you she wont get the reaction she wants.

you can also try getting a high value treat and having her step up onto your hand, and reward her when she doesnt bite you. This will slowly teach her that she wont get the treat when she bites, but if shes nice she will get a treat.

do you have any cozy huts in her cage? The little fuzzy triangle huts? I know when I first got Millie, she was super territorial over one of those. I had to take it out until she stopped biting me, and its back in now and we dont have any problems.
\Birds tend to get territorial over things sometimes, so she might think your a threat to her territory as well!

Hope this helps!!
 

Wardy

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:welave:

You have only had the bird for a few days so firstly take a step back and give him a little space and allow him to settle lots of interaction from a distance talking,singing just allow him to settle.

Try some target training if he bites target no treat if he touches it offer a treat, move onto step up training once consistant move onto your finger.
If he bites your hand put him down on a bird safe area say No and cease any interaction for a while, i wouldnt be letting the bird anywhere near my hands at this point personally myself especially if your bird is breaking the skin.
Personally i wouldnt bother with gloves myself whilst they will protect it doesnt stop the behaviour and may cause the bird to bite harder.
With a bit of time and training it can be sorted.
 

Kiwi's Dad

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:welcomegroup: I agree with wardy let the bird settle down. The bird shouldn’t be bitting hard it should just be a touch.
 

Dragon2000

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I don’t think she’s being territorial of her cage she never showed any hostile body language whenever I had to get near her cage (often times is cuz she wants to leave it) . I’ve been trying to teach her to step up with millet (she loves the stuff) but she will only try to get it sometimes others she either scoots away or bites me instead but I don’t put my hand actively in her face or anything she kinda decides to bite me. And no she doesn’t have a happy hut ( I don’t really trust those)
 

Dragon2000

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weird enough she does target training perfectly but then she looks at my skin it’s not even just fingers anymore and she chomps at it. She’s getting kinda better about breaking skin??? Hmm I’ll make an update
 

Dragon2000

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Update: I’ve had the bird for nearly a month now.
She learned how to target train fairly easy. But she’s still having an issue with stepping up. She’s kinda reluctant when it comes to doing it even if it’s with her fav treats. She either steps up and immediately steps back down, steps up and then tries to crawl up my arm, bites me or scoot away. and I get that might take some time for her to get used to (if you have any tips on how to get her more comfortable with it lemme know) but what really confuses me is when we aren’t really training. I let her run around and climb on stuff which is perfectly fine but it’s kinda still the same problem as before she sees exposed skin and even if it’s out of her way she still comes up to bite me.I’ve been doing the “put her down in a safe place method” like someone mentioned earlier but she just turns around and does it again almost immediately after I had just set her down. On the bright side she hasn’t taken a chunk of skin anymore now it’s more like dot or just a welt. (Tho she is due for a beak trim so that’s probably contributing to the problem)
 

Wardy

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She’s kinda reluctant when it comes to doing it even if it’s with her fav treats. She either steps up and immediately steps back down,
This is good progress i have a cheeky who is exactly the same i have had her 14 months.


I’ve been doing the “put her down in a safe place method” like someone mentioned earlier but she just turns around and does it again almost immediately after
You need to put her somewhere away from you so she cant turn around and move away from her if she flys back to you then return her to the safe surface tell her no bites and repeat and repeat, dont allow her back on you until you want her to, when your ready offer a finger to step up if she bites just ignore her.
It can be a battle of wills at times be consistant she will soon learn if she bites she will be ignored and conures dont like to be ignored.
You have made good progress and its a good training mechanism to learn as you will use it again when she is hormonal or just being a clown.
 

Pixiebeak

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Typically green cheeks don't need beak trims.

My gcc will offer to bite me nearly every day. But close attention to body language and given a few seconds to vompose herself and we avoid all bites.

Often spending even more time together, creating a routine will help. Limit training to one soirt session daily with no more than 3 reps. Mine gets beyond frustrated if I ask her to stuff over and over.

Really read that body language
 

Dragon2000

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Oops wait lemme clarify! I do set her down on her cage (it has a perch on top) and walk away and let her sit for sometime but when I go to get her again and set her down say like on my bed and I sit a ways from her she will often run up to my arm, leg (any skin that’s not covered in clothes) and bite it. (Sometimes really hard and she won’t let go). I can tell when she’s just preening and then bite too hard on accident from these spontaneous chomp, the bite sizes are different and she uses different parts of her beak. But sometimes I just find myself just walkin back and forth cause she bites down right after I set her down . Should I just hide my arms for now and continue setting her down method?
 

Dragon2000

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Typically green cheeks don't need beak trims.

My gcc will offer to bite me nearly every day. But close attention to body language and given a few seconds to vompose herself and we avoid all bites.

Often spending even more time together, creating a routine will help. Limit training to one soirt session daily with no more than 3 reps. Mine gets beyond frustrated if I ask her to stuff over and over.

Really read that body language
Well I think I read her body language well I can normally get the memo by how she looks at me. I don’t really do anything that warrants a bite she could be beak grinding comfortably while grooming herself with one leg up on my knee one minute and then the next second she’s biting me. (Ngl after writing all this out Im starting think she’s just reeeaally nippy by nature she does try to chew a lot of stuff) And the reason I think she needed a trim was she has mostly wooden toys, she even chews cuttlebone, has natural perches but she kinda breaks skin without really trying. Luckily she’s been getting better about not biting off a chunks of skin (big hard chomps) while trying to preen me but even with the smallest nip is a painful pinch that becomes a puncture wound.
 

Dragon2000

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Conures are known to be nippy sometimes! She could be protecting her cage, as Millie used to do this when i first ot her as well!
You can try wearing some thick gloves, and slowly teach her that when she bites you she wont get the reaction she wants.

you can also try getting a high value treat and having her step up onto your hand, and reward her when she doesnt bite you. This will slowly teach her that she wont get the treat when she bites, but if shes nice she will get a treat.

do you have any cozy huts in her cage? The little fuzzy triangle huts? I know when I first got Millie, she was super territorial over one of those. I had to take it out until she stopped biting me, and its back in now and we dont have any problems.
\Birds tend to get territorial over things sometimes, so she might think your a threat to her territory as well!

Hope this helps!!
I don’t think she’s being territorial of her cage she never showed any hostile body language whenever I had to get near her cage (often times is cuz she wants to leave it) . I’ve been trying to teach her to step up with millet (she loves the stuff) but she will only try to get it sometimes others she either scoots away or bites me instead but I don’t put my hand actively in her face or anything she kinda decides to bite me . And no she doesn’t have a happy hut ( I don’t really trust those)
(Sorry if you see two of the same message I wanted you to be able to see that I replied to ya. I thought I was replying to peeps all this time )
 

Dragon2000

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This is good progress i have a cheeky who is exactly the same i have had her 14 months.




You need to put her somewhere away from you so she cant turn around and move away from her if she flys back to you then return her to the safe surface tell her no bites and repeat and repeat, dont allow her back on you until you want her to, when your ready offer a finger to step up if she bites just ignore her.
It can be a battle of wills at times be consistant she will soon learn if she bites she will be ignored and conures dont like to be ignored.
You have made good progress and its a good training mechanism to learn as you will use it again when she is hormonal or just being a clown.
Oops wait lemme clarify! I do set her down on her cage (it has a perch on top) and walk away and let her sit for sometime but when I go to get her again and set her down say like on my bed and I sit a ways from her she will often run up to my arm, leg (any skin that’s not covered in clothes) and bite it. (Sometimes really hard and she won’t let go). I can tell when she’s just preening and then bite too hard on accident from these spontaneous chomp, the bite sizes are different and she uses different parts of her beak. But sometimes I just find myself just walkin back and forth cause she bites down right after I set her down . Should I just hide my arms for now and continue setting her down method?
(Sorry for double messages I just realize I haven’t replied to anyone this whole time )
 

Pixiebeak

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Well I think I read her body language well I can normally get the memo by how she looks at me. I don’t really do anything that warrants a bite she could be beak grinding comfortably while grooming herself with one leg up on my knee one minute and then the next second she’s biting me. (Ngl after writing all this out Im starting think she’s just reeeaally nippy by nature she does try to chew a lot of stuff) And the reason I think she needed a trim was she has mostly wooden toys, she even chews cuttlebone, has natural perches but she kinda breaks skin without really trying. Luckily she’s been getting better about not biting off a chunks of skin (big hard chomps) while trying to preen me but even with the smallest nip is a painful pinch that becomes a puncture wound.
Yes they have needle tip beaks! Normal. A successful bite by mine is always a drop of blood.

She's the same happy split second I bite. But mine is sensitive to hands coming at her from above her head. She doesn't like that. She is quick to spot a hawk or buzzard or large bird outside and is very sentiment to that. While she can be quick silver with her mood she always has a reason. They just aren't always reasons I as a human would agree with. But I respect her
 

Dragon2000

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Yes they have needle tip beaks! Normal. A successful bite by mine is always a drop of blood.

She's the same happy split second I bite. But mine is sensitive to hands coming at her from above her head. She doesn't like that. She is quick to spot a hawk or buzzard or large bird outside and is very sentiment to that. While she can be quick silver with her mood she always has a reason. They just aren't always reasons I as a human would agree with. But I respect her
I’m not entirely sure what’s my bird’s deal with hands or just body parts in general. I mean I understand the reason she might not wanna be around them while training which I wouldn’t force her so if she shows she’s uncomfy then I back off. but she’s okay with biting all skin even when I’m going out of my way to hide them and keepin it away so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.( she steps up on a perch not my hand and I try to hide my arms behind my back and same for hands when we interact on the bed outside of usual training) Like I’m trying to understand the possible reasons/causes of her randomly biting like that and to prevent it from happening so often or at least be able to minimize damage (lol my arms and hands look like they have chicken pox shoot she’s gotten my collar bone a few times.. very ow don’t recommend) what’s odd is I’ve had birds before so I normally know what to look for but she’s kinda the first to have a fairly frequent repeated situation without much cause. So far I’ve been trying the “set down somewhere safe” method which may take some time but I was hopin to find some possible explanations I might’ve not thought of in the mean time
 

Pixiebeak

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All I know is green cheeks, and really any parrot, can develop sudden fear of hands . Sometimes the reason is known or can be connected to something. Otherwise its unknown.

Its happened to me with mine 3 times in 10 years. 2 times I could figure out once I could not.

The fix for me , going back to feeding treats by hand lots and lots if times a day. Just walk over say hi ( birds name ) hand treat praise for taking nice. Then walk away. Never chase them with treat they walk over to you to take, if won't at first then just set treat down back up a few steps wait till they do take and praise. Lots if times through the day.

When they will come and take treats every time. Tgen I start standing on far side of cage and have them moving longer distance to me to take treats.
 

Pixiebeak

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Oops should have added
After that. I sit next to cage and leave door open. I have a bowl of treats. Let them climb around on me hand out treats and just hang out , a hour or more every day. Till we get back to normal.

Other ideas are to start completing over with bonding and trust. Like its the first day you brought the bird home. Lots of tips and info out there on how to make friends.

You can video your interactions to go back over later to see if any missed body language cues or triggers.

Sometimes they can get over excited when you first get them out. My girl does. So I spend a few minimal after letting her out talking and putter around cage before picking her uon
 

Wardy

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but when I go to get her again and set her down say like on my bed and I sit a ways from her she will often run up to my arm, leg (any skin
If you have set her down because she has bit you dont go back and get her again wait for her to come back to you, if she bites again set her down again.
Going back to get her may be giving a bit of a mixed message.
 

Tina&Mill

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I don’t think she’s being territorial of her cage she never showed any hostile body language whenever I had to get near her cage (often times is cuz she wants to leave it) . I’ve been trying to teach her to step up with millet (she loves the stuff) but she will only try to get it sometimes others she either scoots away or bites me instead but I don’t put my hand actively in her face or anything she kinda decides to bite me . And no she doesn’t have a happy hut ( I don’t really trust those)
(Sorry if you see two of the same message I wanted you to be able to see that I replied to ya. I thought I was replying to peeps all this time )
Millet is a great option! You can try getting them to step up by using a dowel perch, and slowly start easing them to use your hand as well.
If you have a high value treat (Millies is blackberries, or deshelled peanuts) you can try encouraging them to step up, and rewarding them when they dont bite you.
You can also try offering something for them to bite when they step up, in order to distract them and teach them that its not okay to bite you, but for instance it is okay to bite the chunk of wood.
Hope this helps!
 

Wardy

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You can also try offering something for them to bite when they step up, in order to distract them and teach them that its not okay to bite you, but for instance it is okay to bite the chunk of wood.
This is a great shout when Mojo was a bitey baby i always had a lolly stick handy and if she bit me or looked like she was going to bite me the lolly stick got brought into play.
 
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