Kassiani
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Exactly!
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Help me, please, with my feather plucker, self mutilator, scared, and aggressive CH Conure
- Thread starter Kassiani
- Start date
Kassiani
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So yes, he does bite when I offer the wrong treat. He did it again today. He was on the t-perch attached to the door, and I was sitting talking to him. Occasionally I would offer a treat. I pulled out a treat he didn’t like, and he bit my finger instead of taking the treat.
I didn’t react except to gently close the door with him riding the perch. I have offered no more treats this evening.
I hope that was a correct way to approach it!
I didn’t react except to gently close the door with him riding the perch. I have offered no more treats this evening.
I hope that was a correct way to approach it!
Awwwhhh he looks so cute on top of the cage.
Sorry he is being a cranky butt.
Think he is just biting treat or no treat or maybe he is training you?
Bottom line is you don't want to give him the opportunity to bite so I would not offer my hand to him with treats for a while.
Closing the door with him on the perch put him back in the cage which is a reaction.
Not sure what I would do but you don't want him to bite & if offering treats now gets a bite reaction then don't offer them with your hand.
Try placing a small treat cup outside of the cage near the t stand so he can see you do it & associate it with you & good things & not have the chance to bite.
Putting him away after a bite may not teach him not to bite but it gives you a break.
Hope there will be more advice as I'm really not experienced with behavior modification.
Sorry he is being a cranky butt.
Think he is just biting treat or no treat or maybe he is training you?
Bottom line is you don't want to give him the opportunity to bite so I would not offer my hand to him with treats for a while.
Closing the door with him on the perch put him back in the cage which is a reaction.
Not sure what I would do but you don't want him to bite & if offering treats now gets a bite reaction then don't offer them with your hand.
Try placing a small treat cup outside of the cage near the t stand so he can see you do it & associate it with you & good things & not have the chance to bite.
Putting him away after a bite may not teach him not to bite but it gives you a break.
Hope there will be more advice as I'm really not experienced with behavior modification.
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Kassiani
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He may be trying to, but I'm not going to allow it. So, when he bit me for offering a piece of walnut instead of a sunflower seed, I did not give him a sunflower seed. Instead, I ended our 'treat and chat' session.
No, it may not. But it's a start.
Use the sunflower seed then. Once you know what they will work for it gives you more control. Right now you want to associate yourself with good things. Save the hands on for a while. Offer the sunflower seed in a treat cup. I'd tend to stop with the hand right now as he has been unreliable & you just don't want him to get used to getting a bite in.
Probably a long road but he is Mr Cranky right now so you might have to forgive him that & no hand until he gets out of this mood & gets more used to the new surroundings.
He will be happier if he gets out though & it could take his mind off his troubles.
Probably a long road but he is Mr Cranky right now so you might have to forgive him that & no hand until he gets out of this mood & gets more used to the new surroundings.
He will be happier if he gets out though & it could take his mind off his troubles.
Kassiani
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He managed to get his collar off!!!! And one of the first things he did was start picking at this chest 
I have no idea how I'm going to get a collar back on him by myself!
I have no idea how I'm going to get a collar back on him by myself!
Hankmacaw
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Darn him anyway. Can you towel him and get it back on.
BTW - Have you asked your vet about putting him on Gabapentin. It is a very good neural pain killer and provides some sedation.
BTW - Have you asked your vet about putting him on Gabapentin. It is a very good neural pain killer and provides some sedation.
Kassiani
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I'm going to have to. I know about gabapentin, and I'm waiting for a call from my vet at the moment.
Hankmacaw
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It has worked well with Kitty. Calms her just enough that she is not crazy and i can work with her a little.
Opie you behave yourself!!!
Hope you can figure a way to get the collar back on.
Hope you can figure a way to get the collar back on.
Kassiani
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Dang it!!!! I'm shaking, he's mad as a snake and I don't blame him, and I barely got the thing on! I tried to test whether it was too tight, and he was fighting with everything he had the whole time. I'm going to have to keep him up a while just to make sure he can eat and drink
Kassiani
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I'm absolutely shaking!
Greylady1966
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Take a deep breath. You've got this, it will get better. 
Yeah, I;d be shaking too. Opie does not know you are trying to help him.
He's terrified being held that way & have a noose around his neck but he needs it to get well.
Good Job. I hope its on well & not too tight.
Yes watch him & hopefully you wont have to adjust it.
Take a break & give him a treat. Hopefully you both will settle & its OK
He's terrified being held that way & have a noose around his neck but he needs it to get well.
Good Job. I hope its on well & not too tight.
Yes watch him & hopefully you wont have to adjust it.
Take a break & give him a treat. Hopefully you both will settle & its OK
Kassiani
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I wish I had better toweling skills. I just do such a mediocre job, and I don't know how to towel the bird while keeping the head free enough to do this well!
Unfortunately you need a free head & neck to put on a collar so its not that easy for one person to do. Hard to put on a collar with only one hand & hold a toweled bird!
Can you try to lay him down in the towel so you don't have to hold him or struggle as much?
Can you try to lay him down in the towel so you don't have to hold him or struggle as much?
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Kassiani
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No I really can't. I have to use the towel to catch him in the cage so it's over the top of him. I scoop him up and wrap the loose ends underneath him. Even that is tough with him kicking and screaming. Plus, he has no feathers so I'm trying not to bruise him or mess up the ones he does have...
Hankmacaw
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I feel for you - I had/have the same issue with Kitty. She fights like a Banshee, although she is getting better.
The only thing I can think of is that you keep enough material to cover his head. To keep him more quiet then put the collar on over the material and pull the material from under the collar.
The only thing I can think of is that you keep enough material to cover his head. To keep him more quiet then put the collar on over the material and pull the material from under the collar.
Kassiani
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It's so stressful and exhausting, isn't it? I'm going to be watching him like a hawk tonight on the camera to make sure he's OK. I hope he didn't bruise. The vet's office told me I could bring him in to have the techs put it back on him in the morning. I may do that if I think it's just not right, and I can't come up with a way to do it carefully on my own.
He struggles so much that as soon as I drop the towel down from his head just a bit, he can begin to wriggle his way on out of the towel! I just can't think of a way around this at the moment, ugh!!!
What if you took him into a dark room and he may sit still a little longer for you to have a chance to get it around him...
