How do I teach my little conure to play with his toys?

[Eepy Beaky]

So June is on his day 2 with us. Yesterday he spent hours playing with his foraging game we set up, we managed to teach him some simple commands, and he was all-around a great birb.

This morning he started out cute, ate his breakfast well, and then bit my ear so hard I thought it was going to draw blood. So I sternly popped him back in his cage (he can still see us from there), where he was somewhat okay until I started making my partner and I coffee. He poked himself into the corner closest to me and just started screeching.

It's been like an hour and he still won't stop. He only seems quiet when he's eating (yesterday too, he was quiet while foraging). He has a bunch of toys, some of them with food hidden in them, in his cage, but no matter how much I try to show him how to play with them, he plays for a little bit and then comes to beg for attention again. Only food seems to occupy him for a long time, and I can't just keep shoveling him chop and pellets , he's going to get fat XD.

Is this something that I need to nip in the bud and do something about immediately, or do I just give him time and let him figure it out? I'm scared that if I let "him figure it out", he'll just sit in the corner of his cage, surrounded by toys, and scream into the void until he loses his little mind.

 

[sunnysmom]

First, 2 days if a very short period of time and your bird is still adjusting. Also, you don't want to "punish" your bird by putting him in his cage. That teaches him that his cage is "bad" and you don't want it to be. He's in a new place and he's scared. I would spend time sitting with him by his cage and letting him get used to being in his cage. You don't want him to think that "cage" means that you're going away. How old is your bird?

 

[Respect]

It’s important for you to set realistic boundaries with June during this introductory period. If screaming is not okay, don’t react to it. Any kind of reaction, negative or positive, will be taken as encouragement to continue the screaming.

When it comes to putting him in his cage… again, set realistic boundaries. Take him out for as long as you can continue to do so in the future. Many people accidentally “spoil” their parrots when they first get them, leading to their birds expecting much more out-time and attention than can be given in the long-term.

As for using the cage as a punishment, I agree that it’s not a good idea. But on the same token, if your bird is getting over-excited, in my experience having some time in the cage can be a great way to decompress. Just make sure that when you put him back in the cage, you end things on a good note — give him a treat and/or praise for going in, stay by the cage for a little while.

I think it’s normal for parrots to not play much when you first get them. They’re still getting used to their environment and may feel unsure about the whole thing. I don’t think he’ll go crazy if you give him time to figure things out

If he loves food, foraging will definitely help him to keep occupied; but again, he will need time to learn and figure it out.

It’s really simple, but one thing I started doing was covering my boy’s (dry) food with a bit of bird-safe crinkle paper. It keeps him occupied and slows down his eating, as he either has to pull the paper out of his dish or push it around to get to the food.


Toys made of softer materials like sola and balsa are also great for encouraging play, which I think I said in the other thread. These foraging flats from abirdtoy / Cheep Thrills have also been a big hit with my greenie, even when there’s no treats hidden inside.

Wishing you luck with June!!!

 

[Eepy Beaky]

First, 2 days if a very short period of time and your bird is still adjusting. Also, you don't want to "punish" your bird by putting him in his cage. That teaches him that his cage is "bad" and you don't want it to be. He's in a new place and he's scared. I would spend time sitting with him by his cage and letting him get used to being in his cage. You don't want him to think that "cage" means that you're going away. How old is your bird?

View attachment 460841

He's about 4 months! My partner sits by the cage a lot, and I give him a lot of little treats while he'sin there, but still no matter what I do:
- he screams when we're out of sight, even in the same room
- he's eating a LOT since food (in foraging toys, his food, and in treats) is the only thing that keeps him busy so I'm worried he's going to be unhealthy
- he seems unhappy, always flattened and ready to fly, which is apparently a stressed shape (I found this out today and this is what scares me the most)
- he's only been here 2 days and he seems to already be dependant...