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Incredibly Aggressive Conure. Help? (Sad update post # 102)

sootling

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sootling

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Ollie (he/they)
It is very bad for her to breed them, as she isnt a professional breeder, and it also reduces the females lifespan.
 

peachypjm

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146
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Hello;
my name is Kenzie. I’m a minor and I’m posting this thread on behalf of my younger sister who has pet birds. I know absolutely nothing about birds nor do I own one myself, but it saddens me to see the state my sister‘s relationship with her conure is in.
My sister bought a Conure from a very respected pet place, and their conures are well raised and they’re home to many birds, including a scarlet macaw that resides there. I have no doubt the conure was treated well, but he’s always been this way.
Sassafras, nicknamed Sassy, was named as he was because he’s a monster. And that’s me putting it in kind terms. Ever since he was a baby, he attacked everyone except for my sister. My sister explained that Conures are kinda one person birds and I let it go. Every now and then I would attempt to hold him under her supervision and come away bleeding, sometimes with scars.
He’s very well loved and my sister knows more about the handling and care of birds than anyone I know, and breeds parakeets. However; this has not stopped Sassy from taking things another step too far.
He is now attacking my sister the same way he attacks us. My sister has used target training and all sorts of other kinds of suggested methods to try and outtrain this behavior, but Sassy won’t stop biting and shrieking. It’s gotten to the point he’s let out of his cage once every two days now, and only for a few minutes.
he smashes his head against the bars of his cage all the time, bites, screams, and nothing we do stops him. He’s been this way since he was a baby but I think my sister has given up trying to fix this untamable bird. Is there anything I can do for the bird’s sake at this point? I don’t want him to be not allowed out of his cage ever again, and frankly, I hate seeing my sister stuck with a bird she raised and loved, only for it to vehemently despise everything and everyone.

He is a green-cheek. We got him at a discount because it’s possible hes part black-capped and was a breeding mistake.
Hi! also a minor so I get the feeling of struggling with a pet as difficult as a bird. Mercury is a green cheek conure with a lot of behavioral issues as well. He has always been a one person bird for the most part besides one exception. he has always been rather aggressive, and sometimes, depending on each bird, that can just be apart of their personalty. With Sassy, I'm sure you understand that. However, it is mating season and Sassy may be hormonal, which causes more aggressive behaviors. Which makes sense since he is attacking your sister and other people. some tips for now, since it is spring, and mating season, is limit too much light. The days need to be shorter so he doesn't recognize it's mating season. Limit too much daylight, his days can end around 7pm. After that, limit too much light sources. Avoid hands on contact for now, get him to step up on a perch or ladder instead to avoid being bit. If anyone is bit, simply put the bird down, and leave the room, let him cool down. This is a frustrating time for Sassy too, just remember that. His behavior may also have to do with the fact that you mentioned he was a hybrid, but I'm not the greatest at identifying hybrid behaviors. Avoid cuddling and overly touchy contact, this can encourage hormones. He should sleep longer than usual, longer sleeping can help with the calming down of hormones. To add on, because I didn't see the rest of the thread, try to focus on shredding toys and foraging toys to keep him busy. Maybe try bird safe hemp oil and use directed from a vet.
 

BirbBrain

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213
Update: spoke with her, she said the aviary we got him from gave us the sleeping hut when we adopted him.

It’s Denny’s Pet World in Kirkland, WA
Do you live in Washington? Sorry if this is a weird question, I live in Washington tho
 

EgoLobster

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Kenzie
Good sized cage for Sassy [green cheek conure]-- NO WHERE NEAR BIG ENOUGH for a Scarlet and a half... the appropriate size for a macaw would be at least 3'Dx5'Wx5'H... Just my opinion tho...
oh no, I meant it could FIT the bird in it. Not that the bird could live comfortably.
 

EgoLobster

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Kenzie
In regards to educating your sister on sleeping huts, here’s a popular video where the dangers are discussed at around the 10 minute mark.
Particularly with regards to Sassy’s aggression, the hut may be exasperating the problem.

Like others have said - your heart is truly in the right place here but if she’s not open to learning how to improve his care, you may be talking to a brick wall.

Some people, especially younger, believe they have the right answer to any question and couldn’t be misinformed.
Unfortunately that doesn’t bode well for the younger person or any animals they have under their care, as constant learning is part of the job description and a fact of life.

Our animal’s rely on us for more than just basic care to keep them alive like food and water, they deserve the opportunity to blossom and thrive - with daily stimulation and environmental enrichment.
I’d start with adding a wider variety of toys to keep Sassy busy and happier. Softer materials are great for green cheeks!

Examples of some materials are balsa, thin pine, vine and finger traps or seagrass. Other popular toy options for conures are safe stainless steel bells, swings and foraging wheels.
Conures are very playful by nature and really do require a lot. And a busy beak is a happy beak!
I will personally go with my sister to petsmart and keep my eyes out for toys that you’ve mentioned. I will offer to buy the toy if she’s just willing to try it, which might work.
 

Shezbug

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I will personally go with my sister to petsmart and keep my eyes out for toys that you’ve mentioned. I will offer to buy the toy if she’s just willing to try it, which might work.
There are really cool toys that are definitely safe if you look at our vendors. You’ll likely find not only much better and safer options but also better prices. Not all toys offered at the big chain stores are safe.
 

EgoLobster

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Can you press the issue of the water bowl? Yes, the bird was bathing in it, but that's a GOOD thing. It means the water bowl doubled as a toy, and bathing is a great activity for birds. They get to splash around and play, and afterward they spend a lot of time preening until they're dry, and THEN they're usually tuckered out and ready for a nap. Loads of fun and physical/mental stimulation for the low-low price of a bit of water. If splashing is an issue, just put a towel around the cage to catch the excess.

Did the increased aggression start around the time the bowl was removed? The change would certainly lead to increased boredom, which can contribute to negative behavior. Even if the change didn't cause or worsen the problem, you can frame it that way to your sister.

It sounds like you're at a point with her where any suggestions coming from your quarter will just be ignored because "she knows more than you," and she's clearly defensive. I find in these situations, it can be helpful this point now, so you may have more luck if you frame it as a question and let her draw her own conclusions.

"Hey, Sis. I was just thinking. When did Sassy's behavior start to get worse?"

XYZ Answer.

"Did anything change around that time?"

Let her think of things, and really listen to her answer. She may have some good insights.

Then, as if it just crossed your mind. "Wasn't that around the time you changed the water bowl to the bottle? Do you think she misses the bowl? She did seem to like playing in it."

If she's receptive to this idea, then you might push a bit more with, "it couldn't hurt to switch it back for a while and see if things get better. At this point, any change would have to be an improvement."

Her resistance to making changes to try to solve the problem could stem from four sources (or some combination thereof).

1) she's content with how things are. - I really don't think that's it. You say she tried a bunch of different things and she's gone to the trouble of doing some research. She does seem to want what's best for her birds... she just doesn't seem to want to put in the required work.

2) She's frustrated - it sounds like she has sought answers and tried things and not had any luck, which is incredibly frustrating and disheartening when you just want your bird to be happy.

3) She's ashamed. Yes, she's neglecting her bird, but she doesn't want to admit it, because that reflects on her character, or

4) She wants to be perceived as an authority, or at least an equal, and feels like your attempts to help mean you think she's incapable of doing it herself. (15 is a tough age - you have good ideas and thoughts, and nobody will listen because you're "just a kid.").

I feel like you need to have a very gentle talk with her about what she wants for her bird. She obviously cares, and she's tried a lot of things and still failed, and that has to be so disheartening. Does that mean she's giving up? Or will she dive back in and try again?

She also needs to learn that there's no shame in accepting help. Even the wisest experts need advice sometimes, and improvement is a lifelong process. As Maya Angelou said, "I did then what I knew to do. Now that I know better, I do better."

She needs to know that you're there not as a critic, but as an ally and supporter, who shares her goals and wants to help.
she got tired of cleaning the water bowl which is why she removed it. I’ll see if that could be the reason, and press her on the issue.
I did try asking when the aggression started and she was very unresponsive and just shrugged, and when I asked if she has any idea why she began flaming me and bringing up my problems which were totally unrelated.
My sister does love Sassy, but is unwilling to put in the time and effort to care for him. Ever since she upgraded her PC she’s only been interested in gaming. I don’t even see her interacting with her parakeets anymore other than changing their food and water + cleaning the cage.
I think she’s given up in the sense that the bird is alive and well so thats all that matters and she doesn’t care otherwise as long as he’s surviving.
 

EgoLobster

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There are really cool toys that are definitely safe if you look at our vendors. You’ll likely find not only much better and safer options but also better prices. Not all toys offered at the big chain stores are safe.
Thanks! I’ll check out the vendors then :)
 

EgoLobster

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Sorry to be blunt, but this sounds like a mess in many ways. First off, the sleeping huts ARE dangerous. That's not to say that some birds can't have them and never have an issue with them. A friend and customer at the bird store I work at lost a bird recently because of one. It was his daughter's bird and they brought her in for grooming. The groomer mentioned that she was a little too thin and she needed to see a vet. They scheduled the vet appointment for a few days out, but the bird died before the appointment. When examined by the vet, it had a ball of string that had clogged the crop and was preventing food from getting through. She had been pulling threads from the back of the sleeping hut and eating them. It was out of the line of sight and no one could see it. The bird slowly starved to death because of it. When I checked mine, it was fine, but I got rid of it anyway.

Be careful of towels thrown over the cage. I know it's convenient, but it's also deadly. I had a young green cheek that was in a utility cage while it was waiting for test results. It was under an air vent so to keep it from getting chilled I put a towel over the top of the cage to block the draft and went to run an errand. In the 30 minutes or so I was gone, this bird pulled out a single thread, got it wrapped around its neck, and panicked. When I came back it was dead. Now I prefer not to cover the cages and I closed the air vent instead.

As for your sister not being willing to clean the cage, well, it says a lot. Cages have to be cleaned regularly. Dropped food attracts insects, and can quickly get moldy. If she's not willing to do regular cleaning on a small conure cage, then she will never be able to provide a good environment for her dream hyacinth macaw. If she can't handle a green cheek that is frustrated and grumpy, then imagine how an unhappy macaw will be in that environment.

After reading the whole thread, my opinion is that the best thing for the bird would be to rehome it. I don't believe the bird is thriving in the current environment, and your sister is unwilling to change. For the bird's sake, it's best if it were to move on to new owners.
I read this word for word to her and she said that it’s sad that that happened but it sounds like a load of bs and that Sassy is fine. Im doing everything I can to convince her on the snuggle hut matter and I can probably get her to remove the towel.
She cleans the cage weekly MAYBE. Sometimes she just chooses not to and lets it go another half a week to a week.

She wouldn’t rehome Sassy no matter what. If my parents tell her they’re going to, she’ll start making VERY minor changes to make it look like there’s progress and then stop.
 

finchly

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I think she’s given up in the sense that the bird is alive and well so thats all that matters and she doesn’t care otherwise as long as he’s surviving.
I see you're really bending over backward trying to help, so don't take this personally - I think that is a really sad life for a bird.
 

EgoLobster

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It is very bad for her to breed them, as she isnt a professional breeder, and it also reduces the females lifespan.
I don’t think she cared and she says the lifespan thing isn’t true....

Living with her is such a pain.
 

EgoLobster

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Hi! also a minor so I get the feeling of struggling with a pet as difficult as a bird. Mercury is a green cheek conure with a lot of behavioral issues as well. He has always been a one person bird for the most part besides one exception. he has always been rather aggressive, and sometimes, depending on each bird, that can just be apart of their personalty. With Sassy, I'm sure you understand that. However, it is mating season and Sassy may be hormonal, which causes more aggressive behaviors. Which makes sense since he is attacking your sister and other people. some tips for now, since it is spring, and mating season, is limit too much light. The days need to be shorter so he doesn't recognize it's mating season. Limit too much daylight, his days can end around 7pm. After that, limit too much light sources. Avoid hands on contact for now, get him to step up on a perch or ladder instead to avoid being bit. If anyone is bit, simply put the bird down, and leave the room, let him cool down. This is a frustrating time for Sassy too, just remember that. His behavior may also have to do with the fact that you mentioned he was a hybrid, but I'm not the greatest at identifying hybrid behaviors. Avoid cuddling and overly touchy contact, this can encourage hormones. He should sleep longer than usual, longer sleeping can help with the calming down of hormones. To add on, because I didn't see the rest of the thread, try to focus on shredding toys and foraging toys to keep him busy. Maybe try bird safe hemp oil and use directed from a vet.
Wow, I didn’t know making season affected birds that aren’t breeding/are just pets! Learn something new every day! I’ll try to get her to do that. She’s usually out of the house at 7 or so, so I’ll probably sneak in and help limit the light.
I should correct that Sassy is not in fact a hybrid, he’s full green cheek apparently. He was sold as a black cap and then began exhibiting green cheek behaviors, and when DNA tested came back as a green cheek. I was under the impression he was a hybrid, but my sister told me the full story.
My sister won’t get shredding toys because he makes a mess out of them - like that isn’t what he’s supposed to do with them ):
Im gonna probably discreetly buy the toys and then put them on my sisters desk as a present.
 

EgoLobster

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Why don't you just buy the bird from her?
Sadly I am disabled and I dont have enough money to do so. I also have a cat who is not allowed near the conure who I rescued years before we got Sassy. (She hasn’t shown aggression when near his cage but I don’t trust her frankly.)
Even if I did have enough money and my little monster fluff wasnt an issue, she would never let me buy him. That’s her pride and joy.
 
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