Need a some advice...

[gingerbird]

Hi guys, i hope you all are doing great.


so i got my two conures back in September from a run down pet shop.

One green cheeked male named kiwi 13 years old and one pineapple female 10 years old named Peaches. I know nothing about their history apart from apparently being owned by an old couple.


so the 8 months i have had them, its been great their shyness and timidness towards myself and my partner has gotten a lot better and they are so much more confident and happy but... they are still very much scared of our hands. Anything that involves our hands moving, whether that moving towards them or away, taking bowls out or giving food, they get very scared, scatter and fly away. I have tried to do target training but again as soon as i hold the stick and get anywhere close to them they scatter in fear. Like i say they do fly near us and sit near us but they wont actually get really close.

i feel kind of stuck like a rock in a hard place because i know they are bonded and the chances of them having any interest in us in low, plus not knowing how they were handled in their previous homes doesnt help but i just want to be able to get closer to them and bond with them a bit more and so i can do more thorough checks of them but i dont want to be causing any more fear to them.

any tips and advice would be very appreciated <3

thanks
georgia

 

[Icey]

@Emma&pico may be able to offer some good advice.

 

[Emma&pico]

Hey they are gorgeous

it’s not impossible to train a bonded pair you will probably find ones more confident than other and you can model more confident one to other

do they have a favourite treat safflower seeds are brilliant have it so they only get them from you or whatever their favourite is could be anything if it’s a seed pick all all out their seed mix so it’s coming coming from you

give through cage bars just hold your hand there rest in fingers away from them at first you can have a bowl just for treats too pop treat in keeping hand outside of cage on bars see if they come and eat while your hands on cage bars then you could move to giving with fingers through bars once they get use to them hat you could try a flat hand in their cage treats in palm of your hand see if they will come to your hand to eat them and slowly work from there

 

[sunnysmom]

I also suggest trying target training with them. It's a positive way to interact with them and is good mental stimulation for them.

 

[Respect]

I think trying to get them comfortable taking treats from your hand whilst they’re in their cage would be the easiest course of action. The first step is to find what kind of treats they like most — safflower and sunflower seeds are usually a big hit with greenies. Long sprigs of millet can also be very useful, as if you hold it on one end and let them eat from the other end you’ll have more distance. The key is to be patient and hold still, and hopefully after a little while their fear will be outweighed by their curiosity and/or desire for treats. You can also try offering treats first thing in the morning before they get fed so that they have hunger as an extra motivator.

 

[Icey]

I also suggest trying target training with them. It's a positive way to interact with them and is good mental stimulation for them.

I have tried to do target training but again as soon as i hold the stick and get anywhere close to them they scatter in fear

It looks like they have tried this already.

 

[IQ's Human]

Greetings Gingerbird, and welcome.
I'm an old timer who has seen a lot of different approaches to this question. The advice you've gotten is great, but perhaps a little too threatening for your feathered friends.
I used to hand train wild caught birds, and it could be a slow process and sometimes painful.. for me. Anyway, you might want to start by perch training them. I suggest about a 2-3 ft standard round dowel appropriate to their foot size. It gives them a safety buffer from your hands. Soft voice praise is important for every attempt, even if they only lift their foot towards the perch. (Or lean forward with their beak for the perch) Once they get brave enough to step on, continue the verbal praise, but raise the stakes after a couple successful tries, (both feet on the perch) to offer a treat with an open hand not holding the perch. Once they're comfortable and will put a foot on your hand to take the treat, you can slowly do away with the perch.

Not knowing their history makes it difficult to know the best approach but it's not impossible to have success. Time, patience and love pays off.

Feel free to message me if there's anything you feel I can help with and keep us posted on your progress.