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One conure super calm, the other furious with me.

Aurentha

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Moth Scott
So I have two male green cheek conures, I've only had them for a few months now. They were both fine with me up until this point, then one of them got sick about a month ago (Salem). He has been taken to a vet, all good now. When he got sick his personality changed, he used to be more neutral with me but now he loves attention and pets and cuddles from me.

The issue is his brother (Archie). When he first got sick (the only sign at that point was some fluffiness) his brother started getting super defensive over him. he started lunging at me and my partner, biting us if we tried to get near him or Salem. After taking Salem to the vet we seperated them for a bit because the vet recommended it, Archie never got better. Salem isn't sick anymore but his brother still lunges at us. We have had to leave him in his cage because whenever we let him out he will usually try to fly to us and attack us (he doesn't have his wings clipped.)

I tried not to react at first but now he will bite on as hard as he can and not let go, drawing blood and ripping skin off and I have to pry him off of me while he screeches at me. I don't know what to do, I don't want to leave him in his cage but if I try to let him out he will immediately try to lunge to attack me/fly towards me screeching.

What do I do? I don't want to clip his wings and I doubt that would help, he won't respond to training because he's too busy trying to rip my fingers off, leaving him in his cage makes him more pissed off at me. I seperated him again from Salem as it makes it impossible to do anything with Salem if he's there. He will eat treats from my hand and then go right back to attacking me as soon as the treats finished, as if I made it disappear and he's blaming me. Please give me any suggestions to try to help with his behavior.
 

Wardy

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It sounds like they are bonded and the seperation has effected Archie as you removed his buddy ( you had to do this )

Where they caged together ?
Are they caged together now ?

If they where together and now arent this could be the problem.

I would treat Archie as a new bird treats through the csge into a bowl and then directly to Archie.
Target train him in the cage if you have to for a period of time.

You might have to work on gaining his trust again and this might take a while.

@Monica @webchirp i am sure will be able to better advise
 

Aurentha

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I thought that was the problem and I put them back together for about a week, it didn't help and only seemed to make it worse because he would sit between me and Salem and lunge at me, meaning I couldn't touch Salem at all. it just made him more defensive and aggressive towards me, so they're seperated again now but their cages are right next to eachother
 

Pixiebeak

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Hi, first you can get pass this. You really need to believe that, its true for one thing, and secondly your parrot is reading you. Any fear stress anxiety you feel only confirms and magnifying how he feels.

It takes effort on our part to truly let go and start fresh . And each time there is a set back, and of course there will be at first , dig deep go zen, or as my friends says ( makes me laugh) pull up your big girl panties and tell yourself you can do this. But truly starting fresh in your mind and pretend this is day one, as mentioned already above works.

Humor. Humor in your heart and mind as you tackle befriending and building back trust. Looking through that lens with that mindset, its been a huge help having that energy when I've worked to rehabilitate horses, exotics, feral dogs and cats, wildlife , and parrots. They reflect back the energy you show them . They are quick to reflect back anger frustration and fear. The great thing about parrots is they get Humor! It makes it a lot more enjoyable.

Ok enough of the pep talk, but I hope you take it to heart, it will change your life when dealing with critters.

I've broken my trust once real bad with my green cheek( and a couple lesser bumps along the road) . Completely my foolish fault and harness training mistakes. Led to fly to me attacks and chasing me around to bite me as well. I Complete validating how painful those sharp long dagger needle tip green cheek beaks are!

Start out on your day one journey by apologizing for all the misunderstandings and explain you want to start fresh. Something gets across.

I dont think any magic takes place in the cage, and their frustration and energy and feelings of unfairness sure build up when they are stuck in the cage. Plus some are naturally more protective of their cage homes. Buts its fine to start out with a bazillion trips to the cage to say hi and give a treat , and sweet talk praise when they take. Pamela Clark mentioned once aiming for 50 times a day! I've never reached that but probably have done 25.

Ok gotta come back later and share more. Dinner is ready!
 

Wardy

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Humor. Humor in your heart and mind as you tackle befriending and building back trust. Looking through that lens with that mindset, its been a huge help having that energy when I've worked to rehabilitate horses, exotics, feral dogs and cats, wildlife , and parrots. They reflect back the energy you show them . They are quick to reflect back anger frustration and fear. The great thing about parrots is they get Humor! It makes it a lot more enjoyable.
I really like that
 

Pixiebeak

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after you've apologized and done lots of treats at cage for a few days. And you are ready to let him come out. Let him see you put a high value treat on top of cage, I like apple slice and fresh corn cut off the cob , use something you know he likes and will spend some time eating. Explain time to come out and join all of us again . Open the door step back or over by the treats, and praise fot coming out. Calm happy. Hopefully goes right to treats starts eating. If so tell him all about how awesome he is how good he is fir eating his treats. I think parrots are big suckers for flattery and praise. Even if they hide how pleased they are at first.

Its frustrating to me in trying to share ideas and help sometimes, just by text and not being there to read the situations in person... its very fluid in reading your parrot and adapting to their feedback and adjustments and tweaking. Its going to take some trial and error on your part. I can only share how I would do things .

For me , my goal would be getting him out of the Cage or letting him come out on his own. So that he has several hours a day out and enriched and interactions with environment, promoting self choice in movement, baths, foraging. Building his confidence and trust that he can be out and envolved and nothing bad will happen. If needed teaching to return to his cage when asked if doesn't step up.

My other goal would be for the two of them to have time out together.

And of course Building back trust and love. Which I might enlist the other green cheek to model. Habd a treat to one then the other. By having step up praise and set back then asking your problem child to step up for treat and praise and back to cage. Or having both step up at same time if they are that bonded.

Myself I'd definitely want out of cage time him as a priority, and then working on our bond.

That's what I've done with rescues, fosters abd re homes. I usually try and get them out the first or second day. My focus is first on their confidence and quality of life and comfort. Then on us becoming friends. I don't want to be their barrier to freedom, and I don't want them stuck in the cage till we become friends.
 
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Wardy

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I don't want them stuck in the cage till we become friends
I disagree with this becoming freinds is critical in how your relationship progresses imo. If the foundation of your relationship is through the bars of a cage over the course of a month until you are comfortable together then its a month well spent.
 

Aurentha

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Thank you for all your advice, it was really motivating and I appreciate you taking the time to help me out !! I will try apologizing to him again, it did make him slightly calmer the last time I did it
 

Pixiebeak

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I disagree with this becoming freinds is critical in how your relationship progresses imo. If the foundation of your relationship is through the bars of a cage over the course of a month until you are comfortable together then its a month well spent.

It's good to have different opinions and experiences, and we all want the same thing , a happy companion. There's never only one way to accomplish this.

But i'll explain my thoughts a little more. Often it's a newly weaned young parrot brought home. That's a critical time in a parrots development. Its a time
they would start exploring with parents , meeting the flock . They are programed to follow parents and learn. Its also the easiest time to teach recall flight , in home, outdoors I leave to expert traininers whith full risks understood. So getting them out really helps build confidence, independence and helps prevent phobias and cage bound. Helps prevent learned helplessness and forced interactions.

With older adult parrots brought home, many individuals are cage protective. Leading to much more bites and misunderstandings when trying to work in the cage or at the door. Plus being unable to retreat and possibly feeling trapped. The intelligence level and energy level of some individuals and species can lead to frustration and screaming when left caged so long. Adults unfortunately can aldo develop cage bound a fear phobia of leaving the cage. Prolonged confinement can even have some start to fear new perches or any changes to their cage.

I've worked with parrots with those issues. Because of my career and involvement in fostering tho its been a long time now since I've fostered. When I share general advice, I promote out of cage working with.
 

Wardy

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It's good to have different opinions and experiences, and we all want the same thing , a happy companion. There's never only one way to accomplish this.

But i'll explain my thoughts a little more. Often it's a newly weaned young parrot brought home. That's a critical time in a parrots development. Its a time
they would start exploring with parents , meeting the flock . They are programed to follow parents and learn. Its also the easiest time to teach recall flight , in home, outdoors I leave to expert traininers whith full risks understood. So getting them out really helps build confidence, independence and helps prevent phobias and cage bound. Helps prevent learned helplessness and forced interactions.

With older adult parrots brought home, many individuals are cage protective. Leading to much more bites and misunderstandings when trying to work in the cage or at the door. Plus being unable to retreat and possibly feeling trapped. The intelligence level and energy level of some individuals and species can lead to frustration and screaming when left caged so long. Adults unfortunately can aldo develop cage bound a fear phobia of leaving the cage. Prolonged confinement can even have some start to fear new perches or any changes to their cage.

I've worked with parrots with those issues. Because of my career and involvement in fostering tho its been a long time now since I've fostered. When I share general advice, I promote out of cage working with.
Nice one for the reply and totally get that, when i offer advice it is limited to my own experience of two moody conures who didnt like hands really.
 
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