Have Conure, Need help

[Frosty]

I had a good afternoon... I took both Khaos and Riot in to the bathroom and sat down with them. Riots idea of being on my shoulder has always been to go behind my head and hide so today I sat on the floor, opened a book, and read out loud. Riot came out and sat on my shoulder and both birds tilted their head like they were listening. Next time I should sit on the toilet instead of the floor... It's hard to stand up with a bird on each arm,

They probably look like every other Sun and Jenday but I finally downloaded some pictures. Here are my babies:



The room is under construction so don't mind the ceiling behind Khaos...

I couldn't have got this far without you! I don't even mind the bird poop on my back

 

[nchls school]

I had a good afternoon... I took both Khaos and Riot in to the bathroom and sat down with them. Riots idea of being on my shoulder has always been to go behind my head and hide so today I sat on the floor, opened a book, and read out loud. Riot came out and sat on my shoulder and both birds tilted their head like they were listening. Next time I should sit on the toilet instead of the floor... It's hard to stand up with a bird on each arm, They probably look like every other Sun and Jenday but I finally downloaded some pictures. Here are my babies: The room is under construction so don't mind the ceiling behind Khaos... I couldn't have got this far without you! I don't even mind the bird poop on my back

The sun looks great-Khaos? The jenday-a baby-Riot? Is thin. Siting with the birds for longer periods, whether reading a book out loud or having a favorite drink, is a great way for your conures to come to know you and gain their trust. Once they sit on your hand comfortably, the next step is to teach the "UP" command. As for poop, some conures will actually learn to not poop on their owner (all on their own). Find an old comfortable shirt to wear while handling the birds; something that is easy for the conures to hold on to. Many conures will refuse to hold tight to skin and, as a result, loose their balance easily. Keep in mind that conures are among the most intelligent of birds and they have a very long memory. Be cautious to do nothing that will lead to mistrust; once trust is gone it is hard to get back again.

 

[Frosty]

The picture of Riot is from a few weeks after we got him. That's why the pet shop manager was desperate to find him a home. Every time they put him in a cage there he would quit eating and lose weight, then she would have to take him home with her to put weight on him again. She knew that we have Khaos and knows that I have patience with critters so when she saw us walk in to the store she made a beeline for us. I tried to get some more recent pictures but they were blurry. You can probably see the damage on his beak in the picture, it was there when we got him (pet shop manager said she thinks he was rubbing it on the cage) and it's mostly grown out now.

Khaos is the sun, he does know the up command... unless he thinks what he's doing is more important. I tell Riot 'up' every time I hold my hands with a treat for him to step up to get it. He hasn't got to the point of just stepping up yet, but we'll get there.

Khaos isn't clipped and at first in the bathroom he was flying up and doing an excellent job of hovering, but his favorite place to land was on top of my head. I had to keep putting my hand up there and get him to step up to get him off. I tried to put them on a towel on the floor, but they just climbed up my arm when I lowered my hand. I think Riot was more comfortable with me after our sit...

Trust me, I talk quietly to them and treat them gently. It's probably a matter of time before I get bit but I figure the best approach is to try not to give them a reason to bite. Better to try to avoid problems than try to correct them after they start. When they get too noisy I just go in and calmly ask them to use indoor voices. Not that they listen to the request...

This is the only picture of Riot from the other day that wasn't blurry, but you probably can't judge if he's too thin or not from this angle. Should I try to get another side shot? I'm researching scales, he doesn't want anything to do with the kitchen scale and it shuts off too fast. I found a few on line that have a perch, I just need to figure out which one is best.

 

[nchls school]

The picture of Riot is from a few weeks after we got him. That's why the pet shop manager was desperate to find him a home. Every time they put him in a cage there he would quit eating and lose weight, Conures can be a real challenge to wean. then she would have to take him home with her to put weight on him again. She knew that we have Khaos and knows that I have patience with critters so when she saw us walk in to the store she made a beeline for us. I tried to get some more recent pictures but they were blurry. You can probably see the damage on his beak in the picture, it was there when we got him (pet shop manager said she thinks he was rubbing it on the cage) and it's mostly grown out now.

Khaos is the sun, he does know the up command... unless he thinks what he's doing is more important. I tell Riot 'up' every time I hold my hands with a treat for him to step up to get it. He hasn't got to the point of just stepping up yet, but we'll get there.

Khaos isn't clipped and at first in the bathroom he was flying up and doing an excellent job of hovering, but his favorite place to land was on top of my head. I had to keep putting my hand up there and get him to step up to get him off. I tried to put them on a towel on the floor, but they just climbed up my arm when I lowered my hand. I think Riot was more comfortable with me after our sit...

Trust me, I talk quietly to them and treat them gently. It's probably a matter of time before I get bit As time passes you are less likely to be bit. but I figure the best approach is to try not to give them a reason to bite Yes.. Better to try to avoid problems than try to correct them after they start. Yes. When they get too noisy I just go in and calmly ask them to use indoor voices. Not that they listen to the request... Conure are noisy all too often. Those of us that have them just have to adjust.

This is the only picture of Riot from the other day that wasn't blurry, but you probably can't judge if he's too thin or not from this angle. Should I try to get another side shot? Another shot is not necessary. Riot is still thin, but that is not something to worry about. Young conures are often thin at this age. Does he sleep on one leg with the other tucked. If so he is fine. I'm researching scales, he doesn't want anything to do with the kitchen scale and it shuts off too fast. I have a scale and it sits unused as birds gain and lose weight quickly. Compare Khaos with Riot. The breast bone should not be very pronounced and the body should be well-fleshed. Khaos looks to be the right weight so compare his body with Riot's.I found a few on line that have a perch, I just need to figure out which one is best.

 

[Frosty]

I have been trying to see how Riot sleeps... All that I can tell you right now is very lightly. I go in when it's dark and he starts shifting around on his perch. I get up around 3 AM to get ready for work (have to leave the house around 4:15 AM and feed cats and dogs before I leave) so haven't checked before I leave yet, when I come home they are wide awake and making their presence known. I did get a good look at his leg band today and was startled to see that it says ALOHA followed by a sideways HI with 15 under it. Did this guy come from Hawaii to North Dakota?? I found a website with a picture of their bands, it looks like the band on Riot and I am wondering if it's the breeder that he came from? I sent them an email, now to see if they reply. Maybe I can get some information on him? I'd at least like to find the date of hatch.

Speaking of bands... Do you feel that they are safe to leave on or should I try to find a vet to remove it?

 

[nchls school]

I have been trying to see how Riot sleeps... All that I can tell you right now is very lightly.  I go in when it's dark and he starts shifting around on his perch.  I get up around 3 AM to get ready for work (have to leave the house around 4:15 AM and feed cats and dogs before I leave) so haven't checked before I leave yet, when I come home they are wide awake and making their presence known.  I did get a good look at his leg band today and was startled to see that it says ALOHA followed by a sideways HI with 15 under it.  Did this guy come from Hawaii to North Dakota?? It kind of looks like it. I found a website with a picture of their bands, it looks like the band on Riot and I am wondering if it's the breeder that he came from? The band would be from the breeder if it is a closed band. I sent them an email, now to see if they reply.  Maybe I can get some information on him?  I'd at least like to find the date of hatch.  15 would be 2015.

Speaking of bands... Do you feel that they are safe to leave on or should I try to find a vet to remove it?   Riot's leg will not grow bigger. There is no reason to remove it.

 

[Frosty]

As long as there isn't a risk of it catching on something...

I found a site called parrotsecrets.com that is advertising a set of e-books on Conure care and training. Have you ever heard of them? If so, is it worth getting?

 

[GuineaFowling]

You've had great progress with your bird. He's gorgeous by the way. Watery droppings have a number of causes. They will get watery droppings when stressed out or immediately after a bath. They will also have watery droppings if they've eaten juicy fruits or veggies. Another cause is Polyuria or (bacterial) infection. Often feather quality can also tell whether your bird is ill or not. Riot looks to be in poor feather condition. I can assume it was due to his stressful time at the petshop. What I would suggest is getting your birds disease tested if not looked at by an avian vet. You can do really inexpensive disease testing, there is a website called avian biotech and you can choose which disease you want to test for. All you have to do is request the free test kit and then clip a toe nail and get some blood from the bird. You need to have a clotting agent on hand and I would suggest having a vet draw blood from a vein rather than a toe nail (my previous vet clipped a toe nail for blood from my conure and he favored the foot for a long time). It is really important to quarantine or have an immediate wellness check done for new birds. Especially since he came from petco which is known for having birds with respiratory illnesses.

Some birds have had traumatic experiences from hands and cannot be handled with hands for the rest of their lives. Your bird does not seem like he has a hand phobia so I'm sure he will warm up to you quick enough. I had a parent raised lovebird who was traumatized by hands and was afraid of them. I had to perch train her and I used a perch to move her in and out of her cage and such. She was tame enough to sit on my knee or somewhere above my head within 3 weeks of having her. I also used the enticing nutriberries to tame her. Riot will tame in no time since he is likely parent raised.

Good luck!

 

[nchls school]

As long as there isn't a risk of it catching on something...

I found a site called parrotsecrets.com that is advertising a set of e-books on Conure care and training. Have you ever heard of them? If so, is it worth getting?

No. Sorry.

 

[nchls school]

You've had great progress with your bird. He's gorgeous by the way. Watery droppings have a number of causes. They will get watery droppings when stressed out or immediately after a bath. They will also have watery droppings if they've eaten juicy fruits or veggies. Another cause is Polyuria or (bacterial) infection. Often feather quality can also tell whether your bird is ill or not. Riot looks to be in poor feather condition. I can assume it was due to his stressful time at the petshop. What I would suggest is getting your birds disease tested if not looked at by an avian vet. You can do really inexpensive disease testing, there is a website called avian biotech and you can choose which disease you want to test for. All you have to do is request the free test kit and then clip a toe nail and get some blood from the bird. You need to have a clotting agent on hand and I would suggest having a vet draw blood from a vein rather than a toe nail (my previous vet clipped a toe nail for blood from my conure and he favored the foot for a long time). It is really important to quarantine or have an immediate wellness check done for new birds. Especially since he came from petco which is known for having birds with respiratory illnesses.

Some birds have had traumatic experiences from hands and cannot be handled with hands for the rest of their lives. Your bird does not seem like he has a hand phobia so I'm sure he will warm up to you quick enough. I had a parent raised lovebird who was traumatized by hands and was afraid of them. I had to perch train her and I used a perch to move her in and out of her cage and such. She was tame enough to sit on my knee or somewhere above my head within 3 weeks of having her. I also used the enticing nutriberries to tame her. Riot will tame in no time since he is likely parent raised.

Good luck!

If I remember correctly, Avian Biotech was the place I used for DNA sexing. If you are curious about the sex of Khaos and Riot.