beccajayne
New member
Hi everyone,
I haven't been here very long yet but I already know that a biting conure makes a fairly popular topic among this forum.. so here's another one! I want to give it some context, hence the length, to receive some kind of idea why he is biting as there are so many solutions around on the internet, including this forum!
My baby GGC is 11 weeks old, and I've had him for a week now. The reason that we (my husband and I) chose this guy from the flock was because he came right to us when the rest of them shied away. He stepped up - obviously was still a bit skittish and nervous but at least we could hold him. He bit my ear once really hard in the exotic bird store, and my husband's finger once as well but the owner showed us how he would handle it, by pushing him gently over.
Well now we're at home and he's obviously scared of his new surroundings however... He always wants to come out of his cage, and if I open the door he flies right to me straight away. He loves to snuggle in my robe or pockets and I found out today that he loves eating blueberries. It's actually the first time I've seen him sit so still for so long. But..
He's always using his beak, which I understand. It's his third hand. It's like he uses it to test the waters wherever he goes - if he's walking, his beak is to down towards the blanket/clothes, biting everything in front of him first (kind of like when you walk a dog and it's sniffing out the trail). He always, ALWAYS ends up at my skin, where he will stop and chomp, and chomp harder, and I have to gently pry him off without showing that it hurts. I'll then hold him on his back, stare into his eyes and gently hold his cheeks and say no bite. If he goes near my fingers, I'll kind of just play with his beak and let him nibble without putting any pressure and saying "gentle", keeping them moving/slightly out of reach so he can never chomp. But eventually he'll come back. Even if my arm is just laying there I can see him making his way over to it (and if I leave it there he will end there to chomp on it). It's making it hard for me to get him to step up too. I have foot toys around, which he'll chew, but he'd rather go bite my hand. I get at least 10 bites a day.
So, with that being said, I know it's hard without video proof, but I'm trying to understand why he is doing it, so if anyone understands this behaviour, please advise! Is he trying to play knowing he'll get a reaction, and just doesn't know how hard to bite? I mean it's been a week now I feel like it shouldn't be a constant mission to find my skin, which he bites significantly harder than every other material.. Does it sound like he's still scared? He's certainly not shy. Is it dominance? I don't let him on my shoulder, or anywhere above my chest. Quite frankly it gets me anxious if I see he starts to climb.
I don't mean to sound ignorant or anything. I know he's a baby in a brand new place! I'm just used to my sweet cockatiel who almost never bites, and now it's to the point where my husband won't go get him out on his own
Also, I have already read the two posts on why conures bite and the way to get them not to bite is to give them no opportunity to bite! And, sorry for the long post!
I haven't been here very long yet but I already know that a biting conure makes a fairly popular topic among this forum.. so here's another one! I want to give it some context, hence the length, to receive some kind of idea why he is biting as there are so many solutions around on the internet, including this forum!
My baby GGC is 11 weeks old, and I've had him for a week now. The reason that we (my husband and I) chose this guy from the flock was because he came right to us when the rest of them shied away. He stepped up - obviously was still a bit skittish and nervous but at least we could hold him. He bit my ear once really hard in the exotic bird store, and my husband's finger once as well but the owner showed us how he would handle it, by pushing him gently over.
Well now we're at home and he's obviously scared of his new surroundings however... He always wants to come out of his cage, and if I open the door he flies right to me straight away. He loves to snuggle in my robe or pockets and I found out today that he loves eating blueberries. It's actually the first time I've seen him sit so still for so long. But..
He's always using his beak, which I understand. It's his third hand. It's like he uses it to test the waters wherever he goes - if he's walking, his beak is to down towards the blanket/clothes, biting everything in front of him first (kind of like when you walk a dog and it's sniffing out the trail). He always, ALWAYS ends up at my skin, where he will stop and chomp, and chomp harder, and I have to gently pry him off without showing that it hurts. I'll then hold him on his back, stare into his eyes and gently hold his cheeks and say no bite. If he goes near my fingers, I'll kind of just play with his beak and let him nibble without putting any pressure and saying "gentle", keeping them moving/slightly out of reach so he can never chomp. But eventually he'll come back. Even if my arm is just laying there I can see him making his way over to it (and if I leave it there he will end there to chomp on it). It's making it hard for me to get him to step up too. I have foot toys around, which he'll chew, but he'd rather go bite my hand. I get at least 10 bites a day.
So, with that being said, I know it's hard without video proof, but I'm trying to understand why he is doing it, so if anyone understands this behaviour, please advise! Is he trying to play knowing he'll get a reaction, and just doesn't know how hard to bite? I mean it's been a week now I feel like it shouldn't be a constant mission to find my skin, which he bites significantly harder than every other material.. Does it sound like he's still scared? He's certainly not shy. Is it dominance? I don't let him on my shoulder, or anywhere above my chest. Quite frankly it gets me anxious if I see he starts to climb.
I don't mean to sound ignorant or anything. I know he's a baby in a brand new place! I'm just used to my sweet cockatiel who almost never bites, and now it's to the point where my husband won't go get him out on his own
Also, I have already read the two posts on why conures bite and the way to get them not to bite is to give them no opportunity to bite!
And, sorry for the long post!
