Hi all,
I was wondering, when do GCC babies learn to perch solidly? I brought my new GCC Ruby home about 5 days ago. His hatch date was March 25 so he's just on 8 weeks. I noticed immediately upon getting him home that he was a bit clumsy in his cage. I had a GCC before that was brought home a little older, from a taller cage, and I never really saw this with him although he did always slip and tumble a few times when he'd first get his nails clipped, all through his life. Ruby's nails were clipped just before I brought him home and he'd been in a very low-perching glass cage where he spent a lot of time on the bottom with the other babies.
I first replaced his larger rope perch with a thinner manzanilla perch because I thought the rope was too fat and new (slick) and also got him a scratchier short perch that he can sit fully on. Because I spent the first day with him quite a bit and he's bonded with me nicely and always wants to be with me, when I come in to work at my desk (I work at home) he flaps about and falls off his perches to the bottom of the cage, or a couple times from the top of the cage. So, I got him a playpen for the top that has the small wooden dowels and he is doing better, even falls asleep on one foot or the other and stays there for a long period of time, but once he gets active again he will fall off sooner or later. As I'm typing, he just tumbled off the top but caught himself halfway down and is trying to climb up but it seems slippery for him. Again, my other GCC seemed to have no trouble climbing all over his cage over the years.
So, being aware of all the medical things that can cause a conure to be off balance, I am wondering if this is normal for a baby? He steps up great, learning to step down, and putters around on solid surfaces. Eating, vocalizing great, sleeping good I assume (although I have no idea if he is falling during the night.) Each time he falls seems fine and scrabbles up but I hate seeing him do this -- my floor is tile and my former birdy love of my life died in a horrible accident from me tripping, so I'm all on pins and needles about this.
So, if this is normal, I am wondering what I can do to help him. Putting stuff on the bottom of his cage didn't work, as he constantly wants to go up to be on my level. Holding him on my hand only works while I don't have to type with two hands
Shoulder riding, not a good idea for obvious reasons at this point in his training, although in desperation I did let him sit there a few times but once he fell between me and the back of my office chair I do have a plastic drawer which he seems content to be in (he is in there now as I type this out) but I don't want to just coddle him into never perching, plus it's boring in there.
Any advise would be appreciated! Thank you!
I was wondering, when do GCC babies learn to perch solidly? I brought my new GCC Ruby home about 5 days ago. His hatch date was March 25 so he's just on 8 weeks. I noticed immediately upon getting him home that he was a bit clumsy in his cage. I had a GCC before that was brought home a little older, from a taller cage, and I never really saw this with him although he did always slip and tumble a few times when he'd first get his nails clipped, all through his life. Ruby's nails were clipped just before I brought him home and he'd been in a very low-perching glass cage where he spent a lot of time on the bottom with the other babies.
I first replaced his larger rope perch with a thinner manzanilla perch because I thought the rope was too fat and new (slick) and also got him a scratchier short perch that he can sit fully on. Because I spent the first day with him quite a bit and he's bonded with me nicely and always wants to be with me, when I come in to work at my desk (I work at home) he flaps about and falls off his perches to the bottom of the cage, or a couple times from the top of the cage. So, I got him a playpen for the top that has the small wooden dowels and he is doing better, even falls asleep on one foot or the other and stays there for a long period of time, but once he gets active again he will fall off sooner or later. As I'm typing, he just tumbled off the top but caught himself halfway down and is trying to climb up but it seems slippery for him. Again, my other GCC seemed to have no trouble climbing all over his cage over the years.
So, being aware of all the medical things that can cause a conure to be off balance, I am wondering if this is normal for a baby? He steps up great, learning to step down, and putters around on solid surfaces. Eating, vocalizing great, sleeping good I assume (although I have no idea if he is falling during the night.) Each time he falls seems fine and scrabbles up but I hate seeing him do this -- my floor is tile and my former birdy love of my life died in a horrible accident from me tripping, so I'm all on pins and needles about this.
So, if this is normal, I am wondering what I can do to help him. Putting stuff on the bottom of his cage didn't work, as he constantly wants to go up to be on my level. Holding him on my hand only works while I don't have to type with two hands
Shoulder riding, not a good idea for obvious reasons at this point in his training, although in desperation I did let him sit there a few times but once he fell between me and the back of my office chair I do have a plastic drawer which he seems content to be in (he is in there now as I type this out) but I don't want to just coddle him into never perching, plus it's boring in there. Any advise would be appreciated! Thank you!
