I don't know what else to do!

[Indy]

So I'm fostering two conures a sun and a nanday.
Sunny the sun conure ive had for two months, she adores hanging out with me but the only way to get her out of her cage is to take the top to the bathroom and hold it side ways, I should mention it doesn't scare her, she actually looks forward to it. Trust me when she doesnt like something she bites.. Hard. She will flutter out onto my shoulder and help me put the cage back where it belongs and hang out with me.
I'm trying to get her to step up gosh I am. I use millet, pistachios, almonds whatever and offer a perch gently to her chest. She ignores it and flys away. She steps up onto my wrist sometimes but never my fingers. If she does I always reward her. But I don't know what else I can do, I spend 5-7 minuets on stepping up a day and 30-40 minuets with her hanging out. I don't know how to get her so that strangers can have her step up for them, I mean I'm supposed to get her adoptable and all that's really happened is that she and I are getting more comfortable with each other.
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Help?! I know patience and persistence, but I have to be doing something wrong?

 

[roxynoodle]

What happens if you just open the door to her cage? Will she come out on her own? My Nanday is cage aggressive, and for more than 11 years now, I just open her door, she climbs down to the open door and then she will step up nicely.

I hate to say it, but patience and persistence, lol! Some birds can take months or even a year or more to be fully trusting of their caregiver. One thing that has helped me a lot with a shy bird is to sit on the floor. They get very curious about what you are doing down there, and being lower than they are, it seems to make them braver. Usually they will come out of the cage and climb down to see what I'm doing. And usually I can have the bird on my hand/finger in a pretty short amount of time. Then I just stay on the floor and play with it down there instead of standing up and possibly scaring it again.

 

[wenz2712]

Welcome to the forum

It sounds like your doing everything right... just keep at it and hang on in there... eventually, she will learn to trust you... You just need time and patience

 

[Indy]

Thanks Sorry I was a tad frustrated, still am but a little bit less.
She enjoys hanging out on the bed with me she cuddles in my hair, but if we ate in the same room as her cage she always flies back over to it T.T I don't know if its bad to close the cage door it seems mean but I do need her to trust me.
Her cage door is basically always open when I'm around she only comes out occasionally. I always hang out on the floor by her cage it doesnt provoke her interest.
Thank you guys again.

 

[roxynoodle]

I think I'd leave the door open to the cage because it's her safe place, ya know? And trying to force trust is probably going to backfire.

Does she take food from your hands? That can help win over pretty much any animal, offering it things it loves to eat. Then you become the being that gives them tasty food.

 

[Indy]

Yep. I figured, and I have left the door open.
Yeah she eats great from my hands, she's wonderful out side of her cage, she's funny, cuddly, she'll preen my hair and coo at me.
But anytime I ask her to step up she screams and bites hard. Which is really what I need her to do, just step up.

 

[roxynoodle]

Ok, maybe offer her a little treat each time she steps up? And I'd probably work on step ups 10 minutes in a row or so and reward her each time with a treat and praise. And use the words, "Step up." so she learns that is what she is supposed to do when she hears you say it.

 

[Indy]

Yes very true. And she has improved incredibly since we first got her /patience/.
Thanks again~
She really is a sweet heart, she dances when I sing and eats my shirts. I just wish it wasn't such a hassle to get her to be sweet. I'm very careful to reward her like heck when she does something good, and ignore the biting.
I'm just thankful she isn't a larger parrot I wouldn't have any fingers left

 

[roxynoodle]

Let me tell you, conures can bite hard! They get you and just hang on and grind away! I haven't been bitten by my Grey yet, but Pete, my zon, only gave me little warning nips when he got upset about a vet visit. The only bird that has bitten me harder than Rowdy was a cockatoo. Thankfully I have only been bitten by Rowdy a few times since our first few weeks together.

 

[Indy]

Sunny bites pretty frequently but normally it's not hard at all. Pricilla's only bitten me once but I can still see the marks!
Sunny and I just had a great 40 or so minuets hanging out on my bed with her cage clearly in view!
She cuddled in my neck and wrapped my hair around her trying to repeat "Pretty birdy" to me and occasionally making kissing noises, though I'm not sure how she learned to make them!I'm in such great spirits right now you have no idea, she still won't step up efficiently but overall she's so much more trusting.
But this is only making me fall in love with her not making her any more likely to be adopted!
Yay!

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, technically...you could adopt her!

 

[Indy]

I know.. This is why I hate having birds more then a month I get attached and start trying to fit adopting one into my life, but I can't I'm off to college soon I'm not going o be able to keep a bird in a dorm so that's at least 3 years I'd have to leave her at home which just isn't ideal.
Sorry this is mostly to remind myself, I'd love to adopt her.. Or any of the birds I've fostered they are all so great. Which is why I do this, so that someone else can be as happy as I am with them. God knows that these little birds deserve that.

 

[roxynoodle]

Ah, yes, the timing isn't good for you right now. That has to be hard though, giving them to a new owner. I guess I'd better not foster any.

 

[Indy]

It is and if I could I'd probably already have adopted one and stopped fostering bit because I can't and I love them it's actually a great system. Im getting to be with the birds without the commitment of the next 3 decades.
Though the fact that as soon as they are great pets they get adopted is kind of frustrating. Like everything you make a pet out of them it's back to square one :/
And thanks for your help again, I really needed it

 

[roxynoodle]

You're very welcome. And it's true you get to spend some time with birds even though a decades long commitment isn't right for you at this time. It's actually a good idea. Thank you for doing this for the birds.

 

[BillsBirds]

When you get her to step up, offer your hand, or finger, for her to step up again and again. Like as if she was climbing up a ladder of your fingers. Saying, "Step Up" each step. Make it fun for her. As for falling in love with her....That's the pitfall of fostering. I have taken in many birds with the intention of re-homing, only to fall in love and keep them. After all the work & worry, you cannot help but love them. But, we've always said that letting them go to their new home, opens up room for us to take in another. Plus, think of the good you have done to improve this ones life, and given someone else the pleasure of having a good bird because of your hard work & dedication. Proper fostering is something to be proud of. People have often asked me how I could take them in, rehabilitate them, and then let them go on . I tell them that I feel like one does when they raise a child to become a productive member of society.

 

[Indy]

For anyone interested Sunny's gotten a helluva lot better these past 2 days. I'm not sure what encouraged such improvement, maybe she's finally settling in (crosses fingers) Anyway she spent a few hours (3-4) out of her cage on my shoulder entertaining herself while I read her cage being clearly visible and open. 3 times today she's come to the edge of her cage and called for me (clucking not screaming) to come over, so I've offered my wrist and told her to step up. Twice she went back on her own to eat/use the restroom and once I made her go back. I don't know if I did something right or she just decided she liked me-either way I'll approach Pricilla the same way (Painfully slowly which only works if they don't get adopted quickly but it's more productive if they don't)
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She seems wary of hands, though now that she's asking for me I think I'll start making her play the step-up game before I let her hang out and eat an almond. Thanks for the suggestion!
And gosh that's true. I do tell myself that, but every time that I make a break through i can't help but want to keep the bird and all of the progress I make (or don't make!) for myself. Its selfish I know because any bird that is adopted out does make room for a new one, and each new bird makes me a better person, and more helpful to future birds it's a cycle. Thanks for your help guys

 

[KellyH]

Here is a link to a website that has some really good video of training a parrot to step up when they are afraid of hands. Maybe it will help you.

Parrot Enrichment

There are three videos at the bottom of the page. Enjoy.

 

[roxynoodle]

I'm very glad to hear you've made some progress! Keep us updated.