DanaR
New member
I brought home my new conure on Feb. 2...I really wanted to get one from a breeder, but couldn't find any close to my area. I ended up going to a Petchain store & bought the one & only Sun from them. I don't know exactly how old Tequi is, but he/she doesn't have adult plumage yet. I'm not sure of the sex, either, I'd like to do a DNA test later. You could tell that this poor baby had no socialization at all, or else it had been scared completely out of him by rough caretakers. The guy helping said no one got the bird out, I guess they were scared it would bite.
So, I ended up having to gently chase this poor bird around this tiny cage to even get him out to take him home. Tequi never offered to bite during this traumatizing event, he was just completely afraid of people. As soon as he got in the cage at home, he climbed the furthest perch from me, which is still where he goes when anyone approaches his cage. I put his cage next to my chair, so that he could get accustomed to my presence. The day after he was home, I began offering food to him in my hand, and he began eating from it, albeit still apprehensively. Surprisingly, he has never offered to bite much or very hard when he does. After a day of this, I managed to get him on my hand & thereafter was able to get him out of his cage. However, as soon as he was no longer distracted by the food, he immediately tried to fly away. And that was the pattern for 2-3 days straight. I could get him onto my hand, and maybe do one or two ladder steps, before he just decided to fly away. His wings had been clipped at the store, so he's not the best flyer right now, and he managed to injure one of his blood feathers, on his tail. With assistance from my vet tech daughter, we wrapped him in a towel & pulled the feather with pliers, which immediately ended the bleeding, but he & I both were traumatized again by this point. So I decided that I'm probably moving too fast.
Each day, since then, I open his cage door in the morning & put the playstand right next to his cage so that he could step to it if he wants. I talk to him & offer him food & treats, but he's still not wanting any part of me. The only time he voluntarily gets close to me is when he eats (his food dish is the closest point to me). I love watching him, and I call him a spiderbird, when he walks upside down across the roof of his cage.
Today I noticed him trying to bath in his little water dish, so I put the other birds' bath dish in his cage; he looked it over carefully & even touched it with his beak & mouth a couple of times, but decided not to venture in.
At the store, there was a Quaker parrot that was in the little glass cubicle right next to Tequi's. My daughter fell in love with this bird, who is tamer & was coming up to the glass to check her out. We went back to the store 5 days after bring Tequi home, and she purchased him (& named him Kiwi). She also had to get Kiwi out of his cage to bring him home, because the person helping us was afraid of him (or maybe all birds). However, you can tell that Kiwi is older & has been socialized much more...I think there were at least 2 employees that would take him out & handle him often. Tequi really wants to get close to Kiwi, and has tried to snuggle with him, on one of the few times I had him out of the cage, but Kiwi is not too impressed with Tequi, and only allows him really close when Tequi preens Kiwi's head. When Tequi sees Kiwi on the playstand, he crawls all around the opened cage door, wanting to go to Kiwi, but is still afraid. I've only seen him come out once on his own...he made a circuit of the upper playstand area, & then headed back to his own cage.
So, in conclusion to this long rambling post, I guess I'm just wanting to know if I'm doing the right thing in backing off & letting Tequi get used to me & his new home from inside his cage...? Should I let him spend time with Kiwi, (if he ever comes out of the cage again!) or will this interfere with the bond I'm trying to make with him? Do I leave it completely up to him as to when he comes out, or should I continue feeding him from my hand & trying to coax him out? I guess I've been spoiled by my two tiels, they are both very tame & sweet, & were so when I brought them home. Jax, my 6 month old tiel, is like a sticktight, he wants to be with me or my daughter constantly, and only goes in his cage at night. Kylie, my older female, loves to fly to me from her cage, & uses my head as her landing pad. I'm usually the only one she'll go, to, though, she's a little more timid than Jax.
Thanks for any advice!
So, I ended up having to gently chase this poor bird around this tiny cage to even get him out to take him home. Tequi never offered to bite during this traumatizing event, he was just completely afraid of people. As soon as he got in the cage at home, he climbed the furthest perch from me, which is still where he goes when anyone approaches his cage. I put his cage next to my chair, so that he could get accustomed to my presence. The day after he was home, I began offering food to him in my hand, and he began eating from it, albeit still apprehensively. Surprisingly, he has never offered to bite much or very hard when he does. After a day of this, I managed to get him on my hand & thereafter was able to get him out of his cage. However, as soon as he was no longer distracted by the food, he immediately tried to fly away. And that was the pattern for 2-3 days straight. I could get him onto my hand, and maybe do one or two ladder steps, before he just decided to fly away. His wings had been clipped at the store, so he's not the best flyer right now, and he managed to injure one of his blood feathers, on his tail. With assistance from my vet tech daughter, we wrapped him in a towel & pulled the feather with pliers, which immediately ended the bleeding, but he & I both were traumatized again by this point. So I decided that I'm probably moving too fast.
Each day, since then, I open his cage door in the morning & put the playstand right next to his cage so that he could step to it if he wants. I talk to him & offer him food & treats, but he's still not wanting any part of me. The only time he voluntarily gets close to me is when he eats (his food dish is the closest point to me). I love watching him, and I call him a spiderbird, when he walks upside down across the roof of his cage.
Today I noticed him trying to bath in his little water dish, so I put the other birds' bath dish in his cage; he looked it over carefully & even touched it with his beak & mouth a couple of times, but decided not to venture in.At the store, there was a Quaker parrot that was in the little glass cubicle right next to Tequi's. My daughter fell in love with this bird, who is tamer & was coming up to the glass to check her out. We went back to the store 5 days after bring Tequi home, and she purchased him (& named him Kiwi). She also had to get Kiwi out of his cage to bring him home, because the person helping us was afraid of him (or maybe all birds). However, you can tell that Kiwi is older & has been socialized much more...I think there were at least 2 employees that would take him out & handle him often. Tequi really wants to get close to Kiwi, and has tried to snuggle with him, on one of the few times I had him out of the cage, but Kiwi is not too impressed with Tequi, and only allows him really close when Tequi preens Kiwi's head. When Tequi sees Kiwi on the playstand, he crawls all around the opened cage door, wanting to go to Kiwi, but is still afraid. I've only seen him come out once on his own...he made a circuit of the upper playstand area, & then headed back to his own cage.
So, in conclusion to this long rambling post, I guess I'm just wanting to know if I'm doing the right thing in backing off & letting Tequi get used to me & his new home from inside his cage...? Should I let him spend time with Kiwi, (if he ever comes out of the cage again!) or will this interfere with the bond I'm trying to make with him? Do I leave it completely up to him as to when he comes out, or should I continue feeding him from my hand & trying to coax him out? I guess I've been spoiled by my two tiels, they are both very tame & sweet, & were so when I brought them home. Jax, my 6 month old tiel, is like a sticktight, he wants to be with me or my daughter constantly, and only goes in his cage at night. Kylie, my older female, loves to fly to me from her cage, & uses my head as her landing pad. I'm usually the only one she'll go, to, though, she's a little more timid than Jax.
Thanks for any advice!
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