Conference 7.286::pet_birds

    Congrats on your new baby.  It's always such fun getting a new little
    baby bird.  Is he/she quiet or noisy?
    
    Jeanne
    

    
    
    Hi Jeanne,
    
    Bandit is so fun to be with.  He loves to be with me all the time.  He
    makes little noises, but doesn't really start to get noisy (scream)
    until my cockatiels do....or if I'm watching Discover Channel and they
    have birds on TV, he screams at the TV.  It's painful (usually he's on
    my shoulder), but very funny.
    
    Do you think Bandit will learn to bite?  I hope he stays the same.  I
    really don't know what to expect from him.  I've never had a baby bird
    before.
    
    Donna

    Hi Jeanne,
    
    Baby conures seem to go through a 'teething' stage at about 3-4 months
    (this is true of other species as well, but the timing is different).
    Provide a lot of things to chew on so you can divert the baby from 
    chewing on your hands, neck, favorite sweater, whatever.  Keep chew
    toys handy when you are having the baby sitting with you.  When he/she
    goes for something that is not to be chewed, offer the toy instead 
    and praise the bird loudly when it starts playing with the toy.  Birds
    seem to respond much better to positive reinforcement than negative and
    usually have an awful memory (lack thereof) about what they have been
    punished for.  I use voice tone to 'punish' behavior that is
    undesireable and use it also for positive reinforcement by way of
    praise.  Maybe this would work for you too?  Conures are a special
    challenge, since they are physically strong and independent, even
    if handfed, so consistent, kind but firm, discipline is required,
    especially the first few months.  If you haven't seen the Steve
    Martin bird training tape, it is worth it to see how he does things.
    I learned most of my training approaches from watching him work, 
    plus some trial and error on my own before I saw the tape.  It doesn't
    have all the answers, but you can see the techniques in action.
    
    Linda

    
    Bandit is doing wonderfully.  He's such a clown and everyone loves him.
    He will go to anyone.  
    
    Last night he fell asleep on my boyfriends shoulder.  It was hysterical
    cuz he was leaning into his neck and was standing on one foot with the
    other foot in and around his beak.  He looked just like a baby sucking
    his thumb!  When he's awake and left alone in the living room, he'll
    wander around the apartment looking for us.  He just seems to love to
    be the center of attention.  Sometimes though he'll go over to the back
    of the couch and stare out the window.  I wonder what he's thinking?
    
    Last night before he fell asleep on John, he was sitting on John's
    shoulder while we were eating dinner.  John has braces.  Bandit thinks
    they're cool and thinks nothing of sticking his entire head in John's
    mouth to check them out.  Sometimes he tries biting them!  Bandit is so
    sweet.  John will grab ahold of Bandit's beak with his lips and Bandit
    loves it. He keeps sticking his beak near him.  Actually, I think it's
    the moustache that he loves cuz he's constantly preening him!
    
    Ava and Garkon (2 tiels) seem to be warming up to us.  Acutally, Garkon
    let me pet his head a little last night, and he never would do that
    before we got Bandit!  I wonder if he realizes that we aren't hurting
    Bandit at all, so he figures he'll sit with us too...I don't know. 
    Garkons feathers are soooo soft.  Much softer than Ava or Bandit's.  I
    love to pet him.  I still don't think Ava will ever warm up.  We'll
    see.....
    
    Question:  Bandit loves fruits and veggies. I put them in a seperate
    dish for him every day. He gets strawberries and corn all over his face
    and he looks just like a messy baby.  I also put a clean dish full of
    fruits and veggies for Ava and Garkon, but they don't seem interested
    in eating it.  How do I get them to eat this?  When I got them last
    October, they were eating sunflower seeds exclusively....Now I have
    them on Cockatiel seed with lots of small seeds and few sunflower
    seeds.  They seem to have adjusted to that OK, so if I keep putting
    fruits/vegs in the cage for them, will they ever even try it???  Actually,
    before I got Bandit, I put veggies up on their playpen on top of their
    cage, and they'd eat a little, but Bandit likes their playpen and eats
    their veggies for them, so that's why I've been putting them in the cage, 
    and hoping they'd eat them there.  Any comments or suggestions?
    
    Donna

    
    
    BTW, Bandit has his own playpen but insits on being with Ava and
    Garkon even though they just barely tolerate him.
    Sometimes they even start pecking at him and I seperate them, but it
    just doesn't seem to phaze him at all.  He just wants to be with them.
    I think it would be nice if they'd lighten up a bit.  Think they will
    all ever be good pals?

    Broken record here...try rice and wheatgerm and parsley flakes and
    chopped hard-cooked egg.  For the 'tiels, add cooked cut corn (frozen
    or fresh, if possible, rather than canned).  Good luck!! /Linda C.

    Since 'tiels are very gentle and not aggressive, if the Nanday stays
    sweet and doesn't get jealous of them, they may be able to co-exist
    out on a playpen.  I wouldn't leave them unattended, ever, though.
    
    Linda C.