Not a reptile....my newest addition to the Urban zoo. :) - Page 2

snake man12 · 08-07-12, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gungirl

Its a green cheek conure. They are small Parrots about 2-3 times the size of a parakeet

Thanks. Be sure to teach him some awesome phrases

snake man12 · 08-07-12, 06:21 PM

Hey I was just wondering what is the noise level. Also do they chirp constantly all the time?

Gungirl · 08-07-12, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snake man12

Hey I was just wondering what is the noise level. Also do they chirp constantly all the time?

I will pm you as to not take over Kim's thread..

Will0W783 · 08-08-12, 07:21 AM

Tweeter isn't terribly loud. He threw a tantrum this morning though...I think he wanted to come out to play when I got up. I fed him and he flapped his wings and squawked and jumped onto my hand. I cuddled him for a few minutes. My schedule isn't the best, but it is manageable...I have to keep playtime to nights though, because he wants undivided attention, lol.

I think he was testing me last night. I had him on the bed with me while I watched some tv, and he kept trying to taste my fingers and arms. He likes to chew on seams of clothes, but then he cocked his head at me, looked at my hands, looked at my face and charged over to nip my fingers. It didn't really hurt, but if I let him get going, I think it would have. I said, "NO" sharply and pulled my hand back. He is stubborn....kept trying for a good ten minutes before he came and snuggled to my chest. Is this normal testing the waters behavior? I gave him a cuttlefish bone and put a big piece of driftwood in last night so he can climb it like a ladder. I am going tonight to the pet store to get some more supplies for cage decorations and toys.

Kat, is saying "No" and pulling away my hands when he tries to chew on them the right way to teach him not to?

On a happy note, he seems to have learned "step up" already!! He was doing it pretty reliably last night.

Yay, he is smart!

Gungirl · 08-08-12, 07:55 AM

I found that my guy liked the "game" of no don't touch and me pulling away. He thought it was fun. Ugh. I eventually just let him bite me then told him no and tapped his beak. After about a week he figured it out.

One thing you will be thankful you did is potty train him. When ever you see him poop say poop or something along that lines. I taught my bird to poop on command in 3 days. Now when I go to take him out of his cage I simply tell him to poop and he does or at least he tries to. I have not been pooped on in a few months. Now when he is out offer him his cage every 10 minutes or so and ask him to poop so that he doesn't have any accidents.

Hope this all helps you.

Will0W783 · 08-08-12, 08:10 AM

Thanks Kat! Yeah, he did seem to be enjoying himself with nibbling me last night, lol. The potty training idea is great...I will start that with him. He has pooped on me every time, but it's usually after he's been out of the cage for a while.

Gungirl · 08-08-12, 08:16 AM

Small birds tend to need to poop every 7-10 minutes.. it can be hard to train but its worth a shot.

Will0W783 · 08-08-12, 09:39 AM

Yep. Bird poop honestly doesn't bother me that much anyway. It's not really smelly so if he poops on me I just wipe it off with a Kleenex.

Lankyrob · 08-08-12, 11:18 AM

Is it true that you can train parrots to "free fly" in the home but return to their perch to poop? There was one in my local pet shop when i was a kid (think it was a macaw) and i remember an adult telling me this but he could just be telling me to shut me up!

Gungirl · 08-08-12, 12:24 PM

Yes some of the larger birds you can fairly easily and I am sure if you spent enough time any bird could learn that. I am against letting pet birds have full wings and I feel it is 100% safer to clip your birds wings. If you allow full wings you also open them up to many dangers.( open windows or shut ones, flying into cooking pots, out open doors, ceiling fans) the list goes on. My bird gets his wings clipped twice a year and it doesn't bother him at all. Just like you getting a hair cut.

Will0W783 · 08-08-12, 02:12 PM

Yeah I don't want to take the risk with all the other pets that I have. My cats would try to get Tweeter if he could fly around. As it is, he stays on my shoulder or chest, and I keep whatever room I'm in with him closed so the cats can't get in. I'm hoping that he will eventually be trained well enough for me to trust him to sit tight on my shoulder while I do other things, like cook or walk around downstairs. For now though, I'm keeping him away from the others and I intend to keep his wings clipped no matter what...I'm just not willing to risk him hitting a window or something else.

Snakeman8 · 11-18-12, 07:32 AM

if you want to get the bird to learn words. set him in front of the tv, it works.
trust me on this one

Zoo Nanny · 11-18-12, 07:49 AM

Congratulations on Tweeter, he's a cutie. Safety is fairly easy to teach to a bird. Take him around your house and tap on all windows, mirrors and reflective surfaces then let him tap. You'll be amazed at how quickly they pick up on it. Cassie my too is fully flighted in the house and has learned the hazards. Saying that I also do not let her out if I am cooking or if the door is going to be open like when I'm bringing in groceries. If a bird is determined they can fly even with the most severe clip they just may not be able to get as much lift or distance. A startle will send them into flight mode.
Diet can be very varied, they can eat almost any veg or fruit along with legumes and grains. All of which are very good for them. Most important things to avoid are avocado, salt, sugar, caffeine and alcohol. There are some excellent forums out there that I can give you links to if interested. Best method of teaching is through positive reinforcement, easily done with a favorite treat.
Best of luck with your little one. Conures are one of my favorites, so much attitude packed in a little body!