Baby GCC

[RenLynn]

Hi, I just purchased a Green Cheek Conure from a breeder. The GCC let's me rub him but will bite really hard after He also will bite my hand when I do nothing. It doesn't seem aggressive.

Why does he do that?

[Wolf]

How old is your baby?
Actually I am thinking that the reason for this is twofold, with the first reason being that he is scared. The second part of this is that he simply doesn't realize that he is biting you as hard as he is. A short explanation for this is that his beak is like another hand to a parrot, and that being a baby he is checking out your hand and trying to figure out just exactly what it is and whether it is a food or something to chew on or what. Also since he is a bird this process is geared to the fact that if it is not food or something to chew on then it should be another bird. This degree of biting will not damage another bird as another bird is built to handle such bites without damage. He is not expecting your thin easily damaged flesh. So in self defense, you should either move your hand or the bird and tell him "No Bite" or " Gentle" or some similar phrase or cue word and be consistant with both the cue word or phrase and your action. Be patient with him and expect that change will not occur over night, allow him time to put it all together and this will stop this biting.

[RenLynn]

Thanks, for the information. And he is 2 months old.

[Wolf]

I worry with birds that are this young, I worry a lot. I worry that they aren't getting enough nutrition from the food that they receive, I worry because their beak is too soft and they don't have the strength for cracking open their seeds properly. I worry that they are not properly weaned and that they will relapse to an unweaned state. I really worry a lot about birds of this age, I really do.
At this age the biting that you have experienced could also be due to your baby bird being hungry. I don't know where you live but if it is possible, I would recommend that you pick up a few jars of baby food from the store. I would get a small variety on vegetable and fruit types of the baby food and offer this from a spoon to your baby after you have fed it its normal food. I would let it eat what you normally give it and then wait about 45 minutes to an hour and offer it the baby food to eat. If it is still hungry it will eat this food and from a nutritional standpoint it wouldn't hurt it either.

[Pajarita]

Yes, babies need soft food and baby food jars are great, especially if you mix them with old-fashioned oatmeal, polenta, cream of wheat, couscous, stuff like that.

[RenLynn]

Hi, thanks for the concerns. He is eating his food quite well and eats a lot !
As for the soft food I give some every morning.

Thanks

[Wolf]

That is marvelous, I am so happy to hear that you are way ahead of us on this. It is a point that many new owners don't think of, I think because they are told the baby is fully weaned. Great job!