New Sun Conure behavior and training

[Kirsten]

Hey everyone. So I finally got a bird for my birthday. I've actually only had him since yesterday so I don't expect him to immediately step up and such. My Sun Conure, Skittles, is only about 4 months old and the guy at the bird store told me that because he's so young you have to kind of force the bird a little bit if you want to get him to do anything. However, everything I've ever read or watched has said that forcing your bird to do something promotes aggression.

At this point, he'll squawk a little when I get near the cage. If I stick my finger inside, he'll nibble on it, but never really bite. Sometimes he'll flap his wings. I suppose it means I obviously need to give him some time to get used to his new environment. Right now he just sleeps most of the time and I don't really want to disturb him when his eyes are closed. He hasn't eaten much at all since yesterday, just a few nibbles of a dried up banana from his food bowl.

Should I be worried about any of this? Should I just wait and give him time to get used to everything? He was hand-raised so he shouldn't be afraid of hands. In fact, at the pet store when we got him out of the cage he snuggled up against my neck for awhile. So I know he can be affectionate. He doesn't really seem to want to leave his cage right now, even when I leave the door of the cage open.

[Michael]

If the bird is tame, there should be no need to just leave the door open for it to come out. Open the cage, reach in and pick up the bird. It is to be expected that the first few days that it is adjusting to a new home that it will be quiet, shy, and not eat. Don't worry, it won't be long till the honeymoon period is over and he'll be screaming his little birdy lungs out.

You should refer to the Step Up training guide for the long term. But assuming the bird is a totally tame baby that already knows how to step up, you may want to check this article out about how to get them to step up. It's not that you should force them, but fact is at such a young age they know little and may not know what you want so you need to make the behavior happen. They are eager to learn so make sure to keep your interaction positive for the bird and this behavior can be maintained for life.

[Kirsten]

Thank you for the response! It was actually very helpful. I was worried about knocking Skittles off his perch if I pushed too much with my finger. After I read up, I went ahead anyway and he latches on to my finger just like he's supposed to! He's a little shy about my fingers if I don't offer my hand pretty slowly. I laid down on my bed with him for awhile and he snuggled up on my legs and even rolled over to let me pet his tummy.

We did realize that my room was too cold at first. We made some adjustments and he seems happy enough. I've been keeping music on when I'm not in the room and he looks like he's trying to bob his head to the beat. And you were right about him getting louder. He's definitely louder than the past two days! By the way, what's a good treat for him? I've seen some people use millet. Is that a good option?