Please HELP!!! New Jenday Conure

[Mello33]

We just got a 5 year old Jenday Conure named Mango yesterday. What is the best way to aclimate him to us and our house. (He likes to bite.) Which I am possitive is because he just went through a major change so it is to be expected.... please help He is our first bird and we want to do everything right.

[pennyandrocky]

what kind of schedule do you and your husband keep? what's happening when your bites? being a flock bird they like to do everything together like eating meals together in the same room.my likes to hang out on the shower while i'm in there.give him perches to fly back and forth to in bird proof rooms to avoid accidents.we have a playstand in the game room and a tree in the living room where they spend most of their time. in the kitchen we have branches attached to the windows so my has a safe place to hang out while i'm cooking or washing dishes.watch what your does before he bites his body language should tell you when he's annoyed so you can avoid the bite and prevent him from getting into a habit of biting when he wants to be left alone.

[friend2parrots]

Hi - welcome and congratulations on your new Jenday Conure. I agree with pennyandrocky's advice for modifying his biting behavior. for now, I think it might be best if you do the following:

first off, don't clip your birds wings. it will NOT help you or your family to handle him better. if he's already clipped, let them grow out (takes a few months)

1. set up his longterm living arrangements as soon as possible. make sure his cage is set up in the way that you intend to keep it for a while, and that it will be comfortable. place the cage against the wall in a place where it will be permanently in your house. an area central to the activity of the family is best,

2. put him in his cage and leave him there for a few days. don't take him out. he's prob biting because things are too new and he needs time to adjust. leave him in the cage and let him watch your family go about their activities.

3. use these cage-bound days to read up read up read up as much as possible. Michael's blog is a great place to start. go through all of his articles - sev of them walk you through briging home a new bird. also browse throgh the forum posts. believe me you will learn so much!!!

you are right in wanting to do things right from the start. first you have to get past the bitiing. its a habit that can easily be reinforced if you do the wrong thing. there are a number of great articles and posts on that topic.

so basically, keep the bird in its cage for at least two days, let him see the family in their normal routine, and READ READ READ !!!!

[Polarn]

just gonna poke in the discussion and say that the bird is five years old (incase you had any additional tips on handling based on that stored up for before Mello33 turn up to answer, was mentioned in her introduction post)

Other than that the others has provided you with good information. Only thing I have to add is to read through the articles in the blog. tons of information and a great place to start and then if something catches your attention you can always search the forum/web for additional information. But for someone not really knowing what to look for the blog is a terrific place to start just plowing through article by article.

[friend2parrots]

Mello33 and others, I just edited my post above a little, for greater clarity. basic take home message is, keep the bird in its cage for at least a few days, and do as much research as you can while it gets adjusted to your world.

Polarn highlighted an important point - the Jenday is 5 years old, so he's already an adult. it will take longer for an adult bird to settle in than a baby. it all depends on his background too. where did you get him? is he a rescue? or did he have a previous owner that didnt want him?

[liz]

You have a new kid in your home. Do you know anything about him? He knows nothing about you or even where he is. He is afraid of all the new things. He cannot talk to tell you how he feels.

I realize my life is different then yours. With Myrtle I opened the cage door and never closed it again. When she was brave enough to come out she spent her days on the top of the cage. I never tried to touch her until then and then only her feet. Once her feathers grew back she became confident enough to interact and socialize.

[Mello33]

This is what we know so far: We bought him from his original owner. He was raised with another Jenday, a female, in the same cage. He has been hand fed & tame. He loves to sit on shoulders, plays with hair and does fly. He can say thank you and shakes his head up and down like he is saying yes. We have found he bites sometimes when you get close to have him step up (which he also knows) He also bit my lip while on my shoulder, as I looked at him and made a clicking sound with my tongue, Im guessing he didnt like the sound maybe. (that bite HURT) He was also sitting on my son in laws shoulder & bit his ear. (possibly going for an earring)

After finding this forum and learning alot already, we have realized several mistakes we are making. Too much stimulation by us in a new environment. I think he is a great bird that needs time to adjust. (HATES being in his cage though)

I am VERY thankful for all advice so far, and am greatful for any more you would like to give. We are determined to have a happy, healthy relationship with Mango

[Mello33]

Another side note.......since he bit my lip......Im too scared to look at him when he is on my shoulder. He seems to love sitting there, can he tell Im tense & feel that Im scared? Also, I know he is new to us.....so keep him in his cage for a couple days before letting him back out? Sorry for all the questions, but since he is 5 years old, Im not sure where to begin with the training.

[cml]

Keeping a parrot on your shoulder is associated with risk, and is probably not reccommended unless you trust your parrot completely. I would suggest that you start making it clear to Mango that the shoulder is off-limits immediatly.

We made the same mistake, and let Stitch be on our shoulders in the beginning, and when he had an aggressive phase, it was a hassle. We have since stopped allowing him there, and de-training a behaviour is hard, let me tell you. He's a little cuddlebug nowadays, but he still is almost never allowed on our shoulders, the only time I allow is if he is very scared (and yes, some people will say that this is a bad idea, as when he's scared, he's more unpredictable).

Start by target training your friend, INSIDE the cage, until he's comfortable with that (I am assuming he's comfortable with taking treats from you already). DONT let him out until you got this down, as you will want a secure and non-threatening way of putting your parrot back in the cage, which isnt going to send negative signals to your new friend. This is very important.

Its easy to get carried away when you get a new parrot, but its much better that you work systematically to be sure to lay down some ground rules, and start the bonding process early on. Just letting Mango roam around the house, being the king of the hill isnt going to work long term .

Have you read the guides that people have reccommended you so far? If not they are a must read, ASAP. Michaels guides are great, easy-to-follow and have supplemental videos to help explain things (they are not as throughough as the text though so you still have to have to read the whole article!)

Here's a few links that you should read ASAP:
1) http://trainedparrot.com/Taming/
2) http://trainedparrot.com/index.php?bid=54&article=Reasons+Why+Punishment+Should+Be+Avoided+With+Parrots
3) http://trainedparrot.com/Bad_Rewarding/

There are many more, but those I consider essential for a new parrot owner, as well as this one:

DONT CLIP:
http://trainedparrot.com/Clipping/

Read these, and report back on your progess and what you plan to do! We are all here to help you !

EDIT: Updated the clipping link, it was wrong earlier.

[Mello33]

Ok I seriously need help. I have read all the links for training & watched the videos too. I honestly dont know what to do. I have put Mango in his place and have not taken him out so he has time to adjust. His screaming has improved tremendously, which is GREAT. However, when I put my hands near his cage, he goes crazy trying to bite me and he bites the bars of the cage and hits his beak against it too. Im sure he wants to come out and he is angry that he is in his cage. I am working with talking to him and bringing my hand to the cage. I leave my hand there until he calms down. Once he is calm I give him a treat and then repeat the process. Am I on the right track?? I really love him already and am determined to train him and make him a part of our family. But since I am new to birds, I just dont know exctly what to do. PLEASE any help is appreciated.