Troubles with baby TAG

[karcar]

Hi Everyone,
I just got two new birds, one is a halfmoon conure and the other one is a Timneh African Grey.
Which I finally named BTW thanks to everyone helping me think of cute names, Shorty (conure) and Kenya (TAG) were the names picked.
Anyway on to my question, I am having the hardest time trying to handled my TAG, she bites and boy does she bite hard I have to towel her or use a stick to get her out of the cage she has not in the least bit been socialized from breeder, and I am not doing a very good job at it myself. I need help in the worse way. I want to be able to have her step up and have a relationship with her but she is next to being WILD!
Thanks, Karen

[Kathleen]

Why would it want step up if it's scared of you, and it sees you and then gets forcibly grabbed with a big scary towel or shoved at with stick?

Can you approach the bird's cage and stand next to the cage without the bird showing signs of aggression (hissing, eyes pinning, defensive etc)? Probably you can. If you can't approach the cage without the bird being aggressive, you'll have to go and buy a clicker and then condition the bird that a click means you'll go away and leave it alone. You do that until you can approach the bird, practically touch it, and then you switch to positive reinforcement. Details for doing that are here: http://www.theparrotforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=227

Will the bird accept food and/or treats out of your hand? If it will, use that to train your bird. Condition the bird to your hand using food/treats. Details for doing that are here:
http://www.theparrotforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3207
http://www.theparrotforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=227
http://www.theparrotforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1528

Either way, it's probably a good idea condition the bird to your hand as I outlined in these links. Then get a clicker and clicker condition the bird, then target train the bird and teach it step up after it finds your presence rewarding. Then you can use all of that to teach it tricks and so on.

[karcar]

I have to pick her up wheather she likes it or not , least I let her stave to death I am handfeeding her, and you are rude!

[pchela]

How old is the baby TAG?

[Michael]

I have to pick her up wheather she likes it or not , least I let her stave to death I am handfeeding her, and you are rude!

One more reason inexperienced owners shouldn't be getting unweaned parrots.

[Kathleen]

I didn't realize this bird wasn't weaned.

When the bird bit you in the past, how did you react?

[captwest]

hey karcar, i realize that you haven't gotten the help you're lookinf for. please give us some more info about your bird , i for one be glad to help anyway i can, problems are usually not to hard to fix with younger birds , please respond most of the people on here have hearts and want to help.if you like PM me and i'll give you my website / phone #, Richard

[Azure Hanyo]

All right now. Michael, you really don't have any idea how experienced she is as a bird owner or hand-feeder. She could have hand-fed tame babies in the past, and this is her first experience with an untamed biting bird. Please try to gather information first before jumping to conclusions, it doesn't help anyone.

Karcar: I have no tips as I personally have not hand-fed babies before; but Richard here seems knowledgeable and I am sure others will help, if you can give us more background on yourself and your fids. Good luck!

[karcar]

Richard and Azure, thank you both very much for your kindness and for your offer to help. I have had computer troubles and so my response was delayed. I have recieved the help I needed thru another forum. Azure thank you as well for defending me about the handfeeding . I have handfed many many birds as a matter of fact I owned my own brooders and handfed for 3 different breeders when I lived in Ca. during the time my husband had cancer so I could be at home with him and it still brought in a little extra income. The hand feeding was not the trouble as some assumed. My TAG is starting to improve some what but we still have a way to go.
Thanks again,Karen

[Azure Hanyo]

Yay I am glad things are improving!!! Best of luck to you and your new fids.