Hello from Southern California

[GinaMarie510]

Hi all,

Just want to first say this is such a wonderful forum and full of awesome information. I just bought a Green Cheek Conure and named her Peanut although I should change her name to Monkey..lol as that would be the perfect name for her, I got her two weeks ago and already had to buy her another cage as she was trying to pull the bars apart and would try to get her body out and I was worried that she would get hurt. The only problem that I am having now with her new cage is that she does not want to be in it and I have tried to get her new toys and even re-arranged them all but she still just wants to be on me all the time, I am disabled so I am home with all day and I have been working on getting a routine with taking her out and playing with her but so far that has not been working so well, if anyone could give a suggestion that would be so much appreciated. She is a little ham and so sweet and I don't want to spoil her too much..lol any input would be so appreciated.

Thank You and look forward to reading everyone's stories.

[pennyandrocky]

that's a .my cousin calls mine velcro.his name is penny and wanted to be on me 9 hours a day before i adopted mya .try a favorite food for in the cage only.

[GinaMarie510]

Hi Penny,

Thank you for your reply I have tried carrots, broccoli and apples so far but she does not seem to like those..lol

[marie83]

Welcome to the world of green cheeks. They do want 24/7 attention, Ollie will cling to the side of the cage with 1 foot up near his face pleading to be let out with puppy dog eyes. He will eventually settle down to do other things like play with his toys but in his eyes being with us shoving his head under our hands for a scratch is the best thing ever. Yours will settle down too, just get on with your day and ignore any screaming and pleading looks until your ready otherwise your setting yourself up for problems further down the line.
Some people say you need set routines for birds but I find that advice unhelpful as then they find it harder adapt to change. When I first got Ollie he was used to being out his cage with us pretty much whenever we are home, this is good but he came to expect it, but then I was sick for a few days and couldnt handle him and in that short time he plucked lots of feathers off of his chest. Once he started getting more attention again he was fine and all his feathers grew back. After that we gradually changed his routine until he was happy to expect the unexpected, he comes out at different times each day and for varying amounts of time. Once or twice a week he is out all day, most days he is out 5 hours, rarely 3 hours and occasionally we throw in the odd day where he is only out for 1 hour but he gets extra attention the next day. The days he is in his cage the most the more stuff we give him to keep him busy. As a result he is alot more independant but is still a very cuddly bird. I also vary things like meal times etc so they are not screaming for food if I want a lie in on my day off, they don't go hungry but they get a bit extra the night before so they have some left over the following morning.


Your baby will start playing with toys eventually, you may have to show her but she will figure it out by herself. My conure particually likes bells (please check bells and chains reguarly for safety, from experience they can get their beaks stuck in broken links. I found my peach front hanging so i'm extra careful checking them now) and puzzle toys so he has to work out how to get a treat out. The toys he likes the least are wooden or acrylic ones, I've heard of several other conures who have similar tastes in toys so I hope you find that helpful.

[GinaMarie510]

Thank you so much Marie ,

Yes my little monkey loves to have her head scratched and her belly, and I as I am sitting on my couch she is starting to play wither her toys and seems to be happy in her cage at the moment, I have yet to find a food that I can train her with so far she not really liking anything I have given her. How long have you had your conure ?

Thank you again!

Gina Marie

[marie83]

Just over 2 years now, we got him at 7 weeks. He is a gem and quick to catch on with training and stuff. He did go through a nippy stage as most green cheeks do but now he rarely does it, with me or anyone else at any rate. He still bites my partner and will actually attack him if he is on the phone or trying to have a drink from a cup cuz he reacts to him despite me explaining why he shouldn't.

Try finely chopped red apple or break up a shelled sunflower seed into two pieces. I try to use a mix of both during training as sunflowers high in fat and apple is sugary. Grape also tends to be a popular food with green cheeks but that really is laden with sugar and tbh I feel cruel putting a grape in front of him to let him take a bite then snatching it away cuz its too hard to cut into small chunks lol. It isn't really cruel cuz the bird will still see it as a reward, its just how I am. My breeder also suggested celery chopped finely (I dont like using it cuz it goes stringy) or carrot as popular and healthy training food but as much as my bird loves it in his cage, it just isn't as much of a reward for him and he wont take it outside the cage.
If he still isn't keen on any of those and your still struggling to work out his favorite food then I think the only thing you can do is just offer him a small bowl of various seed/pellets or fruits and veg and let him pick his own rewards, he will soon show you what he favours and then you can stop feeding them except at training times to give him more incentive.

You know what though? Lots of praise and head scratches can be just as rewarding for a green cheek, they just love being the centre of the universe and they also love drama so if you fail to find a food he really really loves, all is not lost, just act stupidly pleased and excited and give him a head rub


I must appologise too cuz I've been calling your conure a Him throughout what I've written, out of respect I should go back and change it to her but I've had a long stressful day and I need my bed. Please forgive my error?

[GinaMarie510]

No need to apologize Marie, I really appreciated all your advice , she is still in her cage and still playing . I will try different foods in a bowl like you said and see what she likes and will keep you posted ..lol I think maybe its still pretty new to her and as the days go by she will get more used to me too. Thank you SO MUCH your a sweetie ! Get some rest