Timid new owner of Sun Conures

[TEOTKU]

Hi,

I am the lucky/apprehensive owner of two beautiful new sun conures and I fear their previous owner was not completely forthright with me when describing their temperaments and their previous handling experiences. She wrote in her ad online that they had been hand raised and were handled by her entire family and that they absolutely loved people. When I arrived at her home, I noticed that her four year olds idea of "handling" the birds was banging loudly on the cage and yelling at them. The birds are both flighted and as a result are VERY independent and are not interested in "stepping up" at all. I have been trying to follow the advice given on many of the forums I have been lurking at lately and thus I have left them in their cage and only changed their water, paper and food for the last two days and sat beside them speaking in very loving tones and hand feeding them VERY tasty treats (fresh apple, fresh peanut and sunflower seeds and cooked barley were the favorites). This morning I sat with the door open and handed them the treats from inside the cage. They are very sweet in taking the treats and one likes to kiss through the bars and groom my hair, but they both nip with indignation if I try to pet them in any way or ask them to step up. Am I just needing to give them more time to get over the heartache of losing their previous owner (who cried copiously when she parted with them, but refused to keep them, saying that she needed the money to put her children in catholic school and that her apartment neighbors were complaining and that the management insisted they get rid of them or leave.) I feel that she loved them, but that they were not as well trained or well behaved as she had implied in her advertisement. I am hoping to develop a trusting relationship with these lovely birds and I would ultimately like to allow them to fly in my home in a flightsuit (I have two story white walls in my family room, that could get ugly otherwise.:) ). I am wondering if I should go ahead and get their wings clipped by the vet for the first year that they are with me to establish a higher level of need on their part in order to retrain them to be more sociable with their human flock.

I am very open to any suggestions or advice, but I beg you to remember that I am a beginner, please do not flame me for my mistakes or novice ideas. I WANT to be a good bird companion and have a life time of affection with my new wards. I am just trying to figure out how best to get started.

Thanks,

Robin

[xafsmom]

It's going to take them some time to acclimate to your household and you. You already have two strikes against you; you're not their previous owner, and you're not their other bird friend. However, that doesn't mean you can't form a workable bond with both birds if given enough time and patience.

As for clipping their wings? I would, yes. It will ground them more, keep them less independent and cause them to be more interactive with you should they want to do anything but fly off.

[Addicted to Tequila]

I am a clipping supporter... at least for now.

[jenniferag]

I'm also a new owner of a Sun conure.... at the store he was really cuddly and loving, giving kisses and such... now that we have him home and he's been with us about 3 weeks he does that same thing... he'll nip if we ask him to step up unless HE wants to come out lol Or he'll pretend like he didn't hear our request to "step-up" and if we persist he gets mad

He does have a great little personality and when he wants to be he's really sweet.

We sat by his cage as well and talked to him, gave him treats... all that is really good... just giving him his space makes things a lot better.

We leave the cage door open so if he wants to come out he can.

It'll just take time.... they will get more and more used to you and things will get better!

I'm sure they think you're going to smack the cage at any moment like that kid... but as soon as they start to realize your going to love them they will come around.

Congrats on your Conures!!

[kali]

HAHA THE 'MAD' SUN conure sound.. lol they can be sooo loving and then when it comes time to do something they do't want to do, it's that angry LOUD squacking sound :( it makes me think my baby doesn't love me lo... when i know in reality it's just that he's spoiled rotten.

you'll get there. it's only been a few days and they're taking food out of your hand. have faith.

you could try caging them separate so they are not so dependant on each other. but that could result in some VERY NOISY contact calls in the house.

sorry i'm not much help. all the birds i've had have been very good :)

[PMattix]

My Sun nips when I go to pick him up but he's always done it. I just push my hand up against his even though he's biting me so he has to let go to step up or lose his balance.
99% of the time it works.
I think your guys just need some more time to get useg to you is all...

=)

[Addicted to Tequila]

Hey Robin...

How goes it with the new fids?