Need lots of help with abused/neglected Blue Crown Conure

[mel_smiddy]

Hi Couple of days ago I bought an 8 yr old Blue Crown Conure I think he's a boy and his name is Tommy.

Problem is Tommy used to be hand tame and very loving until his owner an older woman died. The family or people that took over her estate which included Tommy either didn't know or didn't care about how to care for him properly and locked him up in his cage and allowed him to be teased and tomented by kids.

Problem number one he is on a seed diet with table scraps ( people food ). I want to switch him to a healthier diet which of course includes fruits, seeds, pellets, veggies and of course people food how do I do this?

Problem number 2 Tommy apparently was tormented enough that now he is extremely aggressive to the point of don't put your fingers in the cage you may draw back a bloody stump how do I get him tamed down enough to handle without long thick leather gloves. By the way he will step up and down on command but doesn't care a bit to try to take a bit of flesh with him. The owner of the bird store said that he will step onto your hand but then immediately run up your arm and latch onto your neck. Ouch! Not me thanks. This morning I was moving Tommy's cage and forgot for a minute whose cage I was dealing with and Tommy felt it was his job to remind me to keep my stinking fingers out of his cage!!! Ouch thank goodness either he wasn't really into the bite or I got lucky and pulled back at just the right time cause we didn't break skin but I was quickly brought back to reality as to who I was messing with.

[jenseits]

On the Bird Click Group on Yahoo (Bird-Click : Bird-Click), there's a great story in the files of one of the list admins taming a wild (aggressive) Goffin Cockatoo in a matter of weeks, with patience and clicker training. You need to join the group in order to read the files, but it's free and absolutely worth it IMO.

There's a lot of training you can do with your conure that wouldn't involve putting your fingers at risk, and it's a really fun way to interact.

Thank you for taking Tommy and giving him another chance! I'm confident you'll be able to establish a good, trusting relationship and that he can be loving again.

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Added: oops, sorry, I didn't see that this was posted in the Ask the Experts section. Hope I didn't step on any toes by answering here! :(

[4HAND]

Jensits, I think it's ok to post in" get help with your bird". If it is for an expert it will say expert on the right hand side.
As for the BCC my situation is very similar. I have been working with a 15 yr. old BCC with the same problems. For about nine weeks. Start by replacing his seed with pellets in the morning only when he is most hungry. Offer fresh fruits and vegetables during the afternoon and his familar seed mix before bed. This way you can use seeds as rewards.Watch his weight so he doesn't loose to much . At first you may have to use a perch to remove him from his cage. Use a second perch in your other hand to block any attemps to climb up your arm. Take him to a room where he can't see his cage. If you have a playstand use it or a kitchen table will do. Give him a special treat he will only get at this time.[Something he loves] and praise him alot. He will start to look forward to these visits and trust you more. Offer treats when he is in his cage. If he tries to bite say"no bite" and don't give him the treat.Learn to watch his body language and avoid pushing him when you suspect a bite is coming .If he takes it nicely praise him. Remember he is only biting because he is scared. The slower you go the faster you will get there and I would ditch the gloves. They aren't trust builders. Good Luck!
Tena

[mel_smiddy]

Thanks so much 4Hand and Jensits I'll give those ideas a try. I feel so badly for Tommy because you can see he really wants to be a good and loving bird but is too afraid to trust. I want so badly to be able to cuddle and love on him like I can Paulie my GCC but I know for a fact that I would pay dearly at this time if I tried it. So I'll love him with my voice and food and someday hopefully soon we can hold each other. He said Momma last night or at least that's what we think he said.