(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best bird perches

So, this could be a good time to start potty training him if that interests you. I say that because you ideally want to mix up what happens when you return him to the cage. It sounds like he's learned that going back to the cage means he's probably going to be closed up in there and he doesn't like it so he bites when he realizes you guys are heading there. I suggest potty training (and I use the term very loosely) because I return my bird to the cage to let him poop pretty often and I pick him right back up after he does his business. So you get the double benefit. Getting him used to going to and from the cage often without being locked away and being rewarded for pooping in his cage and not on you or your things.

Ways you can mix things up. Walking my bird back the cage doesn't mean he's going to get locked up, it could mean a couple of things. One, we are going to work on him stepping up for me, in which case he'll get some treats (showing him the treat jar before we start does a lot to get him motivated to train), two that it's time to potty and I'll pick him right up again after he poops, or three it's time to hang out in the cage and entertain himself for a few hours. So I think what you are just going to have to do if the target training doesn't work to target him back into his cage is just work on rewarding him around the cage and hanging our near it when you aren't going to put him away for awhile. It's going to be annoying initially. I think you can make it work through because I was able to do the opposite with my bird when I needed to get him out.

Can he fly? That was another thing I did to get my bird to return to his cage. I'd tell him "Go to your cage" and give him a little boost towards his cage. He'd naturally launch from the momentum of my moving my arm gently towards the cage and fly back. Then I'd call him back to me and reward him, launch towards cage again. Benefits from this are, he returns to his cage, he sometime poops when he gets back, it gives him some exercise and we practice recall flight training.

Last thing I can suggest picking up is this. If he still is stubborn, you can set him on this perch away from the cage. Pick up the perch, and use it to transport him back to his cage. Make sure you reward him a bunch when you return to his cage and he goes back in.

Need stands for them with tables under them.

Quick amazon search. This is basic and seems expensive, but you get the idea.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B016P3K29Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_28?ie=UTF8&qid=1485636085&sr=1-28&keywords=bird+stand#immersive-view_1485636122122

https://www.amazon.com/Medium-Corner-Rest-Shelf-Color/dp/B003SZMVTC/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1487616706&sr=8-14&keywords=parrot+cage+shelf

Naya is mostly potty trained. I have a designated "poop perch" that I have trained her to use as a permanent and portable potty. When she needs to go, she gets antsy and flutters her wings in an effort to fly to the perch. I take her over to it, instruct her to "go potty" and she goes. I can take it wherever I go inside my place and she knows its her place to go.

Haven't actually tried our our heated perches yet (they're under the Christmas tree... shhh don't tell the fids!), but I know of the reviews you're talking about. We ended up getting two of these. I felt comfortable purchasing these (despite the odd bad review) because 1) your bird isn't being forced to stand on the perch. I'm hoping that if I do receive a defective one I'll either catch it or the fids will avoid letting their feet get burned. And 2) a bird's resting body temp is ~105F. Both the K&H and Thermo perches that I've seen are supposed to stay within 102-107F so if working correctly this is not an extreme temp range. Another option if you are torn about the perches is getting a heat panel instead!

what type of Conure?

Are you planning on keeping Him flightened or clipping his wings?

You have to train and discipline him like a small child.
He will require love and attention daily. Respect his space, but handle, and pet him as much as he will allow you to.

Make sure he has plenty of things to chew on. And get lots of bird safe bells that he can wack around. Conures get wound up, and can be aggressive at times. They need toys to be aggressive towards.

Get a sanding perch to keep nails trimmed
http://www.amazon.com/Pollys-Sand-Orthopedic-Perch-Medium/dp/B00176IDZA/ref=pd_sim_199_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=31%2Bdw7k2vdL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0X6KNQ77TGF5M8MJZQ1J

Keep your toilet seat closed and bird proof your house. Do not use chemical cleaners, poison, candles, perfume, teflon pans in your home. These things will kill the bird.

Buy the bird the largest cage you possibly can.

Always put your hand in the cage to take the bird out to established shared territory. If bird shows aggression to an object put it in his territory (onto of cage/playstand)

Feed him harrison bird food pellets fine
http://www.amazon.com/Harrisons-Adult-Lifetime-Fine-5lb/dp/B0009ZFDA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458183844&sr=8-1&keywords=harrison+bird+food+fine

Give him lots of safe fruits and veges daily, and occasional cooked meat. Make sure he get 10-12 hours of sleep a night. Keep him on the same routine. Establish how much attention you can give him from the start and the bird will expect that from you daily. I spend most of my time with my bird in the morning and evening, and he is okay being alone during the day because he was raised on this routine.

When putting him to bed at night ignore him if he makes noise, or screams. Ignore him if he screams during the day and he will eventually learn not to.

Leave music on for the bird when you leave him alone.

If you have bitting issues:

If bites you tell him no, and do a bunch of step ups with him
if he bites again tell him no and put him in the cage.
if he attacks you tell him no, grab him with a dish towel,and put him in the
cage.

Only feed the bird where you want him to eat: my bird only gets food in his cage or play stand.

You can PM me with questions. The quality of the bird you raise depends on the owner. I have a 3 year old green cheek conure. I got my conure when he was 3 weeks old, and hand raised him. I have no issues with my bird. He doesn’t bite, or scream, he doesn’t try eating my food when I’m eating, and is potty trained.

A couple other things to consider:

Ever heard of the canary in the coal mine? Birds are INSANELY sensitive to toxic fumes. One of our cockatiels died because it was near an open window (2nd floor) and one of our apartment neighbors decided to smoke a cigarette on the ground floor below. We also lost a Sun Conure to Teflon poisoning (the non-stick coating on much of today's cookware - if it gets too hot, it will gas off, and that stuff is like insta-death for birds). So, if you or anyone you live with is a smoker, don't get a bird. If one of your neighbors is a smoker, be very conscious of where they like to take their smoke breaks, and mind your windows. Get rid of all you Teflon pots and pans (go for ceramic instead, just don't use metal utensils with it or you'll ruin it). Be careful with paints, cleaners, aerosols, etc. Seriously, don't fuck around with fumes.

Prep your house for your bird; not your bird for your house. I'm talking about wing-clipping. Don't do it. 100% of a bird's body is optimized for flight. Take that away from them and they'll start getting health issues from top to bottom due to inactivity; it'll also kill their mental health. We clipped our Sun Conure's wings due to some behavioral issues with it, and regretted it immediately. Seeing a depressed Sun Conure is fucking heartbreaking... and that was shortly before the Teflon thing, so it never got the chance to grow them back to fly again. That was over 10 years ago and I still feel guilty about it.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT PARROTS ARE A PREY ANIMAL! The biggest mistake I see in new bird owners is to treat it like a cat or dog - both of which are predators and respond well to dominance (i.e., they need to know who's the leader of the pack). If you try to show a bird "who's boss" all you'll do is teach it to bite and fear you. You are part of it's flock - you have to gain it's trust, not 'win' its loyalty. Respond to good behavior by giving it positive attention/treats; respond to bad behavior by ignoring it - NOT punishing it (don't ever flick its beak, blow on it, etc). At worst, you can give it "time outs" if it's displaying really bad behavior, but don't use it's main cage for that (or it will start to despise it's cage / misbehave intentionally when it wants to go home) but a small travel cage with nothing but food and water; and don't leave it there for too long (after 10 mins or so, it won't even remember why it's in there anyway).

And finally: parrots can be potty trained!! Get something like this and give it a treat every time is shits while perched on it; don't give it a treat when it shits anywhere else. Eventually it will catch on and actually fly to it when it needs to drop a load; and cleaning shit off the smooth plastic surface is a lot easier than off your clothes/furniture/walls/ceiling (yes ceiling... one of our parakeets managed that, judging by the size of the turd... no idea how the little bastard managed to pull that off). I never did have luck potty training any of our parakeets; but 'tiels can learn it if you stick to it long enough (talking months here). Both of my conures picked it up within a few weeks. Best trick you'll ever teach your bird!! ...I've met folks who have owned parrots for like 30 years, and never thought to try potty training them - just not something some people consider with birds, but now you know, so don't neglect it!

> I appreciate your time and answers!

/salute!

Pardon the wall of text (holy shit, I got carried away with that!!). Lots to consider though!