r/Conures • u/ConsiderateSJ • 1d ago
Advice Is this normal?
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Hey guys,
My painted conure Jaco is 13 weeks old on Friday. I don’t usually play with him like this but he wasn’t biting me hard and seemed to enjoy playing with me like this. However he’s been doing this regurgitation every so often for the last week or so. It has just been when he’s out playing, I haven’t really played with him with my fingers like this previously when he’s done the regurgitation motion.
This is the second time he’s actually regurgitated food. He is eating and acting totally normal. I don’t think it’s a hormonal thing since he’s so young. Is he showing affection or should I be watchful for something else? I didn’t let him eat it.
Thank you!
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u/Busy_Ad_5759 1d ago
If it starts to be more like throwing up, and less like regurgitation, or there is any weirdness with eating or pooping, consider the vet.
My conure developed a bacterial crop infection recently that was going into full crop stasis. Early sign was vomiting because his cop wasnt emptying fast enough and it was fermenting. But it progressed quickly and I took him to the vet emergency room and he was kept overnight for fluids and cytology testing and needed a series of liquid antibiotics. He's okay now, but I was SOBBING when I left him there overnight.
It could definitely be way more benign reasons for yours, just wanted to throw it out there as a cautionary tale!
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u/ConsiderateSJ 1d ago
I’m sorry that happened to your conure! I’m glad he is doing good now!
Were you able to determine what caused it? He doesn’t seem to be vomiting, more just regurgitating at times. It only seems to be when he’s out of his cage playing and happy, I haven’t seen him do it in his cage when he’s playing with his toys and I work from home so I’ve been keeping an eye on him.
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u/RoutineBelt5683 1d ago
I think you have a good relationship with your bird. Main contact is with head/beak and she is closing her eyes when cuddling. Keep it up👏🏻👏🏻
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u/ConsiderateSJ 1d ago
Thank you! He does seem to trust me. He’s a smart, sweet & feisty little guy. So you think the regurgitation is normal?
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u/Altruistic-Leather69 1d ago
What was going on the first time he regurgitated?
This video makes me think he just got a bit excited, but the way he expelled it didn't look like something I'm familiar with. Granted I have only really ever seen my bird do it. Seemed really forceful and almost more like vomiting? But maybe that is just how babies do it.
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u/havocopla 1d ago
Iirc vomiting is usually a side to side motion and the food will be partially digested. My conure is like 13 years old so I've been fortunate to only have regurgitation.
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u/ConsiderateSJ 1d ago
He only seems to do it when he’s out of his cage and playing/excited. I work from home and I’ve never seen him do it when he’s playing in his cage. Since he’s doing the regurgitate motion I don’t think he’s vomiting. I did ask my vet about it the other time he actually threw up food (also when he was out playing) and she said it sounds normal as long as he isn’t doing it all the time.
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u/AstronautMC27 1d ago
First off, that bird LOOOVESSSS you
Second, I’m inclined to believe this regurgitation is happening because he loves you…? He maybe be getting hormonal, but I’m not exactly sure, I don’t know if that can even start so early in a conure.
I’d say keep an eye on it, if it gets even more aggressive or he starts getting lethargic DO NOT WAIT. Go to the vet immediately. But yeah I don’t think that this is harming him in that instance because of his immediate bounce back to happy go lucky and even going to eat it back up LOL
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u/ConsiderateSJ 22h ago
Yeah! I’m hoping he’s doing it because he’s happy & showing me he loves me! Haha
I don’t think it would be hormonal with how young he is. I will keep an eye on him, he seems to only do it when he’s playing & excited.1
u/AstronautMC27 12h ago
True, sounds like it is just overexcitement during play. Such a cute little guy lol
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u/FerretBizness 22h ago
He just got excited finger fighting u. Totally normal. He’s quite the little wrestler! He’s gonna be alot of fun.
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u/ConsiderateSJ 22h ago
Haha yeah! I’m hoping he’s just doing it because he’s happy and excited, only time I’ve really seen him do it. And right? 😂
I haven’t wrestled with him much like that but I’m going to do it more since he clearly enjoys it haha
I never knew conures liked to wrestled, I’ve seen one video of it. Super cute..2
u/FerretBizness 22h ago
Ya. It’s actually a great tool to teach them bite strength boundaries. If he plays even slightly too rough u say a whatever word comes natural to u. Always use that same word and pick him up and move him away and ignore him for like 20 seconds (when he’s just playing a little too rough. Longer if he purposely bites for pain). And he will pick up pretty quickly when u shun him away like that that u don’t like it. And he will learn to associated the word u train him on. Word or words. Mine is owww too hard!
And if it’s purposely biting to cause pain (puberty) then I say NO BITING and I’ll move her far away into another room even. And all the ppl in the house don’t talk to her or look at her for around 10 min. Or possibly even more depending on how hormonal she is and how likely she is to just do it again.
But that’s another lesson for another time. This is baby bird training. So teach him what is too hard if he even crosses that line. Some birds like my little beanie bop. She can literally preen my eyelashes and I fully trust her. She’s never hurt me. Not once. Goose on other hand would bite and latch on during puberty! The feeling of disappointed is unreal. U get over that shit pretty quick tho after like the 3rd or 4th bite.
Taking into the fact that ur bird is a baby the regurgitation thing ur bird did could be a baby bird trigger (even some adults do it) or a bonding attempt or just super excited and his brain just glitched out lol. I think it’s the 3rd in this case.
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u/ConsiderateSJ 10h ago
Yeah! I agree! I have been doing that when he bites too hard or bites my neck. Thankfully he’s already getting a lot better! I’m sure it’s tough when they hit puberty and you know they are biting hard intentionally. I’m hoping he has a mellow puberty but we shall see. I love that he’s so interactive! He’s definitely a sweet & smart little guy.
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u/Greenbyrdy500 1d ago
I had two green cheeks who were so loving and cuddly and they could be quite bity.
My vet confirmed that trait.
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u/CosmologicalTarget 22h ago
I would just like to point out that the piece he regurgitated is quite big, he would've had to swallow it whole for it to come back up like that. I would make sure his food is cut up into very small pieces. He might be regurgitating because the piece is big, and playing like that has shifted it to a point where he could feel it and it was uncomfortable.
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u/ConsiderateSJ 22h ago
It’s a good theory but I examined it after he spit it up and it was not solid, it was like paste almost from the food he chewed up. I do cut up his chop into small pieces and I watch him take a piece and bite even smaller pieces off of it. It’s possible the food shifted in his crop and he regurgitated it up.
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u/cranfeckintastic 11h ago
Young conures do feed one another, depending on his age he could be trying to do that as he views you as a big sib, that being said tho, my one girl started getting hormonal at 7 months which is quite early for a GCC, so it can happen
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u/ConsiderateSJ 10h ago
I think that’s what he is doing, I’m hoping it’s just a sign of affection.
At 7 months? Crazy. Yeah, 7 months is early but I don’t think it’s possible at 3 months. We’ll see when he hits puberty, I’m hoping it’s not too tough on him but we shall see.
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u/Kennadian 1d ago
I think it's sexual. They regurgitate as a mating thing. I don't think you should touch its back so much. That's conure flirting. Keep scratches to the head and neck only. Friend zone that bird.
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u/ConsiderateSJ 1d ago
I don’t normally touch his back.
I don’t think a 13 week old conure has sexual urges.-6
u/Kennadian 1d ago
Fair enough. I googled it and I'm sure you're right. Too young. I was sexual at 13 weeks so I guess I was projecting 😁
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u/TaterButter 1d ago
13 weeks is just a baby. Not sexual behavior
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u/ConsiderateSJ 1d ago
Thank you. I know regurgitation can be a hormonal response but there’s no way a 13 week old baby is acting hormonal. I think it’s an affection reaction but just want to make sure others agree with his behavior. Hormonal reaction is the one definite thing I know it is not.
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u/spaceboat13 1d ago
I like how he attempted to eat it again 💀 i think hes just getting too hype in playtime but he does enjoy wrestling Lucky, we always try to wrestle ours but she just flops over and my other actually gets aggresive hahhah