Getting your conure to let you get close
Hello, my conures have been living with us for ten years now, I (17) was never the main caretaker, and previously would just do some cleaning or food and water change if my mom was unable to. Nothing ever required me to interact with the birds, as I grew kind of scared of them after they attacked me when I was about 8 (they were hormonal, and we quickly fixed the problem, but they do still bite people they don’t like.) now that my mom is unable to do the main caretaking it’s now my issue.
Usually she’d cut nails and provide the outside the cage time but if I let them out I cant bring them back in. They don’t let me close enough for a trim.so I have been bringing them to the vet for it but they’re stressed out about it and would rather do it myself to limit the stress of strangers and strange places.
Does anyone have any idea how I can begin to condition them? So far I’ve just been having my hand in the cage with some sunflower seeds to entice them to get close but I find I’m also fearful of them. So the dynamic is meh at best. They have no interest of getting near me and stick together in a corner.
I also put some vet wrap on my fingers to hopefully limit how deep they can bite, as they can puncture pretty hard from what I remember.
(Note: they let me clean the cage fine, they just avoid me like the plague when I do, and essentially run to different edges. If I get too close too quick they’re quick to bite)
Thank you in advance. :)