Need some information, I may adopt one.

[jackcjjc]

Good Morning All,

I have posted before regarding adopting another bird. I think I have made a decision. I have been doing some research on the Conures, especially the Sun Conures, and I think that may be a good species for me. I love their color and the description of their personality also intrigues me. I currently have two cockatiels and I am looking for a bird somewhat larger than the cockatiel, but not as big as a cockatoo. I have also been researching African Greys and giving them some thought. I know African Greys are a large parrot.

Anyway, my questions are......Is the noise level as bad as I have read. I do not mind some calling but a constant all day marathon could get annoying? Does the conure do better with another conure? I know my first cockatiel seems happier since I adopted another cockatiel for him to live with 7 yrs ago (both males, no breeding for me). What size cage is appropriate for a conure? I know bigger is better but I have to also think about the space I have. What is the best diet for the conure? I have read often about a pellet diet being better but in my research came across an article which said not so due to the chemicals in the pellets which will affect the bird who is fed this diet over his life. I know also to feed fresh fruits and veggies. Does anyone recommended one species of conure over another? Nanday vs Sun etc. I know I am attracted to the colors of the Sun Conure, quite a beautiful bird. I happen to see one in a local pet store and he really caught my eye. Also their size, the conure is larger than a cockatiel correct? How much larger? The one I happened to see in the pet store seem to me a perfect size, bigger than the tiels but still a small parrot.

These are just a few questions I have. I happened to located someone who has a 1 yr old Sun Conure he wants to rehome. He told me he has only had him for a month but that his neighbor is not pet freindly and sometimes the conure will loudly call out for food etc. and his walls are paper thin. I also asked him if he was hand tamed. He told me his previous owner had him hand tamed but he has not had much time to spend with him so he is somewhat shy but he can put his hand in the cage and the bird will lick it. Does that sound right to you? He believes with work he will come around. Any thoughts? There is also another person I have come across who has a 9 month old she is looking to rehome.

Thanks in advance for your input. If I get him I will do so this weekend, but just want to have all of the facts and info I need before I make a final decision.

Take good care.
Jack

[Shirley]

Hi Jack -
Great questions and concerns :thumbup:

Conures in general can be quite loud, and they may call frequently. Suns and Nandays are particularly loud. And, each bird is an individual, so I'm only stating generalities of the species.

Pellets are GOOD. Roudybush, Harrisons, Zupreem, TOPS (Totally Organic Pellets), are brands are what I recommend. 80% pellets, then supplement with grains, nuts, a little seed, and veggies, and some fruit. Goldenfeast makes several varieties of seed/grain/nut/dried fruit/veg mixes. My information comes from the AAV (http://www.aav.org/) conferences and the avian veterinarians I know.

I would put a conure in a medium size parrot cage -

Here's a photo of what I'm thinking as a minimum size - just doing a random quick search, don't know anything about this company:
http://www.birdcages.com/medium-bird-cages/with-dometop/roswellvictorianbirdcage.cfm

I don't like that style playtop - the bird can often figure out how to open it up by himself - but that's the min. size I'm thinking of.

An African Grey is a species you'll want to research in depth and consider a lot of things before adopting - They are, in general, not loud, imo. They do, in general, accept one person and shun the rest of the family. They are emotionally delicate - if you don't have a good understanding of positive reinforcement, applied behavior analysis (ABA), understand that punishment will backfire and not work, things can go very wrong with any bird.

[Nolan's Mom]

Hi Jack :) Just another idea if you are wanting a conure...have you considered a Green Cheeked Conure? A few people on here have them and I know Tammy got a GC specifically because they WEREN'T as loud as Suns or Nandays....not as flashy, but they have BEAUTIFUL iridescence on their feathers :D They can still be pretty loud though!

I hope you find the right bird for you!!!!

[amandas_spurlock]

Well with my sweet little sun conure Tango the first slightest noise in the morning and he is screaming! When he wants to be loved he is screaming, when he is tired he screams! And yes it is very very loud. But if you can handle the noise they are very fun and loving and great to have. I would not trade my Tango for anything else in the world. I thought my quaker was loud till I got Tango. I can actually hear him down the driveway in the mornings when I leave! Good Luck on making your decision :)

[Jim]

Hi Jack - As Shirley said, good questions.

There are many opinions on diet. Pellets have all the nutrients, best research can tell at this time, our birds should need. Here's my take on all of it. The ultimate diet, imo, would be all the nutrients they need in a varied diet. I mean different tastes, sizes, shapes, texture.... This keeps them busy foraging and making choices based on what their body needs at a given time. Mental health and natural instincts play a role in physical health along with proper nutrients. Of course on the bottom of the scale would be all seeds, table foods, the not good for them stuff.

I feed mainly fresh foods with some pellets. That's me and my birds and they are, as far as I know, happy and healthy. I think diet is as individual, to some degree, as other husbandry practices. It's about what each care giver is willing to do and capable of.

I think pellets are a good diet. I don't think they are the ultimate diet. Imo, fresh or pellet should be based on the care givers willingness and ability to provide what they need.

[Shirley]

I second what Jim said about diet. Most people don't have the time/knowledge/desire to keep this up, however, and in cases such as those, pellets is FAR better than a seed/grain diet with the occasional fresh foods.

[Jim]

I second what Jim said about diet. Most people don't have the time/knowledge/desire to keep this up, however, and in cases such as those, pellets is FAR better than a seed/grain diet with the occasional fresh foods.Thanks for clarifying this, Shirley. You're absolutely right. Diet isn't something to be taken lightly.

[jackcjjc]

Thank you all for your replies and information. Who would have thought so much goes into animal nutrition. I agonize over which dog and cat food to feed my animals and spend a small fortune every month on the "premium" stuff for them while I eat really bad stuff for me.....go figure lol. I know I have tried pellets with my tiels....they hate it. I now just mix pellets and seeds together. Everyday they get fresh pellets and seed plus fresh fruit and veggies and the previous days leftovers are thrown outside for the critters out there, so I know nothing is going to waste, at least I think not. I have tried to convert my tiels to a better diet but they seem happy and healthy with what they are getting now. I have even put in small tidbits of table food (meats, potatoes,corn bread etc), yogurts, cottage cheese, and so on and they turn there beaks up at that.

I teach autustic children and my classroom is an ABA classroom. I am wondering if I do pursue a African Grey if some of the concepts from my classroom can be brought home?

Anyway have not made any decisions yet, still researching and waiting for that feeling that tells me all is right with a decision.

By the way are their any "quiet" birds? I do love to hear the chatter of my tiels in the house though.

Regards,
Jack

[tropiclegirl]

By the way are their any "quiet" birds?




Most definately!!!

A FAKE ONE :funny:

[Jim]

I teach autustic children and my classroom is an ABA classroom. I am wondering if I do pursue a African Grey if some of the concepts from my classroom can be brought home?Most definitely! ABA works wonderful with birds. They eat it up.

Are there any quiet birds? My birds (2 macaws) don't scream or get loud. There's no payoff for being loud. Saying hello, peek-a-boo, what ya doing... They know, have learned, gets them plenty of reinforcement. Why scream for no payoff when nice gets what they want. Knowing ABA you know the drill. It's all about reinforcement and punishment.

If you haven't found this in your internet searchings I'll put a link below. It's the stuff you know applied to our parrots.

The Writings of Susan Friedman, Ph.D. (http://www.thegabrielfoundation.org/friedman.html)

[Eriisu-chan]

Most definately!!!

A FAKE ONE :funny:

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Ain't that the truth....

Even our little budgieboy Maverick competes with our Meyer Tango (Meyers are apparently "relatively quiet" birds... I think Tango missed the memo that week) for the loudness factor... :rolleyes:

The most quiet bird I have ever had is a lineolated parakeet (linnie). Their size may be small, but their personality is anything but! :agree:

Any bird you will get (even a little linnie) will be loud at some point... especially in the morning. So if you like to sleep in, you might want to get the bird Tina (tropicalgirl) suggested! :p

[Shirley]

YES! ABA works with all creatures, human and otherwise. (I was a teacher for many years)

Read Dr. Susan Friedman's articles - she works with children, adults, and parrots! She's a professor at Utah State U. but also lectures and gives behavior workshops around the world for the avian world.

Her articles are linked in our Behavior forum and I believe in the articles forum, as well.
Also, read Dr. Cook's Articles in the Articles forum here on the board.

[jackcjjc]

Hello again,

I want to thank everyone for their invaluable input and information. I have still not made any final decision but I am still leaning towards adopting a Sun Conure. I happen to have a business meeting today so on my lunch hour I visited a nearby library and did some more research. I think the big parrots require more time and attention than I can honestly say I can give. I have seen at an one of the local bird stores, parrots, who they took in, who have literally gone crazy from improper care from their previous owners. So sad to see and I would never want to do that to any creature that I took in. I read that the African Greys, who I was considering, can also have severe plucking issues if not challenged mentally. And to be honest the big guys somewhat intimidate me. With all that being said I have located 4 people who want to rehome their Sun Conures, so if I do decide on this species of bird I just need to see who is still available this weekend and which one would be the better match.

Another question. I have always loved lovebirds. Can someone give me some input on them. They would also be a consideration. There are also a number of them available for adoption in my area. I have read that they can be quite aggressive and nippy but the plus side is that they may be "quieter" than the conure. But do not get me wrong as I mentioned before I totally enjoy hearing my tiels and cannot imagine my home being quiet without them.

Regards,
Jack

[Flock Mom]

I thinks it's great you're gathering information on what type of bird you would like to have . So many don't do this and in turn the birds are often re-homed...very sad.

Have you asked the people why they're re-homing these Suns? If they were honest with you, I bet they would say it was because they are noisy little birds. I have two Suns...a male and female(the female was re-homed due to noise). They are not a pair, as a matter of fact, they don't have anything to do with each other. They are very loud and at times ear piercing :eek: but I accept them for how and what they are and have made a life time commitment to love and care for them just as I have my other birds.
Suns are great birds to live with if you don't mind the noise and I have never once regretted the decision to share my life with them.

Good Luck on your search!
I wish you the best and hope you find a life time companion that will enrich your life as much as my five has mine.

[jackcjjc]

FlockMom,

Do you think conures do best in pairs. I know my own personal belief on any living creature is that two is better. I have the opportunity to adopt a 9 month old Sun Conure, semi tamed and also a gold capped tamed conure about 1 year old. I would need to find out their sex because I definitely am NOT interested in breeding.
The reasons I am being given for the need to re home them are: allergies, another was noise disturbing a neighbor, another was going to school and could not take care of it anymore, another was did not have the time the person is taking care of their 90 yr old parent.

Regards,
Jack

[Eriisu-chan]

Birds do best in a flock, not necessarily in pairs. As long as you spend enough time with the bird, then you're their flock... and didn't you say you had two cockatiels, already? If you decide you can get past the noise level and want a Sun Conure, he should be fine with the other little ones and yourself (just be sure to quarantine, first!)

[Flock Mom]

Not real sure about if they do better in pairs. Each individual bird is different as are the different species of birds. Some like to be around each other...others do not.
I can tell you mine is not caged with any other birds but is housed in the same room with my Eclectus and one of my CAG's. Just depends on what you're looking for I guess. I have never lived with a single parrot...I have always had more than one.
Maybe someone else here will be able to offer more info on this subject, I just have experience with multiple birds.

Please keep in mind with two birds you'll have double the work, time, and expense in keeping them healthy and happy ;)

[jackcjjc]

Well I did it, I adopted a sun conure today. He is one year old, hand tamed and very friendly. He was living in a trailer with people who smoke.....ALOT. I hope his lungs are ok. He seems very healthy, alert, and smart. He gives kisses, bobs his head up and down when you say "act like a crazy chicken", and when it is bed time you just say "night night" and he goes back into his cage. The people have him on a diet of Zu Preem pellets and bread, they said he only likes white or potato bread ( I know and they know that bread is not really good for him but they said he loves it). And he will dance for the bread if he sees you bringing it out.They said that they have tried to get him to eat veggies, fruits, etc but to no avail. He cage was filthy so when I got him home I thoroughly scrubbed everything......twice. I gave him new bowls and gave him his pellets, some spinach, some orange, a stem of broccoli and a millet spray. I will see what he eats. Any suggestions on a more healthy diet? He was in a dark corner in the trailer so I think he will be in for a big surprise tomorrow when he wakes up with all the sunlight he will get in his new enviroment. And both he and my tiels have been chatting up a storm.
Thank you all again for you input and advice, I think I did good by getting him.

Regards,
Jack

[tropiclegirl]

CONGRATULATIONS :dance::dance: Can't wait to see pics.

[Nolan's Mom]

Awesome Jack!!! I am so glad you rescued the little guy from such nasty conditions :wub: Can't wait to hear more about him and see pics - BTW, what is his name? Again - way to go!!!!

[Shirley]

Congrats for getting him out of that smoking environment --

go easy on the spinach. We never feed it - the iron is high for birds.

White bread - no, like you said. Perhaps a teensy bit as a treat for a behavior you are teaching him.

Offer a teaspoon of mixed veggies each day, and if you're up for it, sprouts that you sprout from special bird sprout mixes - eventually he'll suprise you and try these things. Eat them in front of him and then offer to him.

Thank heavens he's already eating pellets - that's a hurdle accomplished already!

Fruits: Apple, banana, once in awhile grapes or oranges.

Cooked sweet potato is usually a favorite.

[Eriisu-chan]

Fruits: Apple, banana, once in awhile grapes or oranges.

Cooked sweet potato is usually a favorite.

Banana is the ONLY food that will NEVER touch the bottom of the cage... Tango will eat every little piece of it and waste nothing! He'll clean his beak on his perch, then eat the banana he scraped off... So banana is most definitely a favorite in this household! :agree:

And the sweet potatoes? Well... tug-o-war between me and Tango for who gets to eat it... :funny:

[Jim]

Congratulations, Jack. Adopting a bird is great. They need good homes just like the babies.

[Flock Mom]

Congratulations on your new family member :thumbup: This is a decision I'm sure you won't regret.
My two love sweet potato french fries...I just slice sweet potatoes as I would for french fries(of course no salt, I use a sprinkling of fresh cinnamon) and bake them in the oven...they LOVE them.
Like Shirley mentioned...eat the foods you want him to eat in front of him and make a big "to do" about it. He will eventually want to try some of what your having because you are making it look sooooo yummy ;)

[Nolan's Mom]

Geez Julie, those sweet potato fries sound really good :drool2:....do I hear dinner at Julie's anyone?!

[all4stvoyager]

I'll be there at 5!

[Flock Mom]

When I make them for myself I combine melted butter and cinnamon and coat the fries then bake...yuuuuuuuuuumy, now that's good eatin' ;)

[Nolan's Mom]

When I make them for myself I combine melted butter and cinnamon and coat the fries then bake...yuuuuuuuuuumy, now that's good eatin' ;)
:drool2::drool2::drool2: YYYYUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMM

[jackcjjc]

Hi,
How do I post a picture? I have taken a few pictures of my new addition and would like to show you.
Regards,
Jack

[CocosMomma]

Hi, Jack:

There are a couple different ways of adding pictures, two of which are:

1) If the pictures are on your computer, then when you create a post, just scroll down past the 'submit reply' button and you will see a box that has additional options. There is a button box to click for: "manage attachments". Once you click on that, it will open a secondary box. Click 'browse' to find the file. Once you select the file, then click 'upload' to add it to the post. Once it is done uploading, close the secondary box. This will add the photo(s) as an attachment. In that same option box above, you will see that you can upload a file from a URL; that is another option.

2) If you have your photos on the internet in something like PhotoBucket, those programs create links that you can copy and paste into your post. The "IMG" link that photobucket creates you can paste into the thread and will actually stick your picture in the thread (instead of just a link or an attached file).

Hope that helps. :)

[Shirley]

Hopefully these instructions still work:
http://www.thebirdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=366

and here:

http://www.thebirdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223

hope this helps... :)

[jackcjjc]

Here is a picture of the Sun Conure that I adopted. I still have not named him yet. He is quite a character, very friendly, and loves to dance around and do "head bobs". He really has been, so far, a joy to have around.

[Shirley]

He's GORGEOUS!!

[jackcjjc]

Here is another picture of my new Sun Conure and of one of my tiels...Peter.

[Eriisu-chan]

Cute :wub:

[all4stvoyager]

Aw! Suns are so strikingly gorgeous.

[Nolan's Mom]

Gosh, his color is so beautiful! Can't wait to hear what you name him!!!! :D

[Flock Mom]

Absolutely gorgeous :heart::heart::heart:

[CocosMomma]

Just totally precious!:wub: I am looking forward to hearing the name you select!:emot-danc CONGRATULATIONS!

[Jim]

He's gorgeous! Sounds like a really good bird.

[jackcjjc]

Hi All,
I have decided on a name for my Sun Conure. I have chosen the name "Solis". It is Spanish for sun. His previous family called him Sunny so I went along those lines in selecting his new name, plus it rolls off the tongue easy. I am posting some new pics of him. He is settling in quite well but boy is he ever noisy when he wants something......lol......like a child taking a tantrum. I have tried some of the bird recipes I viewed on this forum and neither he nor my tiels like them.......ugh. I never thought I would be cooking and baking for birds........o well. I hope you enjoy his pics and thank you all again for your input and advice.
Regards,
Jack

[Eriisu-chan]

What a cutie... Is he red factor, too? He seems to have more red than the Suns I've seen...

(Isn't "sol" sun in spanish? :shrug2: )

[Flock Mom]

Again, he is absolutely stunning :heart:

I love the name...though I'm a little partial because my male sun's name is Sunny. I gave him his name because I knew he would brighten everyday we would be together and he hasn't let me down yet ;)

Just a note...I don't believe he is red factor because My male's coloring is the same way and he's not red factor.
If you want to see a good picture of a true red factor sun conure one is posted in the Conure Chat by aubrie888 on 5-18-2008. Check it out...he's a really pretty bird.

Here is a picture of my Male Sunny (he love's to hide in my husband's work shoes)

[Nolan's Mom]

Solis is SO handsome! Love the pics :D