New Sun Conure Owner HELP PLEASE.

itsnotdiego · Jun 6, 2012

Hey so I recently got two beautiful Sun Conures from a friend they are about 4 years old and recently the girl has started to act strange she wont come out of her cage the male stands outside and seems fine but the girl seems like she does not want to come out. She stays for longs periods of time and comes out little throughout the day. She just eats then plays for a bit. Could she be having eggs? Also the male grabs her beak and they sort of pull on it very hard. Is this normal? Im new to bird care and dont know whether she is sick or having eggs, please help. :orange:

cdog · Jun 6, 2012

Do they have a nest box? If they are bobbing their heads while holding beaks then they are feeding each other. Are you trying to breed them? They arent related right? Is her vent area swollen, if so make sure it isnt swollen for more then 24 hours otherwise she is eggbound. If you just got them you need to take them to a vet, especially if you plan to breed them becase you should only breed healthy birds.

itsnotdiego · Jun 6, 2012

Yeah I have a nesting box. As far as I know they are not related. I'm not trying to breed them they are my pets. Thanks for letting me know they where feeding themselves. It looked like he wanted to pull her head out. Umm well as of the last few weeks she's been very poofed up. She puts her feathers and seems a bit fatter. I never had birds and they are sill getting used to there new home with me and my family.

Oedipussrex · Jun 6, 2012

If you dont want them to breed they do not need a nesting box even though it might seem like a nice place for them to sleep.

Spiritbird · Jun 6, 2012

As said take to a vet. Egg binding can be deadly.

jaimmorr · Jun 6, 2012

If she is all fluffed up, I would take her to the vet.

Did you take them for a wellness check up at an avian vet as soon as you got them? If not, do that now so you have an idea of the health of the birds. Birds do not show illness (usually) until it is too late, so annual vet check ups are a must.

itsnotdiego · Jun 6, 2012

I'll take her to the vet. What are the chances that she will have eggs? I'm 16 I'm not experienced with birds.

cdog · Jun 6, 2012

Well if you have a mated pair and a nest box I can pretty much guarentee you that you will end up with eggs. If you dont want them breeding take the nest box down, you shouldnt even have it up before you get them checked by a vet.

itsnotdiego · Jun 7, 2012

Okay thanks. How much would getting her checked cost? Thanks for all the answers so far guys really helpful. Also I don't really mind if they mate.

cdog · Jun 7, 2012

Wait do you have time to handfeed babies every 1/2 hour if something goes wrong? Breeding is not as simple as letting them mate and raise babies then you make money. You have to feed the parents the right breeding food, and if they arent good parents you have to raise the babies yourself. If you arent homeschooled you dont have time for breeding.

itsnotdiego · Jun 7, 2012

Well it's summer vacation starting Friday. I think I would have time to take care of them.

cdog · Jun 7, 2012

Do you know how to hanfeed? And this will take up 9 weeks of your vacation time.

itsnotdiego · Jun 7, 2012

Well tell me what Signs I should look for to see if she is going to have eggs.

cdog · Jun 7, 2012

Once they start mating it should take about 7-10 days for her to lay an egg then she should lay about every 2-4 days until she has a full clutch which could be anywhere from 3-6 eggs mabey even more. When it is 7 days after they have mated start checking if her vent is swollen and for huge poops(about 10 times bigger than normal). If her vent is swollen she should lay in the next 24 hours, if it is swollen for more then 24 hours take her to the vet because she could be egg bound. Make sure you are giving her a cuttlebone at all times, have fresh food(veggies,fruit,eggs with the shell,pasta, beans,rice) in their cage everyday except for the eggs and pasta, only give that about twice a week. Make sure you clean the cage everyday and that they have fresh clean water at all times. If they eat pellets I highly recommend you order Harrisons high potency for when they are breeding and raising chicks.

itsnotdiego · Jun 7, 2012

Okay I'll check for those signs. She can't be very loud shes is also a lot more quite then she used to be.

cdog · Jun 7, 2012

I'm not sure why they do that but Bella, my breeder female, hardly ever makes a noise during breeding season. She is done with her babies and is back to her loud self. I think it probably is because in the wild they dont want to draw attention to their nest site/babies so they are quiet, thats the best explanation I can come up with.

itsnotdiego · Jun 7, 2012

Yeah that makes sense. Thanks

. How long do they usually mate for

Lee_Creature_Girl · Jun 7, 2012

itsnotdiego said:
Well it's summer vacation starting Friday. I think I would have time to take care of them.

From: J-Birds Hand Feeding Page (a handfeeding handbook):

WARNING: This handbook is designed to supplement hands-on training in hand feeding baby parrots. Please know that if you are not properly trained and do not have a dependable advisor and/or avian vet available, hand feeding can be one of the most traumatic and frustrating events in your life. Improperly done, hand feeding can endanger the life of your new bird. New bird meaning the baby you're trying to hand feed.

cdog · Jun 7, 2012

Well they mate for life but when they are actually mating it lasts for about a minute but they do it a lot. Some birds are shy so you might not ever see it happening though.

itsnotdiego · Jun 7, 2012

Thanks for this guide it's very helpful!

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