Advice needed from multiple bird owners

First a little bit of background information:

I have a 6 month old DNA sexed female sun conure that we bought as a baby, she's a sweetheart and we love her! I had a cinnamon GCC that picked me at the bird rescue and we were in love with her until we lost her a few months ago, and I still cry about it and miss her terribly. I thought that I would never find that kind of connection again with a bird just picking me like that....it's an amazing feeling and so rare for me that I just couldn't imagine it happening again.
I went into the rescue today like I do every Saturday to pick up a frozen veggie bean mix they make there and I see an adult sun conure that I thought was Indy's older sister from the same parents that someone had brought in for a surrender a few weeks back. I went up to the cage to talk to her like I have done before and she seemed extra excited to see me! Jumping to the front and wanting to come out and talking to me, so I let her out to hang out on the perch on top of her cage. She ate a little and then wanted to come to me which doesn't normally happen, but I had her step up and she crawled up to my shoulder into my hair and buried herself completely making little talking noises and purring. She got all caught up in my hair so I had to untangle her and she had no problems with me touching her and untangling her, she really seemed like she completely trusted me and I had no fear of her biting me like I do with a lot of birds that I don't know. She even tried to regurgitate on me! I asked about her and come to find out, it's not Indy's sister at all, but a completely different bird that was surrendered that someone had bought from petco! At this point my mind is blown that I'm holding a completely different adult sun conure and that we had this connection! So I take Indy and put her on the perch with the adult and they kissed beaks and seemed to have no issues with each other. the adult even played with Indy's tail feathers a little.

I had this feeling that I just did not want to leave without this bird, and this is not something that happens to me often! I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl which could potentially be an issue with mating and them bonding to each other which I am afraid of happening. Also having two sun conures and the noise that comes with that....The lady I know there is telling me that they will sell me the adult for a discounted price so that helps...

What my question is after that novel I just wrote, how do you guys with multiple birds do it? I feel that Indy requires so much attention and love, how do you spread yourself to two birds? Do they entertain each other too? I also have a dog that knows that Indy is off limits, but she requires my attention too and we also are looking to have kids in the near future and I'm worried about being spread too thin. I've just been a complete wreck since I left the bird rescue today and I can't stop trying to make it work in my head...I just felt like I fell in love with this bird!

My work hours are afternoon to night so I spend the morning with my animals and my husband spends the evening with them when he is home since he works a regular work day. I just want to make sure this would be fair for the birds and for us. I just need some input from multiple bird owners out there please!

If they bond (it's 50/50) and both are friendly it's less work than if they don't like each other, which is very well possible siblings or not. Then just figure time and effort by double, because each one will have to interacted with separately. So with those odds it's best to assume the worst. In that case everything will be magnified twice, as that's what's fair to each bird. So be honest with yourself and your limits and go from there. If you think you can easily do it, go for it. If not then someone else is just as capable of giving that bird the love and attention it needs.

You had two birds before, right? With the gcc, or did the sun come after the gcc? I think if they get along it's not much more difficult than having one, but if they don't get along to me it's more than double the work. Just something to consider. As far as mating goes just keep them in separate cages and you should be fine.

thekarens said:

You had two birds before, right? With the gcc, or did the sun come after the gcc? I think if they get along it's not much more difficult than having one, but if they don't get along to me it's more than double the work. Just something to consider. As far as mating goes just keep them in separate cages and you should be fine.

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Sorry I guess I didn't fully explain that part lol Our GCC came first and after she passed we got our baby sun, so we've never had two before together. Maybe I can just keep putting them together at the rescue if no one picks up the adult and make sure they would be okay together....

I have fairly independent birds who don't require me to spend direct attention to them for very long. They do love to be out with me though and will protest me being home and not taking them out. My sun will also protest being out when its bed time...he is very strange I think its a matter of how the bird socializes and also what you have to give! I never plan on having children expect for the animal kind so I don't factor that in and have no idea what to tell you there! I can see a screaming baby and conure competing on who is the loudest though...

A lot of my birds don't like each other but they can all be out at the same time. They just have designated spots that they picked...not me..I pick a spot and they ignore me and go wherever they want lol. My two gcc are very independent and don't need me since they have each other. However, that being said my female gcc loves to talk and hang out with me so she definitely needs my attention. My sun spends all of his time out on or near someone mostly me. My cockatiels couldn't care less if I paid them any attention or not. They are very happy just spending the day with each other...oh sure they will visit with me occasionally when out but thats just for head scratches and then they move on... I am adding a cockatoo to my flock and don't see a problem with having enough time but I'm told I also don't have a social life. Its by choice and don't see what my birds have to do with it when people tell me that! Much rather spend time with my animals than people honestly

I also have quite a few other animals and I'm a college student. I think you just have to be very honest about your life and the available time and attention you have for a new addition. Also, socializing them to be independent wether in or out of the cage is important. Mine know just because I'm home doesn't necessarily mean I will let them out. They know screaming gets them no where. I also have decent size cages with a lot of different things for them to do! They are also caged in the same room and I'm sure complain about me to each other

I have my three out all day. The cockatiel and sun will share a stand but keep to themselves and my cockatoo has his own stand. All seem happy and content with the time I spend with each as long as they have their out of cage time. . I have four kids and three dogs running around and they find our house quite interesting I think. I've somehow managed to juggle my time between everyone.

I hope it works out for you. Housing my cockatoo and sun in the same room has made my sun so much quieter. It was a little perk to a multi bird house.

Like Kalidasa said, if they don't get along then you will have to double your time spent caring for them. This could lead to less interaction that each bird gets and could lead to behavior problems. I got lucky with my GGC and my Sun, they preened eachother and just hung out. Now my GCC is hormonal, he is starting to fight and get jealous of her so they had to be seperated. Just because they get along now doesn't mean they always will birds change after they go through maturity.

However, I belive that if a bird picks you then it was ment to be. I have the best realationship with my Sun because she picked me not me picking her.

all my birds are always out at the same time , everyone pretty much stays in their own space or they play on the java tree , I do have to watch for Baby to take off some times she will climb down to the floor and just go looking around or wandering down the hallway , I actually think she is looking for my hubby when he is at home but when he isn't home she will walk to the java tree and sit their and look up at it I guess that's a hint so I put her on the tree for awhile , she can fly so sometimes she will try to fly their , Shamrock flys all over but mostly where I'am is where Shamrock is , the rest of my crew pretty much stay put on their playgyms or their cages

and I have a male cag and a female cag , so far they show no interest in each other which is good

Ashleigh86
You should quarantine a bird for at lest 30 days before introducing it to your bird. It's not worth getting your bird sick.

I have 3 parrots, all under one year. It's like having triplets.

The bad days are bad, but the good days reinforce your belief that life is truly wonderful, and you are a special human being, because you are loved by birds.

Two birds is easily enough done if you really want to, and you sound like you do. There may be a rough patch for a week or two, with the new bird settling in, and the original bird getting used to the new one.

The only thing you posted, which concerns me (and I mean, who the heck am I ?) is that you will be looking to have children soon. THAT is a BIG consideration. In my (again who am I?) opinion, the difference between caring for one bird or two is NOTHING compared to caring for a baby human, and ANYTHING else. There are plenty of pets (not just birds) who have been displaced because of the arrival of a baby. So THAT would be the biggest question I would ask myself.

BirdyMomma said:

I have 3 parrots, all under one year. It's like having triplets.

The bad days are bad, but the good days reinforce your belief that life is truly wonderful, and you are a special human being, because you are loved by birds.

Two birds is easily enough done if you really want to, and you sound like you do. There may be a rough patch for a week or two, with the new bird settling in, and the original bird getting used to the new one.

The only thing you posted, which concerns me (and I mean, who the heck am I ?) is that you will be looking to have children soon. THAT is a BIG consideration. In my (again who am I?) opinion, the difference between caring for one bird or two is NOTHING compared to caring for a baby human, and ANYTHING else. There are plenty of pets (not just birds) who have been displaced because of the arrival of a baby. So THAT would be the biggest question I would ask myself.

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Absolutely true. My conure was re-homed (actually dumped off in a box) because of a new baby (they enclosed a note of "explanation"). A baby changes absolutely everything, and giving attention to one companion bird turns out to be a challenge, let alone two very loud suns.

Actually I always get the viral disease blood tests as well with a new bird Disease doesn't look at the calendar and can pop out many months later.

I appreciate everyone's input!! It really helped. We have decided for the time being we are going to stay a one bird house Indy doesn't have to share us for now