I have always wanted a conure, but I have some questions.

AvianDinosaurs

New member
Mar 20, 2016
2
0
Eugene, OR
Hello, my name is Mikayla and Im a bit of a bird nerd. I've just gotten my first real job and can finally save to adopt a feather baby! I have done gratuitous amounts of research and know that I myself am ready, but I'm not sure my situation is. So I figured I'd ask experienced conure owners to make sure.

I currently live with my best friend in her parent's house, and the household have all agreed enthusiastically that I adopt a bird. (Probably because I talk about them constantly) Yet I still have concerns. The main one being the other pets in the house. Cleo (the best friend) has a less than well behaved dog named Stanley, whom I love dearly, but will chase anything that moves and is very mouthy. There is also a cat, named Archie, who is mostly outdoors. Because of the presence of these animals the bird and his cage would be in my room. I was wondering if that would be okay? It's where I spend most of my time and the room itself is very large and tidy, with 3 windows to let plenty of light in during the day. (It's the brightest room in the house) plus if I'm in there all the time why should the cage be elsewhere in the house? (Which is usually uninhabited) The other animals are never aloud in my room as well, so the bird wouldn't have to deal with them.

Another concern I have is whether or not I would be working too much. I work part time as a pet groomer for Petsmart, and work about 6-8 hours a day 3-4 days a week. Is this too much?

I am also curious about your methods of harness training a bird.

Apologies for the mouth full, and thanks for taking the time to read this
 

chris-md

Well-known member
Feb 6, 2010
4,349
2,119
Maryland - USA
Parrots
Parker - male Eclectus

Aphrodite - red throated conure (RIP)
Hello Mikayla, and welcome!

I think your gut might be telling you something. My immediate reaction was "well, they're fine with it now, but you want to adopt. What if the bird you get has screaming issues? Birds make noise, and conures can be some of the worst, depending on what you get"

I know you really want one, but if I'm reading your post correctly, you must remember that while they have welcomed you into their home, you are a guest. As a guest, in my opinion, it's best to keep as small a footprint as possible for the time being to help keep the peace. As loud and messy as they are, A bird could potentially screw things up for you if he causes your friends family to begin to regret their agreeance. Things like this have potential to ruin friendships, if the bird makes them uncomfortable or they even perceive you aren't keeping up with the maintenance.
 
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itchyfeet

New member
Nov 1, 2014
1,013
7
Middle Earth
Parrots
Ethyl the cockatiel, Henry & Clarke the IRN's, and Skittles the lovebird (my daughters)
Hi Mikayla :) Pleased your here!
Massive ups for doing your research first, good on you.
The situation as you describe it I think would be okay, if you brought home the 'right' bird for your situation - except that as Chris says, you are a guest in their house. How long are you living with your best friend and her parents, and what comes next after that? We can't always plan for everything all of the time, but we try had too, and it seems a move could be in your nearish future...
 
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AvianDinosaurs

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Mar 20, 2016
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Eugene, OR
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Hi Mikayla :) Pleased your here!
Massive ups for doing your research first, good on you.
The situation as you describe it I think would be okay, if you brought home the 'right' bird for your situation - except that as Chris says, you are a guest in their house. How long are you living with your best friend and her parents, and what comes next after that? We can't always plan for everything all of the time, but we try had too, and it seems a move could be in your nearish future...

I agree whole heartedly with both of you, and yes I do plan on moving as soon as possible, within 3ish months, so perhaps I should wait. Thank you both!
 

itchyfeet

New member
Nov 1, 2014
1,013
7
Middle Earth
Parrots
Ethyl the cockatiel, Henry & Clarke the IRN's, and Skittles the lovebird (my daughters)
Hang around, don't disappear! Loads of funny stories, emergency posts, and great ideas turn up here and it can only help you moving forward :D
 

everdusk

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Oct 27, 2011
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Nova Scotia, Canada
Parrots
Marzipan (Hahns Macaw) & Pip & Monte ('tiels) // In Memory: Countess ('tiel), Primrose (GCC), Pauly, Star, Yoshi & Keitaro (budgies)
Hi Mikayla!

Congrats on the new job! I have a friend who is a groomer and I think it can be such a rewarding career! Kudos to you!

I suppose as other have mentioned the biggest concern would be noise. I think you would probably be able to provide enough time with the bird but a lonely conure will screech and flock call. I'd definitely bring that up with the family, maybe bring them to a place where they can experience the noise or get them to wear headphones and listen to the sounds they make. They can make anything from screeching to high pitched "pings" which can be fairly alarming, especially late at night or early in the morning.

If you are concerned about the chance a pet may enter the room, I'd definitely suggest a nice, sturdy cage with built in stand. We have cats and I definitely think strong cages are the best thing to have to protect the birds (with bar spacing too small for a stray pay). My cats don't really pay attention to the birds anymore but you never know what could happen while you are away.

Edit: I just saw your response. Waiting 3 months is definitely reasonable! In the meantime you can look at places to adopt from and get excited!
 
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desertmary

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Mar 22, 2016
1
0
California usa
Parrots
Matrix Conure
I have owned my conure for eleven years. He is the love of my life. He says "good morning, I love you. Every morning when I come into his living room. Unfortunately his species the myriad, does not want to be touched, but he makes u p for that by talking. He loves to call and tease my little dog. I never leave them alone together because the dog would love to ea
east him for lunch. I love both of them and want to keep both safe and happy.

If you have never owned a parrot before. Just remember they are very messy but worth the trouble.

Desertmary
 

NancyandAdam

New member
Mar 23, 2016
5
0
Chicago
Parrots
Umbrella Cockatoo; Sun Conure; Indian Ring Neck
New here as well Mikayla. My wife and I have a sun conure, we have had him 3+ years now. Got him as a baby while being weaned still. He is the most loving little fella we have, especially loves his mom. Eats food off of her plate, only the ones we allow, and sleeps under her blanket while on the couch. Stays on his cage at night.

Sun's are great birds, but, and there is always a but. He is VERY loud. He doesn't talk, my wife and I talk to him, but neither of us really cared if he talked, we just love him as is. Back to the noise. He screams whenever he hears us and he isn't with us. ALL THE TIME. Again, we have patience and are used to it. We live in a house by ourselves so we are not concerned about others getting upset with the noise. That and we have two other birds, and the cockatoo actually is noisier than the sun. They cancel each other out.

I cannot speak for other conure variants, there may be others less vocal. Also, we actually never completely cage him. Even at night, his cage door is open, he knows enough to stay in or around his cage until we come get him in the morning. Not sure how all other conures take to being actually "caged", yet, I am sure others do it for necessary reasons when they are not home.

Best of luck with your future feathered friend.
 

Sucre

New member
Jan 16, 2016
86
1
Kentucky
Parrots
Sun conure, black capped conure, yellow sided conure, and a turquoise IRN
We have a Sun, a black capped and a yellow sided GCC. The black capped is the quietest of the gang, with the sun and yellow side being equally vocal. But...On a scale of 1 to cockatoo, they're about a 3-4!
 

Jammer1495

New member
Mar 26, 2016
1
0
Iowa, USA
Parrots
Bernie the sun conure, Cheeky the cockatiel, and Homer the red bellied parrot
Hello!

Conures are very good birds. They're so sweet and small and charming. I have a Sun Conure names Bernie.

My advice to you is to really think about it before you bring home a new feathered friend. I have 2 cats and they leave the birds alone for the most part and the birds don't mind them. BUT I think that is only because the birds are not afraid of them. I adopted my birds from a zoo I used to work at and we had cats in the barn where the birds had their big aviary. They are used to cats.

For the cat in your house, I would suggest teaching him/her that the bird is off limits. Cats learn very fast that if they get a smack in the hind end every time they try to touch the birds, that they should not touch the birds. I also cover the cages at night so the cats can not touch them and the birds can sleep comfortably.

As for the dog, I would put the bird's cage in the busiest room in the house (the living room most likely) and put a baby gate around it so the dog can not get to the cage. You could also use the same method I suggested with the cat and giving the dog a little whap in the hind end hahaha.

If you think that noise will be an issue (if your neighbors don't like loud noises) I would suggest a green cheek conure. I'm not saying g all green cheeks are quiet, but all the ones I've had experience with are nowhere near as loud as my birds. Sun conures are almost always very noisy especially at dawn and dusk and when you come home from work or something exciting is happening, or something scary.

You can do things to settle down your bird if he is being loud during the day. Give him lots of fun toys to play with and put the TV on or play some soft music. You can research methods of quieting down a parrot when it is screaming.

Another thing is toys. My birds don't particularly enjoy a lot of toys. They really like toys that make a crinkly sound and they like to play with beads as well. But their all time favorite kind of toy is a foraging toy. I make tons of them every month and the birds go through them like they're water. So when you decide on a bird go ahead and get a wide variety of toys for him or her and see which ones they really enjoy.

Also, I don't know if this is true with all cases, but every string bird-owner bond I've seen has been of opposite gender. For example, a friend of mine has a female African grey, and he is a male. They bonded very quickly and after a few months they were inseparable. He also has a red bellied parrot who is also male. Their bond is there, but is very fragile and needs a LOT more training with him to help his behavior issues. Another friend of mine has a male military macaw and she is a female. Their bond is also very strong. And I have all male birds and they are very close to me. Especially Bernie, my sun conure. He is so awesome. He's come so far from when he was at the zoo. I can get him to do ANYTHING. I can pick him up and hang him upside down by his toes and he wouldn't mind. I can trim his nails no problem, I can hold him upside down in his back and he won't move. He's such a great bird. Cheekie is new in the house, but he's coming around. And Homer is also very good. Our bonds are growing and strong. That may not be the case with all situations, but that's what I've noticed.

As far as work goes, I think that is fine. Just as long as you spend as much time as you can with him/her when you're home. My birds spend at least 4 hours out of the cage diring the day every day. And their cages are open all the time so if they want to climb out in the tree they can.

When you first bring the birdy home, it's going to be a LOT of work doing training and bonding exercises and finding a diet that works for both of you. Parrots are a very high maintenance pet, but it's well worth it. I love my birds and they love me back, I just know it!

:orange::grey:

I hope this was a help to you!!!
 

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