I have 2 Conures, and want an Eclectus. Help!

Hi everyone, I'm looking for some advice/suggestions.

I'm wanting to get an Eclectus parrot, male or female, specifically one that needs a home. Iv'e been looking online at people who are moving and can't take their parrot with them.

I have two Conure parrots already, Iv'e had them for 5-7 years. They spend a lot of time out of their cage and are bonded to me.

So, questions: Is it a good idea to get an Eclectus parrot when I have two Conures? My mum is against the idea, but then says she'll 'think about it', or 'when we get our own place' (we rent a property). But then will say, 'the conures will change, they won't be as friendly to you if you get another parrot' and things like that. I understand that this might happen, but can't you slowly introduce the new parrot? I'm not going to have them together in the one cage or anything.

I really have my heart set on an Eclectus. And at times mum (who makes the decisions) seems okay with it, but then changes. Dad often says he's going to get a big parrot, kind of jokingly, when we talk about the two we have, since they're bonded to me. So I feel he's okay with it.

Right now, I have an old horse and two parrots as pets. We lost our cat a year ago, and I feel its the right time to get another pet, as we are animal people.

So, any other advice for this decision and persuasion?

Thanks.

My suggestion? If you still think of parrots as pets, please do not get another one!

I have an Eclectus and frequently bird sit for and have friends over with a blue crown conure. We have to watch them very close and they can never interact. They're usually indifferent to each other but the Eclectus has tried to snap at the conure when feeling jealous.
I understand folks have worked with birds to "get along" but I would never chance it. If your conures are out with you frequently, you may be facing the decision to give each (Ekkie/Conure) separate out times for safety if you do adopt one.

I believe there is a posted thread in the Eclectus forum that would be a great read as you are considering adopting this species. The demands are way higher than a conure especially when it comes to diet and I would caution anyone to be well researched before considering. They are amazing companions but need the type of dedication and consistency that is best found after college/ stable living long term conditions.

The answer this no. If your mom is still making decisions here, you are clearly very young. I don't think it's the time for you right now.

I have researched the Eclectus species a lot, and have a friend who has one, so I think I'm ready for one.

Im not going to go off anywhere and leave them, I refuse to go on holidays unless my current two come with me. I really love parrots, and my two are my babies. I really feel to get another, especially one that need a home (Ive seen quite a few).

If I do get one, they would be in the same room, and I was wondering if that would be a problem. They wouldn't be side by side, but near each other.

And I'm just using 'pet' as a general term, like what my parents call them because thats how they see them.

chris-md said:

The answer this no. If your mom is still making decisions here, you are clearly very young. I don't think it's the time for you right now.

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True, but she has turned around and said yes to these type of things before. She was the one who brought my fist conure home, I didn't even know she wanted one. She just went to the petshop and saw Chi Chi and brought her home.

She 'has' technically said yes, but just not right now. Shes worried how my Conures will react.

And I have the money to pay for the cage and Eckie myself.

Sorry Loki, it's not the answer you want. But you've got a lot of life changes coming for you in the near future with school, moving, first jobs being only able to afford a small apartment where you won't be able to house an ekkie with big enough cage (lord save those poor roommates of yours, who will agree to live with three birds??) and even two conures alone may be too much for that time period.

The smart thing is to wait until at minimum after college before getting more than your two conures. I would actually beg you not to do it.

Enjoy what you have. Have you trained your conures at all? Have you done target training or recall training? Harness training? Take pleasure in what you have In your life right now, not what you don't have.

I would agree with Chris,
i'm young myself (21) and bought Pico my GCC for myself for my 20th birthday. And it has been rough for me. It's extremely hard being a college student, working, living on your own, and having a bird. let alone 3!
It's a lot to think about and it's a lot to handle financially. I never leave a pet store without spending at least $80 on Pico because he constantly needs new toys, new food, etc.
There have been so many times that I have to put him before myself when it comes to my money, you have to ask yourself if you are willing to do that? You have to factor in more than the expenses of just the bird and the cage. I have actually broken down and cried multiple times because I only have X amount of money being a college student, and still trying to figure out how to pay car insurance, pay rent, pay my phone bill, etc, etc, AND give Pico everything he deserves. It can kind of be compared to having a child, its definitely not easy.
And what happens when you move out of your parents house? are all 3 birds going to tag along? that's 3 times the money - 3 times the attention needed. I couldn't imagine doing it. I just wouldn't be able to afford it. In addition to money, you have to give all of those birds individual affection and time. I have difficultly managing time going to school every day as a full time student, working 35 hours a week, trying to maintain social relationships, and being a good Parront. Its actually very stressful. I'm sure many people here can relate.
and Chris is right, its terribly hard to find roommates who are okay with the noise level of a bird. Luckily I live with my best friend, and she puts up with it because she loves me but she definitely doesn't enjoy being occasionally woken up by a screaming bird at 8am.
Additionally, you seem so young, and as you know a bird is a commitment. I would love to travel freely and be gone for weeks at a time after I graduate from school but I have to be realistic with my dreams when I have already signed up for a 20 year contract with Pico. It's hard to be a young responsible bird owner. I have to give up social situations a lot too in order to give Pico the right amount of attention and love he needs per day. Which is hard when you're 21 and you just wana party but have responsibilities lol.
I would love another bird myself. but things are hard enough with one so I just can't.
You have a lot to factor in. Coming from someone who is living the current situation you might find yourself in a few years, I would say wait.
I hope this helped

Alright thanks you guys! It has been very insightful.

And I'm not going to collage/university. I'm doing online courses so I can be home all day.

I will definatly help one in future, but not right now.

To quote Chris:

"Take pleasure in what you have In your life right now, not what you don't have."

Being completely and totally honest, serious, and as raw and open as I can be, as a 37 year old, these are the words that I wish I had lived by. I have always been the kind of person that has 10 different guitars, personally all studied and hand-picked for their individual qualities, and then as soon as I say "This is it, this one completes my collection which now encompasses all the sounds I could ever want", I see another guitar a week later that I just have to have! Lol, I'm like this with everything, seriously everything, and I could be a millionaire right now had I even once said to myself "You know, you're pretty lucky, most people don't have even a fraction of what you have." These are words to live by.

I wish I had been able to have 1 green cheek conure or any other species of parrot when I was a teenager (I don't know how old you are, assuming a teenager), but my mom bred cockatiels and English budgies throughout my entire childhood. Times were different back then in the 80's and 90's, most pet shops had budgies and cockatiels, most were bred and hand-raised by the many existing "mom and pop" pet shops that are long gone today. My mom made a very good side income from breeding these two species and our house was full of breeders and babies at any given time. I had an English budgie that my mom bred and hand-raised, she let me pick the baby when I was 6 years old and I helped her hand-raise and hand-feed him (my first experience with any bird), and Keety lived for 18 years. But I wasn't allowed to have any other pets for the majority of my childhood because of all the cockatiels and budgies we had. I had a few reptiles and finally got a pug puppy when I was 16, but I'll tell you what, my bond with that English budgie was incredible! He had to be the tamest, most well-trained parakeet in history because I spent every single day working with him, he ate with me, watched TV with me, went outside on his harness with me on bike rides, hikes, everywhere. I think this is why he lived so long. He lived until I was 24, he stayed home my first year of college but I came home every weekend and sometimes during the week (I went to college an hour from home), and when I got my first apartment at the age of 20 he and the pug came with me.

My point is that you have 2 green cheek conure that need you! They are extremely loving, loyal, committed parrots that yes, may have a huge problem with you bringing home any other bird at all, let alone such a large, intimidating bird that I guarantee you will immediately start spending more time with than your 2 conures, I'd bet everything I have on that. This is what happens in this scenario, the new, bigger, smarter parrot becomes the owner's total focus (or at least takes up well more than 50% of the owner's free time to spend with his birds), and your green cheeks will slowly start to resent you and the eclectus, and you'll lose not only the bond you have with the conures now, but also their trust. You are way too young to have any idea what your near future holds. You may or may not go to college, but you will start working, and you will not live with your parents forever. And even if you did, having both the money and the time for 3 parrots is rough. Not to be rude to you or to look down on you, but I could tell immediately that you are very young, very immature, and in no way ready to add another larger parrot with many, many more specific dietary and medical needs than the 2 parrots you already have, when you made the statement "I have the money to pay for the Ekkie and his cage myself", followed by a smiley face, like you got one over on the prior poster...You know that paying for the bird and the cage is not even paying for everything you need to just acquire an Eclectus, let alone be solely responsible for it's care. I'm sure you've at least seen what a bag of high-quality parrot pellets, like Harrison's or Zupreem costs, unless your parents pay for your bird's food. I have 4 larger parrots and then 7 pet budgies and 10 breeder budgies, and I easily spend $300 a month for just their pellets, seeds, and prepackaged treats like millet, honey sticks for the budgies, etc. This doesn't include the cost of constant fresh veggies, fruits, whole grains, etc., which has to be at least another $150. And as I hope you know the diet of an Eclectus is much more specific and confining than your green cheek's diets....then who pays for the avian vet bills? Just the well-birdy checkup you'll need to get an Eclectus the week you bring him home, with fecal smears, blood work, etc. at the office of a qualified avian vet will cost you around $200-$300 or more. That's a must with an Eclectus. It doesn't help that you've picked one of the most high maintenance parrots in existence.

Look, I'm assuming you're still pretty young, to decide not to go to college is not a great choice right off the bat, it's a social experience you can't replace with computer classes online. But even if you don't go away to college (it's not for everyone, this is true) you have absolutely no idea where you will be or what you will be doing, or what you may want to be doing, by the age of 22. To make a 50 year commitment at the age of 15-18 is, well honestly it's just foolish. Stuff happens, trust me. I didn't expect or even think I could be diagnosed with cancer at the age of 32, but I was. So there ya go..


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