Bringing a Sun Conure Home

[SteveD]

Hi all,

I've just put a deposit on a baby Sun Conure, four weeks old now and ready to take home in about 8 weeks. I know you guys love a picture, so when I see the chick in couple of days I'll try to remember to take a snap.

I have a lot of trust in where I am getting the bird from:

TROPICAL BIRDLAND

I've been there a few times and they seem to know what they are doing. A lot of free flying amazons/toucans/macaws etc and generally happy birds with clean housing.

My bird owing experience so far has been a couple of budgies, both who are silly tame and are never in their cage when I'm at home. They just seem to want to either sit with me, on top of their cage or on the curtain pole.

I have about a million questions about bringing home the conure, as I want both me and the bird to be as happy as possible. The bird is being hand reared, and is an only chick, so the human imprinting should be pretty strong.

So the questions:

I've bought a decent sized cage (40"x40"x55"). I'm planning to put some oddly shaped branches in there for perches, feed bowls with seed/nut mix, water and fruit. Some random parrot toys from the pet shop (a wooden chewing toy, a bell, something else that catches my eye when I go there) Anything I'm missing?

Should I be letting the bird have food all the time, or should we have fixed meal times? With the budgies, they have seed mix all the time, and fruit/millet as treats.

What do I line the bottom of the cage with? For the budgies, I use "bird sand", a mixture of sand, shells, grit and other stuff. Should I just put newspaper in there for the parrot, as that is what a lot of people seem to use?

How do we expect the conure to get on with the budgies? I don't want to restrict the budgies freedom if I can help it.

Sorry that this is all basic stuff, I just really want to get this right for when I bring my new bird into my home.

Steve

 

[ZoeS]

Congratulations!

Some random parrot toys from the pet shop (a wooden chewing toy, a bell, something else that catches my eye when I go there) Anything I'm missing?

I would also add a happy hut of some sort (get the kind that is felt-like, not regular fabric), and/or a snuggle thing is the same material that goes in the corner of the cage for the bird to snuggle into to sleep. Mine sleep in those and do not use their huts.

Should I be letting the bird have food all the time, or should we have fixed meal times? With the budgies, they have seed mix all the time, and fruit/millet as treats.

I free-freed zupreem pellets. They get seed mix on weekend morning so I can get a bit more sleep (kind of it as cartoons and froot loops). Afternoon/early evening (after work) I give them some seed/fruit mix, and for dinner they eat what we are eating or a mix of fruit/veg. So basically they have pellet access all day, limited seed access around 5-6pm, and unlimited veggie access around 7:30. My birds go to bed around 10.

What do I line the bottom of the cage with? For the budgies, I use "bird sand", a mixture of sand, shells, grit and other stuff. Should I just put newspaper in there for the parrot, as that is what a lot of people seem to use?

I use newspaper... no complaints.

How do we expect the conure to get on with the budgies? I don't want to restrict the budgies freedom if I can help it.

You will have to at first, during the quarantine period. After that, start interacting with your budgies near the conure's cage, and vice versa. See how it goes. Some birds get along swimmingly with others, others less so. My two conures got along well from the start except for some fairly harmless squabbles here or there.

 

[cdog]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new fid!
I wouldn't recommend a happy hut portent if your baby is a female because you don't want to encourage nesting behavior, if you get a male then I would recommend this... ScooterZ Tropical Snugglie XS, Sm, Med, Lg, XL - HUTS/TENTS by MY SAFE BIRD STORE.
I wouldn't feed a seed nut mix for your conjures food, feed pellets and fresh food with seeds only being treats occasionally. I use newspaper for lining too, if you choose not to then do not use corn cob bedding because it grows mold and spores.
That cage is huge if it is in inches, but what is the bar spacing on it?

 

[AVM]

congrats on your new baby!!! my sun conure loves to eat with me, so try offering him/her some of the veggies or fruit you are eating, he/she will love feeling like part of the family!!

 

[amysaviary]

I agree with most of what cdog said, but I do not give any of my birds huts of any kind. Conures r big chewers and the huts can be very dangeruos to them. I have seen birds die because of them so they r a NO NO to me! I use pine wood shavings in the bottom of my cages but they all have a grate in them.

I am also worried about the bar spacing in that huge cage.

 

[GiosMom]

Congrats. That cage sounds way tooo big. Be careful with the bar spacing.

 

[cdog]

I agree with most of what cdog said, but I do not give any of my birds huts of any kind. Conures r big chewers and the huts can be very dangeruos to them. I have seen birds die because of them so they r a NO NO to me! I use pine wood shavings in the bottom of my cages but they all have a grate in them.

I am also worried about the bar spacing in that huge cage.

I dont like the normal tents because they are made of regular fleece which can be pulled apart and birds can hang themselves in the strands, but the one I recommended has a cotton outside that doesnt make strands and the inside is very short tightly woven fleece that is hard to shred so I like that one. You do still have to watch for strands but it is a lot safer than the normal tents.

 

[amysaviary]

I agree with most of what cdog said, but I do not give any of my birds huts of any kind. Conures r big chewers and the huts can be very dangeruos to them. I have seen birds die because of them so they r a NO NO to me! I use pine wood shavings in the bottom of my cages but they all have a grate in them.

I am also worried about the bar spacing in that huge cage.

I dont like the normal tents because they are made of regular fleece which can be pulled apart and birds can hang themselves in the strands, but the one I recommended has a cotton outside that doesnt make strands and the inside is very short tightly woven fleece that is hard to shred so I like that one. You do still have to watch for strands but it is a lot safer than the normal tents.

Yes I saw the link and have seen a bird die because of them! Birds don't need a tent or hut. In the wild they use a nest for breeding not just to sleep. They sleep on a high perch. So the only reason a bird needs a nest or hut is if u want them to breed (and u use a nest box not a tent or hut) They don't have tents or huts in the wild and I feel they r dangerous so would never use them or recommend them.

 

[ZoeS]

Hmm... I knew that the huts were risky but I thought there was one type, it looks like a fleece-like tube, that did not fall apart if chewed so was not a risk. Better to play it safe, though, I suppose. My birds never used them anyway.

 

[cdog]

I gave my boys a tent because they are two boys that cant breed and they love their tent, they sleep in it all the time. I understand what you are saying about the danger but I have yet to see them chewing on it and the day I see a single strand the tent will be removed.

 

[Customcasket]

Try the tent and see if your conure takes to it. My dusky LOVES her "cubby" and will only sleep in it. She chews everything and loves to shred, she has yet to even so much as taste the tent. I always check it for chew spots because of her track record with destroying anything fabric. My sun will not sleep in one. He slept on top of it until I took it out of his cage. He sleeps on his hanging rope and wood toy. I don't know how it's comfortable for him, but he enjoys it lol.

I agree with everybody on the pellet diet. The younger you start them, the better chance you have of them switching right over. Nuts and seeds as snacks and always provide veggies and fruits. My sun doesn't like "moisty" things so he won't touch fresh fruits and veggies. I have to buy him dehydrated veggies and fruits. He eats those in place of the fresh stuff. My dusky loves to have "salad" with me. I'll give her some lettuce, spinach, and tomato in her treat cup to enjoy while I eat my salad which is slightly less healthy lol

 

[SteveD]

I'm an idiot! cage dimensions should be in cm. The bar spacing is 3/4".Yes, that's inches on the spacing, and cm for the cage size. I'm a bit of a birdbrain when it comes to measurements

I'm planning to go and see the chick tomorrow, hopefully getting a feather or two so that I can send it off for dna sex testing. I wouldn't want to be calling the bird by a stupidly inappropriate name! While I'm there I'll try and get at least one picture of the little fellow and post it here. There's nothing quite as cute as a baby bird!

Thanks for all the responses with respect to feed choices and whether or not to get a happy hut.

I'm still about 8 weeks away from bringing the bird home, but rest assured I'm going to have lots to ask you guys!

For example, when I first get the bird home, how much attention do I give it? The youngster is going to be in a new place with unfamiliar sounds and is likely to be a touch scared.

Whenever I've brought a budgie home, I've always left them alone in their cage until they start to explore the cage and make a few noises, then get closer to the cage and talk gently to them, building the contact up until they are comfortable with me and take it from there.

This has always been with parent reared budgies, but the conure is a hand reared bird and therefore much more used to human contact.

My basic plan is just to bring it home, put it in the cage and be in the same room for several hours with it. If it seems scared in the new surroundings then I'll keep away from the cage until it settles, if it seems comfortable or wanting company then I'll get as close to the bird as it seems to want. Does this seem about right?

Hey, these are just basic points, wait until I've picked up the bird and start to ask you lot for help with training exercises, how to keep the screeching down, whether I should get the bird a flight suit or a harness, nipping problems, jealousy problems with family members etc. Yep, I think I'm ready for a parrot!

 

[ZoeS]

cage dimensions should be in cm. The bar spacing is 3/4".Yes, that's inches on the spacing, and cm for the cage size.

In that case, your cage would be too small, i think. I have the A&E wrought iron cage that I got from Wayfair. It is 31"W/21"D/36"H. I really like it. Save the cage you have now and use it as a sleep cage! I assume 3/4 bar spacing is ok for a sun? I don't know though. The AE cage is 1/2 which I love.

Thanks for all the responses with respect to feed choices and whether or not to get a happy hut.

One thing you could do woukd be to put a happy hut in her night cage. That way she is in your room when you are and you will wake up if she makes a rukus. Plus, she is only in there to sleep and is less likely to chew it.

For example, when I first get the bird home, how much attention do I give it? The youngster is going to be in a new place with unfamiliar sounds and is likely to be a touch scared.

Let her decide. If she wants to stay in her cage, spend some time beside her. Talk and sing to her, eat something good and see if she wants some. If she wants to come out, that is ok too! My gcc was out with us the first day she got home.


Whenever I've brought a budgie home, I've always left them alone in their cage until they start to explore the cage and make a few noises, then get closer to the cage and talk gently to them, building the contact up until they are comfortable with me and take it from there.

Even for a hand-reared bird, this is a good way to start. She will let you know if she is comfortable.

 

[artemis]

3/4" bar spacing is a bit iffy for a sun conure. I'd look for a cage with 5/8" bar spacing if you can find one, just to be safe.