Red Throated Conure

[Sc0tt]

Hey Everyone.

I'm new around here, and my past experience with birds have only been with Budgies.

I'm adopting a Red Throated Conure who was hatched in September of 2011. I have never owned an actual parrot before, and am really really excited. I'm asking for general tips on keeping him healthy and happy. I have had some issues finding really anything about his species as it seems to be a rarer breed, and I'm hoping someone around here can help me.

Here is the cage I've ordered for him that will be here Tuesday (The same day I pick him up).
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FRV3M2/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00]Amazon.com: Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Select Bird Cage Black Hammertone 3151BLK: Pet Supplies[/ame]

I will be stocking it with lots of toys as well. Some general questions I have are:

- How big do they get?
- What's a good diet to put him on?
- How should I go about interacting with him?
- Any toys in specific that would be good to entertain him?

If you can answer any of these or help me out with any knowledge about them, I'd be greatly appreciative. Thanks!

P.S Here's a picture of the little guy.

 

[Sc0tt]

Also, can I teach his species to Talk, and will his age now be an issue on if he can learn too or not? Also can he learn to fly to me and stuff like that?

 

[MonicaMc]

I'm new around here, and my past experience with birds have only been with Budgies.
Budgies are parrots, too....

I have had some issues finding really anything about his species as it seems to be a rarer breed, and I'm hoping someone around here can help me.
Species, not breed. They belong to the "red headed conure" group (cherry heads, mitreds, white eyed, finsch's, waglers, etc), so geneally speaking, whatever is good for them should be good for your guy, too!

Cherry heads, mitreds and white eyeds are the most common out of this group.

Here is the cage I've ordered for him that will be here Tuesday (The same day I pick him up).
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FRV3M2/]Amazon.com: Prevue Pet Products Wrought Iron Select Bird Cage Black Hammertone 3151BLK: Pet Supplies[/ame]
Personally, considering he's a large conure, I really wouldn't recommend a cage smaller than 24" x 24". Heck, I wouldn't even recommend something smaller than that for a smaller conure, let alone a cockatiel!

Once you put in perches, toys, dishes etc, the cage does get rather small! Would he have room to spread his wings in, at least?

I'm assuming it's already out of the question to get a larger cage?


- How big do they get?
He's as big as he'll ever be. He's over a year old so already adult size. I don't know how big RT's typically are, but I would assume they would weigh around 130-160 grams in weight?

- What's a good diet to put him on?
If you can't provide him with a good fresh food based diet, then pellets. Harrison's, Roudybush, TOP's, Mazuri...

Also feed healthy grains and legumes (sprouted or cooked), a big variety of vegetables, some fruits, the occasional cooked eggs, etc. The occasional nuts and seeds as treats.

- How should I go about interacting with him?
If he's friendly from the get go, then you can immediately start interacting with him! If he's not, give him time to settle in and try to figure out his favorite treat. Once you figure that out, feed it to him by hand.

- Any toys in specific that would be good to entertain him?
I don't know. What does he like? Try wooden toys, acrylic toys, rope toys, leather toys, foraging toys, noisy toys, etc!


Also, can I teach his species to Talk, and will his age now be an issue on if he can learn too or not?
All parrots can learn to talk. Heck, even finches and canaries can pick up on human speech! That said, some species are better known for talking than others... Does he already talk? Younger birds typically learn to talk better than older birds do. He's still rather young, so you never know.


Also can he learn to fly to me and stuff like that?
Yes. This is known as recall training. Flight can be exceptionally healthy for birds, *IF* you can provide a safe environment for flight.

You can also teach the bird tricks and such. Look into clicker training.

 

[Sc0tt]

Thank you so much! That's really insightful information. I am looking for a diff cage now, but I also only plan on him being in there to sleep, and when no one is home (someone is mostly always)!

 

[MonicaMc]

If someones mostly home all the time, then it may not be so bad! Although, it may help to consider vacations or emergencies, and think about the size of cage you want him/her in!

I have a mitred conure, and his current cage is a 32x23 cage, although I used to have him in a larger one. He honestly doesn't care what size the cage is! LOL I do work, and it's quite often for no one to be home for 9 hours or more during the day, so I figured it would be best for him to have a larger cage. In this way, he has more room to move around in as well as more places for me to put perches and toys at!

 

[Sc0tt]

Absolutely, I'm just a little tight for cash at the moment. I'm getting the one I previously posted, but plan on putting in some elbow grease and possibly expanding it myself, or getting another one entirely. He came kind've as a surprise as his previous owner has passed away very recently and unexpectedly, and it's his daughter who is frantically trying to find a good home for it. Although I've never owned a large parrot (only my budgie) I feel like I can support, and love it and take care of all it's needs. I'm pretty excited. I'm getting him Tuesday and will be here with pictures and everything else. Thanks again for the wonderful reply, Monica!

 

[MonicaMc]

Sounds like you'll be off to a great start!

You may want to look into some books, articles and media by Barbara Heidenreich, Melinda Johnson, Karen Pryor and Susan Friedman on clicker training and positive reinforcement!


Conures can be LOUD! So it'll help to try and keep your conure busy so screaming wont be an issue!

 

[Sc0tt]

I will look into that for sure. I've really been looking for a 'companion' pet, so I'm ecstatic to start my relationship off with him.

 

[JasmineGCC]

Congratulations on your new conure
I'd only ever had budgies before I got Jasmine my pineapple green cheek conure. The most noticeable difference is how interactive she is - she may be small but she has a macaw's soul!!! My budgies were happy to say hello when I'd been out all day but the welcome home I get from jasmine is amazing. She adores me and that level of commitment I had only experienced from my pet dog.

If your conure is having tons if attention then the smaller cage would be ok but I've found Jasmine needs a big cage just to fit in all her toys!?!

Good luck!

 

[Sc0tt]

I am so excited! Thanks, and I will be in the market for a larger cage, I just had to get one quickly and affordable for his unexpected arrival.

 

[Sc0tt]

Here's another reference pic I got from his current owner, it's a size 8 women's shoe.

 

[Sc0tt]

Thanks for the reply!

I am picking him up tomorrow, and will have him in his new cage and home later in the afternoon (is a three hour drive to get him). I am so excited, it feels like my birthday and Christmas combined.

I'll definitely give him his space and let him get situated before trying to handle him a lot, although his owner now states that he loves hanging out and is never shy, but I know that that's subject to change.

I'll keep in touch with you for sure with any issues and questions I have. I also plan on making a thread that will follow our adventures together through photos and diary type entries.

 

[Sc0tt]

He's beautiful. How old is he? And thanks I can't wait to be home and get him situated, they're one of the prettiest birds I've seen next to sun's and macaws in my opinion.

 

[MonicaMc]

I have heard that it can take up to 6 years for a 'red headed' conure to obtain all of his or her colors. Both of my conures were already adults with full coloring so I didn't get to witness them 'growing up'.