soon-to-be sun conure mama!

[bec]

Hiii,

I’m going to be visiting a conure breeder this weekend and if all goes well, I will be paying a deposit and going on the waiting list for next available sun conure babies! (I think about 7-10weeks away) Of course, I’ve done my research and even listened to some sound clips of conure screeching to at least get a small idea of how loud they are, and I THINK I’m prepared for it... But I wouldn’t mind some input from someone who actually owns a sun conure…

I normally get up at 6:00am-6:30am for work; I leave the house around 8:30am-9:00am usually, so I’m already prepared to be woken with the “good morning” screeches. I planned to get him out of his cage when I get up and take him with me into the shower, I know birds can be a bit quieter after a bath when they are busy concentrating on preening and drying them selves… then I planned to have him with me while I’m eating breaky/preparing his breaky. I was hoping this might cut back on some of the morning screeching.

My plan for the afternoon/night is to come home around 4:00pm-5:00pm usually, take him out and let him get his “yay you’re home” screeching out of the way, then just have him out with me while I’m watching TV, on the computer, cooking dinner etc. We plan for him to be a real pet and be out/playing on his gym in the lounge room as much as possible. Hopefully after this he will be good to go to bed the same time as us, around 9:30pm-10:30pm, depending on some variables of course…

I understand he will probably screech while we’re at work, but I plan on having heaps of toys, and rotating them often so he doesn’t get bored. Our neighbours also work, and are far enough apart that they probably wont hear the screeching. Also, we have old Victorian houses, so the walls are quiet thick and block A LOT of sound, as well as the wild, screeching cockatoos and lorikeets we have flying around outside most of the mornings/afternoons.

I’m just wondering if I’m planning enough to combat some of the screeching? Is there anything else I can do? I don’t mind some normal/healthy screeching, but I’m hoping that having a happier bird with lots of attention will at least cut back some unnecessary screeching…

I have his nice big cage all set up, and some toys in there already. I've bought more, but waiting til I see what he likes before I buy a whole bucket load... My bird history is only a cockatiel and a dusky lory, about 4 years ago, so I'm hoping I am prepared enough for a conure. They are such gorgeous birds, personality and looks wise. I really miss having a bird and I love them so much, I really want a new best friend, I just don't want to mess up.

Thank you.

 

[mele]

Congrats. I will always have a special place in my heart for sun conures. My first parrot was a sun and (sticks) passed away some time ago and I miss the screeches.
I think I go every season to a sun breeder but can't bring my self to buy one.....

You sound like you have covered the basics with being prepared and buying toys. He will be a spoiled happy baby

Congrats and PLEASE lots of pics

 

[bec]

Congrats. I will always have a special place in my heart for sun conures. My first parrot was a sun and (sticks) passed away some time ago and I miss the screeches.
I think I go every season to a sun breeder but can't bring my self to buy one.....

You sound like you have covered the bases with being prepared and buying toys. He will be a spoiled happy baby

Congrats and PLEASE lots of pics

Thank you!

I'm sorry to hear about your sun conure. :(

Oh don't worry I will take LOTS of pictures when I go to visit the breeder this weekend alone! Hehe. I plan to make a video and/or a photo collection of his colour changes/molt, showing how they change from the green/speckley babies to the beautiful adult colours over a year or so, too.

And I plan to spoil him rotten! I have bought so many toys already, I'm trying to hold off on buying more until I know what is favourite type is, but it's hard! Haha. Their toys are just so cute and colourful, I want one of every type! I've bought a whole bunch of foot toys too, and a lil' bucket/bowl thing that hangs off the side of his cage to keep them in. The play gym I bought him is decked out with rope and toys too... I've also bought him a little harness so he can come outside, and some special bird cleaning products for his cage to keep is nice and clean all the time! All I'm really missing is just his actual food and well... him! Or should I say her? I guess I wont even know what gender he/she is, but that doesn't really bother me. If the breeder does end up DNA sexing them I guess I'd prefer a male, just so the name I've picked out suits more!

 

[Mayden]

Sounds like you're well prepared!

Only thing I could suggest for the unecessary screeching would be - ignore it when he does it. Only respond when he does his 'good' screeches/whistles and stuff, so he'll learn that he'll only get attention from you when he does that.

 

[bec]

Sounds like you're well prepared!

Only thing I could suggest for the unecessary screeching would be - ignore it when he does it. Only respond when he does his 'good' screeches/whistles and stuff, so he'll learn that he'll only get attention from you when he does that.

Great!

That sounds like a really good idea, like control crying! Haha. I will be sure to try and do that.

 

[LoveMauiGus]

Sun Conures are great for those whose living situation allows for noise! They are loud by nature, but you are fortunate enough to get one when it is still young enough to learn good behavior. They are such sweet birds. I would say if I could give one piece of Sun Conure advice it would be to let it squawk it out when you leave or get home, but do not respond to other squawking by coming up to it and taking it out or giving it attention, or by yelling back. Our conure was previously owned so we had major squawking for attention when we got her. Within a month we were able to almost stop this completely by having patience and walking out of the room when she started squawking (the patience part is important - you will want to give attention or stuff a treat in their face to get them to stop). Also don't make it a big production when you leave for the day, just quietly slip out the door.

It sounds like you're in a good situation to have one, they just want to be with you while you do your day to day activities, and they are good at entertaining themselves with toys. Maui spends hours nibbling the toys on the top of her cage. Sometimes she doesn't even want to step up while she is doing that

I'm sure you will love your conure as much as we do!!

 

[bec]

Sun Conures are great for those whose living situation allows for noise! They are loud by nature, but you are fortunate enough to get one when it is still young enough to learn good behavior. They are such sweet birds. I would say if I could give one piece of Sun Conure advice it would be to let it squawk it out when you leave or get home, but do not respond to other squawking by coming up to it and taking it out or giving it attention, or by yelling back. Our conure was previously owned so we had major squawking for attention when we got her. Within a month we were able to almost stop this completely by having patience and walking out of the room when she started squawking (the patience part is important - you will want to give attention or stuff a treat in their face to get them to stop). Also don't make it a big production when you leave for the day, just quietly slip out the door.

It sounds like you're in a good situation to have one, they just want to be with you while you do your day to day activities, and they are good at entertaining themselves with toys. Maui spends hours nibbling the toys on the top of her cage. Sometimes she doesn't even want to step up while she is doing that

I'm sure you will love your conure as much as we do!!

Well the sun conures we're (hopefully) getting from our breeder are going to be babies, so I guess that's a plus for controlling some screeching!

Your conure is really cute! It's so nice that you rescued him, I wish I could do the same but there's not really a rescue centre where I live, (Australia) and if there's any ads posted online they're either for babies anyway or breeding adult pairs...

I'm really excited, I'm sure we will love ours as much too! They are just so adorable and so beautiful when they get older, I can't wait to get my new baby!