Can I get a Conure?

[Livy]

Hi! Im planning on getting another bird and was planning on getting a cockatiel. Unfortunately my family members are allergic to their powder down so im unable to. I currently own a Budgie and spend around 6-10 hours with it almost every day, would it be too much of a risk to have a Conure around my budgie?
They would be separate and would only be allowed out while supervised (or not at all depending on reactions) is this possible? or should I search for another option? Thanks, Liv

 

[chris-md]

What do you mean by risk?

Risk of fighting/bodily damage? Sounds like you’ve got that covered in your understanding of restrictions on interactions.

If that’s your only concern, you’ve already got your answer: you understand what you have today o to make it safe.

Plenty of people have birds of varying sizes. It’s all about risk management.

 

[Livy]

Sorry! Guess I should have clarified, I meant risk of injury to my Budgie. I am able to spend time with both separately but they would still be in the same room so that's why I was concerned. I've seen other people have their own Budgies and Conures out together but I've been getting mixed results to when I ask if its possible. Many people tell me the risk is too high for my Budgies injury, then others say it should be fine.

 

[chris-md]

The reason you see that is because places like interest-specific Internet forums breed...purism, which values absolute risk aversion over risk management. Never take any risks, even if you can ultimately mitigate them.

To put it mor abstractly: should you give your bird a bite of your pizza crust? No.
Is it toxic or will it otherwise kill them? No
Should you feed chocolate? No.
Is it toxic or could it otherwise kill them? Yes.

Should you be shamed for giving them just the tiniest nip of pizza crust once a month? NO! Becuase you know better than to make pizza crust a day to day dietary staple. It’s a junk food snack, not a toxic item

One of these things is not like the other. Moderation is key.

You see many successful people with big and small birds in the same home. How do they do it? By not being dunderheads.

Risk management is really the key here. Preaching Total aversion to risk in ALL without considering alternatives, in my humble opinion, ignores your capacity for reason. There’s a difference between sheltered and protected.

 

[chris-md]

The challenge is determining what advice you receive is risk aversion vs. common sense.

All birds are on pelleted diets and doing well.

Yet I’ll tell you don’t put ekkies on pelleted diets becuase they can’t handle it. Others will tell you their Ekkie is doing just fine on a pelleted diet.

Am I being purist? Or am I right and your average bird owners is some combination of lazy and uninformed?

Bad example because the answer is in between: they CAN do ok, or at least some can, but some experience challenged with pellets becuase they are often enriched, which actually is well known to be bad for them. But you see the point: purism can rein but you have to develop a bit of common sense to weed through.

Long dietary diversion but the point is this: risk management is your approval here. Becuase you’re clearly an astute individual who has a concept of what you’re getting into.

 

[Laurasea]

I use acrylic sheets on top of the cage. So little budgie toes don't get bitten off by conure. My conure did bite off some of my budgie toes....horrible before I did this.

I keep everybody flighted, and have nemerous perch options, and introductions were dine slowly over weeks/ months. So they can be out together under supervision.

Fiddlejen has budgies and a sun conure, that do well

 

[Cardinal]

Hi! Im planning on getting another bird and was planning on getting a cockatiel. Unfortunately my family members are allergic to their powder down so im unable to. I currently own a Budgie and spend around 6-10 hours with it almost every day, would it be too much of a risk to have a Conure around my budgie?
They would be separate and would only be allowed out while supervised (or not at all depending on reactions) is this possible? or should I search for another option? Thanks, Liv

Why not get another budgie or more budgies instead of. a conure or any other species. Multiple birds from same species tend to bond better and are also, in my opinion more fun.

 

[noodles123]

Hi! Im planning on getting another bird and was planning on getting a cockatiel. Unfortunately my family members are allergic to their powder down so im unable to. I currently own a Budgie and spend around 6-10 hours with it almost every day, would it be too much of a risk to have a Conure around my budgie?
They would be separate and would only be allowed out while supervised (or not at all depending on reactions) is this possible? or should I search for another option? Thanks, Liv

Why not get another budgie or more budgies instead of. a conure or any other species. Multiple birds from same species tend to bond better and are also, in my opinion more fun.

although you will need to know the sex of both birds if you go this route, as female budgies don't get along as 2 males and a mix can lead to breeding issues which are less than ideal.

 

[noodles123]

Livy- my response depends a lot on your age. Conures live for much longer than budgies and any plans for college, uncertain career, apartment living etc could easily be very hard on a bird that has the potential to live over 30 years. If you are still at home, you would need to be certain that your parents were as invested and you would just have to pray that if you went off to school that your bird would be attached enough to them in your absence (which may or may not happen).

 

[fiddlejen]

I have two budgies. I got them first and then less than 2 months later got my Sun Conure.

I do Not devote 6 hours of attention daily to my budgies. If you plan to continue doing that you will not have enough attention to give to your conure? OR do you mean, hang out together time, not devoted-attention time? Then you should be fine. Your conure will need plenty of one-to-one attention. As you only have one budgie, you will need to guard against jealousy also. At 2-years on, mine are great together. I love watching them choose to hang-out in each others' cages. But during the first year I could not do that. Manipulative Mr. Jefferson-Budgie would actively provoke Sunny Sun Conure - and then actually try to make it look like Sunny was at fault! (I watched this happening. It was hysterical. How can a tiny little budgie have the brain cells to plot something like that? ??!!??) Budgies can be annoying little Napoleonic brats toward other birds, thus putting themselves in danger from an aggravated bigger-bird. So you will need to keep an eye on them when they are together. Your conure will need plenty of one-on-one time with you. But it can work well, and I'm convinced that for many birds, it's mentally health to be in flocks with different birds.

If you observe wild birds, although they flock together with own species, they also hang around with other species at same time, without much problems.

 

[Livy]

Okay! so to answer a few questions, I got one Budgie because I wanted him to become bonded to me (I spend a lot of time at home so it wouldn't be a problem), In a few months I'll be upgrading to a very large area where the birds can be distanced if needed (cages will not be set together) One of the main reasons I wanted a larger bird was to harness train it (I know the risks), As of right now my parents check in on Dee once or twice a day if I'm gone for an extended period of time. I am a very outdoorsy person and want a bird who (if able) will be able to come with me, I do not want another Budgie for the time being but am open to it in the future

 

[fiddlejen]

Ah. My budgies are pretty independent, and more bonded to each other than to me. However they were used to having ALL my attention until I brought Sunny home, and as mentioned there were definite jealousy issues for a while.

In your case, as with anyone bringing a second bird into their life, you will need to continue to make Lots of time available to maintain your bond with your first bird, while at the same time, equally lots of time to bond with and train your second bird.

Maybe people have birds of different species. Definitely that can work. Quarantine the new bird to start with. Be aware and cautious at all times, make sure you are watching over their interactions, make sure you have time for interacting with them individually -- and, hopefully together.

As mentioned elsewhere, when you get a second bird, they might hate each other, they might love each other as best-buddies, or anywhere in between. That said, budgies tend to be very friendly and curious. Chances are good that, once over any jealousy, your budgie will probably like your new bird a lot. OFTEN with budgies, the biggest problem is they can be annoyingly sociable. Quite easy for sociable bratty budgie to provoke a larger bird resulting in harm; this will be something to guard for in their interactions.

The biggest qualifier for getting a Second Bird, is that YOU want it. (That is, don't get a second bird FOR your first bird, only get a second bird for YOU.) You definitely meet that qualifier.

SO if you have time, space, and love & attention to give 2 birds, then definitely do so, and get the second bird that You want.