I've currently just got a six month old male maroon bellied. I love him to bits and never really planned on getting another bird until he passed, but my schedule has gotten a bit busier than expected and I'm starting to feel guilty about how much time he spends alone.
At the moment, his average day is 9am-8:30pm, with about an hour of shoulder time/cuddles in the morning, another hour around lunch time which usually includes some training, then anywhere between one and three hours in the evening. I work late afternoons so on those days he'll be out from 9am-11am roughly, then another hour or so before I go to work. If I'm not home too late I'll take him out for half an hour of cuddles so he doesn't go to bed feeling too abandoned. I try to do at least three 5-10 minute flight training sessions a day, then usually work on some tricks at night before bed.
My main concern is that his cage is in its own room at the back of the house. It's pretty big and is stuffed to the brim with toys and foraging activities, but the room is just so isolated from the rest of the house. I tried putting putting the radio on for him so he at least had something to listen to and he hated it. I wish I could put his cage in the living room but my housemates have a dog that would 100% knock the cage down trying to get to him if given half a chance.
Like I said, I thought I'd be happy with just one bird when I got my little guy, and for the most part I am. But I'm starting to consider getting a second conure so that he at least has some company during the day. They're lovely birds and I'd own a whole aviary full of them if I had the time and money, so it's not like I'd be forcing myself to take on a second one just for the sake of my current bird. But I do worry that I might get another one only for him to hate it, or for the new bird to hate him. And then I'd have to deal with TWO separately lonely birds. I'm also not sure I necessarily want another maroon bellied conure -- recently I met a female peach-fronted conure for sale and completely fell in love with her. But she's 1) a different species, so I'm not sure if that makes socialization between the two of them dangerous or difficult, and 2) she's female, so I'm guessing I'd have to keep them in separate cages forever (which of course I might have to do anyway, even if I get a male MBC). Would having a bird in a separate cage but in the same room even provide him any sense of companionship?
At the moment, his average day is 9am-8:30pm, with about an hour of shoulder time/cuddles in the morning, another hour around lunch time which usually includes some training, then anywhere between one and three hours in the evening. I work late afternoons so on those days he'll be out from 9am-11am roughly, then another hour or so before I go to work. If I'm not home too late I'll take him out for half an hour of cuddles so he doesn't go to bed feeling too abandoned. I try to do at least three 5-10 minute flight training sessions a day, then usually work on some tricks at night before bed.
My main concern is that his cage is in its own room at the back of the house. It's pretty big and is stuffed to the brim with toys and foraging activities, but the room is just so isolated from the rest of the house. I tried putting putting the radio on for him so he at least had something to listen to and he hated it. I wish I could put his cage in the living room but my housemates have a dog that would 100% knock the cage down trying to get to him if given half a chance.
Like I said, I thought I'd be happy with just one bird when I got my little guy, and for the most part I am. But I'm starting to consider getting a second conure so that he at least has some company during the day. They're lovely birds and I'd own a whole aviary full of them if I had the time and money, so it's not like I'd be forcing myself to take on a second one just for the sake of my current bird. But I do worry that I might get another one only for him to hate it, or for the new bird to hate him. And then I'd have to deal with TWO separately lonely birds. I'm also not sure I necessarily want another maroon bellied conure -- recently I met a female peach-fronted conure for sale and completely fell in love with her. But she's 1) a different species, so I'm not sure if that makes socialization between the two of them dangerous or difficult, and 2) she's female, so I'm guessing I'd have to keep them in separate cages forever (which of course I might have to do anyway, even if I get a male MBC). Would having a bird in a separate cage but in the same room even provide him any sense of companionship?
