I'm trying to convince my dad to let me get a green cheeked conure

[apatrimo94]

I think that even a conure can be trained not to nip. My parrotlet was very nippy and i tamed him. I'm not trying to say i know more about taking care of conures than you but i think i'd be able to tame it.

Teaching a conure not to nip? That's like trying to teach a person with no fingers how to play the guitar. I think you have to be God to do that, LOL. Sorry, but it's in a conure's nature to nip. It's who they are and it's part of them.

 

[Beilana]

I think that even a conure can be trained not to nip. My parrotlet was very nippy and i tamed him. I'm not trying to say i know more about taking care of conures than you but i think i'd be able to tame it.

Its not a guarantee that ALL conures nip but the majority seem to. If you can train them not to nip, power to ya! Personally I have minimized it, but not eliminated it.

Just dont be dissapointed and give the bird away if it doesn't work.

 

[Beilana]

I think that even a conure can be trained not to nip. My parrotlet was very nippy and i tamed him. I'm not trying to say i know more about taking care of conures than you but i think i'd be able to tame it.

Teaching a conure not to nip? That's like trying to teach a person with no fingers how to play the guitar. I think you have to be God to do that, LOL. Sorry, but it's in a conure's nature to nip. It's who they are and it's part of them.

It definitely seems to be! lol

 

[SharonC]

Maybe, this would be a good idea.... Write down everything you want in a bird, and everything that you can't tolerate. This will narrow down your choices...

 

[Mrspy]

Ok here goes(you don't mind if i post what i want and don't do you?)

What i'd Like in my next parrot(conure most likely)
Fun character
Plays with his toys(my parrotlet dosn't, i don't know why but i love to see my bird chewing and enjoying his toy that i payed money for)
Loves to be cuddled
likes other people
isn't very scared of people
extremely social
not to loud
good behaviour

thing i don't want
loud and shrill squawking and screeching
biting
aggressiveness
bad behaviour
scared
timid
not social
not smart
not goofy

Could you tell me some of the things listed above that i WILL find in a green cheeked conure? thanks

 

[Aussie Ben]

Thats a good list there

Remember that 'quiet' species are only quiet in comparison to 'loud' species. Pretty well all birds will be loud at some point during the day. Take my Ekkie (known as a 'quiet' species) he loves to let quite a few ear-piercing screeches out a few times a day. And my tiel loves to chirp endlessly for 3-4 hours.

When it comes to liking other people, that will be up to you. You must socialize the bird a lot with other people at an early age. Even then some birds will never warm up to more than one person.

I'm not saying that there isn't a species out there that will meet that list. I'm just saying remember that every bird is an individual and its personality will be heavily influenced by how it is bought up. I have never had a GCC but from what I hear, they would meet your criteria. Just be prepared for anything, a bird is like a box of chocolates

 

[Beilana]

Thats a good list there

Remember that 'quiet' species are only quiet in comparison to 'loud' species. Pretty well all birds will be loud at some point during the day. Take my Ekkie (known as a 'quiet' species) he loves to let quite a few ear-piercing screeches out a few times a day. And my tiel loves to chirp endlessly for 3-4 hours.

When it comes to liking other people, that will be up to you. You must socialize the bird a lot with other people at an early age. Even then some birds will never warm up to more than one person.

I'm not saying that there isn't a species out there that will meet that list. I'm just saying remember that every bird is an individual and its personality will be heavily influenced by how it is bought up. I have never had a GCC but from what I hear, they would meet your criteria. Just be prepared for anything, a bird is like a box of chocolates

Agreed It depends a lot on the bird's individual personality. A GCC is a good choice for a smart, interactive, cuddly bird for the most part.

Hiroshi can be loud. I have posted vidos of him "chirping" which he does throughout most of the day now but around 2-3 times a day he calls, sqwaks, rants and raves lol. Although it is not as loud as say a Cockatoo its enough for me, and the neighbours to take notice.

That being said, ANY bird you choose can fit into both those categories. Even a bird who starts out with good qualities can reach sexual maturity and turn into a little monster

 

[Mrspy]

a bird is like a box of chocolates

hahaha i love that movie!

Thank for the reply

I was wondering, would it be possible for me to socialize the bird with a lot of people but still have him love me the most? Like maybe he could "tolerate" them you know let them pet him step up step off. But he will only do the tricks with me, or cuddleing.(however i think he'd get major goodie points if i let him cuddle with my dad or mom. )

 

[apatrimo94]

I was wondering, would it be possible for me to socialize the bird with a lot of people but still have him love me the most? Like maybe he could "tolerate" them you know let them pet him step up step off. But he will only do the tricks with me, or cuddleing.(however i think he'd get major goodie points if i let him cuddle with my dad or mom. )

Yeah, absolutely. A good thing you can do is maybe assign your dad to change food and water, and have your mom clean the cage bottom, and you can do everything else. That way your bird can get socialized with other people. (BTW, you don't have to do it like I said, but you can have your parents involved somehow in taking care of the bird)

 

[GreenCheek]

Personally, I think your expectations are a little too high. I honestly don't think you're going to find ANY parrot that won't be loud and won't nip. All birds are going to bite at some point, and most will beak a lot as was already mentioned. Until you lower your expectations some, you're not going to enjoy any bird that's being brought into your home.

I have a green cheek and I think he's a wonderful bird! But he IS loud a few times a day, and he does nip a lot! He's only ever broken the skin twice (and I've had him over a year), but the painful nips are endless! But when you love your bird, this is something you get over.

 

[Birdamor]

I think that, going by your lists, you expect way too much from a single little bird. Any bird. I mean, your lists describe a dog and not a parrot. Because parrots are notoriously unpredictable when it comes to their moods. This is not 100% true because there is always a reason for their 'changes' but the problem is that, usually, the cause goes right over our heads so, to us, they are unpredictable. Another problem here is that you expect the bird to love you best and that is also something that cannot be guaranteed. I rescue birds and most of them like me best but there have been birds who have loved my husband at first sight and he is not even a bird person. I also think that, apparently, the decisions are not up to you but to your parents and they don't seem to know much about parrots - which is a huge problem. Because it doesn't matter how young you get the bird and it doesn't matter how well you train it or how much you love it, parrots are individuals and even a very tame, very well socialized conure will, eventually, bite. And even birds that were hand-raised and kept lovingly by its owners for years change as they get older. I have one that lived with the same couple who raised her from an egg and loved her to pieces for years and she turned on them! And, given the history in your house, if a bird shows aggression, out he goes without giving the poor thing a chance - and that worries me. It also worries me that you and your parents thought that diarrhea was normal poop.

 

[Mrspy]

I'm sorry, not to seem rude but it was not my decision at ALL to get rid of my conure. I wanted to keep him, but my parents didn't want him around the newborn. Back in 2005 we didn't really know squat about a birds health, plus it was our first conure we thought the poop was just like every conure.

You make having a bird seem like hell..........

Also that biting stage, i know it's them maturing, just like kids mature and get rebelious towards their parents who they used to hug and play and all just don't want much to do with you. A parrot is the same way. My parrotlet is going through this stage, he will NOT let me get him out of his cage like he used to, only if i get him so happy that he goes to a front perch and then i quickly put my finger up to him to step on. Outside his cage he's an absolute angel, but inside he's a little imature brat!

We are experienced bird owners now, I got my first bird at age 8, 2 parakeets. I treated them like rag dolls, i thought you could just grab them and then throw them into the air and play battle ship with them and all that stuff! Heck i was only 8. The after one of my parakeets died i got another one. Then i got a dove(i still had the parakeets) Then i got Snoopy the conure(still having the dove and parakeets) Then my brother got a cockatiel and i got a parrotlet(not Peeps) Then we gave the 2 parakeets away(that wasn't me my brother sold them) Then my dove got sick and died. Then we gave Snoopy to a friend. Then we gave the cockatiel away to a friend(we still know where she is, she LOVES her new home) Then my parrotlet died. Then i got another parrotlet(Peeps) Now i'm wanting a conure. So yeah a lot of bird history! All of that was from 2002 to 2010. I don't think i'm assuming that my conure will be like that because i know i'd have to be as lucky as heck to get a bird like that. Every bird has his funny perfect characteristics and every bird has his faults. I was just listing what i WANTED and didn't want in my conure, i didn't exactly say that was what i was going to get.

 

[GreenCheek]

I'm still going to say don't get a parrot. Your family life does not sound very stable at all, and the fact that all of the birds you have had in the past have all been given away or died of illness is worrisome. The fact that your parents got rid of the Nanday because it could "peck the babies eyes out" is absolutely ridiculous. It doesn't take much ability to keep a parrot away from a baby (as long as it's clipped)... I think if that's your parents attitude towards normal parrot behavior, wait until you are on your own to get a parrot.

And we're not making owning a parrot sound like hell, but it's just the reality of what could happen. If you and your family aren't prepared to care for a potentially aggressive pet (even if handraised), then please, don't get a parrot! Your dad sounds very firm on this, and if something were to go wrong, I don't think it'd end well for the bird.

 

[Mrspy]

I didn't have much of a choice with the Snoopy. And i was diligent with every one of my parakeets until one of my brothers really wanted one only to end up selling them, i was po'd at him. The Dove was on medicine so that might show you that we DO care for our pets. But not one bird that i've botten by myself and done everything has ever fallen victim to having my parents say we're getting rid of him.

I don't know, sometimes my heart JUMPS at the thought of buying a green cheek and other times i just say "why a i thinking this, we've had like 8 birds and i gotta stop sometime"

Half my mind is telling me to do it do it do it, but the other half is telling me i won't have time for it when i get a job(which will be very soon) or move out and get married.

I don't know what do you guys think..........

 

[apatrimo94]

I would highly suggest not to, now that I see what you're life style's like. I mean, I'm breaking apart on the inside over the fact that when I go to college in two years, I might not be able to bring my fids (and tortoise with me) with me. Again it's up to you on what you want to do.

 

[Mrspy]

I Think i will wait either until my parrotlet passes away or until i move out, and settle down. Pitty though, i really would at least like to play with one.

 

[Birdamor]

Why don't you volunteer at a bird rescue? They always need people to help out with the cleaning and to socialize and just plain love the birds that don't have a human of their own.