CTKatie
New member
Hello!
I am a first time bird owner, for about a week. I've been thinking about getting one for about a year and was on craigslist looking for a cage when I found an ad for a Nanday Conure, right down the road. I knew it was a risk, but I went anyway. I was met by a nice man and a really angry, screaming bird. I was patient and watched and learned that the bird only screamed when his owner was around. When his former owner put his hand in the cage, the bird did anything he could to get away and eventually bit. I asked the kind man if he could leave us alone for a few minutes. Alex (the conure) calmed down and was very curious about me and even came out of his cage for a closer look. I then realized I could work with this bird and the rest is history
He was free, with his sad cage with 1 toy.
Within a day, he was coming out of his cage and even sitting on my hands for short periods. He was nippy if I moved, but never bit hard and it stopped in about 5 minutes. Nothing really seems to phase him yet, not even the 5 dogs that live in our house. It's been a week, and this bird has been amazing. He comes out of his cage willingly, he sits on my knee and even allows me to touch him all over. He even surprised me by laying on his back and let me rub his belly. Everything has been at his pace, but he sure has shocked me with how quickly he has seemed to trust me. I always put him back in his cage before he shows signs of being upset. I want our interactions to be positive. I've only been handling him for about 10 minutes at a time a few times a day.
I had bought all sorts of new toys and put them in his cage. He didn't touch a single one of them. I know his previous owner said it had been a few years since he was given attention. Yesterday, I bought him a much larger cage. I set it up next to his own one and I was shocked that he climbed over to it in about an hour and settled himself in. I removed all the new toys in the old cage, and brought them to the new one. And much to my delight, today he is playing with them! I built him a play gym for the top of the cage and above that, I have a boing rope hanging from the ceiling. I leave the door open to his cage when I am sitting in the same room and he happily moves about the area.
He was on a seed diet when got him and I bought some pelleted food to switch him over. I had read it could take a while. But yet again, this bird surprised me. He stopped eating the seeds on his own and now only eats the pellets.
I know how lucky I am and realize that getting a new bird doesn't always work out this well. I had fully expected a much rockier road. He isn't always good, but I expect that. He does scream from time to time when he sees new household objects, like the broom. I'm happy to just see him enjoy being a bird!
I'd eventually like to ad a second Conure, but I will wait until I learn more. Tomorrow I am heading to a local bird rescue to start volunteering so I can learn more about them. Who knows, maybe my next bird will choose me while I am there!
Thanks for letting me share!
Katie
I am a first time bird owner, for about a week. I've been thinking about getting one for about a year and was on craigslist looking for a cage when I found an ad for a Nanday Conure, right down the road. I knew it was a risk, but I went anyway. I was met by a nice man and a really angry, screaming bird. I was patient and watched and learned that the bird only screamed when his owner was around. When his former owner put his hand in the cage, the bird did anything he could to get away and eventually bit. I asked the kind man if he could leave us alone for a few minutes. Alex (the conure) calmed down and was very curious about me and even came out of his cage for a closer look. I then realized I could work with this bird and the rest is history
He was free, with his sad cage with 1 toy.Within a day, he was coming out of his cage and even sitting on my hands for short periods. He was nippy if I moved, but never bit hard and it stopped in about 5 minutes. Nothing really seems to phase him yet, not even the 5 dogs that live in our house. It's been a week, and this bird has been amazing. He comes out of his cage willingly, he sits on my knee and even allows me to touch him all over. He even surprised me by laying on his back and let me rub his belly. Everything has been at his pace, but he sure has shocked me with how quickly he has seemed to trust me. I always put him back in his cage before he shows signs of being upset. I want our interactions to be positive. I've only been handling him for about 10 minutes at a time a few times a day.
I had bought all sorts of new toys and put them in his cage. He didn't touch a single one of them. I know his previous owner said it had been a few years since he was given attention. Yesterday, I bought him a much larger cage. I set it up next to his own one and I was shocked that he climbed over to it in about an hour and settled himself in. I removed all the new toys in the old cage, and brought them to the new one. And much to my delight, today he is playing with them! I built him a play gym for the top of the cage and above that, I have a boing rope hanging from the ceiling. I leave the door open to his cage when I am sitting in the same room and he happily moves about the area.
He was on a seed diet when got him and I bought some pelleted food to switch him over. I had read it could take a while. But yet again, this bird surprised me. He stopped eating the seeds on his own and now only eats the pellets.
I know how lucky I am and realize that getting a new bird doesn't always work out this well. I had fully expected a much rockier road. He isn't always good, but I expect that. He does scream from time to time when he sees new household objects, like the broom. I'm happy to just see him enjoy being a bird!
I'd eventually like to ad a second Conure, but I will wait until I learn more. Tomorrow I am heading to a local bird rescue to start volunteering so I can learn more about them. Who knows, maybe my next bird will choose me while I am there!
Thanks for letting me share!
Katie
Many many congrats to your new family member. 
