Newbie has conure questions

[Mamanda]

So, I've been doing some research and keep getting unclear answers re: if conures need grit. Can someone please clarify?
Also wondering if they need a cuttle bone like a cockatiel does. My thought was yes, but I was also told no.
Also - wondering when a conure is "full grown" with all their adult feathers?

Thanks!

 

[Nakiska]

Hello,

Do you have a conure? If so, congratulations!

No, conures do not need grit, and I have a cuttlebone in my conures cage, but he's never used it.

Our conure is 7 months old now, and I'm not sure when to consider him an adult. I still consider him a baby, and probably will practically his entire life

Take care,

Toni

 

[andrea.faerie]

it depends on the species. for some reason i remember 2 years old...

 

[Scotty T]

I can tell you that my conure is 6 months old and just starting her first molt, her new feathers are coming in like crazy.

So I guess a 6 month old doesn't have full adult feathers.

Oh and can someone tell me why the word conure comes up as a misspelling? Do we conure owners have no respect from the spell checker people? ;-)

 

[TurquoiseMel]

Well, as far as I know they dont need any of that stuff. Full grown I guess would be sexual maturity? If anyone knows when that is. And conure comes up as a misspelling because it was made up and is mainly used in aviculture /the 'pet world' of birds, it's rarely used by scientists to identify species and things like that. I think I read that on Wikipedia

 

[Spiritbird]

Generally conures and others do a major molt at about 1 to 2 years of age. That means the replace the wings and tail feathers as well as body feathers. Prior to that it is a partial molt. My little Gcc is going through his first baby molt at 5 months of age.

 

[Mamanda]

Thank you for all your replies! I guess I'll just see what happens with my little Keen baby.

 

[andrea.faerie]

I can tell you that my conure is 6 months old and just starting her first molt, her new feathers are coming in like crazy.

So I guess a 6 month old doesn't have full adult feathers.

Oh and can someone tell me why the word conure comes up as a misspelling? Do we conure owners have no respect from the spell checker people? ;-)

are you on a Mac? haha poor conure babies... pionus isn't a word either.. lol

 

[Lonnie]

As I undertand it, only birds that eat the whole seeds need grit, so I am assuming canaries, finches, and birds of that nature. I have also been told that grit given to a parrot can clog their throat, and result in their death!!!

 

[QuackQuack]

Second, on the hearing that grit can kill when not needed. My canary, Ferdinand, used grit before we got him and then we did not give him any when he came with us because many breeders claimed the need for grit was a myth. He met an untimely end when a guest burned food on my stove top and left ferdy in his hanging cage in the kitchen