Should I buy an untamed GCC

[Sum]

Hey everyone. I have been reading this site for advice for a while since I am researching about buying a green cheek conure. I have had trouble finding places that sell green cheeks in north england. I have found a shop and so I asked a few questions.
It turns out that the birds are untamed and I don't know whether as a first time buyer I should buy an untamed bird?
Also what sort of food schedule do you have for your conures, green cheek or not? I know what foods to give to I have seen differing numbers in terms of portions.
Also are vaccines necessary as I have heard different opinions, particularly with adult birds?
Also I have been advised to not buy from breeder but instead rehome birds but I don't know weather I am experience enough?

Thank you for reading this.

 

[itzjbean]

Hello and welcome! That's great you're considering a Green cheek conure, I've owned a Jenday Conure in the past and he was the best. Very well mannered. I got him from a breeder, and so he was hand-tame, very used to people and hands, and was very easy to train.

I will say it's great to rescue a bird in need of a home that's been rehomed, but if they are not tame, it can be somewhat difficult to work with them on that. When you get a weaned baby bird from a reputable breeder, it will already be well socialized and easier to train as its so used to people already. Birds that are not tame are often scared of humans and it can take weeks, months, even years to gain their trust and be able to handle them.

As far as feeding schedule goes, here's when and what I feed my two cockatiels....
6:30AM, water changed, they get served breakfast (a mix of Zupreem fruit pellets, Volkmann seeds, Tropimix and CHOP (thawed from freezer bags). I serve it to them and let them eat for a couple hours, take it out around 12pm. I'll give them a treat of Spray millet to tide them over until dinner, which I serve at 5-6pm, same thing, and let them eat it until bedtime, then I take out all food.

Hope that helps a little

 

[YUMgrinder]

As far as feeding schedule goes, here's when and what I feed my two cockatiels....
6:30AM, water changed, they get served breakfast (a mix of Zupreem fruit pellets, Volkmann seeds, Tropimix and CHOP (thawed from freezer bags). I serve it to them and let them eat for a couple hours, take it out around 12pm. I'll give them a treat of Spray millet to tide them over until dinner, which I serve at 5-6pm, same thing, and let them eat it until bedtime, then I take out all food.

Hope that helps a little

I would like to chime in and ask a question real quick, I notice a lot of people dictate feeding times for their cockatiels but I just let mine eat whenever. pellets are always available... is it strictly just a routine thing or would my Jazz benefit from a feeding schedule like yours?

 

[Sum]

Thank you, itzjbean. I though as much. I will try and look for a tamed or hand reared gcc. Though they seem to cost considerably more, it seems I will need to part time a few more hours. Thanks for the schedule. I am really afraid of over feeding my bird.
I have to attend school from 8-4 but I plan to spend my aftenoons with my birds. Is it okay to leave the bird alone for such a long period of time?

 

[Jen5200]

I have 2 conures and my feeding routine is similar to the above. I change water first thing in the morning (5:30ish), and feed a pretty good portion of chop. They usually eat this while I'm getting ready for work and feeding the outside animals. Then I usually eat my breakfast and visit with them while they are finishing with their fresh food. I leave them with a bowl of pellets during the day to tide them over while I'm at work (they don't usually eat it all during the day). When I get home, they get another portion of chop and I give a small amount of seed for them to snack on until bedtime. I think each bird is a little different for portioning and you'll get to know how much they need. I weigh mine periodically to make sure that they're holding steady at a healthy weight. Mine seem to like having a schedule but I do make sure that there's something available between their "meals".

I agree that a bird that has been socialized might be easier for a first time parront . Sometimes parrot rescues have hand-tamed birds in need of a new home, so that could also be an option to explore.

My birds have been fine being left alone while I am at work - I try to leave them a variety of toys to play with (which I rotate regularly) and they have a large cage to run around in as well. And I look forward to spending time with them when I get home

 

[Sum]

I have 2 conures and my feeding routine is similar to the above. I change water first thing in the morning (5:30ish), and feed a pretty good portion of chop. They usually eat this while I'm getting ready for work and feeding the outside animals. Then I usually eat my breakfast and visit with them while they are finishing with their fresh food. I leave them with a bowl of pellets during the day to tide them over while I'm at work (they don't usually eat it all during the day). When I get home, they get another portion of chop and I give a small amount of seed for them to snack on until bedtime. I think each bird is a little different for portioning and you'll get to know how much they need. I weigh mine periodically to make sure that they're holding steady at a healthy weight. Mine seem to like having a schedule but I do make sure that there's something available between their "meals".

I agree that a bird that has been socialized might be easier for a first time parront . Sometimes parrot rescues have hand-tamed birds in need of a new home, so that could also be an option to explore.

My birds have been fine being left alone while I am at work - I try to leave them a variety of toys to play with (which I rotate regularly) and they have a large cage to run around in as well. And I look forward to spending time with them when I get home

Thanks I was worried about leaving them alone. What cage size do you think is suitable?

 

[itzjbean]

As far as feeding schedule goes, here's when and what I feed my two cockatiels....
6:30AM, water changed, they get served breakfast (a mix of Zupreem fruit pellets, Volkmann seeds, Tropimix and CHOP (thawed from freezer bags). I serve it to them and let them eat for a couple hours, take it out around 12pm. I'll give them a treat of Spray millet to tide them over until dinner, which I serve at 5-6pm, same thing, and let them eat it until bedtime, then I take out all food.

Hope that helps a little

I would like to chime in and ask a question real quick, I notice a lot of people dictate feeding times for their cockatiels but I just let mine eat whenever. pellets are always available... is it strictly just a routine thing or would my Jazz benefit from a feeding schedule like yours?

It really is up to you as an owner. I know there are members here that will leave pellets out for their bird all day and supplement with different things (seeds, chop) at different times, but it really is up to you! As long as they are eating their food, that's really what matters

I did read thought that in the wild, parrots will stick to the schedule of searching for food at day-break, then spend the afternoon preening and playing, then will again forage at evening time before dusk. So I try to mimic this to help them out, but you can do what works best for you and your birds.

 

[Jen5200]

I have 2 conures and my feeding routine is similar to the above. I change water first thing in the morning (5:30ish), and feed a pretty good portion of chop. They usually eat this while I'm getting ready for work and feeding the outside animals. Then I usually eat my breakfast and visit with them while they are finishing with their fresh food. I leave them with a bowl of pellets during the day to tide them over while I'm at work (they don't usually eat it all during the day). When I get home, they get another portion of chop and I give a small amount of seed for them to snack on until bedtime. I think each bird is a little different for portioning and you'll get to know how much they need. I weigh mine periodically to make sure that they're holding steady at a healthy weight. Mine seem to like having a schedule but I do make sure that there's something available between their "meals".

I agree that a bird that has been socialized might be easier for a first time parront . Sometimes parrot rescues have hand-tamed birds in need of a new home, so that could also be an option to explore.

My birds have been fine being left alone while I am at work - I try to leave them a variety of toys to play with (which I rotate regularly) and they have a large cage to run around in as well. And I look forward to spending time with them when I get home

Thanks I was worried about leaving them alone. What cage size do you think is suitable?

I think the minimum suggested size is 24" x 24" x 24". My personal opinion (and it is only my opinion) is that mine need more space than that. I want them to have enough room for a few perches, toys, bowls and just playing space without feeling crowded. Mine currently have 36" x 36" x 48" with a play top and I want to upgrade to something a bit larger soon because they use every inch of that space. I think that finding a good cage size can be somewhat dependant on your situation (location in your house, your budget, how much time they'll spend in it and your bird). On the upside - I really enjoy shopping for my birds :03:

 

[PickleMeDickles]

Hi, so nice that you have come to our forum. Personally, for a first-time bird owner, I would definitely suggest a young hand-fed or older rescue. We trained horses for many years, and I can't tell you how many times someone would buy a horse who has not been trained (basically rude with no manners) and although we would do our best, we usually tried to get them to purchase a horse that already had manners put on it as to avoid accidents. A grown GCC I am sure can be tamed, but I would think it would take someone with loads of time, experience, and patience. Good luck on your quest!

-Jen

 

[LordTriggs]

Hi, My first bird was an untame GCC and I can tell you he was the best. Taming him required a lot of patience but he became very good. What I found best was to talk to them and to put your hand on the edge of a favourite perch with some seed or more favourable food placed on it and just sit chatting. My arm got sore from this as I just held it and let him approach which he did eventually. Using this process took probably about 2 hours spread over a couple days (holding my arm as long as I could for him) as soon as he saw my hand/arm wasn't a scary monster he was very good, learnt to step through ordinary training and after just over a week he began to fly to me on his own volition and we bonded very quickly. I would say go for it, I feel you can get a deeper bond through an untamed bird that you tame than a hand-reared bird. It just requires more work, but who wants a bird for things to be easy?