Some conure questions

[Flyinhigh]

Hi guys, so I'm really considering adding a conure to my critter family and I think I've narrowed it down to either a Green Cheek or a Maroon Belly. And had some questions I was hoping you all could help me out with.

(1. What's the best age to acquire one?
(2. What are some good types of bedding to use? I've read newspaper or Aspen shavings.
(3. Is there a difference between males and females?
(4. What's a good staple diet for them? A lot of sites recommended a mixture of pellets and seeds, but I wanted to double check.
(5. Should you clip their wings and toenails?

At my local pet store they have a very sweet Maroon Bellied conure that's a few months old. He's $300, does that sound like a reasonable price? I've had a hard time finding breeders in my area, but I did find someone who sells Green cheeks that lives right in my town. I was also wondering, are there any personality differences between GCs and MBs?

Thanks so much! :D

[denmor55]

Maroon Belly and green cheeks are virtually the same in temperament. I like the green cheeks they are more colorful and also come in different color mutations. Maroon Bellies Are about $150 Greencheeks $200.
Find a breeder and get one that is just weaned. better yet find one that is not yet Weaned and ask the breeder if you can visit the bird during the weaning.
Weaned Conures Should be kept in a cage with a grate and slide out tray for cleaning Bedding is not needed.
The Males I think make the better pet even though they are a bit more Nippy but the only way to tell if you are getting a male is DNA testing.
Diet should be Seed, Pellet and fresh Veggies. Conures love there veggies.
I have never had to clip My greencheeks toe nails but I do keep there wings clipped a little bit ( beware a Greencheek can fly with Clipped wings).

[Mothi]

I can't say I know a whole lot about birds in general but what I can say is from my own experience and research.
(1. What's the best age to acquire one?
I think when it comes to age, it is similar to aquiring a puppy or kitten. There is a recommended age for a youngster (after they are weaned). For birds, I think the minimum recommended time is something like after they are weaned and eating on their own for about 2 weeks or something. Some babies do revert and require a little taste of formula for comfort when entering a new home and have been weaned. A definate plus if you can find a breeder who will let you visit your baby if he is not ready yet so he can get used to you.

(2. What are some good types of bedding to use? I've read newspaper or Aspen shavings.
If your cage has a grid, substrate is not so big a concern if your birdies little feet can't reach it. Not sure otherwise, but I have read not to use corn cob or walnut shell substrates. Impaction of the crop, bacteria buildup, and toxic substrates are the issues.

(3. Is there a difference between males and females?
I have no idea other than what organs they have. Personality wise not sure. I know for budgies it is said the males have a better ability to speak then females, given they want to speak.

(4. What's a good staple diet for them? A lot of sites recommended a mixture of pellets and seeds, but I wanted to double check.
From my readings and searching, a mainly pellet diet seems to be good. Some fruits, veges, and seeds also. They key is some variety. They aren't like a dog where you can just pour a scoop of kibble and call it a day.

(5. Should you clip their wings and toenails?
Well it is your call I suppose. Aviary birds don't have either clipped. Pet's might be better off with wings clipped properly. Toenails... not sure. I would think they need the tips of their nails to clutch their perches so going overboard there may be problematic. There are perches that will help file them a tad, but they are never going to be super short and not cause some discomfort when they perch on you. I work as a dog groomer and have had people come in requesting a nail cut for their dogs. Their dogs nails were already very short and up to the quick (vein). There was no way I could even tip them without possibly bleeding the poor dog (which I of course won't do). The whole point is, they will always have nails, and because they have nails, they can scratch.

At my shop, we have a maroon bellied for about $300 as well. Yesterday I was watching him and he was doing a lot of squawking and being a little clown. Don't know if that is normal for them but it was rather loud for a bit. They are cute, but not quite the variety in mutations available like green cheeks. I feel absolutely in love with the cinnamon GCC that was at my shop. They were labeled fancy, but I was so in love with them that I had to research more about GCC and find out what color that was that I saw.

I would recommend buying from a reputable breeder versus a pet shop. By reputable breeder I mean someone who cares and takes the time to raise their babies as part of their family instead of a form of income. Your babies personality will be influenced by how they were brought up. With a pet shop, you don't know how the baby was raised. There are many people in charge of their care. Make sure if you do decide to get one from a pet shop to ask questions. If they don't know anything about him, ask who is in charge of the birds or would know. If they don't know, then you are buying a bird with no background information. I can say from personal experience that my shop gets hand fed birds that aren't very tame or have problems that need to be worked with. Whether they have not been socalized enough, bites a lot and very hard, or otherwise. I know for a fact our hand fed birds don't get as much out time as they should. That can also affect their tameness. Not to say they can't make great pets, but it will take some time on your part and lots of patience to be tamed to human contact. I would recommend that the bird you want should already be on a pellet diet so you don't have to go through the complex process of teaching them to eat pellets instead of an all seed diet.

In the end research research research. That way you can look and find the perfect little one for you. Good luck.

Thanks so much! :D[/QUOTE]

[Flyinhigh]

Thank you both very much for the information. It's helped me a lot.
Just one more question, I have an empty bird cage that I was thinking might work well for a conure. The demensions are 30" wide, 18" deep, and 34" high, and the bar spacing is 1/2". Would that cage be okay?
Thanks again.

[Monica]

Cage size sounds great for one little conure!