Here comes the fun part!

[dezilu423]

This should be fun for me, since I'm usually the one guiding newbies on my rodent forums. Now you guys get to help me!

So, I'm finally retiring from the life of rodentry, and decided on either a Sun Conure or Quaker. I'm leaning more toward the sun conure though, just for a new experience. We used to have all sorts of birds when I was very young (9&under; I'm 14 now). My brother bred, handfed, and sold tame Cockatiels. He also kept Quakers, Nandays, and Blue Crown Conures. But, I was never really old enough to realize the care that was involved. And still, we've never had sun conures. =]

So, I pretty much need a full blown "care sheet" from you guys. I'll try not to be the traditional "clueless" newbie, as I know how irritating those can be. ;]

Here are just some current questions that are just floating around in my head. Extra info is more than welcome!
1. What are some common illnesses that I should be on the watch for?
2. Are sun conures best in pairs, or can the still be happy on their own?
3. What seedmix is the best? I've heard that you can't get much better than Mazuri
4. Are there any certain brands of mineral block that are better than others?
5. What cage dimensions would be ideal for 1 or 2 conures? (I'm probably going to be getting my cage, bird, and supplies from a bird fair that's coming up in November)
6. Are water bottles better than dishes? Even if you clean out the dish every day?
7. Will s/he need any extra fruits or veggies that are not supplied by the seed mix?
8. How often do you guys clean out your bird's cage?

Can't think of anything else at the moment. But, I really wan't a bird that will interact with me. Do you think that this is the bird for me, or that a Quaker might be better? I mean, my brother had a female quaker that was really attatched to him. But, being a female, she absolutely despised me and my mother. And I want a bird that won't be so possessive. Y'know?

Thanks for all the help! I'm trying to learn everything I can before the bird fair in November! =D

[heatherfeather]

I've had my conure ( a black capped) for just under a week, but I will do my best to answer the questions that I have answers to (my numbers will correspond to yours).

1. Honestly, for this, I would just buy a book to have on hand at all times. You never know what will pop up.

2. It's personal preference here. Conures do great on their own with the proper car and attention. It all depends on how much time you have and how tame you want your bird to be.

3. I've never heard of Mazuri. I use Volkman's and have heard it is one of the best.

4. ????

5. I'm not sure about exact dimensions, but I go as big as I can.

6. Personally, I prefer the water bottles. If you use a dish and your bird poops in it while you are away from the house it would be bad if your bird then drank the poopy water. But, if you located the dish higher up in the cage you may be safe. Again, it's kind of personal preference, but my opinion is that you'd be safer with a bottle.

7. Absolutley!!!! Fresh food is a must for ALL birds no matter how quality the seed mix is. Pellets are also very good and should be a staple of their diet.

8. I try to get to mine every other day, but occasionally I'll go every three days. Atleast every other month you should take the cage outside for a good hosing down to really get those nooks and crannies that are hard to wash during hand cleaning.

[ray1457]

I've had my sun for about a year and a half, so I'll attempt a few answers...

1) I agree with heatherfeather; get a book for when symptoms pop up, and have a certified AVIAN vet (vs. a "regular" vet) on call for emergencies...

2) Suns are capable of being happy without a birdie companion, but that means that the owner MUST be able to provide at LEAST a couple of hours "out of jail" time (minimum) every day. (And yes, the bird will insist on being on your person for most of that time...) Lack of attention will result in a screaming, plucking maniac! And suns, despite their size, can be LOUD!

3) Seeds are for training and as treats; do NOT use them as a staple of the sun's diet! Get a good pellet mix (Roudybush, Harrison's or Zupreem are all good) and suppliment with fresh (or frozen) vegetables and fresh fruits (not canned). Sun's can eat just about anything you can, with a few exceptions: NO avacado and NO chocolate. Birds cannot process lactose, so milk / milk products aren't encouraged. Cooked eggs (shell and all) are ok, though. Keep salt or sugar to a minimum. (If I'm allowing my bird to have some of "my" food, I don't season the food until after I've put his portion in a seperate bowl.) Peppers (jalapeno, cayenne, etc.) are ok; they don't "burn" birds like they do us homo saps... SMALL amounts of lean cooked meat are ok, too, especially turkey or chicken. And while we're on the subject of food and cooking, throw away ALL pots / pans / skillets that are coated with Teflon. (Fumes from overheated teflon are deadly to birds!)

4) I kept a mineral block in my sun's cage for over a year and he never touched it; I suspect that he gets all the minerals he needs from the pellets.

5) Minimum cage size would be 2x2x3 (L,W,H) for one conure; the bigger, the better. (Get the biggest cage you can afford...)

6) Bottles vs. water dish: I use a water bottle. Not only will conures poop in their water dish, they will also dunk their food in it (creating very colorful birdy "soup"), and they sometimes try to bathe in it, as well...

7) Extra fruits / veggies: covered in question #3...

8) Cleaning... Change the paper in the cage daily (there should be a "grate" on the bottom of the cage to prevent the bird from walking on the paper), and scrub the cage down once a week.

Sun conures will definately "interact" with you! If you socialize the bird with other friends / family, there is less chance of it becoming a "one person" bird.

[stepht25]

Sorry - these answers aren't in order with your ?'s ;)

Mazuri is actually a pellet. I've heard it's a good one - but I believe a little harder to find - I don't know of many stores walk in type or online that carry it. My birds get a dry food mix (Bird Paradise Ultimate Blend) that has pellets, dried fruits and veggies and nuts in it. They also get a bowl of just pellets (except for the parrotlet). The tiels and parrotlet get seed daily. The other birds get some seed every other day. Sometimes they get a seed mix - sometimes they get nutriberries and avicakes. They get fresh veggies and fruit at least 1x a day and cooked foods (beans, grains and veggies or birdie bread) at least 1x a day.

As far as a water bottle or water dish. I prefer a dish. Yes my birds dunk their food in it, bathe in it and the tiels and parrotlet try and poop in it. But I've pretty much solved the poop problem by buying acrylic "guards" and placing them over the top of them - discouraging them from sitting on the water dish. Sometimes they like to dunk their food in the water to soften it some before eating it. If they prefer it that way - I don't see why I should take that away from them. (actually only 3 of my birds are food dunkers) The conures LOVE to bathe in their water dishes. I just clean their water dishes in the morning and again at night. (once in the middle of the day if they need them) With water bottles I have heard you have to check them very regularly to make sure they haven't gotten stopped up.

If you want your bird to bond and interact with you - you're probably best to start with only 1. If you get 2 at the same time there is a chance they will bond together and prefer one another's company over you. This is not always true - we have 2 tiels and 2 conures. (the tiels share a a cage - the conures have separate cages.) We do make sure to take extra time with the birds alone to keep their bond strong with us. For a single bird - make sure to have plenty of toys of various materials to keep them occupied while you are away at school etc. Change the toys out reg. so they don't get bored. Foraging type toys are excellent for them and a great way to keep them occupied when they have to be alone during the day. (of course you should also have plenty of toys available if you have 2 birds in a cage!)

Every weekend we clean our cages - top to bottom. I put enough layers of newspaper in so that every day during the week I can just take the top 1 or 2 sheets off - and they have clean paper underneath. Wipe down the grates daily - and any area where fresh/cooked is etc.

We keep cuttle bone available to most of the birds and several of the birds like the edible perches that you can get that are made up of minerals etc. Not all the birds take an interest in the cuttle bones/perches - but we keep them available anyway.

Do you know if you're leaning one way or the other yet as to a Sun conure or a quaker?

[dezilu423]

Thanks everyone. =]

I think I've pretty much decided on the Sun Conure. I've had quakers before, and I know how great they can be. But, I want to experience the joys of sunnies too. :]

I've already got a cage. Though, it's going to need some serious work (see my thread on "Renovating Rusted Cage"). But, I think it's pretty much big enough, and it's got a playtop.

I think I'll probably go for a water dish. If I ever change my mind, we have water bottles galore around the house. So, it's no problem.

The reason I mentioned Mazuri is because we order it offline anyway for some of the other animals, and it's really not a problem to get some. I've also been reading a lot of articles online about pellets vs. seedmix. And, I think I've narrowed it down to this: Pellets will suffice all of the nutritional needs of a bird, but it doesn't have the antioxidants that seedmixes do. And it also doesn't provide the variety that the seedmixes do. So, I think I'll probably mix a solution of one part seed, two parts pellets for his/her food each day.

I've got all sorts of wooden beads, twine, keychains, and other artsy things to make homemade toys from. So, I'll probably do that.

Omg, I just can't wait until the bird fair in November!! =D

[Monica]

Seeds and pellets wont do it... parrots need fresh foods as well such as veggies, cooked legumes & eggs, whole grain breads, cooked brown or wild rice, etc.

I suggest looking into the Healthy Bird Cookbook by Robin Deutsch

[dezilu423]

Seeds and pellets wont do it... parrots need fresh foods as well such as veggies, cooked legumes & eggs, whole grain breads, cooked brown or wild rice, etc.

Well..Of course! I didn't mean I wasn't going to feed him/her just seeds and pellets. I'll be sure my sunnie has all of the fresh foods it can think of. Except avocados, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, and parsley. Those are the only harmful foods, right?

[Monica]

Here's a great site on the nutrition information on foods of any type (including fast foods)
NutritionData.com NutritionData's Nutrition Facts Calorie Counter

Here's a list of foods that can be fed (although not complete) from the Healthy Bird Cookbook by Robin Deutsch.

Grains, Breads, and Muffins
Corn bread
Graham crackers
Mandel bread, soaked
Matzoh
Matzoh balls
Mini bagels
Oatmeal
Pastas
Rice
Rice cakes
Rice Chex
Rice Krispies
Sweetened corn cereals
Sweetened oat cereals
Toasted bread
Unsalted crackers
Unsalted, unbuttered popcorn
Wheat cereals
Whole-wheat or multigrained bread
Zweibach toast, soaked
Other grains

Vegetables
Beans
Beets
Broccoli
Carrots
Corn
Green beans
Jalapeno peppers
Lima beans
Mixed vegetables
Okra
Peas
Potatoes
Summer squash
Sweet Potatoes
Winter squash
Yams

Fruit
Apples
Bananas
Berries (all kind)
Grapes
Kiwis
Mangos
Melons
Oranges
Papaya
Pears
Star Fruit
Winter Squash
Yams

Other Foods
Hulled seeds
Millet spray
Monkey biscuits
Peanut butter sandwiches rolled in millet
Pellets
Scrambled eggs
Hard-boiled eggs
Sprouted seeds


Foods to avoid
Chocolate
Avocados
Sugar (too much is a bad thing... best kind is natural sugars)
Old Seeds
Mayonnaise products
Unwashed Fruits or Vegetables
Rhubarb (contains oxalic acid, as does spinach - feed only in small amounts)
Fruit Pits
Nuts (brazil nuts, almonds, imported nuts that have been polished/dyed)
Dairy Products (birds are lactose intolerent-feed small amounts-cleaned/cooked eggs and yogurt fine)
Mold
Caffeine
Salt
Alcohol
Food Dyes
Sulfites (found in dried fruits and veggies to help preserve them-only from health food store)

[stepht25]

Originally Posted by dezilu423

Thanks everyone. =]
I've got all sorts of wooden beads, twine, keychains, and other artsy things to make homemade toys from. So, I'll probably do that.

Be careful when using items around the house for your bird toys. Key chains really aren't safe to use. Anything metal you use needs to be nickel plated or stainless steel. Wood/twine is okay is long as it isn't treated, polished or stained with anything. Check out the threads in the Workshop area for making your own toys. A great website for tips and ideas for making your own toys is CheepParrotToysNTips...Welcome!!!