Sun Conure owners, I just got my baby and have some questions...

[quanure]

Alright, first off I got a baby sun conure (8 weeks old) yesterday and he just got done being weined. He's doing fine eating a lot of peanuts, seed, and grapes, but he constantly makes this little noise when he's eating or on my shoulder like he wants something. Is this normal for a baby?

Also my quaker is having a hard time getting used to my conure, is there anything I can do to encourage a friendship between my new baby conure and my quaker?


Thanks everyone.

[Shutterbug]

IMO congrats on the baby sun, although 8 weeks old sounds really young. I brought my baby home who was weaned, eating pellet and veggies, but he was 5 months old. They are just babies and mine makes a kind of squeaky, quacky noise when he is contented either while eating or sitting on me and playing. Give the 2 time and they definitly need some quaratine time anyway, but after that just let them sit with you together on opposite sides of the couch/chair and watch them closely. Give them time, they may never be friends but if they are they need to take it one step at a time. good luck

[ObsidianPhoenix]

I got mine a couple of weeks ago and she was 2 months old.. She is still not fully weaned yet.

I still have to make a thick warm mixture of the Kaytee Exact hand feeding formula. She eats it out of the dish, so she is a bit self reliant, it's just that she needs a bit of the extra nutrition in the formula.

Now a question. When she is making the noise, is it a bit of a demanding chatter and is she slowly bobbing her head? If so, I would try just a bit of the formula.

My Sun will go most of the day without it now, so I think she is just about there, but if I notice her getting really demanding, then I whip up a small amount and my goodness, I don't even have time to set the bowl down before her face is in the food.

Take a look at this video. If her head bob is looking like that, she may want some of the formula, or some sort of soft mashed up food that is around 100 degrees or so.

Link: YouTube - Say hello to Phoenix!

I hope this helps you out. Grats on the new Sun Conure!

Phoenix.

[kali]

my baby's gettingolder but he still make a cute sort of quacking noise when he's with me, snuggling in my armpit or under the computer when it' on my lap. it's not a constant noise, more like a making sure you know he;s there and give him some attention kind of noise. i love it :) i think it's just a sun conure thing bcoz i've never heard it before in any other bird. sometimes when he really misses me after a day at work he'll get SO PUFFY and snuggle right into my chest bobbing his head and squeaking..you can tell he's so happy to have me home. you are very lucky, when you know the love and cuddliness of a sun conure, you could never want for anything else <3

i am besotted with my little man... can you tell?????

p.s. buy some earplugs. you'll need them eventually.

[quanure]

yes he is bobbing his head up and down, i'll give him some warm soft food. and yes he is so cuddly it's unbelieveable. heres a pic, thanks for your help everyone!

[xafsmom]

8 weeks is incredibly young for a sun to be weaned. Normally they wean at 12-13 weeks. I'd be very surprised if he's going to be able to fully feed himself right now, and you might consider getting some hand-feeding formula and spoon feeding the baby twice a day until he refuses it or, in a dish as someone else mentioned. Especially if his bobbing reflex is still very strong. I would also weigh him daily and make sure that he's actually in the correct weight ratio for his species and not losing weight.

[quanure]

alright i think i am going to put him back on formula. he is doing that head bobbing thing, but he eats like i pig! I feel him a couple grapes, peanuts, apples, seed, and pellets and he eats big plates of it! Only thing now is every like 10 seconds he churps and flaps his wings one time. can any help on what this means and where to get formula?

[Chief's Mom]

The little grunt with the wing twitch is what they do when they're waiting to be fed. My sun and my GW did this while handfeeding. Chief (GW) still does it occasionally when she wants to eat what we're eating. You can buy the formula at just about any pet store that has bird stuff. I know the most popular brand (at least around here) is Exact. Its a powder that you mix with warm water. If he eats it from a dish or spoon, the temp is not as important as when you're syringe feeding, but its still not good to give it to them when its cold. You can also make a mash of sweet potatoes and a little peanut butter warmed slightly. If he's eating (and not just making a mess of) other foods, then he may just want the comfort of hand feeding. 8 weeks is a little young, but as long as he's continually gaining weight, he should be fine.

[quanure]

alright. thank you!