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Sun Conure breeding pair??

Rob Wendover

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Hi
I was given a pair of sun conures and was told that they had a previous clutch. I have had them for a month but haven’t seen any mating. I have made the condition perfect for it. They both do spend time in the nest box and even together inside as well. My question is should l have them DNA tested to make sure. Will same sex sun conure share and go in the box together?
I have bred Budgies, Parrotlets and Cockatiels with great success but this is the first time for conures. And I believe mating season end this month.
 

Matto

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Yes, you should have them DNA tested. I was sold a "proven" pair of linnies that turned out to be both male. However, I don't think it's too odd for a pair to not mate for a month in a new environment. They may need more time to get settled. From what I've heard, conures kept indoors will breed all year.
 

Matto

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Same sex birds will often act just like a bonded pair. The only way to tell is to see evidence (aka chicks/fertile eggs) or to DNA test.
 

Shezbug

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I was told that a bonded pair that have recently been moved are often unlikely to breed until the next season as they are not comfortable or familiar enough with the new environment to feel safe to breed. Is this correct?
 

Pipper

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I would have guessed macaws, cockatoos, and African Greys were number one but I guess those aren't getting re-homed as often but winding up in the Bird Rescue centers without adopters.
 

Matto

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I would have guessed macaws, cockatoos, and African Greys were number one but I guess those aren't getting re-homed as often but winding up in the Bird Rescue centers without adopters.
There are far more sun conures out there than toos, greys or macaws. Plus they're cheaper so they can be more of an impulse buy.
 

SandraK

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Suns are beautiful and I think too many people get suckered into buying one because of the striking colours and the fact that they're cute when little. But as they grow up, they find their sun voice and attitude which comes as a shock after having had the adorable little baby. Followed by puberty in which everything goes to Hades in a handbasket.

I have an adopted sun and have had many people at the vet's/groomer's place admire him … until he opens his beak and lets fly the standard sun scream.
 

Pipper

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There are far more sun conures out there than toos, greys or macaws. Plus they're cheaper so they can be more of an impulse buy.
I've browsed quite a few bird rescue centers and such and at most of those places I see much more macaws, cockatoos, and African Greys with much more infrequently sun/jenday conures. I finally decided on an indian ringneck because of so many scams associated with sun and jenday conures. They weren't work the hassle and risk of being scammed. Likewise African Greys, Macaws, and cockatoos seem to be used to scam frequently for some reason but those where never a consideration from me to adopt because I was uncomfortable with being unable to give them the space they needed to truly fly.

I don't dispute that there are more sun conures as pets though but not nearly as many as green cheek conures, cockatiels & budgies kept as pets. A kept pet though is not a rescue or sanctuary situation.
 

Feather

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Sample size of one, but we had so many sun conures at the rescue where I worked it was mind boggling. The two largest flights were both dedicated entirely to two separate flocks of them, and we still had more overflowing into other areas.

The next most common birds in that particular facility were blue and gold macaws.
 

Pipper

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Sample size of one, but we had so many sun conures at the rescue where I worked it was mind boggling. The two largest flights were both dedicated entirely to two separate flocks of them, and we still had more overflowing into other areas.

The next most common birds in that particular facility were blue and gold macaws.
In the midwest there are unbelievable numbers of chickens and ducks up for adoption which was a surprise to me as I didn't know they were kept that popularly as pets. You are probably in a warm weather place where it's easy to setup an outdoor aviary of them to breed and they got adoptions from those breeders once those breeders found out the labor was more intensive than they thought it would be and the market for pet sun conures smaller than they thought. When I looked for sun or jenday conures ads of all types in my local area the ads were all con jobs or the breeders that were breeding them had stopped breeding them after trying them out. The one breeder I thought I found locally could not promise to deliver within big time frame for a delivery window. So I think that means the market for them is actually pretty small at least within a 300 mile radius of me.

The Blue & Gold Macaws are what I have seen most commonly in my searches of bird rescue places in the southeast excluding Florida and Texas, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states that can't seem to get adopted so their numbers start accumulating in the bird rescue centers. It's very surprising to see such huge and expensive tropical birds showing up for adoption cheap but I can't let my pity for them draw me into bird hoarding or founding a bird rescue center myself either.

I am glad I have browsed the bird rescue centers as it's been very informative what to avoid.
 
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Feather

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No, it's cold here. Outdoor aviaries are very uncommon.
 

Pipper

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No, it's cold here. Outdoor aviaries are very uncommon.
Do they heat the outdoor aviaries somehow? I didn't know that sun conures were could hardy. I know when I lived in Zurich Switzerland a man had many big macaws as pets just north of downtown Zurich and they had an outdoor aviary but it had an indoor shelter with solid walls and no windows that was heated. Out in the middle of a huge yard. I was very surprised. He was just a rich guy though not a breeder aviary or bird rescue center.

Keeping pet birds isn't that common. I'm actually the only person besides that rich guy in Zurich that I've ever known face-to-face that actually has ever kept a pet bird. Nothing like pet dogs and pet cats which it's hard to find a person that at least who had or whose family had never owned one. In fact, I've known more people that had pet reptiles or pet fish. Out of curiosity, I looked up the price of a purebred bulldog, German Shepherd, and a couple of others and they were easily more expensive than the small to medium parrot and other birds, so no doubt in my mind birds are underwhelming choices as pets.
 

karen256

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It's a little early for breeding for conures. They tend to breed in the spring/summer (budgies and cockatiels are less seasonal). It gives you time to make sure they are healthy and on a good diet, and ideally, to work on taming them a bit if they aren't tame This won't discourage breeding at all if they are already a bonded pair, and parents that are calm around people and at least semi-tame generally will have healthier and better-adjusted babies (in part because the babies can be left with the parents for longer and still make nice tame pets).

But yes, females may show interest in a nestbox whether or not they have a mate. Even males may show some interest if only as something to chew on like a toy. You may or may not have a true pair.
 

WhteRnbwBirdie

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Sun conures and turquoise are sold quite frequently at my local Petco. Between $300 and $350
I live in a suburb off of Detroit, Michigan. A much better neighborhood than Detroit itself. The stereotypes you hear about that crime ridden place are true. But that aside, my city has a large Petco with Conures, Budgies, tiels, mice, cats, and a large selection of fish. Along with a large supply of pet food, toys, & books, supplies.
 
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