Wanting to get a bird. I have some questions

[Colt Frost]

So I know I know, I made another thread on getting a Painted already, but now I also want to get a Nanday. From what I know from research Nanday conures can be moody and aggressive, but they will settle down as they get older. They can be extremely territorial at first with other birds, but that will also settle with age. And yes I know it all depends on the bird itself on being able to be kept near other birds. They should weigh about 140-145 grams. And then a feeding schedule I was thinking for a Nanday 17.5 grams of veggies/fruit, 8.75 grams Goldenfeast conure mix, and 8.75 grams Hagen tropican granules in the morning. And then in the evening another 17.5 grams of veggies/fruit. The two birds will be housed in separate cages. Now onto the Painted. Painted's are one of the smaller conures and the average weight is about 55-60 grams. A feeding schedule for a Painted that I came up with is 7.5 grams of veggies/fruit, 3.75 grams of Goldenfeast, and 3.75 grams of Hagen granules in the morning. Then in the evening 7.5 more grams of veggies/fruit. It's basically the exact same as the Nanday's except in smaller portions. The foods I will give them will range depending on what I'm growing and what's in season in the store. The for sure plants/veggies they're going to get that I grow are Borage blossoms, dandelion greens, Lamb's lettuce, Yellow banana peppers and cayenne peppes, Purslane, Peppermint, Chives, Pears, Apricots, Apples, Icicle radish, Parsnips, Carrots, Beets, Brussel sprouts, Broccoli, Green beans, Peas, Collard greens, and Basil. And I'll link the other thread in case anyone wants to go read what people have already helped me with on there.

Wanting to get a painted conure, have questions. | Page 5 | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[cassiesdad]

Nandays I do know about.

We adopted Buddy about a year and a half ago...he's approximately 9 to 10 years old. He's moody from time to time, a little more than a tiel. He can be in a blazing hot mood at times, particularly when there's food involved. The tiels try to go in and steal food from his bowl, and Buddy goes ballistic! He'll chase the tiels out of his cage and pace back and forth in front of his food to protect it.
Lately, he's even try to attack us when we try to remove is food bowls to feed him...so one of us distracts him while the other gives him new food. Buddy does know the food is gone and yells until it returns. All in all, he's very protective about food.

He grumbles...all the time! He grumbles while he eats, even after we cover him for the night. Oh yes, he sleeps as often as not, ON HIS BACK! If you peek in to see him doing that, he flips back over...and grumbles at you...naturally.

Buddy weighs in at 135 g...give or take a gram or two...he's solid, and flies around occasionally. He flies in a powerful way, not as graceful looking as IRNs, for example, but he gets the job done...he gets to where he wants to go. Landings are somewhat an adventure...sometimes he sticks the landing, sometimes he barrel-rolls a few times....

Oh yes, Buddy is a LOUD bird...normal for his species...they've been clocked at 110 decibels...that's getting into 'too territory.

He's not much for strangers...we tried him a few times going out on pet therapy visits...he preferred to hide in his travel cage and grumble at everyone...which the residents thought was delightful. So Buddy stays home when we visit.

 

[Colt Frost]

Nandays I do know about.

We adopted Buddy about a year and a half ago...he's approximately 9 to 10 years old. He's moody from time to time, a little more than a tiel. He can be in a blazing hot mood at times, particularly when there's food involved. The tiels try to go in and steal food from his bowl, and Buddy goes ballistic! He'll chase the tiels out of his cage and pace back and forth in front of his food to protect it.
Lately, he's even try to attack us when we try to remove is food bowls to feed him...so one of us distracts him while the other gives him new food. Buddy does know the food is gone and yells until it returns. All in all, he's very protective about food.

He grumbles...all the time! He grumbles while he eats, even after we cover him for the night. Oh yes, he sleeps as often as not, ON HIS BACK! If you peek in to see him doing that, he flips back over...and grumbles at you...naturally.

Buddy weighs in at 135 g...give or take a gram or two...he's solid, and flies around occasionally. He flies in a powerful way, not as graceful looking as IRNs, for example, but he gets the job done...he gets to where he wants to go. Landings are somewhat an adventure...sometimes he sticks the landing, sometimes he barrel-rolls a few times....

Oh yes, Buddy is a LOUD bird...normal for his species...they've been clocked at 110 decibels...that's getting into 'too territory.

He's not much for strangers...we tried him a few times going out on pet therapy visits...he preferred to hide in his travel cage and grumble at everyone...which the residents thought was delightful. So Buddy stays home when we visit.

Buddy sounds like fun lol. Is he easy to handle/does he like to be handled? And I've heard about them doing the roll over thing to sleep lol. That's why I'm buying a little snuggle hammock for the Nanday lol. I even already have a name picked out (I shouldn't have thought this far ahead because now I'm going to be attached to a bird I don't even have yet lol) and that name is Pepper. And the Painted is going to be named Chilli. And after reading a little more about feeding I've realized it's kind of hard to answer my question if it's a good feeding schedule because it depends on the bird. How much it wants to eat and how much it wastes. Thank you for you input!

 

[Colt Frost]

And what are the temperatures I should try to keep the birds at? Would 75 work? That's the temperature I have to keep my room for my fishtanks. Not saying they'll be in my room, just saying I'll have to keep the house at 75 for the fish tanks.

 

[Dona]

Nandays I do know about.

We adopted Buddy about a year and a half ago...he's approximately 9 to 10 years old. He's moody from time to time, a little more than a tiel. He can be in a blazing hot mood at times, particularly when there's food involved. The tiels try to go in and steal food from his bowl, and Buddy goes ballistic! He'll chase the tiels out of his cage and pace back and forth in front of his food to protect it.
Lately, he's even try to attack us when we try to remove is food bowls to feed him...so one of us distracts him while the other gives him new food. Buddy does know the food is gone and yells until it returns. All in all, he's very protective about food.

He grumbles...all the time! He grumbles while he eats, even after we cover him for the night. Oh yes, he sleeps as often as not, ON HIS BACK! If you peek in to see him doing that, he flips back over...and grumbles at you...naturally.

Buddy weighs in at 135 g...give or take a gram or two...he's solid, and flies around occasionally. He flies in a powerful way, not as graceful looking as IRNs, for example, but he gets the job done...he gets to where he wants to go. Landings are somewhat an adventure...sometimes he sticks the landing, sometimes he barrel-rolls a few times....

Oh yes, Buddy is a LOUD bird...normal for his species...they've been clocked at 110 decibels...that's getting into 'too territory.

He's not much for strangers...we tried him a few times going out on pet therapy visits...he preferred to hide in his travel cage and grumble at everyone...which the residents thought was delightful. So Buddy stays home when we visit.

OMG I've got a visual of your Buddy. Hilarious, like an old curmudgeon.

 

[Dona]

Colt, I'll chime in to say that every Nanday I've met has been very loud.

 

[cassiesdad]

And what are the temperatures I should try to keep the birds at? Would 75 work? That's the temperature I have to keep my room for my fishtanks. Not saying they'll be in my room, just saying I'll have to keep the house at 75 for the fish tanks.

That's fine...no problem with 75 degrees. Today it got to 91 degrees here...and it's extremely muggy...so everybirdie...and piggie got misted.

Buddy sounds like fun lol. Is he easy to handle/does he like to be handled?

...he's "meh" at times with a lot of handling...but he'll sit with you as long as you want most of the time once he's with you. He shows definite body language when he doesn't want handled...he'll push your fingers and or hand away if he's not interested. If you push him at that time, he'll nip to tell you "stay away."
He's like most of our birds, we let them "call the shot"...if they want to interact with us..or not....and we respect their choice if they don't...

I think your choices of names are really cute, by the way...

 

[Colt Frost]

Colt, I'll chime in to say that every Nanday I've met has been very loud.

I've heard that from a lot of sources too lol

That's fine...no problem with 75 degrees. Today it got to 91 degrees here...and it's extremely muggy...so everybirdie...and piggie got misted.

...he's "meh" at times with a lot of handling...but he'll sit with you as long as you want most of the time once he's with you. He shows definite body language when he doesn't want handled...he'll push your fingers and or hand away if he's not interested. If you push him at that time, he'll nip to tell you "stay away."
He's like most of our birds, we let them "call the shot"...if they want to interact with us..or not....and we respect their choice if they don't...

I think your choices of names are really cute, by the way...

Good to know and thank you lol

 

[Colt Frost]

Would I be able to do an outdoor aviary from spring to fall? The high so far has been 108, I think, that's way too hot, but it has already started cooling down. By mid September it will only be getting to 85-95. Could I put them in an outdoor aviary in the mornings and evening in the summer? And then all day in the spring and fall?

 

[Colt Frost]

I talked to a kid at my school who has a lot of birds and he said he only takes his birds out during the day in March-May, and September-November.

 

[Colt Frost]

I could have my dad help me enclose the porch and build a little aviary out there. My parents are planning on closing it in anyway. Or I could just build one on the side of the yard out of 1/2 inch chicken wire with a roof and a back wall. And have it have 2-3 segments so I can have more than 1 bird out at a time.

 

[cassiesdad]

I talked to a kid at my school who has a lot of birds and he said he only takes his birds out during the day in March-May, and September-November.

I take my birds out from mid April until October...it's too cold and damp around here during the other time of year...

 

[Colt Frost]

I take my birds out from mid April until October...it's too cold and damp around here during the other time of year...

Here in Southern Utah from the end of May to about the middle of August, it rains. A lot. And it's also way to hot. This year has been a lot cooler though. It only got up to 108 and the high for the next 2 weeks is only going to be 98. But by September it cools down to only 85-90 at the hottest point of the day. And then it stays pretty warm up until about halfway through November, then it suddenly gets really cold. And then stays really really cold until about halfway through March.

 

[Colt Frost]

Ya I just looked at a year long map (I know they're not the most accurate) and it was saying that up until November 17 it was mid to high 70s, and then the 18th is heavy showers and drops down to 64 and just gets colder.

 

[cassiesdad]

Ya I just looked at a year long map (I know they're not the most accurate) and it was saying that up until November 17 it was mid to high 70s, and then the 18th is heavy showers and drops down to 64 and just gets colder.

...November gets to be a dicey month everywhere, for sure. Last November 5th, we had two tornadoes touch down here in Erie...freakish stuff indeed!
One of those actually came through and lifted not 6 blocks from the house here...the birds ended up in emergency cages, under work benches in the basement...and I ended up with bites from malcontents Buddy and Mocha...they didn't want to get into the emergency cages...but they did...

 

[Colt Frost]

...November gets to be a dicey month everywhere, for sure. Last November 5th, we had two tornadoes touch down here in Erie...freakish stuff indeed!
One of those actually came through and lifted not 6 blocks from the house here...the birds ended up in emergency cages, under work benches in the basement...and I ended up with bites from malcontents Buddy and Mocha...they didn't want to get into the emergency cages...but they did...

Oh that would be so scary... Did they just not want to go in the cages because they were being difficult? Or were they afraid of the cages? Just curious in case I ever have to do something like that.

 

[cassiesdad]

Oh that would be so scary... Did they just not want to go in the cages because they were being difficult? Or were they afraid of the cages? Just curious in case I ever have to do something like that.

We'd already covered them for the evening...then the watch turned into a warning. We had practiced what to do just in case something like that would ever happen, so we just went about doing it. Mocha and Buddy are the two difficult guys when something unforeseen happens...Buddy because he had been covered, and Mocha because he detests people.
But when something like a tornado warning happens....YOU MOVE...biting or not!

Just a side note...the practice we did helped immensely...obviously WE were scared of the situation...but in an emergency, you must control your fear...and do what you must do.

I didn't even feel the bites until well after everything had calmed down...

 

[Colt Frost]

I asked my dad and he said that he'll help me build an aviary on the side of the yard. Can the floor be dirt/grass? Or does it have to be some special kind of flooring?

 

[Colt Frost]

It's going to be 14 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 7.5-8 feet tall. Is that enough room? It's also going to be split into 2 seperate rooms/sections so the birds won't hurt each other. I want to put an actual tree in each side for them to perch on. I'll put them out in the morning with their breakfast and a lot of water, and then after school come home and have them with me for a couple hours, then put them back out there and go to work, then come home after work bring them inside and give them their dinner and then put them to bed.

 

[Colt Frost]

Now that I think about it I think I'm going to get a Nanday first, just because they cost a little less, then once I save up a little more money, then I'll get the painted. Is shipping safe with birds? The only bird breeders in Utah live up north and I called and they said they didn't have any Nandays they could get a hold of. And the only place I can find Nandays is online.