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*Most Likely* to get a conure

Bunchobird

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Hello,

My mom is concidering letting me get a conure. We currently have a Black capped conure at our local pet store, and this pet store does NOT sell their conures quickly. The conure is 3mo and 11 days TO DATE... I was wondering since I am a young person and would be the *primary* caretaker, what do I need to know? Is this a just plain awful idea?? I am currently almost 1/9 of the way there $$ wise. I have almost $100 from selling brownies in my neighborhood. I started collecting money yesterday, so i could get $900 in less than a month. I have done research on conures but people have mixed opinions. I hear they are moody... I have a parakeet, and two cages I have a smaller one, that they say is "parakeet/finch" size but is really Bluberry's travel cage. Could I keep My budgie in that for nighttime and let her free roam in my room during the day? I have a larger cage that is currently vacant (I'll link it) could I use that for the conure? I am also looking for any tips or key things I should know (like things to know as a young person and how that would work with a conure). Does anyone have good brands for food bowls, food, and toys that I can look at on amazon? Sorry if this was a little confusing... It's very early for me lol.





this is the cage I am planning to use

 
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Mizzely

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Pyrrhura conures usually wean around 12 weeks, so this baby is still fresh off the formula :) it's not like they are languishing in the pet shop at this point.

They can be moody if you aren't listening to their body language, and very loud, and can be aggressive to other species, so you may have to find a way to keep your budgies and conure separate. I've gone through conure puberty and I'll NEVER do it again. It was terrible :lol:

They live longer, and since you're young, you need to think about long term too, which is harder when you're young (well really, it's hard for me still and I'm in my 30s). There will be a lot of changes in you social life and responsibilities in the next few years. You can tell me there won't be, but we all said that ;) You can't predict the future, but under 25 really is the time when your life goes through the most amount of changes. I can not imagine having a parrot through that all of that.
 

GreenThing

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One of my favorite budgie channels on Youtube (just... amazing behavioral observations by the owners) is a Japanese channel-- because their apartment is tiny they have quite small sleeping/meal time cages for their green cheek and budgie, but one or both of them work from home so they are out all day and have lovely play areas. That being said, I think that arrangement only works when one caretaker works from or is stay-at-home.

From my limited experience, I also think budgies really like to have a "home base" to flee to and spend time in, being so small. It really depends on your room and what your budgie likes. Losing a big cage for a smaller one might be tough-- how much time does she spend in vs. out right now?
 

Bunchobird

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Right nowas in the past month, she's been free roaming for most of the time except to eat or drink. she is right now out with the chickens she has raised since day 1. I trust her to be around chickens, shes raised 2 broods of 3 and is always sweet when meeting them.
 

Pixiebeak

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As Mizzilly stated this is a particularly hard time in your life to adopt a toddler ( basically thats what they are for life) . For anyone still in school through college. Nearly always results in parents keeping the burd as you go off to college, or the burd being re homed, or an unhappy burd spending most of its time one and developing behavior problems.

One of my quakers was re homes to me by a college kid, who loved her dearly. But roommates did not , working part time, college school load , dating , simple too much for anyone to do right by their parrot.

The big cage is perfect. And right now you would probably do great by your bird, but in 2 years, in 5? Your burd would live 10-25 years. Your kid will not understand you being gone all day, dating, fun activities, internships, traveling .

But I hate squashing dreams, no one knows the future, or how sharing your life with a parrot could shape or benefit your life in profound ways.

The best advice if you do choose to add a conure. Pick the one that picks you. One that is interested and steps up to you. You might spend time looking for a hobby breeder , with caution and being smart, you might find one on Craigslist. Someone who has hand raised fully weaned well socialize babies. Or hoblby. Or at a pet store. One that will step up to you.

Babies are sweet and put up with any mistakes you make mostly. Adult conures are still sweet, but have no tolerance for you mistakes or you not reading their body language and giving them the respect they expect . They will use that Sharp beak to put you in line, and to boss you around if they can.

Even adult humans can have difficulty navigating that. They claim their bird has turned mean or suddenly hates them . They react badly to the pain of the bite making the situation worse, or developing fear of being bitten making the bird fearful as well . Adult birds of any species can become protective of their cage, any touching cage or putting fingers or hands in cage can lead to bites. You can't punish them , you can't use physical correction it won't work.

So how do people deal with bites? Avoid. Read body language expect the situation can change quickly based on your birds perspective. Use permission based training, do not force interactions, treat and verbally reward. Ok so you get a bite, you take the pain and the blood. You say no, calmly and firmly, you move the bird to tge back of the chair to the couch or back to the cage. You wait a few minutes then you back and ask if it wants to step up give a treat fir stepping up nice. And carry on as tho this never happened. But make note of the situation that caused it and try nit have that situation happen again. You van try bite pressure training. Ok way to much to cover here.

Can a budgie and a conure learn to get along? With caution probably. But a conure can kill a budgie. Conures don't back down, and budgies tend to invade their space. My conure gets along very well with my budgies. Except once , with misplaced aggression she bit my budgie in the chest and drew blood. The ugly truth. And once she bit off the toe of my budgie who landed on top of her cage while she was inside of her cage, another ugly truth. All of my cages now have acrylic laid over the top to prevent this. When the birds are out all cages are closed so no birds can climb on cages while another is inside. The birds are still friends who share food and perches and preen each other. In 4 years no other issues, but their is always a chance. So they are never out together un supervised. If I need to take a shower or leave the room they are out up in their own cages.

Since this us a lot for one post. I'm going to stop here.
 

FeatheredM

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I don't know if it's a bad idea as everyones life is drastically different. Think about your future, are you going to find a way to stay with your birds? How possible is it that you can? It is possible, but only you can properly decide if it is possible :)@Britnicorn posted about letting her budgies out in her room while she was gone. Good luck, and keep us updated!
 

flyzipper

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Adding to the other comments -- as you budget, please think about the affordability of the ongoing expenses, not just the acquisition costs.

Excuse my tangent...
One of my favorite budgie channels on Youtube (just... amazing behavioral observations by the owners)...
... link please :)
 

Bunchobird

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i have a "he/she(s) the one" with almost every animal i meet EXCEPT for birds lol. I think thats god preventing me from having 8,000. I met a elderly lady yesterday who has an almost identical story on how she ended up with a budgie! I didnt think about going off to college... i do need to plan for that (not just for the conure, but if bluberry is still not flying high). I have planned for a vet visit, toys, food bowls, food.. my mother is very involved in the aquiring of a pet lol, I can't just get a bird and have nothing for it. A frustrating but good thing she refuses to do is buy me ANY bird, or dog as a present or "suprise". It's been since I was born, "pets are not gifts". I guess that is a good thing or I would have too many pets!
 

Zara

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she is right now out with the chickens she has raised since day 1. I trust her to be around chickens, shes raised 2 broods of 3
Your budgie raised chickens?

she spends a maximum of 8 hours where she is locked in her cage
I´m not sure what this means.

What is your set up for your budgies? Are they in a chicken coup? Or out free in your bedroom?
What happens at night time? It´s not safe to sleep in a room with uncaged birds, and it´s not safe for birds outside at night.

As for the BCC, @Leih has a male BCC if you want to ask her any species specific questions. She also is able to allow out of cage time shared with other species while successfully keeping everybirdy safe.
 

Bunchobird

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My bird does raise chickens INSIDE my room. she flies around my room for about 16 hours a day with the chickens. Then at night I put her up for 8 hours to go to bed. My BUDGIE has a night cage she sleeps in.
 

fashionfobie

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Right nowas in the past month, she's been free roaming for most of the time except to eat or drink. she is right now out with the chickens she has raised since day 1. I trust her to be around chickens, shes raised 2 broods of 3 and is always sweet when meeting them.
If I am understanding the post correctly, do you have a budgie raising chickens? I know your heart was in the right place, but this is a poorly idea. Chickens and budgies are not compatible in the same environment. Chickens carry a micro biome very different than budgies and budgies can get seriously ill from living with chickens. It is further complicated by the behavioral difference. Healthy chickens will establish a pecking order and a budgie, even if bonded to the chickens, can not with stand a chicken head peck.

I recommend seperating your species. Predatory chickens are not good house mates of budgies. Please understand I am saying this from kindness. You don't want anyone getting ill or injured. I have my own chickens and I love them dearly, but they will be chickens, it isn't their fault.


In the future please do not allow your budgie to raise chickens.
 

FeatheredM

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I try to get them to sleep 12 hours, but since they get night frights if fully covered they wake up when they choose. They get an average of 10-11 hours of sleep and they have so much energy. 8 deos seem like too little though. I would recommend giving your budgie more sleep.
 

GreenThing

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My birds get approx 12 hours sleep a night. I believe that budgies need the same..? @Ripshod @Shezbug @GreenThing @FeatheredM ?
Yep. The minimum I've seen recommended is 10 hours. That's what I started with, but mine get 12 now, because as much as I try to artificially manage the light, they are sensing the changing season and responding to it! I think I am a good example of working around the limitations of a full time job (or school)-- two nights a week I am home at 6pm, we have dinner and full attention playtime until 7:30, then we start winding down.

I bought blackout curtains and gradually started covering more of the cage until they can now feel comfortable with a 3/4 covered cage. Some nights I really need to wind down in my own room, so that means I do everything in the dark (I got a dimmer app for my laptop that allows me to dim it past the factory settings, in addition to having a blue light filter, and thank goodness the Nintendo Switch dims really low :laugh:). Even though they will go to bed with a little sunlight filtering in, they sense as soon as the sun rises (unless it is a rainy day) and are awake!

Two nights a week I don't get home until 9-9:15pm, so in the afternoon I have this elaborate set up where all the lights but the nightlight are out, the back of the cage is partially covered, so that when the sun sets they will put themselves to bed as it gets dark (probably a little later), then I sneak in and finish covering them up.

Studies on budgies in lab conditions have shown that their brains do not complete the same healthy sleep cycles without darkness. I don't think 8 hours will be deadly (mine have had the rare one off where we all go to bed late because I'm doing laundry or whatever ADHD reason), it is possible individual birds can/have adapted to it, but it may well cause hormonal issues down the line.
 

Wardy

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My budgie also sleeps a lot during the day.
Both of my conures both spend time during the day napping but still get a minimum of 12 hours sleep a night they are currently getting 14 hours a night.
 

Mark & Da Boyz

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The cage is like one I have for BB, Green Cheek Conure, while it's large enough it lacks feeder door and seed guard. That means you have to reach in to change food and water bowls and some Conure don't like hands in the home. My other GCC, Cheddar, will go after my hands so beware. The lack of seed guards means a bigger mess to clean BUT you can get a cloth seed guard that will here.
 

Bunchobird

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Ok guys, Soooo I fount THE ONE at the pet store.. it turned out to be another parakeet! I just knew when I saw it. The baby looks to be a little male, is it still breeding season? i hope I dont end up wiht babies...
 

Mizzely

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Birds in captivity can mate year round :)
 
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