A Few Questions

[jaimmorr]

Hi, all! I have been a member of this forum for a little while, but haven't posted in awhile.

For the past year or so, I've been doing research on birds. Parrots, in particular. And, if you want to get really particular, Conures. I had been flip flopping between species for a long time, but after visiting with multiple birds and reading and reading and reading some more, I think I've finally settled on Conures. Their playful antics and affectionate personalities really sound like my type of bird.

I have read every book from my library about Parrots. I have read every book in book stores I could find, locally. I have bought 5 books online and read them all. I have also done so much research on the internet, that I'm afraid I've almost ran out of links!

However; Even with all of the reading that I have been doing, and all of the research... Gosh, I still feel like I am not prepared! I don't think I'll every be "fully" prepared until I have a bird, but I at least want to be prepared for the most part!

Is there anything that you would reccommend I read? As in, a "necessary" read? I'm about 98% sure I'm getting either a Blue Crowned Conure or a Green Cheeked Conure. (And yes, I am fully aware of the differences between these birds.) I am really leaning towards a BCC. I am going to a bird fair next weekend and want to stock up on some supplies and possibly a cage!


Anyway, did any of you feel like this before getting your parrot? I just want to do everything right, so that I can have a lasting bond/relationship/friendship with my parrot. I want to give him or her the best life possible and I want to make sure I'm as prepared as I can be.


Also:
1. I read a lot about people that "stock up" on food for their parrots. How would I go about doing this? I mean this as in fresh foods. I see that some people make a "smoothie" or "mash" and then freeze it. Could I do this and freeze enough for 2 weeks or a month? I figure I would leave pellets in the cage all the time and then put the "mash" in in the morning and then give fresh veggies/fruits in the evening. Would this be a suitable feeding method? And with the veggies/fruits... Could I chop those up and then put them in individual baggies and freeze them as well? How long would they last like this?

2. I have 3 dogs in my house. I noticed that a lot of people on this forum have dogs as well as parrots. How do you do it? Do you just train your dogs to leave them alone and then supervise all out of cage time or do you only have the bird out when the dogs are in another room or outside? I would really like to be able to have them all out at the same time, but would only do so if it is safe. Obviously, I would supervise the whole time.


Thank you for your replies ahead of time!

 

[Ginkai]

I'm only new to owning a parrot and this forum to. Welcome. I can't really answer most of your questions, only thing I can say about the food is that I buy veges once a fortnight for myself so I just buy Suki's at the same time.

Main reason I commented is because I also have three dogs with my parrot. Whether you can have them out together or not completly depends on how obedient and calm your dogs are. If your dogs are known or likely to make sudden launches at the bird then no you probably can't have them in the same room. But if they listen to you and freeze or obey leave it commands even in situations of extreme distraction then It's absolutely fine to have them in the same room. But I wouldn't suggest trying to make them interact let the bird control the situation there.

I'm a dog trainer so if you have any more questions feel free to ask me or pm me

 

[RescueMe]

Cudos to you for all the research. I would advise that you don't get too stuck on a breed, a sex, a color mutation ect. All the prep in the world will only get you so far. Sometimes they pick you. You may find that a baby will be great in the beginning and then as it matures begins to lose its charm, so keep up with the training and don't expect to keep the same cuddly bird for its whole life, they are individuals. Adults also make great first birds because their personalities are already known.
I make my food in large batches and freeze them, then offer small amounts of fresh fruits and veggies. Some of my f and v that go into the mash are frozen prepackaged, but I always try to get quality fresh as well. You will find that your diet will improve with the addition of a bird.
I had a tragic event with one of my dogs and a beloved bird, I would strongly suggest that you avoid interaction with you bird and dogs. It only takes a second, a blink of an eye, and it doesn't have to be aggression either, a playful dog can just as easily kill as one intending harm. I don't want to scare you just caution you as it is awful to experience. Good luck on your search, birds will change your life.

 

[goalerjones]

do you want a talker? if so conures aren't the best at this. I had a Jenday conure and he was basically a rescue bird that came from a friend of our family and he, although fearful, was loving, and a great first bird. Jendays can be loud though, and I was the only one who heard him and was able to ignore the volume of his call.

I now own a mini-macaw about the same size as my jenday was and although the same size his personality is absolutely different, in a good way, but it is still a learning curve that we are all growing thru.

As for recipes there are some on this site and on other sites to help u prepare food for ur new bird. If you just trust the research you have done, then work with your breeder during the purchase and afterwards then it will be a good transition. My best advice re: food is to not assume ANYTHING is okay for ur bird until u find out for sure.

 

[lene1949]

I don't think any reading or researching can fully prepare you for parrot ownership... just like reading about human babies, doesn't prepare you for motherhood...

I'm a mother and a grandmother, but nothing is more rewarding than parrots...

Conures are fantastic birds... They can be a bit loud. I'm very sensitive to noise, but my conures noise doesn't bother me...

I have a great dane x, and he respects the birds, but he's very interested... I just tell him leave, and he'll go and lie down...

So... if your dogs are well behaved and trained, you should eventually be able to get them out together, supervised...

Max, my alexandrine and Ben are great friends..

 

[jaimmorr]

Thanks so much to everyone who replied!

Firstly, may I just say that out of all the parrot forums I have been on, this group is by far the nicest and most welcoming. So, thank you for that.

I am glad to say that all of my dogs know the "Leave It" command and follow it quite well. Of course, I can work with them on it more and more, but right now they're pretty good about it. I've trained my Chihuahua to know over 40 commands so far, I love training them!

Talking isn't important to me. I find it amazing that birds have the ability to talk, but I am not looking for a bird with talking skills. I just want a companion who is fun, playful, trainable, and affectionate.

I have heard that Conures are loud, but I have only ever heard a Sun Conure. The Sun did seem quite loud. Does anyone know how a Sun compares to a Blue Crown, noise level wise?

I will have to look into more recipes!

I have also read a lot about a bird picking you, and by all means that would be great! But as for now, I am trying to pick a species that I believe best fits my lifestyle.

Thanks again, will update more later when I am not at work! Lol.