Is it enough time?

[younggeezy]

I'm planning on getting a Green Cheek Conure (pineapple) from a breeder near the end of the year. I have experience with birds, I have owned a Cockatiel for 3 years. Unfortunately she passed away just recently from kidney problems she had since birth. I'm a little nervous about getting a new bird, as I should be. The thing that is concerning me the most is that I want to be able to give it the proper amount of physical attention each day. I am a university student and will be working part time as well.

My estimation of time I can spend with it (on an average day)
1 hour physical one on one time
3-4 hours time spent out of the cage in the same room as me

I have a lot of studying to do so I can't always be giving it my full attention, of course some days I can hang out with it more then others, some days (rare) less. I plan on setting up a lot of foraging and play sets to keep it busy when I'm at school or work. I also have a girlfriend that will, from time to time, be able to come to my apartment to play with it.

 

[IcyWolf]

I think if you start out with a set routine that the bird can get used to you shouldn't have a problem but you want to make sure that the bird knows how to entertain itself and make sure the time you can spend with him/her is good quality time. I think the biggest concern would be having to move once you're done with school. It's not always easy to find a rental that accepts pets, moving is a major reason that good, friendly birds end up in rescue only to later become problem birds(And no I don't think any bird is a problem bird, it's more along the lines of problem owners but for all intensive purposes I'll use the term here.) But if you want to adopt a bird while you are in school you should take into consideration how committed to that bird you can be when you have to make certain necessary changes in your life. If you're willing to accept that responsibility than I think you are ready and on your way to being a good parront Good luck, and I'm very sorry to hear about you're cockatiel, it's a shame when we lose a fid at such a young age.

 

[Amber]

I'm a full time uni student. You'll find it's quite easy to study and give your bird attention. Most of my assignments are done on the computer (database research and word to type up essays, etc) so I can spend hours daily just typing away sometimes. Alex is more then happy to hand out on my shoulder and chatter and listen to music with me, or to perch ontop of the laptop screen, or to snuggle down for a cuddle. It's easy to pay them attention and chat to them or scratch them while reading or typing. However, when it comes to textbooks, my conure likes to chew them. Lucky for me most of my stuff is on a database!

Like Wolf has said, how does a bird fit into your future non-uni working life? With an animal that could live 20-30 years it's always important to plan ahead.

 

[roxynoodle]

Conures are pretty good at entertaining themselves if they have plenty of toys. And it will be happy just to have you there with it while you are studying. I was a teacher, so gone all day, and then often doing lesson plans or grading in the evening. My conures were just happy I was home with them even if I was doing something. My BCC actually loved it when I was grading tests. Something about my flipping the papers over got her really excited. Of course it was hard to concentrate with her yelling my name and other things, but it was ok, lol! If you can still study while your bird is talking to you, everything will be fine I can, but some people have trouble doing 2 things at once.

 

[Nakiska]

I think you'll be suprised at how much time you'll actually "find" when you get your new GCC. That being said, I also think your choice for a GCC is a good one.

Our guy, Franklin...he's a very VERY busy little bugger, self entertains very well and is always very happy to have out of cage time...even if it's NOT directly with and on me. He's mostly quiet, but every time we come home, he get's vocally excited. He IS learning to talk and practices every day.

Be prepared, MOST GCC's do and will, go through a very bitey phase. Even hand raised, well socialized ones. It can be tough to get through emotionally AND physically. Our Franklin is 10 1/2 months old and for several months he could be an absolute terror to deal with. I think he was really testing his boundaries and we stayed very consistent and this last month or so he's really mellowed out with the biting (no one has been randomly uncalled for bitten for close to 2 months now) and has been a pure joy, however...I'm told...we haven't reached the "terrible 2's" stage yet. Franklin never drew blood or took flesh, but some of his random bites did hurt.

That being said...there is nothing this entertaining, acrobatic, bundle of joy could do that would make me think twice about having him. He's a wonderful companion, total boredum buster, often hysterical in his antics and sucha ham! He loves loves loves having his picture taken. I've often shared some here at the forum and there are some of him in my profile albums.

Good luck!

Toni

 

[younggeezy]

I was already committed to living with a bird when I bought Chico, so any changes in my life will accommodate. Thanks for the responses I feel much better about adopting a GCC, can't wait to discover its personality.

My Cockatiel was a bit different then most birds of her kind. She preferred to observe people from a distance, and apart from my shoulder didn't enjoy physical attention much at all. Not that it was a bad thing, it was Chico. She was very protective and it always made for a lot of laughs when my friends tried talking to her. I miss her a lot and I'm sure a GCC will help me fill my empty perches. I'm ready for a huge contrast in personality, judging by everybody else's experiences with Conures.