TheTameParrot.com - Say “BYE” To Your Parrot Problems

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We get a lot of questions about what is the best bird to get for a person who has never owned a bird before. This is a great starter bird, because many people make the mistake of buying a bird that is too big, intelligent or demanding. Without having some experience raising birds, they can quickly be overwhelmed by them.

Sun Conures are the perfect choice. They are very easy to train and handle, and very playful. Their orange/yellow colors make them very attractive. And the price is very reasonable, falling into the “intermediate” range for birds. They are always a curious and inquisitive bird. They are active, and love to play in their cages or play areas. They love to hand from the ceiling of their cages. The only drawback is that these birds are fairly loud. They will scream for attention, or scream over any distractions around them. This may make them a great “watchdog” but it’s not a good thing if you live in apartments.

Sun Conures originate from South America’s northeastern coast. When they are young, their feathers are mostly green. As they grow older, their plumage explodes with bright yellow and orange colors. They are a hardy bird, with a lifespan of 15-25 years if properly cared for.

FEEDING

Since Sun Conures originate from South America, their diet consists of fruits and berries, and seeds. But they like any captive birds, you must supplement their diet with additional minerals that are lacking in their diet. We recommend feeding a good quality pellet diet along with his fruits/veggies.

With our Sun Conures, this is very easy. They are suckers for apples! We would take a whole apple and run it through a skewer, then hang it from the roof of their cage. It’s gone in under an hour! With this knowledge, you can easily supplement their diet by injecting vitamins into the fruit, or by dicing it into cubes and sprinkling supplements over it.

HOUSING

Sun Conures must get some exercise. My preferred method is to let them play on top of their cage in a playgym, or make sure they have an extra large cage. Recommended size is at least 24 inches. Put lots of toys and perches into the cage so they can climb around and play.

Have you ever though about breeding pet birds? Or did you think it was just too complex of a project? It can be very easy, given the right breed of birds and just a little education.

When we started out, we had a lot of success with cockatiels. When my wife and I decided to move on to the next “level” of breeding, we purchased our first pair of Sun Conures. These birds are slightly larger then cockatiels, just as hardy, and their babies are much more in demand. Young Sun Conures can be sold for $300-$600 very easily.

Breeding is fairly simple to do. First, make sure you have a pair of mature parents. They must be at least 2 years old. You will want to have them professionally sexed using DNA blood testing, as they are hard to visually distinguish. One method of making an educated guess is to look at the head. The female conure will have a smaller and rounder head then the male. Males tend to have a flatter forehead. But note that even experienced breeders do not rely on this method. Get the test!

Once you have a pair, the next step is to give them a good breeding environment. This will take some experimentation. Simple things like not having the cage high enough can upset them and prevent breeding. Distractions in the room, or even other birds, can also upset them. If they don’t breed, try moving them around and change the environment.

Conures are a breed that like to nest in tree cavities. To duplicate this, you will need a “nesting box”. This is nothing more then a wood box with a door in the side for you to inspect and monitor the birds. The size should be at least 8×12 inches. They do not like oversized boxes, so don’t get one too big. This box can be hung from the side of the cage.

You will need to put some material on the bottom of the box for nesting. We prefer pine shavings.

>>In my e-book The Easy Parrot System , I discuss how to build a proper nesting box, and go into detail about the different nesting materials. Some materials can actually be dangerous to the parents and the chicks, and should NEVER be used. I strongly recommend that you research this before selecting a nesting material.

Once you have selected your cage and box…just wait for nature to take it’s course. Be sure they have a proper diet. It’s very important to make sure they get plenty of Vitamin A, E, and calcium in their diets for proper egg production and fertility.

>> My e-book also goes into great detail in feeding and nutrition, and explains which foods are loaded with these important vitamins and minerals. The Easy Parrot System – Nutrition will help you a great deal with your Sun Conure breeding.

Sun Conures will usually produce a clutch of four to five eggs. Make sure the parents have lots of food, and keep a water dish available for bathing at all times. Their breeding season is generally between December and March, but it’s not unusual for them to breed outside of this period, or even all year round. After the eggs have been laid, they will hatch in about 23 days. Don’t mess with the eggs, move the cage or disturb them in any way. Let the parents do the work!

Sun Conure babies are fairly easy to hand feed, but unless you have experience doing this we recommend you let the parents do all of the feeding. After a month, you can begin feeding from a syringe or spoon, but get some training first!