# New parret help?????????



## PESKY (May 25, 2010)

i dont even know ive spelt the tittle right!

basically im a very keen reptile keeper, my partner being into furries. 

i was in a petshop looking at some hand reared conures and they were absoloutley fantastic. really nice little things with a lot of character. id really like to get one but im a bit unsure of the work and cost involed. so i basically just wanted to get a few pointers maybe toward a good beginner choice of bird, cage, care sheet basically anything you may think can help. if you want to try put me off then be my guest i want to know the pro's and con's. also i cant afford a lovely big macaw or anything like that, i haven't got a budget but around 100-150 qould be good


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

All parrots, and especially hand-reared ones, demand a lot of attention; they are very bright and very sociable, and you are basically taking the place of their flock. A bored, lonely bird is a miserable bird. Having said that, conures are some of the nicest-natured birds I have come across, even when they aren't HR, and the affection they give back makes it worth it. The general rule is: the bigger the cage the better, and allow for plenty of time out of the cage as well. Minimum size will depend on the species, but most of the smaller conures can live in the larger cages sold for cockatiels quite comfortably. Unless something goes drastically wrong, most of the cost is in the initial purchase of bird and cage; seeds and fruit really don't cost that much, and most birds are just as happy to play with toilet roll cylinders as they are with the most expensive toys. Do read up on them first though- there are any number of books and caresheets available.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

One thing I was always told... don't get a bird if you're house proud :lol2:
They are pretty demanding for attention and stimulation I believe - they are very intelligent animals and get bored and lonely easily, so need to be kept entertained or else they can become destructive/develop bad habits!


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

I have kept conures and I have to say that they are brilliant little birds, full of character. They are very messy, if you plan to keep them in a room with carpet it will soon be ruined as they need fresh fruit and veg every day and love to decorate everything with it. The wall will also be multicoloured! If you only have £150 then I wouldn't do it. A proper cage for a conure will cost you that by itself. It is an expensive hobby, they need proper food, a good quality parrot mix and a good quality cockatiel mix mixed together is what I was told, although I purchased a conure mix from an online supplier with they loved. They need lots of attention, it is a good idea to have them out of the cage as much as possible so a playstand is a good idea.


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## rach666 (Dec 12, 2006)

i also have a conure and i cant rate them enough.all birds have different characters though as mine isnt messy? as said before they need a good range of diet my chap has a parrot mix mixed with cockatiel mix and fresh fruit and veg everyday its not good for them to just have a seed based diet.ive seen handreared conures for as little as £100 and you can get a good second hand cage from ebay or preloved for £40-50.also instead of buying toys you could make them i use wire,rope,buttons and beads which you can pick up very cheaply! they like to be out of the cage alot but my chap doesnt kick up a fuss if he is left in it either...what i will say is when you get it let it spend time in the cage dont have it out all the time as when you come to try getting it to stay in the cage it will just scream and kick up a fuss.start as you mean to go on! if you want anymore info feel free to pm me


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

Rach obviously has had a different experience of conures to what I had. Mine were very needy. If you didn't have them out of the cage they screamed. They were hand reared and they were used to attention all the time. My wall used to be magnolia but it is now multicoloured, thankfully I have laminate floor so that is wipe clean. Unfortunately I had to re-home them because once I got my conure another conure friend they bonded with each other and decided they hated me, it became obvious they were unhappy living with me so I found them a new home.

You can make toys but you have to be careful what you use. I only buy parrot toys from reputable suppliers as I know that some metal is poisonous to them.


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## CollaredLizardGal (May 17, 2010)

i had an african grey and never again.. :bash:
100% attention all of the time
messy , noisy and very very demanding 

stick with reptiles ,inverts or fish : victory::notworthy:


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## grannykins (Oct 9, 2006)

Lots of info and advice here
Parrot Forum - Parrot Message Board - Parrot Link Forum


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## Nel5on (Aug 24, 2010)

CollaredLizardGal said:


> i had an african grey and never again.. :bash:
> 100% attention all of the time
> messy , noisy and very very demanding
> 
> stick with reptiles ,inverts or fish : victory::notworthy:


i used to have 1.1 hand reared african greys and 1.1 breeding pair .. neither of them were messy, noisy or demanding ... africa greys make great pets, but you have to get in a routine .. i will say though .. they are wasteful with food lol


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

CollaredLizardGal said:


> i had an african grey and never again.. :bash:
> 100% attention all of the time
> messy , noisy and very very demanding
> 
> stick with reptiles ,inverts or fish : victory::notworthy:


I have an African grey, and yes they are messy, noisy well she makes noises, but generally isn't that loud, and yes they do require attention, but that is to be expected from a hand reared very intelligent animal! African greys are absolutely fantastic pets and very rewarding. People forget that having a parrot is similar to having a small child, they shout, they make a mess and they poop a lot!


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## jimmy62alan (Sep 3, 2011)

*new parrot*

Could you tell me what kind of Conure this is, if its one of the smaller ones there fine, but when you start going medium and larger Patagonions they can be louder the the big Macaws and I have nown people been threatened with eviction because of their loudnest.
A handreared Conure is a joy to handrear, a lovely bird and they are one of the easiest birds to breed but as I said it does depend on the type of Conure. I am bias as I love all birds, if you have any close neighbours I would stay clear of the loud CONURES.
ALAN


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