# Thinking of getting me a couple of conures



## benzss (Dec 19, 2008)

I'm very new to keeping birds... as in I've never kept birds before. But I think I'm somewhat ready for the experience, having kept reptiles for a few years and nursed a tortoise and a couple of snakes back to health after being treated atrociously by previous owners. That isn't strictly relevant to this thread, but I suppose I want to demonstrate that I'm not just some tosser who wants a pretty bird.

Aaaaanyway... I've done much research in the last few weeks and decided a green cheek conure (probably a pair) would be just great. My problem is that, unlike with reptiles, I'm not au fait with the way to go about acquiring the birds. Almost instinctively I'm skeptical of pet shops; my local pet shop is where I get my juicy frozen rats from, and they seem like a well-run outfit, but I can't bring myself to actually part with my cash for their 2 one year old conures. It just makes me uneasy. And I say they're 'well run' but I didn't like the way they were keeping their corns, which I suppose adds to my apprehensiveness.

So I guess what I'm asking is: are pet shops as dodgy with birds as with reptiles? Are there any specific questions I should ask?

If pet shops really are that hopeless, can anyone recommend a conure breeder in the Wiltshire/Gloucestershire/Somerset/Oxfordshire/Hampshire area?!

Thanks :]


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

search for parrot forums uk there are lots of breeders on there or search places like bird trader for breeders


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## benzss (Dec 19, 2008)

parrot forums uk, thanks, i'm on my way


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## Takora (Feb 29, 2012)

Hiya, pet shops are just extremely expensive if my local shop is anything to go by! I recently got a bonded pair of kakarikis, the cock is super tame, for £30. There are untame kaks in there for £89 each! If you don't mind forking out then I wouldnt hesitate buying from a pet shop you trust. It depends what you want though, do you want hand reared birds?

I'm in north Somerset, and my mutation gcc pair are just showing signs of breeding. I hope you find a really good breeder who may have babies already!


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## duffey (Mar 1, 2012)

*Thinking of getting a couple of conures*

You should look at :
ff3 - feathered flyer website
Birdtrek - website
Pets Classified - website
Bird trader - website

Or visit one of the Bird sales days - Newark, Stafford or Carlisle.

Green Cheeks or maroon-Bellied Conures are good 'starter' species - but Kakarikis, Bourkes, Redrumps, Turquisines are also suitable beginners birds.


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## Sarah-Jayne (Jul 4, 2007)

Not sure about where to get them from down here, when I got my conure I bought her from a lady up north where I used to live, and I got the other one from someone in Leicester.

Please make sure you do your research and make sure you have enough time. Conures are parrots, and if you get hand reared ones they will want your attention, all the time. They need lots of stimulation and time out of the cage along with a special diet, not just bird seed from the shops. You may of course already know that lol

Also speaking from personal experience, I had a black capped conure, she was brilliant, then I decided to get her a friend so she wouldn't be lonely whilst I was at work. Although they were both hens they really bonded and after that, my conures were no longer interested in me. Perhaps I was just unlucky, but thought I should mention it as you said about getting two.

Find a local breeder where you can go visit the parents and the babies and decide whether one would be right for you. Make sure you get a decent bird cage, not a rubbish pet shop wirey one, conures have very strong beaks and need a strong cage to match, but you have to make sure the bar spacing is small so they can't stick their heads through. 

Good luck!


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