Thursday, February 10, 2011

Potty Training Your Sun Conure

There are many advantages of bird ownership over other pets, but one downfall for me was that the droppings can get a little overwhelming. For obvious reasons, potty training was one of my top priorities for my birds.  Based on both what I have read and my own experience, Sun Conures respond very well to potty training. If your bird is tame enough to be handled, he can begin potty training. The process that I use is really simple.

First, come up with a signal word or phrase that you will consistently use when you want your bird to go. For Daisy, I say “Drop a dos.” (as in “number two” in Spanish) and for Ringo, I say “Make a stink.” I gave each bird their own in case one was  on my shoulder when I wanted the other to go.
While handling your bird, learn the cues that he gives you to signify that he is about to go potty. This may be a slight “settling” or squatting. Move your bird to a safe place to go and wait…when/if he goes say your signal phrase a couple of times and praise him and/or give him a treat. A safe place can be wherever you want him to go; on a perch, on his cage, over a trash can or even the toilet (don't let your bird fall in!). It wont take long for him to realize what you want him to do and you may see results in a couple of days. It also helps to observe how often your bird goes and predict when to take him to the “potty place”. First thing in the morning is an example of a time when you know he is gonna go; take advantage and make a game of it. When first introducing this it is helpful to say the cue phrase when you notice him going potty in his cage or playing by himself. This will help make the association of the word to the action, but eventually you want to make sure he understands that it is only appropriate in certain areas.

Ringo will climb off my hand, onto his perch, “Make a stink” and then lift his foot to be picked up again. He will still just go sometimes, but that is my fault for not being aware that so much time has passed since I took him last. Daisy has limited flight ability and will usually fly to a safe place if I forget to take her, but she will still (rarely) go on my shoulder. (I think it’s only when she’s mad at me or feels I’m not giving her the attention she deserves.)
I would eventually like to get them to go in a special “box”, even when they are in their cage, but for now I am very happy with just being able to wear the same shirt for a whole day.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Home, Sweet Home

There are as many ways to keep pet birds as there are bird owners, but the main things to keep in mind are safety and comfort. Sun Conures like to play and investigate things; I like to make sure that they have plenty of opportunities for both. Some people leave their bird in a cage most of the time, with scheduled time out of the cage for socialization. Some people give their birds the run of the entire house, all the time. I think it depends on the birds personality and the preferences of the owner. The most commonly recommended minimum cage size for a Conure is 18x18x24 but again, it depends on how much of it’s time the bird will spend there. Our smallest cage is about that size, but the top is open and the play gym is right next to it. I would definitely get a larger one for them if they were going to be inside the cage for a lot of the day.

Daisy & Ringo have a cage and a play gym in our bedroom, a cage in the living room, and some small portable play gyms that can be taken wherever needed. I like this set up because they can be near us wherever we are and it helps them feel like part of the flock. They know to stay in their area , so we keep their cage tops open. They also hop off their cage and onto my bed when they want to go to sleep. They have a nest of blankets at the top corner of my bed. It is situated in such a way that there is no danger of me rolling on them and I can move the nest over to the bedside table in order to change my bedding. Sun Conures are very clean by nature, so they do not make a mess of my bed! (They are also both potty trained…more on that later)

When setting up your bird’s home keep the following in mind:


¯     The cage should be large enough that your bird can stretch his wings and play comfortably with room for toys, cups and perches-larger is always better
¯     The spacing of the bars should not allow your bird’s head to fit through them
¯     Ensure a variety of perches of varying size and construction – Concrete perches can help trim nails, wood perches offer a natural way to help your bird exercise his feet on different diameters as well as chewing opportunities
¯     Ensure a variety of chewable toys, bells, blocks, ropes, etc. and switch them out with others regularly to prevent boredom - note that birds will not always respond favorably to a new toy right away because their natural instinct is to view any thing foreign in their environment as a threat - give it awhile and the toy will probably be deemed safe and curiosity will win out
¯     Be aware of where your bird likes to perch and move any toys or food cups out of the “Fallout Area”
¯     Offer your bird somewhere to sleep like a Happy Hut (but be aware of dangers reported with such huts) Sun Conures are known to sleep in a nest year round and not just when breeding, so they really like these little huts.

Above all…be safe, use your imagination and have fun. I like to imagine myself as a Sun Conure and how I would swing, and play, and climb! Just walking around the hardware store or the pet store will get your imagination going. Just be careful, their toys can get expensive!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Chow Time!

One of the first things that I want to address is diet. Daisy was primarily a seed eater when we got her, although she would eat pellets, seed was a large part of her diet. I have slowly gotten her away from seed and she now eats a pellet diet with seeds only offered as treats. I also offer fresh fruits & vegetables everyday, but so far she only likes grapes. Ringo on the other hand was only 5 months old when we got him, and already eating a pellet diet. He will eat just about whatever I put in his bowl, given the right motivation. I recently got him to try his carrots by picking one out of the bowl and pretending to enjoy eating it myself. He came over immediately and took one from the bowl and started chowing down! This also worked for broccoli pieces. There are also fresh cooked foods that you can make. Pre-packaged kits like Crazy Corn are another option. Be sure to remove fresh foods after about an hour due to bacteria formation, and always research what foods are good for your parrot & what is potentially toxic.

I like to make Birdie Bread for my Suns. It's easy and they really enjoy it.

  •  1 Box Jiffy Mix
  •  2 Eggs (+ shells)
  •  1/3 cup Milk
  •  1/3 cup Juice (I usually use apple)
  •  1/3 cup of ?? (fruits, veggies, pellets, seeds...)
















Ringo couldn't wait for the bowl!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Introduction

Hello, I am CJ & I live in AZ. I have recently adopted two Sun Conures and I am quickly doing all I can to research how I can be the best possible caretaker for them.
I will use this blog to preserve my notes and observations, primarily as a reference for myself , but also for others looking to learn more about these beautiful birds.