(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best pet bird supplies

Hi there! Parakeets are so misunderstood. Depending on how you train and raise them, they can act like a fun cuddly dog, or like a boring fish. If you want him to be a fun exciting pet, here's what you should do:

1.) Week 1, don't touch him. It's tempting to reach in there, but don't do it. He's scared as hell of being dropped into a new environment and you will only add to him being scared. Trust me on this, it gives him time to get used to the natural noises of your house. Instead, go about your normal routine around him, but stop and talk to him and get him used to your voice.

2.) After 1 week, start putting your hands into the cage - and by this I mean literally just putting your hand in and fiddling with things, getting them close to him, but don't touch him. This establishes that the cage is yours and he's just living in it. It will help with respect a lot later. Partway through 2nd week, work on getting him to climb onto your finger. Place your finger directly in front of his belly and say "up." If he does it, put him back on the perch, praise him, and give him some millet as a treat. Do this over and over. Birds LOVE repetition. Once he seems comfortable with this (about week of doing this), use this same method to take him out. Once you get to this point he will be more comfortable with the idea of hanging out with you.

3.) There are pros and cons of having his wings clipped. I've always clipped my bird's wings and that would be my recommendation (it doesn't hurt if a professional does it, it's like a haircut). So I won't give any advice on this except that you should definitely take into consideration if he has a safe enough environment to NOT clip his wings. If you do let him fly around your garage, make sure you "baby proof" it just like you would with a child, but vertically as well. Tools will need to be put away, check for holes or places he could crawl into where you won't be able to get to him.

4.) See #3.

5.) Parakeets are perfectly fine being alone during the day. Make sure he has 3-4 toys in his cage and that you rotate them every 1-2 weeks so he doesn't get bored. When you get home, give him attention. Aim for at least 30min of complete attention per day at a minimum. If no one in the house is home during the day, put the radio or TV on, they like the noise. Speaking of, they LOVE being the center of attention, I'd recommend you put him in a high traffic area of the house if you can.

6.) I have a very well trained parakeet and haven't been able to potty train. What you can do is try treating him for pooping inside the cage before he comes out which helps. You can expect he will go every 10 min or so. You can always pt a towel down anywhere you take him out if it bothers you.

7.) I wouldn't worry about it, he can probably get to it just fine especially since his wings aren't clipped.

8.) I agree with @FlyingPhotog for this. Also recommend searching google for foods that are ok and poisonous for birds. Giving him some human foods can extend his life.

9.) Additional tips:

-Be careful of drafts. Birds are sensitive to cold air blowing on them. Keep his area a consistent temperature and put a towel over the cage at night (this will also help with noise btw, they are pretty good about sleeping whenever it's dark.)

-Be careful of harmful chemicals. Any pesticides, air fresheners, candles nearby can be harmful

-Don't let him out if anyone is cooking. Seems self explanatory, but most bird deaths are caused by them flying into boiling pots of water because their owners were careless :-(

-Cages: Stupidly, every goddam pet store on the planet sells cages with vertical bars (like this:https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-Triple-Cockatiel-White/dp/B005S6V4QK/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1468628422&sr=1-2&keywords=parakeet+cage), but they very much prefer the horizontal bars (like this: https://www.amazon.com/Vision-Bird-Cage-Model-M01/dp/B000K67UF2). It will be harder to find but it is much easier for them to climb. I found my Vision one at PetSmart. This particular one also helps keep seeds in.

-I also totally recommend you put pellets on the bottom of the cage (like this http://www.petsmart.com//WFS/PETUS/en_US/-/USD/-zid36-4226/cat-0-catid-0?green=F0B73A16-ADD9-5A58-9BE0-EA09D3A310B1). It's something I've started doing within the last year and it's helped a ton with keeping the area around the cage clean.

-Get him comfortable with you before you have other people hold him

-Be confident. I'm not sure how they do it, but it always seems birds can tell if the person handling them is not confident and they will act up. It's like racing any other animal, you show them you're in charge and they'll respect you for it

-Give him kisses and chat with him. He'll start to chat back. Parakeets won't talk like big parrots do, but they do "chat" and repeat things you say. It's so cute.

Have fun! Parakeets make for fun, adorable, and convenient pets if you put the time in. Love him and he will love you back! Good luck!

Really, it’s my pleasure. I just like knowing that some little parrot is gonna be happier because I was able and willing to share knowledge on how they should be cared for. :)

So, onto foraging.

You know how cats like to hunt? And dogs enjoy working for food? Well, parrots like to search for theirs and uncover it!

The YouTube Channel FlockTalk is a parrotlet-oriented channel that you should check out! They’ve got some videos on DIY toys, but I’ll give you my bird’s favourite, too.

I did a search, and in case that link doesn’t work, here’s an image of the product. In case that also doesn’t work, here’s an Amazon link to the product.

^ With these, I use a small skewer, toothpick, or something else very long and narrow to push seeds into the very soft wood. As your bird chews it apart, he’ll be periodically rewarded with seeds! This is very fun for them! You can use this method with any soft or porous (having many small holes like a sponge) toy! Just push in or pour the seed into it for your bird to find!

My parrotlet really likes paper, so making some paper contraptions with food inside is always a good time once they realise there’s a reward in it for them besides fun. FlockTalk has some nice tutorials, but any small oragami piece made of plain, non-toxic paper with gaps to shove seeds into will suffice. :) You probably want to have her play with it over a solid surface instead of cage bars so they don’t lose the seeds, whether it’s out with you or a small tray in her cage (not below any perches so it’s less likely to get pooped on).

You can absolutely get creative with toys! Just make sure all the materials are bird safe. Anything that they have to destroy to reach the food is fun for them; it makes them work for it, like a cat stalking prey, or a human going to a not-soul-crushing job to earn a living.

If you aren’t already aware, parrots are scarily intelligent. Even the little ones have a formidable brain behind that beak; it’s what allows them to mimic sounds! Intelligence and boredom just really don’t mix. They’re too smart to be unoccupied for long periods of time. If you know how to read their body language and sounds, it’s downright creepy how much they understand.

Changing the position of the toys and perches can help with engagement! Like rearranging your room, moving stuff makes things fresh and interesting. I personally leave the “favourite perches” (the ones he spends a lot of time and sleeps on; the rope by the “broccoli corner” and the branch by the little bird warming plate) in the same place always, but your bird may or may not be upset by their favourite spots being moved. Other than the favourites, changing the decorations around is a good way to break the monotony of living in a cage. It’s even better if you have enough toys to rotate them. It’s recommended you do this every one to two weeks, but it won’t be the end of the world if you don’t. As long as everything is clean.

My mom and I use So Phresh Wipes to keep the cage sanitary between deep cleans. You might like them, too!

In the end, parrots need clean surroundings, a variety of available food, routine without monotony, and parrotlets specifically need at least an hour of Out-Of-Cage time per day (though more is highly recommended, as they are very social creatures).

And again, any questions, concerns, or curiosities about parrotlets you may have, feel free to contact me and I’ll either give you an answer or a few reputable links that will point you in the right direction. All I want is for our babies to live long, happy lives. :)

Parrots are very high maintenance, but so incredibly smart. They’re truly a joy to have around, as I’m sure you can attest to.

How did the first attempt with chop go? Don’t be discouraged if she didn’t take to it immediately; birds past adolescence are often very reluctant to try new things. It’s normal.

Thank you for the ping /u/stringoflights! <3

/u/mel_bell: Thank you so much for rescuing a bird who needs your help! Pepper needs you right now and I'm so happy that you stepped up.

It definitely helps that you have a prior relationship with Pepper and that you're able to handfeed her treats.

My boyfriend and I adopted Rocky in spring 2016 under similar circumstances. The comment that /u/stringoflights linked has a lot of detail about what we did to help him.

For Pepper, I recommend that you:

• Target train her immediately. This lets you redirect Pepper when she gets into trouble, and get her in/out of the cage as needed. It also builds trust and confidence. Pepper will know that she has this awesome task she can perform (follow and touch the target stick), and that she can trust you to give her a tasty treat whenever she does it! Check out [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqtptXFyb2c
  ) for the basics. It took Rocky only a few days to get the hang of it.
  
  
• Get her diet in order. I'm not sure what she's eating now, but a balanced diet ensures that she's energized and feels healthy. A parrot who feels good is more likely to behave well, which is really important when you're training and bonding with a rescue. I recommend Harrison's High Potency Coarse for the first six months; you can switch to Harrison's Lifetime Coarse after that. She should also get "chop" every day (chopped dark green leafy vegetables for calcium source + orange vegetables for vitamin A). Save treats she really LOVES for training rewards. (seed-based treats like Nutriberries or Avicakes, nuts in the shell like almonds and pistachios)
  
  
• Get her sleep in order. All parrots need about 12 hours of sleep per night to feel their best. Is she DNA-sexed female? We're in the middle of breeding season, so she needs 14 hours of dark and silence every night to prevent egg-laying, which is stressful to her body, and hormonal behavior, which can appear aggressive if you don't know the difference. Use a blanket to cover her cage at night.
  
  
• Interact with her often, but keep the ball in her court. Don't force touching or handling when she doesn't feel like it. Talk to her, sing to her, whistle to her. Give her pieces of fruit and nuts so she knows you're the cool person who brings her food. Greys often bow their heads when they want scratched, it looks like this.
  
  
• Give her freedom. She's been trapped in a cage her whole life. Whenever you're home, open up the cage door and give her the ability to come out if she wants. Some greys will just stand on top of the cage, and others will prowl around on the floor.
  
  
• Teach her to play. This will help her entertain herself when you're not there to talk to her. Rocky finally plays with SOME bird toys, but his favorites are just things like cardboard boxes, popsicle sticks, and paper bags. Give Pepper a lot of choices and swap out toys often. She'll be afraid of toys at first, and that's normal: just don't give up, keep exposing her to new toys and she'll figure it out eventually. Some people have success modeling play behavior by pretending to play with the toys in front of their parrot, and then offering it to the parrot.
  
  I think that's all the most important stuff. Sorry for writing an essay! If you have any questions about anything, let me know. I have seven parrots, and two of them were neglected adult rescues, so I've done a lot of research on training and rehabilitating.
  
  Best of luck to you and Pepper. I can't wait to hear about how your relationship with her progresses!

Alright for cage you want something big, gccs need more space than cockatiels, my suggestion is 24 inch square or bigger in any measurement, my cage is like 24x24x30 with 30 being the height, they prefer taller cages. This is the cage I bought and I wouldn't recommend anything much smaller: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SMC25E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A cage that size will generally run you between $100-300 depending on where you get it from. Most perches come with the hardware to easily install on the bars of a cage. You want many different styles of perches. Make sure it has several natural wood ones with varying thicknesses in the branches, get a bendable rope perch, and possible some time of swing perch that involves more coordination to sit on. You can get a perch that is rough to wear down nails if you want but make sure the perch is smooth on the top and only rough on the sides, and make sure it is cement and not sand or grit covered because green cheeks don't need grit like some other species of birds do and it can harm them.

For toys get lots of different things, plastic, leather, shreddable ones made from soft wood or palm fronds. Do your research and make sure anything you give your bird is safe and non-toxic obviously. Get him toys you could hide little treats in to help with foraging. If he is searching his toys for treats he won't be as bored if he has to spend a little extra time in the cage one day.

For food don't use seeds/seed mixes for anything other than treats really. A good pellet mix like Harrison's, Roudybush, or Zupreem is best. Try for something not colored/fruity flavored, I use Harrison's lifetime adult fine for my green cheek, the pellets are pretty small so they work well for a small conure like a green cheek. Here is the link where I bought those, they are also on amazon though: http://store.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/ADULT-LIFETIME-FINE/productinfo/ALF/

Other than pellets provide lots of veggies and some fruits. Its diet should be 50% pellets, 30% veggies, 10% fruits, and then the last 10% is spread among grains (cooked brown rice, cooked quinoa, cooked whole grain pasta) and treats (nuts, seeds, etc.). I make chop for my green cheek. I use a base of kale, spinach, or other healthy leafy greens, then I add in veggies like broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, jalapenos, peas, etc. I chop them all up somewhat small and then put it in a food processor until its very fine. If your bird won't eat the chop you make, mix it in with pellets and only offer pellets when it is mixed with the chop 2-3 times per day. You don't have to limit the amount of food your bird eats, they eat as much as they need. Just see about how much it is eating and offer that much so yo don't have a lot of wasted food. Don't offer the same chop/pellet mix after one day, the chop should be refrigerated so after one day it is best to toss it and offer fresh. You can also offer bigger chunks of veggies on a stainless steel skewer that you can hang in the cage. I do this a lot and put some blueberries, bell peppers, and spinach leaves so I know my bird is eating both his chop and his veggies in several ways, it helps with enrichment.

That's about all I got, sorry it was such a lot to read but I hope it helps! Let me know if you have questions :)

I have a few things that I actually need, but I can't link anything right now(I'll come edit with links when I get to a computer).

Not for me, but my bird would appreciate a couple new perches. Getting his nails trimmed is expensive and it's uncomfortable for him. I'd like to make it easier for him to trim them on his own so he doesn't have to go through the stress and pain of the vet visit.

I could really use a water filter. I don't like the taste of tap water, and bottled water is too expensive. I could filter the tap and try to be a little healthier and drink it instead of sweet tea or soda.

What would make my life slightly better would be maybe a vacuum cleaner. My mom gave me her old one when she moved away, but it doesn't really work. I've tried everything I could do to fix it, but no go. Since we have a lot of animals, vacuuming is a weekly if not more often, chore. A working vacuum would be awesome!

On the more expensive side, a mattress would definitely improve my quality of life. I've never had a new one, they've all been hand me downs or bought used. The one I have now could have been super nice, but the previous owners left dents where they slept in it. So there really isn't any support for my body. Having fibromyalgia makes me have a hard time sleeping, so it would be nice to enjoy the sleep I do get. It also makes me overheat really easy, so I often wake up in the middle if the night burning up even when it's 68 degrees.

Sorry for the wall! I just wanted to put the things I actually needed and give a variety :)

This is an awesome contest and I hope everyone's lives get a little better if they need it! <3

There is nothing morally wrong with getting parrots from a bird rehab center. They don't breed for profit, just rescue and care for birds. By adopting from them, you are supporting them and making more room for other birds. So, as long as you can adequately take care of the birds, it's not a bad thing to do.

My understanding is that lovebirds are pretty similar to parakeets (which I have), so I could probably give you some information. There's no need to file their talons or beaks, as long as you have the appropriate stuff in the cage. Typically, the kinds of perches that come with most cages are rubbish. Birds need perches with varying widths and textures. Stuff like this or this is awesome. These textures and width variations keep the talons worn down properly, so that they do not need to be clipped. It also is good for their muscles, I believe. Give them lots of things to chew on, and that should keep their beaks in line. This way, you won't have to touch the bird to clip their wings, talons, or beaks, which could really scare the bird if it isn't used to you.

Feeding them the food in those bird food bags at the petstore isn't a good idea in the long run. It's not good for their health. Try feeding them fresh vegetables and fruit if you can, as well as the generic bird food. It's likely they won't like the fresh stuff at first, but give it to them fairly consistently and they may give it a try.

A cage is absolutely necessary, simply because you need to have a place to put them where you know they'll be safe. Like if you're cooking or have all the doors open for moving furniture in or out. The birds should not be loose in the house during those events. I'm not saying you should lock them in their cage all day, just at certain times when it's necessary. Also, keeping them there at night gives them a sense of security in that space. Ideally, you would have a room in the house that you know is bird-proof, where you would feel comfortable leaving them out unsupervised, but you should still have a cage in that room, as a safe haven for them, where they know they will always have food and water. When out flying, they typically like to have a few favorite places to perch. One of these should be the top of the cage.

The cage should be large. One thing to remember, though, is that "tall cages are kind of useless. Birds will typically move to the topmost part of the cage and stay at that height. Instinctively, they prefer to be at the highest available location. So, a cage like this is, in all practical use, much smaller than it looks. A wider cage is better than a taller cage, as far as giving them space. A wider cage might mean that they could fly a short distance from one perch to another. A tall cage is basically a small cage. Also, you want the cage to have horizontal bars if possible, on at least two of the sides. Parrots are big on climbing, and horizontal bars, as opposed to vertical bars, are great for that.

I'm procrastinating right now so can't go into much more detail right now, but if you have any questions, just reply :)

Keep checking up on lost bird websites and your local animal shelters. If it's someone's pet, they've lost one of their best friends.

But that being said, I applaud you for taking he/she in even without having had a bird pet before. Green Cheek Conures(GCC) are sweet little devils that are pretty easy to maintain once you get into a routine.

Start by taking him to the Vet, they can gender-test, check up, and see if any local owners have lost a GCC. I'm not sure how big that cage is, but the minimal size of cage should be it's wingspan wide, and tall enough to climb around. The Vision M02 is a solid cage for a GCC, and filling it with toys, swings, and chewys will keep your guy entertained and happy while you're away. I'm not too keen on GCC diet, so please defer to some of the more enlightening posts here on that.

When you're at home, your bird should really be out of the cage, sitting near/on you. This strengthens his/her bond with you, and teaches them that your are: 1- Not a threat, but a friend, 2- The bringer of treats, scratches, and fun, and 3- Their best buddy and flock friend. One of the cooler things about the Conure family is their love of laying down. Most other bird species hate being put on their backs, but Conures can grow to love it, and will often lay down in your hand and fall asleep.

However, since this guy is a full-blooded parrot, you're going to have to deal with the noise. He will screech and whistle at an ear-splitting level. There are ways to help cut down on the amount of screeching, but bare in mind that it's hardwired in him/her, there's no stopping it. The two best ways to minimize it is to always be with him/her when you're home(never just leaving them in the cage), and to occasionally make them forage for food. This can be done with foraging toys or by making your own forage box. In the wild, birds have to forage for food, and the new convenience of an always-filled food bowl will make them grow restless, and bored.

We look for to seeing more of your new friend!

Ah yes, okay. As far as feeding him is concerned, I feed my Luna Harrison's Bird Food. You can find it here for a decent price. They recommend feeding the kind that I linked you to for the first year of eating it. It's their High Potency mixture, and I think it just has extra nutrients and whatnot. Then they recommend you switch to this kind here. It's just the basic everyday diet. On top of the pellets, fruits and veggies and nuts are a good thing to give him. Apples, carrots, grapes, sweet potato, broccoli, any kind of hot or sweet pepper, greens like kale or collard greens, oranges, tomato, etc. Stuff like that. Lots of parrot owners will get an assortment of fruits and veggies, chop them up real small, and mix them together. They call it "chop", and both of my parrots love it. Seeds are something you probably want to give your parrot in small amounts, mostly as a treat.

As far as talking is concerned, you want to make sure you are spending plenty of time with him talking to him and interacting. The time that you spend with your parrot is very important, and should happen every day. Even if you're just holding him while watching TV and chatting with him during the commercials. They are social animals, and they crave to be interacted with.

To train him you might want to consider looking at target training. Here is a video that goes over the basics. There are lots of resources, both free and paid, that can be found on the internet. Google is a great tool to find all of this. There is also lots of information in different posts right here on /r/Parrots.



Hope that helps!

These are my top three that I personally used. :D

A) This awesome foldable travel cage. I love this because it folds and it is an easy travel cage when I take my flock with me on vacation, to the park, easy way to take them outside sunbathing with me, or to the pet stores ..etc. I also have used it during vet visits as well.

B) A simple, basic, plastic extra small dog/cat carrier. Sorry for the photo quality but I kindof wanted to give you a better idea. This is super light. It is easy for me to get my flock member and put them in there. I probably use this carrier the most for vet visit. You can drill a hole on the sides and insert a perch . You can get a mash for the front of the carrier so their heads don't get stuck between the bars.

C) A bird carrier backpack. This is worth the money. This is super study . It has a steel bowl holder, small animal water bottle holder, and slide tray for easy cleaning. I love this. You can use this for the vet visit and take your bird for a hike afterwards. Here's one of my birds using it at his vet visits

No worries, that's what I'm here for! They'll usually get sleepy around sunset and sleep shortly thereafter if their cage has been covered, and wake up at the crack of dawn if light starts shining in. I've read that they should get 12 hours of sleep a day, but I've never known my birds to get that much, though they do catch quick naps throughout the day.

Pricing could be a little bit tricky, depending on where you live. You'll want to check your local breeder for a more accurate pricing. From my local breeder, cockatiels are about $120+, if you find a good deal for a cage, it could run you about the same. I got my flight cage for about $35 on sale at PetSmart. Food is moderately priced, though going through bags so often may be costly. Also, a good tip is to feed your bird a variety of foods, since seed on its own is like their version of junk food. Pellets are a good choice (I use the Zupreem brand pellets, which cost about $15 for a 2.5 lb bag), along with some variety of leafy greens, fruits, nuts, plain boiled egg cooked with no salt, etc. Sometimes it's difficult to find what your bird likes right away, but persistence is key! There are also recipes around on the internet for "bird bread" which is great for them and easy for you to make! Also a reminder to read up on what they can and cannot eat, avocado's one of the big ones, as far as I can remember.

After that initial drop of money, you'll also want to get a reputable avian vet, in case of emergency and general checkups (and a DNA sex if you like). Those may be costly, but worth it if you want to keep your bird friend happy and healthy. I pay about $70 for my birds' general checkup, and luckily nothing's happened to them where they need medication, but I've read that antibiotics can run up to $400 or so.

Hopefully this will answer your questions, but if you'd like me to go moreso into a topic, let me know. :)

I recommend this cage to everyone who ever asks.

I absolutely love it, I have 2 of them. One is for my GCC and one is for my 'Tiel. They love them too! It might be a tad on the big side for even a pair of Budgies, but I'm sure they'd love it (and you'd future proof yourself if you decided to get a bigger cage/more Budgies!).

If you're looking for those two cages specifically, don't buy them from Petsmart, they overcharge like nobodies business. I found 2 similar versions on Amazon to the ones you linked. 1, and 2.

Good luck and welcome soon to Parronthood!

Sounds like she'll be fine with time then :)

If you want suggestions for cages, Vision's usually a good set - I use this one for mine: https://www.amazon.com/Vision-Bird-Cage-Model-M02/dp/B0012DOXEI/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504334336&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=visionbird+cage - It's big enough, but only just. There's also the Large model that's really not much bigger, just wider: https://www.amazon.com/Vision-Bird-Cage-Model-L01/dp/B0012DOXFC/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504334336&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=visionbird+cage

Best part of those cages is the plastic bottom part that detaches, makes cleaning the bottom easier than a slide-out tray + the bird gets a better view while eating and most importantly, no seeds being flung everywhere since it's solid walls, with little doors on either end to change the food/water easy.

In the meantime since you only have two (I assume one is long and goes lengthwise for the food/water?), you can probably put that one in the middle just above the door, she'll wanna be as high as possible but not bumpin against the ceiling if at all possible...I know it's kinda tough in that cage though, it looks neat but when it comes to practical use I regretted buying it, lol

Edit: I forgot to mention one thing, your birb may or may not have issues getting to the bottom of the cage with those cages - the "depth" of the solid see-through walls is kinda deep, and getting Ladders/Perches that go down to the bottom is tough to figure out. I got lucky in that mine basically does "pullups" to get up and down - she'll grab the bottom bar of the cage part with her beak and lower her body and feet down to the grate on the bottom, and do the same to pull herself back up when she's done. Your mileage may vary.

I'd second that, budgies are inquisitive playful creatures and need mental stimulation. They will need some chew toys like this https://www.amazon.ca/Colorful-Parakeet-Cockatoo-Cockatiels-Lovebird/dp/B01H5BCC3E/ref=sr_1_6?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1550553646&sr=1-6&keywords=budgie+chew or kabobs like this: https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Kabob-Shreddable-Parrot-Mini/dp/B00JXLOOTA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=shreddable+bird+toy&qid=1550553894&s=gateway&sr=8-1, some toys that make noise like bells (budgies LOVE bells), and some swings to fly and hop around on. Most budgies LOVE rope swings like this: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00061UX2I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Also look at foraging toys for mental stimulation as well.

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A variety of perches of shape and size (rope, wood, cement) is good for their feet.

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Make sure to also provide a cuttlebone and mineral block.

Harrison's, mixed with
Roudybush, topped with mixed human grade freeze dried veggies (broccoli, spinach, peas, corn, tomato, bell pepper, and carrots). He gets a couple nutriberries in his hanging treat ball. Plus he eats his share of whatever we're eating.

It sounds like a lot, but I mix the pellets in one container, and the veggies in another. In the morning I put half a shot glass scoop of each in his bowl, plus a couple nutriberries in his treat thing.

He is a healthy weight, and recovering from a blood infection. If I could get him to eat fresh veggies instead of dried, it would be great, but he refuses. Loves the dried. It would cost a lot to get everything at once, but buying over time wasnt that bad.

Edit: fixing the formatting.

Good to hear from you again! Leo is lovely and I'm so glad you are seeing her happy, chirpy, eating, etc. Your patience with her is especially good. One small suggestion: her perches are the standard wooden dowels and they are not good for her feet. It would be great if you could get one of those rope perches https://www.amazon.com/Penn-Plax-Rope-Perch-Small-Diameter/dp/B00K9PFR2W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511932527&sr=8-3&keywords=rope+perches+for+birds. As to bird toys, plastic rings with a bell on the bottom; chew toys, and another ladder or two to allow her more climbing exercise. That's all I got! I hope you did very well on your exams and I look forward to more updates on the both of you!

Have you tried acrylic foraging toys like these?
http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Foraging-Systems-E487-Feeder/dp/B004TRYI3U/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1394131550&sr=8-13&keywords=Bird+foraging

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Foraging-Systems-6-Inch-Diameter/dp/B001N2TG22/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1394131550&sr=8-8&keywords=Bird+foraging

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Foraging-Systems-E487-Drawers/dp/B00D84OEFC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1394131550&sr=8-3&keywords=Bird+foraging

http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Foraging-Systems-Sphere-Diameter/dp/B001MWZF7S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394131550&sr=8-2&keywords=Bird+foraging

There's SO many like these out there! It'll require your cockatoo to think as well, so it should theoretically keep him occupied longer ;) they're a tad more expensive, but they last longer and are less messy so there's value in that! I don't have a big bird anymore, so my sources are out of date, but maybe another redditor can provide some suggestions on where one can get the best deals for these :)

Good luck!!

Conures should NOT be eating seed mix for their primary food, although they love it. You need to switch him over to a balanced pellet diet. I recommend Harrison's, but there are other decent brands as well.

Getting the little guy to switch over might not be easy. You should start by mixing the pellets in with the food he WILL eat. Overtime, simply reduce the ratio of "bad" food and increase the amount of pellets. Make sure that you are not allowing him to gorge on treats (like millet), so that he gets hungry enough to (begrudgingly) eat the pellets. If you give him a choice, he will always go for the tastier food, ie. the sunflower seeds. I've had some birds immediately take to the pellets (generally if they are younger), and some that took some time and patience, but eventually they all come around. It's worth it though, as you will have a much healthier and happier friend!

If you have any other questions, let me know!

that's good he'll goes outside his cage to play. reading is a nice idea. my tiel is also picky about toys but he likes crinkly paper toys like thesE: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Bird-Creations-3-Inch-Crinkle/dp/B002ABLDXA?ref_=bl_dp_s_web_17750466011 he'll warm up to you again. patience and love!

Ideally you want perches with different diameters and different textures. In addition, consider an area in the cage where she can stand on a flat surface, if she doesn't regularly run around on tables/floors out of the cage (so she can stretch her toes out flat sometimes. Budgies in the wild actually spend a lot of time on the ground.)

I don't know where you are or where you shop, these are just examples to give you an idea:

Rope perches are very popular: warm and soft on feet, available in many different lengths, they clip to the bars or can be hung up.

Wood perches also come in various sizes and shapes and different kinds of wood. One thing I like about them is they only need to be attached to one wall of the cage so you have more options for length and placement.

Hope that helps. Beautiful bird!

if she’s not anxious without you then it could be perfectly fine to have her in a backpack carrier! i’ve heard good things about this one and i think taking her safely out for some fresh air is a fantastic idea. i can see your issue with harnesses, especially if you live in a particularly predator-ridden area. (of course, there are cheaper options than the one i linked)

Well i know they like bells but i guess I could show you what my guys have (I'm away so I'll provide links instead of pics) They like to climb all over this and mine go crazy over things like this you might want to get a ladder or too, they can climb on it, and it's pretty much were my older tiel likes to go sleep.

Edit: pretty much anything they can chew without getting hurt, also they'll be scared of it at first but they'll get used to it.

I've had good luck with this Petco brand dripless small animal water bottle. My bunny couldn't figure it out at first (I think maybe he just couldn't figure out that it was a water bottle?), but as soon as we pressed down on the lever at the mouthpiece and showed him water comes out, he took to it and hasn't had a problem since.

Before this one, I tried one other kind of dripless bottle with the lever type opening, but it was really sharp and hard to press so I took out pretty much immediately when my bunny tried to drink from it and failed. He's been using the Petco bottle for almost a year now, and we haven't had a single issue with it. I'm surprised no one else here had tried these or recommends them. Way better than a water dish.

edit: This is the kind I tried first. You can see the lever design from the picture. It was located in the small animal section at the store, but it makes sense as a bird water bottle because the lever is really sharp/stiff so probably fine for beaks but not little wodent/bunny teeth? Regardless, the design of the petco bottle is the same idea but a much better execution for bunnies. And it's nice and big.

I use this litterbox with the white tray removed, and Yesterdays News litter. I stuck it in the poop corner and they trained themselves.

I used the water botle that came with the All Living Things Starter cage, but my boys are in my bedroom and the nighttime drinking noise was intolerable. I got them a locking dish and I like it, they like it. But I started to worry they weren't drinking enough water, so I got a Lixit valve bottle and I love it. My boys love it too, they picked it up very quickly.

Just out of curiosity, how did they chew through the plastic bottle? Was it mounted inside the cage?

Yeah, I mean, I would definitely go for a travel cage if I were you (plus, they are just super handy to have just in case). This is the exact one that my boyfriend and I have for our birds, and it's been wonderful.

And as far as food and water go, I completely forgot to mention that. With cat carriers you can get these little shallow bowls that will attach to the front grate, but I imagine most of the water will slosh out within 5 hours. Having a real water bowl and food bowl for your little guy seems like a better option for him and your car =P

Pellets are fairly easy to find online. Here are some examples:

Harrison's pellets

Roudybush Crumbles and the smaller Roudybush Nibbles

Zupreem Natural pellets and Zupreem Fruit Blend

There are many more, but these are the one's I've looked at for my own cockatiel. My bird is not a big fan of pellets, but he will occasionally eat Zupreem Fruit Blend for budgies and the Roudybush Nibbles. He ignored the larger, "cockatiel" versions of the pellets.

My cockatiel is also not a huge fan of veggies. Like your bird, he'll eat the broccoli bits that look like seeds. I found out that he'll eat anything that looks like that, which includes cauliflower (especially purple cauliflower) and broccolini. He likes crunchy stuff, so he'll nibble on the stems of kale, spinach, and other greens (not the leafy part). Try as many crunchy vegetables as you can: green cabbage, red cabbage, snow peas, green beans, pea pods, etc. If I make a big show of eating sweet peppers and carrots ("mmm, yum yum, these peppers are sooooo good!"), my bird will get interested and try a bit. If you can, make yourself a little salad with lots of different vegetables and pretend to keep it away from your bird. When she comes up to steal a bite, let her get away with it. My bird will eat more vegetables if he thinks he's sneaking "people food!"

Tell the shmoops auntie BFK says they gotta start changing with the times! Sorry kiddos! You'll thank momma SOL later. :)

I was actually going to recommend either the A&E flight cage or the HQ flight cage. Which are both exactly like the King's cage you link but a lot cheaper on Amazon! I've heard good things about both brands so you probably can't go wrong saving yourself some money.

OR if you wanna go SUPER crazy both companies also make a double flight cage version (for basically double the price). A double flight cage made by the brand "mcage" is much cheaper, but suspiciously so. It's probably just a chinese knockoff of the above two brands so YMMV in terms of quality.

Here's some of the things others have not stated. Firstly getting a UV bulb like that one. Also you could get a perch with a tent , a bird hammock, or something similar, especially if your bird sleeps on a perch.My bird used to sleep on a specific perch that came with his cage. I bought him a tent perch and he's been sleeping there ever since. He seems happier with it.

If you live somewhere where it gets cold, you could get a bird heater and maybe a heated perch

If your bird is scared of almost everything like my bird. I've noticed putting my bird on the objects(new toys, perches, etc) makes him feel more secure about the object and it may be useful for you.

If you are planning on getting a harness, it's better to get it earlier than later and if your bird doesn't like wearing it, don't use it.

This is optional and maybe not useful (depending on how talkative your bird is). If your bird is talkative try to teach him the concept of "stop it". My bird doesn't like being touched on the chest. To teach him I gently rubbed him on the chest and would say "stop it" 3-5 times. I move my hand away and would say "okay, stop it". Now he will sometimes say stop it when I'm doing something he doesn't like instead of biting.

And it's better and safer to not let him go on the floor.

Great! Definitely keep him at fewer hours of daylight for a while, then you can increase some.

For food: Here is a recommended brand for cockatiel food, in case you wanted my opinion. ;) Just make sure it's not his whole diet (include some veggies) like I mentioned, because we don't want him to get Hypervitaminosis A or renal disease.

I don't have a Grey, but I'll throw my two cents in here.

A) Zephyr's wings quiver a little when he's nervous or in a new place for the first time. His chest and tummy feathers shiver a little when he's very relaxed and fluffed up on his perch. This is normal. If it's accompanying labored breath or trouble balancing, it becomes an issue.

B) I try to let my baby get about 11-12 hours per night, and that's what he likes. He goes to bed at 9pm, and usually wakes up between 8-11am depending on the day. He's usually happy to sleep in a little with us on the weekend. His sleeping cage is at the foot of our bed, and when he gets scared or wakes at night a little whisper from me will generally settle him down quickly. If you're not covering the cage at night, do that. If he doesn't feel comfortable sleeping away from you guys, maybe a sleeping cage could help? This is the cage we use for sleeping. (it also doubles as his carrier and travel cage!)

C) Just make sure you're washing your fruits and veggies very well before feeding. Teflon is what you're worried about, when heated over a certain temperature, it releases harmful airborne toxins that can easily kill a bird.

D) In the wild, birds split their days between foraging for food, and preening. It takes a LOT of work to keep all those feathers nicely zipped and flight-ready. Preening looks like they are combing their feathers out with their beaks in long movements from the base of the feather all the way to the tip. As far as I know, plucking looks more like the bird is tugging on the shaft of the feather violently to pull it out.

E) Molting is different for every parrot. Some go through seasonal molts, some molt continuously, and some do a big molt once per year. This mostly depends on the bird itself, but can be influenced by temperature, diet, and bathing.

... Don't get another parrot. I'm gonna say this in the nicest way possible, but there are so many things wrong with what you want.

​

"I want the parrot to be around the same size as an Indian ring neck that's 100-300 dollars and can live in a medium sized cage that isn't high maintenance and quiet"

​

A parrot about the size of a ring neck likely isn't going to be less then $500, especially if you're getting one that's hand tamed.

​

Budgies? Aren't that loud. Anything bigger? Screeches. They throw fits like children. They're also not going to be low maintenance because larger birds tend to live for about 40-60 years (Conures and ringneck sized birds) and they're super messy.

​

A medium sized cage isn't big enough especially if they're aggressive and can't be held. They need at least a large cage like this one; an ideal cage for a larger bird

you do have a very good point i have not thought of, i could leave the pet at home because there will be my two parents, two younger brothers, and my older sister to take care of the animals. also when i do go to college i plan to work also. thanks for responding. you are now making me think more of which i should buy then before

EDIT: also i just called a place near me with beardies and i might be leaning towards a beardie because they are cheaper. also after that i might just get something like a cape parrot or budgie. i have seen some channels on youtube that do use cages like these : https://www.amazon.com/Best-Choice-Products-Cockatoo-Birdcages/dp/B002SMC25E/ref=sr_1_13?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1494018256&sr=1-13&keywords=bird+cage for smaller birds and might just get one of those after i get a beardie.

Some birds will eat meat, but it is not a natural part of their diet. giving your bird fresh fruits and vegetables and switch him to a pellet based diet would be best. Pellets should have all the nutrients your bird needs. You can order pellets from amazon if there are no pet stores nearby.

Try [these] (http://www.amazon.com/Harrisons-High-Potency-Fine-1lb/dp/B0007LI108/ref=sr_1_6?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1454019120&sr=1-6&keywords=harrisons+high+potency+coarse) or [these] (http://www.amazon.com/ZuPreem-Fruit-Blend-Fruitable-Cockatiel/dp/B00DRP472W/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1454019038&sr=1-1&keywords=zupreem&refinements=p_89%3AZuPreem+Fruit+Blend). You can also buy [avicalm] (http://www.amazon.com/Avitech-113514-Avicalm-Calming-Supplement/dp/B00I2LT1YK) on amazon.

I would not recommend housing two different species together. It's one thing to get along outside their 'nest' area, but birds are territorial of their space and one of your birds may end up hurt. Budgies tend to be little bullies. I know my conure and my cockatiels get along beautifully outside the cage but if one of my cockatiels so much as perches on my conure's cage she goes batshit crazy on them. The only one in the house allowed to touch her 'house' besides her is me.

But, fortunately for you. I have the perfect solution for you. This cage. It is a divided cage. You can have 'one cage' but your birds are separated. If they do end up getting along well like this, the divider is removable and your birds can be housed together, and still, you would have only bought one cage.

This is what I have. It's awesome, and comes with everything you need. It's sturdy and durable and super easy to clean.

Idk what kind of bird you have but it's a big large for my lorikeet. You could fit an African gray or Amazon in it for trips to the vet, but not a macaw.

I just adopted a ten year old female cockatiel, whose previous owner passed away. The cage she was being housed in had two perches, no toys, and her behavior is very similar to what you describe. She's with my other two cockatiels now and LOVES the two thermoperches I have in their cage. I would definitely recommend those, as well as heating pads pinned around the outside of the cage to keep her warm. Fluff tents won't do the job, and tiels can get sick in the winter (just from drafts around the house) pretty easily. Here's the amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/K-H-Thermo-Perch-Small/dp/B000795ZE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418747885&sr=8-1&keywords=thermoperch&pebp=1418747886436

As for toys, the older tiel hasn't picked up on much yet, but my others like ones that they can destroy, as well as ones with mirrors. It depends a lot on their personality, so I would try a variety. Let me know if you need any help or have more questions!

Lol that sounds like my bird! We buy bird kebabs in bulk for him to shred. He's weirdly picky about the stuff he likes to shred; he'll attack some toys and ignore others.

I'm just so excited, meeting another cherry head owner! They are truly special birds :)

I always use Poop Off.

Coconut oil is natural and even though it's an oil, it won't hold well sitting out over time like that. It will degrade like any natural substance and when that happens it will start to smell. Like rotted coconut. It seems fine sitting inert in a jar though.

Harrison's. My vet highly recommend it as well. She "peels" the pellets and eats the innards like seeds. It's hilarious.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009ZFDA8/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?qid=1463438100&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Harrison%27s+pellets&dpPl=1&dpID=51Gt0jL0FuL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002G7ZQE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523302796&sr=8-3&keywords=poop-off+bird+poop+remover&dpPl=1&dpID=41tXs20X86L&ref=plSrch - I haven’t tried it on any dried up pieces from chickens but it works really well for dried Lovebird poop. It seems like it would work for chickens as well, since it also cleans for bugs and grain-based diets.

Thanks for the help! Do you think this type of pellet will be good? http://amzn.com/B0007LI108

I picked up a few new toys and then another water dish. I recently broke his dish plastic dish and it’s a perfect time to grab another metal one. So far he’s been bouncing all over his cage with excitement :)

Booda Byrdy Bush

Rope Perch

Shaggy Kabob

I have a bird toy on my list.


Super Bird Creations SB541 Crinkle Crinkle Little Star https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ABLDXA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hgp3DbVTQAMJ2

Can you have anything shipped to you? Harrison's pellets are pretty popular, since the company is USDA.

I have a double flight cage that is like this. I got it when adopted GCCs that I wasn't sure would get along, and they did, so they shared the whole thing together without using the divider, which was really overkill. They could have easily shared a single flight cage.

I leave the boing on the top -- Mangogh has only recently started showing interest in what's on there. Now, he climbs up and down the pole, as well as the boing.

I got the boing from Amazon, though I'm not certain that's the exact one I've got. He also has one inside his cage.

This is a great one for two budgies/parakeets and is affordable IMHO.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005S6V4QK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JcMNDbM24ADCA

I have the same one for my Hahn's. He loves it!

Amazon Link

My mother has this travel cage for her grey. I personally think that it's way, way heavier than it needs to be, especially considering how small it is. I've had this travel cage for my grey for years and have been happy with it. It is a little on the heavy side (but still not as heavy as the one above) and offers a good amount of space, especially for overnight trips. It's also not as durable as the one above, but still think it's more bang for its buck!

Thanks for the response!

The budgies I bought were 1 month ago and two weeks ago.

Do you have any suggestions for cages? I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-Triple-Cockatiel-White/dp/B005S6V4QK?ref_=ast_bbp_dp

Do I need a bigger one?

Buy poop-off

Your furniture will thank you. Aside from that, you seem to be fine. Just cater to your birds emotions. it'll develop a schedule and behavior. Just be accommodating to that

Bird Carrier

This is the carrier I bought! Overall, I really like it. I’ve had it a little over three months, and I can take it anywhere. I would say I probably wouldn’t putting anything bigger than a cockatiel in there for trips longer than quick trips to the vet.

I use these flip-top Lixit bottles and I love them. I had one that started leaking after a couple years but several others that have had no issues. I like them because you don't need to remove them from the cage to refill them and they have a valve instead of a bearing so they're completely silent.

It's the HQ double flight, minus the stand and divider :)

Maybe something like this would be closer to what you're looking for? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CTTCBKW/ref=mp_s_a_1_27?ie=UTF8&qid=1494874563&sr=8-27

My budgies are shredders, they tear everything up, hence every 2-3 months or so, I get them a 5 bucks shredding toy from the pet store made from bamboo, paper and wood. It keeps them away from shredding their perches and food bowls. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Bird-Creations-3-Inch-Crinkle/dp/B002ABLDXA/ref=sr_1_6?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1452969182&sr=1-6

This one on Amazon is what I have and they love it. Fits the Oxbow adult rat triangles as well as big chunks of carrot and celery with no problem. The holes are big enough that they can chew a chunk off of anything that's too big.

I have a Grey who gets 90% of his food from foraging toys:

I use this , but he did figure out how to get the middle screw out, so I had to replace it]

This is my Grey's favorite. It took him a while to figure it out, but once he did, he goes crazy over this. I had to really tighten the screws so he has to put a lot of effort into rotating the levels. I use this for his favorite treats and it keeps him going for hours

I highly recommend both of these.

I have a screened backpack that works well for short trips. It's this kind:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0714KS7LP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_379EDbFVE562J

http://www.amazon.com/K-H-Thermo-Perch-Small/dp/B000795ZE0

A heated perch could be an option as well

Vision Bird Cage Model M02 - Medium
This is nice

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002SMC25E/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1542498550&sr=8-15&keywords=playtop%2Bbird%2Bcage&dpPl=1&dpID=512Xw1m7F7L&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

Is this cage too small/bad choice?

Here is one I have used in the past: https://www.amazon.com/Living-World-Pedi-Perch-Medium-Color/dp/B0002DGYZK/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0714KS7LP?pf_rd_p=f3acc539-5d5f-49a3-89ea-768a917d5900&pf_rd_r=XPVTWZ041Q9FWD0J7J7V

I have this one for one of my lovebirds. http://www.amazon.com/Vision-Bird-Cage-Model-M02/dp/B0012DOXEI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_petsupplies_11?ie=UTF8&refRID=09T6HVTAE6NC3DFDGJ0K

Look into perch heaters if the room is going to be quite cold.
http://www.amazon.com/Thermo-Perch-Large-Plastic-Non-Toxic/dp/B000795ZE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414040871&sr=8-1&keywords=heated+perch

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VVP0KU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012DOXEI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

At the time I purchased this, it was 64$

Two things

1. Heated perch
   
   
2. Heat panel

I call these dildo perches. My birds have a few of them.

It was similar to this:

Prevue Hendryx Travel Bird Cage 1305 White, 20-Inch by 12-1/2-Inch by 15-1/2-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VVP0KU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BB.HDbT37Z5B9

He didnt like it much, so how he has a soft-side travel cage.

Seconding straw/shreddable toys. I have one of these for my tiel and she likes it, she also loves the ones like this that have the straw balls and stars that she can destroy. They don't last a super long time, but she goes nuts for them.

what type of Conure?

Are you planning on keeping Him flightened or clipping his wings?

You have to train and discipline him like a small child.
He will require love and attention daily. Respect his space, but handle, and pet him as much as he will allow you to.

Make sure he has plenty of things to chew on. And get lots of bird safe bells that he can wack around. Conures get wound up, and can be aggressive at times. They need toys to be aggressive towards.

Get a sanding perch to keep nails trimmed
http://www.amazon.com/Pollys-Sand-Orthopedic-Perch-Medium/dp/B00176IDZA/ref=pd_sim_199_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=31%2Bdw7k2vdL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0X6KNQ77TGF5M8MJZQ1J

Keep your toilet seat closed and bird proof your house. Do not use chemical cleaners, poison, candles, perfume, teflon pans in your home. These things will kill the bird.

Buy the bird the largest cage you possibly can.

Always put your hand in the cage to take the bird out to established shared territory. If bird shows aggression to an object put it in his territory (onto of cage/playstand)

Feed him harrison bird food pellets fine
http://www.amazon.com/Harrisons-Adult-Lifetime-Fine-5lb/dp/B0009ZFDA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458183844&sr=8-1&keywords=harrison+bird+food+fine

Give him lots of safe fruits and veges daily, and occasional cooked meat. Make sure he get 10-12 hours of sleep a night. Keep him on the same routine. Establish how much attention you can give him from the start and the bird will expect that from you daily. I spend most of my time with my bird in the morning and evening, and he is okay being alone during the day because he was raised on this routine.

When putting him to bed at night ignore him if he makes noise, or screams. Ignore him if he screams during the day and he will eventually learn not to.

Leave music on for the bird when you leave him alone.

If you have bitting issues:

If bites you tell him no, and do a bunch of step ups with him
if he bites again tell him no and put him in the cage.
if he attacks you tell him no, grab him with a dish towel,and put him in the
cage.

Only feed the bird where you want him to eat: my bird only gets food in his cage or play stand.

You can PM me with questions. The quality of the bird you raise depends on the owner. I have a 3 year old green cheek conure. I got my conure when he was 3 weeks old, and hand raised him. I have no issues with my bird. He doesn’t bite, or scream, he doesn’t try eating my food when I’m eating, and is potty trained.