I have read many books on conures-many were a complete waste of time. The best sources are people that actually raise conures. Read online with a skepticism and then ask questions.
Have Conure, Need help
- Thread starter Frosty
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I have read many books on conures-many were a complete waste of time. The best sources are people that actually raise conures. Read online with a skepticism and then ask questions.
- Thread starter
- #32
Updated picture of Khaos and Riot... I wrapped a towel around the top of a step ladder and they were keeping me company. Until Khaos flew in to the living room to visit my husband and son. First he landed on my husbands head, then he flew over to my son. I got the kits for feather sexing, and 2 travel cages, ready for the vet appointment next Friday! 
- May 2, 2015
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This is a good informative thread. I have kept conures for years and like most animals rewarding behavior seems to work (scratch's, food, attention)
poppys (13 year old) treat is to get to dance to loud music (you have to dance with her which thankfully isn't in the video).
Most birds especially recuses have a history and there smart enough to learn fear. I had one that will love and cuddle but if you put on a pair of gloves (came in with yard gloves on) its going to get loud and ugly. Another one had a problem with plastic bags and drew blood the first time she lunged when I was cleaning of the bird gym (poppy).
Even after years im still learning.
Most birds especially recuses have a history and there smart enough to learn fear. I had one that will love and cuddle but if you put on a pair of gloves (came in with yard gloves on) its going to get loud and ugly. Another one had a problem with plastic bags and drew blood the first time she lunged when I was cleaning of the bird gym (poppy).
Even after years im still learning.
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- #34
gpop1 you have some beautiful birds! How many do you have? I'll have to try dancing with mine! That has always struck me as really cute...
The next issue that I need to tackle is the noise. I can honestly say that it doesn't bother me, but it does seem to bother my husband. A lot. I don't want to have to rehome the birds because he doesn't like the screeching (which they do a lot of, especially if the see or hear us). I think they just want to come out and visit which I can't blame them. I can introduce the cats to the beak, but the German Shepherd is where I would really worry. I could try introducing him to the beak but that probably wouldn't work as well with dogs or they would learn to leave porcupines alone after the first encounter. My daughter moved from home so I am now researching what I would need to do to sound proof her room. Unfortunately, a lot of what I am reading so far is saying to use carpeting to dampen sound on the floor. The room has carpet now and I want to get rid of it for easier cleaning. I think my best bet right now would be to set up the room as a bird habitat and see if they are quieter when they aren't stuck in cages all day. The other day they were being very quiet. When I walked past the doorway to the room they were in I found out why... they got a small door on the cage open and were happily playing on top of the cage. When we put them back in, Khaos promptly opened the door back up. It just has a 'catch' that looks like a metal circle that you swing around and the door drops open. Khaos just reached through the bars and swung it around. Now I have a stainless clip to hold it closed.
The next issue that I need to tackle is the noise. I can honestly say that it doesn't bother me, but it does seem to bother my husband. A lot. I don't want to have to rehome the birds because he doesn't like the screeching (which they do a lot of, especially if the see or hear us). I think they just want to come out and visit which I can't blame them. I can introduce the cats to the beak, but the German Shepherd is where I would really worry. I could try introducing him to the beak but that probably wouldn't work as well with dogs or they would learn to leave porcupines alone after the first encounter. My daughter moved from home so I am now researching what I would need to do to sound proof her room. Unfortunately, a lot of what I am reading so far is saying to use carpeting to dampen sound on the floor. The room has carpet now and I want to get rid of it for easier cleaning. I think my best bet right now would be to set up the room as a bird habitat and see if they are quieter when they aren't stuck in cages all day. The other day they were being very quiet. When I walked past the doorway to the room they were in I found out why... they got a small door on the cage open and were happily playing on top of the cage. When we put them back in, Khaos promptly opened the door back up. It just has a 'catch' that looks like a metal circle that you swing around and the door drops open. Khaos just reached through the bars and swung it around. Now I have a stainless clip to hold it closed.
Happy conures are quieter. More room for them will help, however, there will always be times when they are noisy; especially if they are upset. Noise-I had to move mine to a heated room in the garage-And my spouse is a bird nut. My son threatened to not visit if I kept the conures. I pointed to the door and said "bye". His infrequent visits were not worth giving up my birds-he still visits.
Styrofoam also makes a good sound proof barrier. I hope you can find solutions to ease the noise problem.
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- #36
Actually, my daughter left in 2007 after she graduated from high school 
The conures came much later. I can tell the kids to leave if they don't like the noise but don't think that would go over well with the husband. The birds don't screech all day every day, just when they see or hear us or sometimes because they feel like screeching. My husband probably doesn't help matters when he goes in and gives them a nutriberry to quiet them down (lets reward them for doing what we don't want them to do...) I think he does really like them, just not the noise. When we are at the pet shop, he actually looks at toys for the birds and usually picks something out for them. He seems fascinated when he puts his hand out and they climb on it. He looks at them and talks to them. Do they screech a little less often when they get older? I finally got hatch dates on them, Khaos hatched 2/3/15 and Riot 6/2/15. Of the two, Riot is noisier and he sets Khaos off. I also have two parakeets, we got them about two years ago. They used to screech a lot but now they mostly make musical twitters.
The conures came much later. I can tell the kids to leave if they don't like the noise but don't think that would go over well with the husband. The birds don't screech all day every day, just when they see or hear us or sometimes because they feel like screeching. My husband probably doesn't help matters when he goes in and gives them a nutriberry to quiet them down (lets reward them for doing what we don't want them to do...) I think he does really like them, just not the noise. When we are at the pet shop, he actually looks at toys for the birds and usually picks something out for them. He seems fascinated when he puts his hand out and they climb on it. He looks at them and talks to them. Do they screech a little less often when they get older? I finally got hatch dates on them, Khaos hatched 2/3/15 and Riot 6/2/15. Of the two, Riot is noisier and he sets Khaos off. I also have two parakeets, we got them about two years ago. They used to screech a lot but now they mostly make musical twitters.
Sorry. No, they will not get quieter with age. A stress free environment, lots of room to climb and play, and sound proofing are your best bet. Large sheets of foam, 4X8 ft., are available at your nearest lumber yard.
And ear plugs when the noise is overwhelming.
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- Thread starter
- #38
I work in a home improvement store (Menards). I'm tempted to rip out the dry wall and insulate the walls so I won't have to worry about the birds eating foam if they are loose in the room unattended. It would be a cat/dog free environment. Then I could just go in and sit with them when I want to. But then the carpet would definitely have to go. I guess I could rip up the floor and insulate that too? I guess I'll find out how much the noise bothers the husband by seeing his reaction when I put the suggestion out there.
- May 2, 2015
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Some conures are louder that others. Mine will alarm when they know you are there but can not see you. Our kitchen has a small wall that blocks the birds view from the gym so that starts a alarm call.
Luckily ive never used a cage as a cage so they can fly and find me. As for dogs and cats, The dogs are not interested and will allow the birds to walk over them and the cat knows better. Ive even seen the birds and the cat cuddled up together. This is the same cat that likes to bring me live/slightly chewed doves she catch's in the yard;
My best advice for noise is.
Do not put the cage near a window. Anything that moves outside is a threat so they are going to alarm call.
Do not put the cage where there's a lot of artificial light. If you turn on room lights etc during the evening they will get active. Smaller lamps further away tends not to set them off.
Dark is quiet time, If the birds are caged then a cover works wonders. Make a custom cover that can be installed and removed in seconds or the chore of putting the cover on becomes more dreaded then the noise.
Stranger danger. If the birds don't know someone then they will get noisy. Cover them for short stay guests or force the guests to interact especially the ones that wont leave home till college.
Drown the noise out with music. They can be trained to be quiet
Tell them No then cover for 10 minutes. Repeat for a few months and they wont be quiet but the screaming will be shorter
Don't cuss at them for screaming they can talk and the more aggressive a word is used the more they seem to learn it. (almost like the bird learns the human alarm word starts with a F)
A conure that doing something else like nibbling on you, eating human food, destroying a keyboard tend to be to busy to scream.
A pair of conures even different sex may not like each other so if they are squabbling (wing flicking is a sign they are arguing) it may be better to break them up to keep them quiet. If they are bonded then they are a lot happier and quieter (this can take days to years).
If you handle one and they call backwards and forwards to each other then they are probably bonded so they should be handled together.(that's why you have 2 shoulders)
Happy greeting screams are to be expected when anyone comes home so make a effort to spend 30 seconds paying attention to the birds when any one comes home.
like I said im still learning.
Luckily ive never used a cage as a cage so they can fly and find me. As for dogs and cats, The dogs are not interested and will allow the birds to walk over them and the cat knows better. Ive even seen the birds and the cat cuddled up together. This is the same cat that likes to bring me live/slightly chewed doves she catch's in the yard;
My best advice for noise is.
Do not put the cage near a window. Anything that moves outside is a threat so they are going to alarm call.
Do not put the cage where there's a lot of artificial light. If you turn on room lights etc during the evening they will get active. Smaller lamps further away tends not to set them off.
Dark is quiet time, If the birds are caged then a cover works wonders. Make a custom cover that can be installed and removed in seconds or the chore of putting the cover on becomes more dreaded then the noise.
Stranger danger. If the birds don't know someone then they will get noisy. Cover them for short stay guests or force the guests to interact especially the ones that wont leave home till college.
Drown the noise out with music. They can be trained to be quiet
Tell them No then cover for 10 minutes. Repeat for a few months and they wont be quiet but the screaming will be shorter
Don't cuss at them for screaming they can talk and the more aggressive a word is used the more they seem to learn it. (almost like the bird learns the human alarm word starts with a F)
A conure that doing something else like nibbling on you, eating human food, destroying a keyboard tend to be to busy to scream.
A pair of conures even different sex may not like each other so if they are squabbling (wing flicking is a sign they are arguing) it may be better to break them up to keep them quiet. If they are bonded then they are a lot happier and quieter (this can take days to years).
If you handle one and they call backwards and forwards to each other then they are probably bonded so they should be handled together.(that's why you have 2 shoulders)
Happy greeting screams are to be expected when anyone comes home so make a effort to spend 30 seconds paying attention to the birds when any one comes home.
like I said im still learning.
- Thread starter
- #40
Thank you gpop1, excellent advice. They seem to know the minute I wake up and start calling. I'm upstairs and they are downstairs. I never raise my voice to them, just go in and ask them to use indoor voices. Then I talk to them for a few minutes before I go back to what I was doing. I had to chuckle at 'that's why we have 2 shoulders'. I might have 2 shoulders but they always want to be on the same one 
Khaos and Riot occasionally squabble, mostly when one has food and the other wants it (because the one that wants it dropped theirs). They don't like to be seperated so I do get them out at the same time. I actually think Khaos played a big part in Riot accepting handling so fast. If we have just Khaos out, Riot calls to him and Khaos flies from us to go back to Riot. But he will still leave Riot to fly to us sometimes which makes me think he is bonded to us too. I do need to figure out how to make a cage cover, summer is coming and days up here are very long (it isn't totally dark until after 10 PM and is getting light at 5 AM) and I've heard that it isn't good for conures to have daylight that long. Do they need sunlight for their health?
I was surprised tonight, I was doing dishes and Khaos wasn't freaking over the dish towel. I guess it's the little wash rag sized towels he doesn't like? That seemed to start last month when Khaos decided to use the water dish as a bird bath. He was soaked and shivering to my son wrapped one around him and gently dried him off, then we put a heat lamp above the cage for a while (red bulb brooder lamp). The lamp didn't bother him but now he doesn't like the towel even though it didn't hurt him (unless being restrained scared him?)
Khaos and Riot occasionally squabble, mostly when one has food and the other wants it (because the one that wants it dropped theirs). They don't like to be seperated so I do get them out at the same time. I actually think Khaos played a big part in Riot accepting handling so fast. If we have just Khaos out, Riot calls to him and Khaos flies from us to go back to Riot. But he will still leave Riot to fly to us sometimes which makes me think he is bonded to us too. I do need to figure out how to make a cage cover, summer is coming and days up here are very long (it isn't totally dark until after 10 PM and is getting light at 5 AM) and I've heard that it isn't good for conures to have daylight that long. Do they need sunlight for their health?
I was surprised tonight, I was doing dishes and Khaos wasn't freaking over the dish towel. I guess it's the little wash rag sized towels he doesn't like? That seemed to start last month when Khaos decided to use the water dish as a bird bath. He was soaked and shivering to my son wrapped one around him and gently dried him off, then we put a heat lamp above the cage for a while (red bulb brooder lamp). The lamp didn't bother him but now he doesn't like the towel even though it didn't hurt him (unless being restrained scared him?)
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