baby conure

Question

Thanks soooo much for your answer!  I did check out your website and it's packed with good info!  I'm trying to learn everything I can.  She is so sweet, but she squawks ALL THE TIME!  Is that normal?  How can I begin to teach her not to?  Also, is that guy (birdtricks.com) that's on the internet really good with his training tips?  I'm not into teaching big tricks, just the basics (staying quiet, no biting, etc).  Let me know
Thanks,
Amy
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Followup To

Question -
I've purchased a 4 wk old baby sun conure and would like to know how long I continue feeding her formula and when I should introduce new foods.  Right now, she's eating about 4 times a day.  Please let me know if there is anything specific I need to know.  It's my first bird and I'm loving it!


Answer -
Hi, A. West.  Thanks for posting your question!

You have sooo much to learn!  I'm really surprised the breeder sold you this baby before s/he was weaned...not a good practice.

I begin the weaning process at 4 weeks of age for a sun conure IF the bird is ready.  Visit my website for information on how to wean:  http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

Come back with any questions.

Chrys

Answer
Hi again, Amy.

I'm glad to hear my website is helpful...thank you.  Yes, sun conures are very nice parrots.  If you're looking for a parrot that is quiet, even relatively quiet, you picked the wrong species of bird!  Conures are known for being loud and suns are no exception!  You're likely getting a taste of what is yet to come.  Conures make noise...it's a fact of life!  You can't "make" s/he be quiet!

Does your baby squawk just when you're around and when s/he can hear your voice or does the baby squawk whether s/he can hear/see you?  If only when s/he can hear/see you, the baby is likely squawking to be fed.  If the baby squawks all the time, whether you are around or not, then something might be amiss.

I had never heard of birdtricks.com before your last post.  I don't know his methods, but it sounds too good to be true.  What he doesn't say is that you have to start out with a cooperative bird...each bird is different, has had it's own experiences in life, they all have different personalities, etc., same as humans.  I would imagine, like anything else, what you see on the website is the most successful birds in his program (or at least he wants you to believe this)!

If you start out with a "clean slate" like you have done, and raise the bird the way you want the bird to be raised, then you should have a nice pet bird.  However, you have to know what you're doing and what you shouldn't do in order to make your bird this way.  This is why it's so very important to learn before you buy because once you buy a parrot, you're already in the midst of shaping his/her behavior, and if you don't know what you're doing, well, the bird suffers in the long run.

Mostly everything you need to know is on my website.  Read/study everything there very carefully.  It's very important you pay attention to the smallest details.  Come back as you need to with questions.

Chrys