Normal Sun Conure Behavior?

[Dragonswift]

So my wife and I just got a new Sun Conure and we've had him(calling it a him because we haven't gotten him sexed yet) for 3 days. He is 10 weeks old and is still partially on formula I don't feed him in the morning but I do a night feeding. He tends to sleep a lot and not seem to have a ton of energy. He falls asleep several times a day no matter what's going on around him. He also seems not to care about impressing people and want attention and is fine just doing his own thing which scares me the most. I owned a Sun Conure for 11 years and I never remember my old one being this i guess the term would be docile. He's quiet with some screams sometimes which is great, but I'm afraid it might be a sign for something because I definitely don't remember my old Sun being this quiet. I have been feeding him seeds, fruit, and formula. We have had him for 3 days now and I have been showing him around and taking him to work. Could it be there's a ton of people and just too much too soon? Right now, I have been keeping him in a plastic container without a top (his wings are clipped atm) with a few toys, a sleeping hut, and all his food/water. He doesn't get too much time in there however he is probably with naps getting 11 hours of sleep a day. I'm hoping it's just that he's tired and hasn't been getting enough sleep because I'm very worried about him. It might be that he is just young too and I think when I got my original Sun he was older than this. I'm working on weaning him but he doesn't want to wean it seems like because he eats really slowly when not formula fed. Any advice would help me I might be acting paranoid but I am scared for our new best friend! Thank you for your time
Edit: Last thing, I bought him and he was not 100% weaned and I guess that was a bad idea... I was so happy to be surprised by my wife with him, but now I'm terrified.

[Wolf]

This does not seem to be normal behavior for this bird, I suggest that you get him in to see an avian vet as soon as possible because it sounds like he may be sick.

[Dragonswift]

I'm scheduling one for Tuesday. I wanted to ask too if you guys know about this stuff. I think he might be blind. That would explain why the wings were clipped so early and he doesn't seem to make noise even when the lights are on but when we make noise he perks up. When I feed him he's always losing his food (something I thought wss was just baby behavior) and unless I put it right up to his beak he doesn't usually find it again. I tried the light on his eyes to see if they move and they do but a tiny bit I don't know if it's just me wanting to see that happen. Thank you for your response Wolf I really appreciate your time.

[Wolf]

I would have the vet check out his vision as well. Do you know anything about this breeder or the conditions in which they keep their birds? Parrots are born helpless and their eyes are very sensitive to light, which is why they nest in dark places such as hollow tree trunks. So if the breeder is keeping them in the light and/or using to bright of a light when they feed them their formula it is very possible that the birds vision is impaired. I can't say that this is what is happening as I don't have enough information and his behavior could be the result of his being sick, but only the vet can tell us for sure. If he is blind or if his vision is impaired enough you may need to keep his wings clipped for his own safety and that would be terrible indeed.

Please keep us informed and we will try to help as much as we can.

[Dragonswift]

Okay I was going to talk to the breeder today as well. It seems like his vision is impaired and I don't want his wings clipped forever I love when my old bird would be so excited to see me when I got home that he would fly from wherever he was to me. Is it terrible if I want to return him? I love him but I don't think I could live with the worry about taking care of him like that. Maybe he doesn't want to get weaned because he can't see the food and such.

[Dragonswift]

Okay so I talked to the breeder and they said that he is what's known as a "Grade B" bird. That he has sight problems but he may grow out of it. She never told me anything about that when selling him to me. Should this be a major warning sign or should I not be concerned about this? They said that is why he is not banded because he's not "A grade"?

[Chantilly]

Okay I was going to talk to the breeder today as well. It seems like his vision is impaired and I don't want his wings clipped forever I love when my old bird would be so excited to see me when I got home that he would fly from wherever he was to me. Is it terrible if I want to return him? I love him but I don't think I could live with the worry about taking care of him like that. Maybe he doesn't want to get weaned because he can't see the food and such.

No Dragonswift, it is not bad if you decide to return him, however I think that finding him a new home with somebody who has heaps of time for him is a much better option for the bird than returning him to the cruel breeder, she is obviously is one of the worse ones. This bird will need so much additional time and care to live its life, and seeing as you have had a bird before, you already know how much time one that isnt handicapped is. This bird can still have an amazing life with you, and without flight if it dosent end up getting it's sight back, just it will require more time and perhaps as you suggested, beeing constantly handfed of soft food.

Okay so I talked to the breeder and they said that he is what's known as a "Grade B" bird. That he has sight problems but he may grow out of it. She never told me anything about that when selling him to me. Should this be a major warning sign or should I not be concerned about this? They said that is why he is not banded because he's not "A grade"?

Wow, that sounds so bad. Since when do breeders 'Rank' their birds, that just seems so cruel. The only time I have heard 'A grade' or 'B grade' things be refered to is food...
"Would you like the A grade strawberries for $11 kilo or the B grades for $6..." The though of that being done to animals gives me chills.
I am guessing that she didn't band this bird because she didn't want people to know it was her production, but the fact that he does not have a leg band is really a good thing, they are very cruel devices, and can become big hazards. My GCC's leg was suffocating when hers became too tight. Long story short we had to have it removed.

Oh, also I dont think I said Hi, welcome to the forum... so Hi! Also I love your user-name (warrior cats )
My best wishes are going towards you and your new baby sun conure.

[Dragonswift]

I always thought those bands were terrible and that was not a normal practice, it's obvious she does not see them as friends and more as just items to make money off!

So update:

I have decided although it was a really hard choice to give him up. I actually found a kid around 11 years old ( the age I got my first bird) who wanted him and wanted him specifically because he was blind. I was going to return to the breeder but then I heard this kid at the store and his parents said they were up for the task and that their boy needs something to occupy a good amount of his time. They did not want him flying around the house and this seemed a perfect fit! He is such a sweet bird just not the right fit for me It seems like it's too good to be true this ending and I'm glad hes going to loving home. Thank you for your guy's time and I will be letting you guys know when I get my new new bird. This community is really great!

[Wolf]

I would not go back to this breeder for any other bird either. Firstly because the breeder was dishonest with you and secondly because as I thought he is a bird mill. Birds do not have vision issues unless there is damage done to the eye usually from exposure to too bright of light.

Banding, if done correctly is safe and humane and it provides proof of where and when the bird was hatched. The reason for most problems such as you had, Chantilly, is that they used too small of a band for the type of bird. Other than that there are rarely any problems with bands.

[Superman2016]

From reading these posts it seems he already had issues. But I did want to mention something since I am hand feeding and hand rearing my own sun conure right now. I have had him since he was two/three weeks(I didn't know which so I say either or) . He is 8/9 weeks now and even though he is eating ALL KINDS of stuff fruits veggies, some seed (still learning to eat seed) , and pellets. He still has formula feedings through out the day. His formula feedings are less in quaintly as before. He is finished sooner and ready to to just go fly off or play elsewhere but he STILL gets formula in the AM , and about 3-4 X's s day total. He is only 1-2weeks younger than yours! Your baby should not have been sold this young. My little boy (although fully feathered and eating solid food) is NOT weaned and NOT ready to give up his morning and mid day feedings. So I can say I honestly don't think your baby was ready too either. He was probably so tired braise he was hungry.

Also my baby boy , even though he flys a LOT now, all around the house etc... And loves to play. He still takes several naps a day . I take him to lots of places outside the home. To the store etc... If he's awake he sits in my hand and I carry him around. If he's sleepy I let him sleep in my pocket. Today , had about 2-3 naps total. He gets sleepy and will just flatten himself against me and go right to sleep. Or sleep standing up on my shoulder. Because * He is still a BABY*

I am glad you found a home for your parrot that could provide more attention. At this age they do need it. My baby boy looks all grown up from the outside but to me he is still a baby. If I was a breeder of sin conures they would not go to their new homes until minimum of 12 weeks and only if they were completely weaned.

If you wanna ask why did *I* buy an unweaned bird? Well I had just started learning about free flight when I bought him. I wanted a baby that I could raise to fly and not one of the breeders I could find anywhere sold them fully flighted . Everyone I had contacted or met clipped their birds wings. I refus to buy a clipped baby parrot.
Then shortly after getting my boy , I started learning more about Michaels way of doing things with trick training and behavior , like his book and I ordered the book. Still reading it. id we ever get another parrot , I will search harder to find a good breeder that sells them weaned AND UN clipped.

For now we have all the parrots we can handle at this time. I am hand rearing a budgie because I have been wanting a tame one and even though I would have gotten one weaned, & parent raised (because budgies are easy to tame ) , I already knew someone who's pair had their very first clutch of eggs. And only one baby hatched and survived. They were not doing a good job as first time parents and her leg was becoming splayed. I have experience hand rearing and I was already going to adopt that baby so I took her early to be able to fix her splayed leg and take over her care. So that is how ai got my second "baby" parrot.
But I just wanted to post to say that 10 weeks is too young to stop the morning feeding in my opinion and that your baby was to ably just not ready to be weaned yet so fast. It sounds like that breeder force weaned them. Baby birds that were hand fed can regress when going to a new home. They may need more one on one care and more hand feedings than they had right before they were sold, just to help with re-adjusting to a new home.
Like I said My boy only 9 weeks eats all kinds of stuff but he still asks for his formula and I don't deny it from him. I allow him access to both his formula and adult foods until he stops asking for his formula. I don't think it's right to force wean them like that.