Hello!

[xxgoldieloxroxxx]

Hi! My name is Rachel. I'm 12 years old, in a family of 5 (humans) and I'm the youngest.
We have 2 rabbits, 3 dogs, 2 turtles, 1 fish, and in exactly 2 weeks a Baby Sun Conure!!
I LOVE animals.
I will be caring for the bird because I'm paying for it, I have read ALOT on the internet and I'm running out of websites!!
So I came across here and knew I would be in the right place if I hae questions, or answers
If anybody has any tips on how to gain trust of a bird, that would be great!
i have 6 toys, and I am making more out of Zink,Nickel, and Lead free materials.
I REALLY CANT WAIT till' I get him/her. ( I don't know what to choose, male Or female....)
Thanks,
Rachel

[GlassOnion]

Welcome!!

I would buy a lot of wooden toys, and teaching the bird independence FROM THE START.
Conures are famous for being very clingy, and that can often lead to constant screaming problems.

Teach the bird to play by itself in the cage during the day by offering it lots of toys, do NOT run to it when it screams. Instead, reward the bird for being quiet and content. We hear of screaming problems way too often on this forum, and it happens because people give the bird attention whenever it screams.

Also, lots and lots of wood! Bird beaks are like fingernails, they need to be worn down by chewing.

[xxgoldieloxroxxx]

Thanks, thats great that they love wood because we had to chop down some trees in the backyard, so now we have a place for the wood, instead of just the fire
Thanks for the screaming help. I hope everything will go well....

[GlassOnion]

You're welcome

As for wood... it's not the best idea to use outside wood due to bacteria, viruses, and possibly poison.
You need to look for bird-safe trees if you're gonna utilize yard trees.

It's best to look for wooden bird toys on online stores, that look like this:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images/Ca ... 46-toy.jpg

I can give you a list of GREAT online vendors that I frequently visit, great prices and low shipping too. Much much better than local petstores.

[xxgoldieloxroxxx]

Ohh ok. i will look up and see.
PLEASE do give me your list!
I need to find them cheap, my bird costs 400, but im only paying half which is 250, that means I have about 100 left for more toys.
And I'm running out of materials.
THANKS heaps for the photo! I know know what to make, what wood I will need, and what toys are ideal

[Mum2rory]

hi Rachel, i have looked at nearly every pet shop in this area and bird toys are very expensive. Dont forget that you have to have the cage and food as well. I have looked at heaps of youtube videos on parrots and a lot of the toys that the birds love look like plastic balls, paper, cane baskets etc which are cheap to purchase, you just need to use your imagination and try different things to see what your birdie likes/dislikes and is also bird safe. But be careful about their safety (swallowing pieces, getting beak/feet caught etc) Rory's fav toy - besides me - is a little plastic thingy that I bought as a multi pack for only a few dollars from the bird section at a local pet shop. He also hops around on an empty box that I put on the bottom of the cage. He doesnt play with the wood/fibre thing that cost me $60, doesnt use the ladder $50, or the 2 hanging foraging toys $50 nor the wood/fibre thing with bell, another $50. He also doesnt really like the play area above his cage or the wood and rope gym I bought him, he prefers to climb all over his cage. My budgies have similare toys in their cage as well and their fave toy is a cane scarecrow that has been chewed to pieces and now needs to be replaced which was only about $15. My birds have no appreciation for the expensive life. LOL. Lynne

[xxgoldieloxroxxx]

Hi Lynne!
Thanks, I have also been pet shop shopping the prices..OH GOD! Yes, and your birds as evidence that not always is the expensive life the best.
I have come up with a few creations, and went on a treasure hunt around the house.
Foraging Fun:
Using paper bags, cotton string and some treats, Place treats in bag, Tie and hang with cotton rope!Easy!
Double hoop: I think Untreated Nylon rope ( maybe a different material, and make to rings, tie one ring into the other.
And Putting glad wrap onto both sides of a toilet role that is stuffed with treats
+ MORE I am on a roll!! Hahahaha.
A empty box? So simple! Have to put that in

[MaryG]

I found some real inexpensive wooden bird toys from my local Walmart. They were about $2-$3. My Senegal loves them. He likes them more than my larger, more expensive ones.

[xxgoldieloxroxxx]

>.< I wish I lived in america!! Hehe to bad In Australia we don't have Walmart, or Petco They seem so cheap though! I wish australia had those shops....everything here is expensive!!
Hahaha Thankyou

[laducockatiel]

At least u hav cockatiels and cockatoos in Australia, in England the best we have is a Robin LOL. Anyway, good luck on ur sun conure, make sure u get a good sized cage for it and buy plenty of perches and toys for the cage. When u buy the cage, buy one with a tray that slides out at the bottom, so u can change the newspaper easily. I've recently got a baby cockatiel and with a conure, it will be double the fun! I'm hopin to get a conure soon as well.

Good luck!