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How To "conure" Friends...

981 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  nanay 
#1 ·
I've been a regular on the talk budgies forum for quite awhile, but recently, we were sorta forced to take on a nanday conure from an acquaintance who threatened to toss her out near the local wild parrot flock unless we gave her a new home. Rumor had it that "KRYKKYT" was one of 8 siblings, and the other 7 were kept but she was too vicious & unpredictable for the original breeders. Also, she allegedly once killed a smaller bird that was sick.

It took no time at all for KRYYKYT to fully bond with me & my gf, but she very quickly "loses it" with little warning, and when that happens she bites too hard and plays too rough. (As a rule, though, she's just as quick to return to her cuddly self and puff up for some serious "skritching").

Overall, our budgies are all so cautious and lightning-reflexed that we figured they could deal with her. So of course, little Boo immediately became obsessed with her and kept getting right up in her face, all but totally oblivious to her angry lunges towards him. So we kept a close and constant watch until she seemed to accept Boo. And then a sudden noise from outside startled ALL the birds simultaneously...

Next thing I knew, poor Boo was hurt and flapping around banging into walls and falling to the floor, seemingly suffering from a concussion. I managed to scoop him up and lock him into the small penthouse where he couldn't hurt himself, and after 20 or 30 minutes he seemed to be back to his old self. What happened, you ask? Well, the one thing that the birds hadn't yet gotten straightened out was their flying patterns -- when they all took off at the same time and started circling, KRYKKYT headed clockwise while Boo & the other keets all went COUNTER-clockwise... and the two slammed into each other HARD!!!

Everything seems fine now -- the big & little birds even get along when treats enter into the equation! Currently, KRYKKYT is a hellion in serious heat -- which Boo would love to help out with if he wasn't 1/4 her size -- so I keep a close watch on them if they're all out of the cages at the same time, but as I say, I think all will be well now that everybody knows which direction they should be going in an emergency!

- mf
 
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#2 ·
Aw, poor Boo! :(
If things like this happen and Krykkyt is unpredictable at times you really should not have other birds around her unless you are constantly there to supervise. Conures could kill budgies, its not very safe!
Glad they get along well most of the time though :)
 
#3 ·
I worry about my birds when they have that startle flight reaction, too. I have lots of sizes of birds, and I don't let them get close enough to touch one another, but if they all take off at once, anything can happen.

We used to have a scarlet/turquosine hybrid, maybe, who startled at the least little thing, and she made it unsafe to have all the birds out together, because she would get everyone else in the same mode. It is natural flock behavior, but dangerous when birds shouldn't mix.

I hope everything works out for your situation. It sounds as if you are enjoying the new conure even though you did not intend to have one.
 
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