Anyone have (breeding) parrots?

[tebstan]

Anyone have conures, or any parrots that have bred?

I've got a conure pair that I've had for years, and finally gave them a nest box for the first time this spring. They had been going through the motions of flirtation but didn't have any privacy, so I had a custom box built. They took to it immediately. And now they're driving me crazy.

I'm used to the screaming, squawking, squeaking, peeping, clicking, etc. But this is a new level of noise I wasn't prepared for. It's not loud at all, that's the weird part. But it is CONSTANT and high pitched. The little female is making a machine gun sound, and the boy is constantly pecking around the box.

I don't get home from work till kinda late, so I sleep kinda late. Or at least I used to. In the week that they've had the box, I've been woken at dawn by excited little parrots.

How long is this going to go on?! I wish they would lay eggs already and hush up. It's my night off, so I banished them to another room so I could have some peace. And now I feel a little guilty, and a little lonely without them next to me.

I can't find detailed information about this. Breeders seem to be hesitant to answer my questions, maybe because theirs aren't pets kept in the same room. If it goes on much longer I'm taking away the box and giving up the idea of grandbirdbabies.

[sharkdoctor]

I used to breed conures for work. They um...they just don't quiet down. Are they sun conures? Putting them in another, quiet room where they won't be around people as much might quiet them down a bit, but not entirely. Also, once they start breeding and whatnot, I've noticed that they become far less friendly with people as they start to bond more with each other. Good luck!

[tebstan]

The male is a green cheek and the female is a 'cinnamon' green cheek. The female was never friendly to begin with. When I bought her a few years back, the male definitely cared less for me than for her, but he can still be cuddly when he wants. The female allows me to handle her, but clearly resents my close relationship with her husband.

Every spring they get all... wound up. For some reason, I gave them a box this year. I'm starting to think the few bucks I'll make selling the babies won't be worth the trouble and heartache. I picked the boy out as an egg, with every intention of a decades long pet. At 8 years (as of 3-18) he seemed to want to be a dad... I don't have the hear to deny him that.. but if they don't lay some eggs in a hurry, I'll give up on this project.

[corkyGramma]

I don't know what your home accommodations are, but I knew a guy that bred dogs and large parrots (including a. greys) and he kept them outside. He gave me the tour and I noticed the parrots were happy but not sociable like a pet. I guess you would have to go through the trouble of controling the temp for them outside. I feel for your intensions to accommodate your friend, bird dispositions are always tricky.

[tebstan]

There's an egg! There's an egg!


I only saw one as I peeked in the box, it made mom pretty mad to have me looking. I guess being banished to the other room was good for them. I miss them, though. I've taken to reading the paper in there just to be around them.