Things You'll Need
- Cage (minimum size of 24-by-16-by-20 inches, minimum bar spacing of 1/2 inch)
- Cage cover
- Perches
- Numerous wooden bird toys
- Newspaper (no color inserts)
- Spray bottle of 1:1 vinegar and water solution
- Parrot food
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Travel cage
- Free-standing perch
Instructions
Preparing to Bring Your Conure Home
Purchase all supplies before bringing your conure home. Wash the cage with warm soapy water and rinse well. Allow cage parts to air dry. Assemble the cage and place it in a central location away from drafts and somewhat removed from the center of activity in your home. Conures are highly social creatures, but most birds find being in the middle of a lot of activity stressful. A living room, dining room or home office is ideal.
Line the cage tray with two layers of newspaper. You can also line the top of the grate with newspaper to keep it clean. Otherwise the grate will need to be washed ever day. Consider installing a Plexiglas seed guard to help minimize food and bird excrement from sticking to your walls and floor.
Install a variety of perches and toys in the cage. Black-capped conures are avid chewers and need plenty of wood toys for this purpose. Provide them with untreated and unsprayed wood branches from fir, pine, willow or nut trees to chew, with twigs and leaves removed. They are also active and need plenty to do to prevent boredom, which can lead to behavioral problems.
Bring your conure home in a covered travel cage. Put the conure in its cage when you get home and leave it alone to allow it to become familiar with its new surroundings. Provide food and water. Give your new bird a few days to acclimate before attempting to handle it. Cover the cage at nighttime to provide your bird with minimal distraction so it can sleep.
Daily Conure Care
Remove the cage cover in the morning. Remove the food and water dishes, dispose of the contents, wash with soap and water and refill. Consult your parrot food package for the proper amount of food to feed. Provide additional fresh or thawed frozen fruits and vegetables, such as apples, bananas, carrots, corn and leafy greens.
Change the newspaper covering the grate. If the newspaper below the grate that lines the tray is wet or has fresh food or fecal matter on it, change it. Vacuum or sweep the floor around the cage. Wipe up any soft food or excrement.
Allow your bird to come out of the cage and access a cage top or free-standing perch while you are home. Secure your bird in its cage when you are not available to supervise it.
When your bird has become acclimated to its new home, you can begin handling and training it. A simple, useful command is to "step up." Hold a small perch in your hand and gently press the long side up to your conure's chest. When the bird steps onto the perch, give it a small treat as a reward. When your bird readily steps up onto the perch, begin using your finger. Training is most effective when performed in short sessions a few times per day. End the training session on a positive note before the bird gets bored or frustrated.
Return your bird to its cage and cover it in the evening. Conures require eight to 10 hours of sleep a night, so cover the cage for at least eight hours before you will be removing it in the morning.
Weekly Conure Care
Wash the cage, perches and toys with soap and water weekly. Scrub as needed to remove stuck-on food or excrement. Rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry.
Inspect the cage and perches for safety. Look for sharp edges or chewed metal on the cage. Replace worn perches.
Rotate toys every week to keep your bird interested and to prevent boredom.