How to Care for a Half-Moon Conure
Half-moon conures can make great pet birds because of their abilities in sound repetition and talking. They are a fairly small conure, only growing about nine and a half inches tall. The half-moon is a great purchase for those with less space or a smaller budget because it requires a smaller cage than most conures and is usually much less expensive--under $500.
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Instructions
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Start out by purchasing an appropriately sized enclosure for your conure. The cage should be a minimum of 20 inches tall by 20 inches deep and 30 inches wide. The bars should be spaced one half to three quarters of an inch apart.
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Cover the bottom of the cage with an easily cleaned substrate like cage paper, newspaper or corn cob. You should change the substrate on a daily basis.
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Place several perches and toys in the cage. Cement perches are good for trimming nails, but also use some natural perches which also promote healthy feet.
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Provide an area for the cage where the temperature can be kept consistent, avoiding direct sunlight and drafts.
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Keep a constant fresh non-chlorinated supply of drinking water on hand at all times for your bird. The water should be changed and bowls cleaned out of debris daily.
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Feed your conure a mixture of foods including seed, pellets and fresh fruit.
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Schedule at least one regular time every day to sit down and spend time with your bird. Your conure will crave your attention and you need to be willing to give it attention on a daily basis.
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Spray your conure with a water bottle filled with room temperature water once every few weeks to bathe the bird. Conures will not actually bathe but will allow you to spray them with a spray bottle.
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See a veterinarian if your bird's behavior patterns change, dropping color changes or other signs of illness. The bird should also see a vet on an annual basis even if it appears healthy.
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Tips & Warnings
If you can buy a bigger cage you should; the larger the enclosure the more exercise your pet can get and the happier they will be.
The half-moon conure is often described as a bird with an attitude. They are notorious for pushing their boundaries and you will need to be patient with yours as you train it.
Understand that your bird will live between 25 and 30 years or more. Understand the commitment you are undertaking when purchasing the bird.
Avoid placing the cage in an area where drafts are common or direct sunlight as well. These drastic and relatively quick temperature changes can be harmful to your bird.
Avoid feeding your conure avocado, alcohol, chocolate and caffeine these may be poisonous to your bird.
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Comments
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newsview
Mar 05, 2011
WARNING 2: Think twice before buying a conure or larger parrot if you live in an apartment or condo. That's because many conures, like large parrots, go through multiple owners because of their noise levels. Conures can be sweet, talkative and super intelligent, but they're not always a great match for small kids. Half Moon Conures, as they age, can become a bit nippy. If you spend enough time with them and don't "play" with them in a way that is perceived as teasing, behavioral problems can be avoided. But the biggest thing you can do to avoid a "biter" is to look for a hand-raised bird. They tend to be much tamer --- but also more expensive than those that are weaned by their parents. WARNING 3: Know where your Half Moon or other parrot comes from. Like too many other exotic birds, Half Moon Conures are endangered in the wild, and the illegal exotic bird trade only contributes to... -
newsview
Mar 05, 2011
Warning 1: Don't merely feed seed or fruit. Conures need fresh, GREEN VEGGIES, such as snap peas, for health. (They also love digging the peas out of the pod, too.) More than just a way to occupy them, the added calcium and vitamin K are crucial. Some avian veterinarians believe that a lack of these key nutrients is responsible for the phenomena of "conure bleeding disorder". This is a tragic condition in which certain species of conure, including the Half Moon variety, spontaneously bleed to death because the blood no longer clots. A bird with this disorder is a ticking time bomb --- fine one day, and dead the next. Warning 2: Don't buy one of these birds if you live in an apartment or condo. That's because many conures, like large parrots, go through multiple owners because of their noise levels. Conures can be sweet, talkative and super intelligent, but know what you are...
