gates@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Bill Gates) (05/14/91)
Hi. Maybe one of you conure experts out there could help me out. I have a dusky conure, and it seems to be doing fine. But it occurred to me the other day that I really wouldn't know if it wasn't (my first bird). What does a happy conure look like? :-) What behavior is a sign of trouble? How often should a conure make a trip to the vet? Should I schedule regular visits or just go when I suspect something's up? This particular conure is about 9 weeks old, hand-fed. He's quite active, and seems to be eating well. He's got enough weight (according to the "sternum" test - I don't know what it's really called - it's that ridge of cartilage/bone running down the middle of the breast). He fluffs up his feathers (and then fluffs back down immediately) when he sees me, and seems really anxious to be held. He often seems to flap his wings just for the heck of it, holding onto my hand or shirt as he does so. Do conures doze during the day, or should they be alert during daylight hours? When nobody's in the room? Is any prolonged fluffing of the feathers a danger sign? Should I allow him to regain his flight feathers, or keep him clipped? It seems most folks on this bboard have flighted birds. Thanks a bunch! Bill