Getting a Conure?

[bbraven]

A friend has offered to give me a pair of black-capped conures, but I'd like some info on them before taking them.
Can you tell me a bit about feeding & care, & such? They are an established breeding pair. The guy said the male tends to pick at his feathers. Can that be cured? He said they're healthy & friendly. They're not too big, right? I just want to know how hard they are to care for & feed. I have 2 parakeets, as you might remember. Pepper's mate Sherry died in egg-laying, Cheri died a week later, but I got another, and pepper and his new friend Zoe (a pretty grey parakeet) are doing well since I got her on Christmas eve.
Any info on the conures is appreciated.
Thanks
Briana

[NeapolitanSixth]

First off, do you want them to breed, or are you planning on boiling any eggs that might come about?
Feather picking....conures are more prone to this than cockatiels and budgies because they require more attention. However, it is a little weird that he is doing it if he has a mate, unless they don't get along as well as he'd like. There might be something else wrong, some other stress, or he might have some sickness. I would definitely take them both to the vet for a fecal test and complete bloodwork.
Conures love their outside playtime. I'm not sure if people treat breeding pairs differently, but I'm sure they'd love time for free flight and general play anyway. My conure wrestles and chases things like a little puppy. They're definitely active little creatures that have a hard time staying still. I don't know if you want to try to tame them down to pet standards or what, so that may be something to keep in mind. Bartok gets himself into a lot of trouble just because he's so curious and tiny...black capped conures aren't too much bigger than green cheeks, so you'll really have to keep an eye on them. I can't tell you how many times Bartok gets himself stuck in tiny spaces or falls into things, so you have to be super careful.
What do you plan on doing with these birds?

-Nikki