question on sun conures

**sweeties mom** · 03-18-2012, 07:59 AM

I have a pair of 5 year old suns that hasn't bred yet and just acquire another male sun, after the quarantine period would it be safe to put the new sun in the same cage as my other 2? I know the males ARE males, not sure of the female- only told she was.

**notredamebird** · 03-20-2012, 06:34 PM

I would keep the new bird in a separate cage next to the first two. Give the three a lot of supervised playtime and see how they interact. If they get along really well, they may be happy to share a cage, provided that the cage is large enough.

I would proceed cautiously since suns are very spirited birds, and nippy birds, so if they don't get along, or are crowded, they may get into spats.

If your current "pair" (whatever their sex) are bonded, then the third bird will always be the odd one out and may do best with his own space.

**Lyle** · 03-21-2012, 01:01 AM

Hi Robin, I wouldn't put the new guy in with the pair even if they were not a cock/hen pair, because they may feel threatened if they have been together for so long - (I assume most of the five years)? Suns are territorial at nesting time and defensive of their nest, so the new male would at least need a separate nestbox in which to sleep. I would not risk it. You need to get the 'hen' sexed if you want to breed them as they really should have gone to nest at between three and four years of age, depending on when that coincides with the next spring breeding season etc.

**DesertDweller** · 03-21-2012, 05:43 AM

Hi Robin,

I go with the old adage 'three's a crowd'. I give all of my birds their own separate cages. They have toys and perches on top of each cage and I built them a 2' by 4' play gym as well. I'd rather give up some of my living space so that they can have their own territories.

First, your pair are accustomed to one another. A second male spells trouble, regardless of how they might seem to get along. All you need is for just one bird to get hormonal and you could be facing a sudden tragedy. That's just their nature and would not be their fault.

Remember, in their natural state, they have large areas to explore. Pet birds are stuck with just a tiny sliver of space compared to what they were designed to have in nature. I commend pet birds for being so tolerant of us restricting their lives so darn much. And those dears give us so much affection in return. We can never rightfully blame them if they go through their hormonal cycle and become aggressive for a few days. But, the best that we can do is to take steps to avoid tragedy.

Just my opinion, for what it's worth. Best of everything for you and your fids!!

**Roscoe's Mom** · 03-23-2012, 09:43 PM

Thought I'd share this with you:

Originally Posted by sweeties mom

I know the males ARE males, not sure of the female- only told she was.

Follow the link to the Avian Biotech and get a collection kit. You can have your bird DNA sexed for a low, low price and be sure once and for all whether you have a female or not. Plucking a couple of feathers from their chest once your collection kit arrives takes a second and they forget about it in a matter of moments. It's how I know Penelope & Ross are definitely a girl and a boy

http://www.avianbiotech.com/Feathers.htm