Apple and Her Health

Hello, I have done some research but I am more interested in being responded directly to by people who have more experience than I raising conures. I have had Apple for about 8 months and Alexi just came out of quarantine. Alexi looks perfect for being a 3 month old baby, but she is in the photo to show the contrast. Apple looks shes been through hell and back. I feed them a seed mix and papaya/coconut, plus apples. Can someone give me recomendations and information why her feathers are this way. I love my pets and want to do whatever I need to do to fix her.

Thanks!

Based on her diet, it is almost certainly a nutrition problem. Seed mixes are a bad base diet for almost all birds, definitely conures. Papaya, coconut and apple are good but she needs many, many more fresh vegetables in her diet, and a much wider variety. Carrots, bell peppers, spinach, kale, lettuce leaves, hot peppers, zuchini, yams, squashes, beans and pulses, sprouts, corn, peas...the list goes on and on. Pretty much anything but onions and avocados!

Seed mix is way too fatty for these birds. You should try to wean her from seeds and switch her to a healthy pellet diet. Harrison's, zupreem and roudybush are some of the recommended pellet brands that members here use.

She can also have small amounts of (fresh, raw, unsalted and unflavored) nuts and seeds (although peanuts are often avoided). Some particularly healthy options are flax, chia (but make sure it's soaked first), sesame, almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and the occasional cashew, sunflower seed and pistachio.

As for fruits- you're on the right track! Any fruit but particularly those low in sugar- papaya is a good option, but also berries. Apples are high in calcium so they make a great treat, as do pears, mango, cherries, nectarines, plums...make sure everything is peeled and washes and like I said, don't over feed sugary fruits. Vegetables are more important.

Your newest little one, at three months, is probably not long weaned and I would guess has only been with you a few weeks? Her feathers will start to blacken too if you leave her on the same diet apple has been on!

Hope this helps.

Thanks for you time EnglishMuffin. I just ordered a bag of Harrison's to get them off the seed that is most likely a factor. Reading through amazon reviews I also came across some strategies on chopping a bunch of the other fresh veggies up and freezing (liah consists of many of the things you brought up). I am holding that Apple having a friend, plus the tweaked diet will bring her back to a healthy look. Are there any other things that could potentially cause this feather damage that anyone knows?

That kind of looks like what my Rosco's feathers look like. But he is an overpreener and he transferred that to Tootsie when I adopted him. It does not seem like he knows how to be gentle with his beak. All over his feathers have that same dark and torn edge look. Especially on his wings. Tootsie's head feathers are all ratty looking now cause he seems to spend most of his mutual preening attention there. I try to give him as many toys and chewing things as I can to distract him.

The diet changes could certainly help but make sure she has things to keep her beak busy too. Rosco is on an improved diet now and the feather color has improved. He keeps fraying the edges though.