Taking care of a GCC

Hi everyone,

I have decided to have an adorable GCC addition to our home (in Australia). Now i am a newbie and clueless on food/ toys.

1-For green cheeks ive been told to have a mainly pellet diet, add fruits vegetables and seeds for training. I am confused between vetafarm nutriblend and Vetafarm South American mix, are both used or just one? How long does say a $97 10kg of the nutriblend last, its pretty expensive. Where can you get them for cheap in Brisbane?

2-I have also been told they need wormout gel and mite and lice spray. How long do they last, how much do they cost you a year?

3-In relation to toys i heard they can be rotated, how many toys say a year do you buy, how many to buy now before the cutie arrives?

Any other things i should be aware of? Any tips for good prices?

Thanks everyone, any advice would be appreciated

Here is my copy-and paste for potential/new owners:

One really important thing when keeping a pet bird in the house is that you cannot use scented products or chemicals/fumes in your home (even things that smell nice to us(---things like smoke, perfumes, air freshener, standard cleaners, vaping, burning food, incense, cigarettes, glue, paint, window sealing kits, polishes, aerosol sprays etc can harm your bird's sensitive respiratory system (which is not the same as mammals'). Using products that heat or are heated which contain Teflon/PTFE/PFCs = very very dangerous. These products off-gas and can kill a bird in under 5 minutes. Teflon/PTFE/PFOA/PFCs are most commonly found in the kitchen (pots, pans, cookie sheets, drip trays, air fryers, popcorn poppers, baking mats, crock pots, toasters, toaster ovens, popcorn poppers, waffle irons, electric skillets etc. They can also be found in space-heaters, curling irons, blow-dryers, straighteners, heat lamps, heat guns, irons, ironing board covers etc. These fumes have killed birds through closed doors and on separate floors of a home, so you should replace your cookware with stainless steel, cast iron or ceramic. You may be thinking-- well, I have used them before and my bird is fine, but they kill very inconsistently and it depends on what you are cooking, the age of the pot/pan, the specific bird etc. There was a member who lost many of her birds from a pan she had literally used for years...then one day, her husband cooked an egg (without burning or overheating) and many of them died, while the rest showed signs of respiratory distress.

You will need an avian-safe cleaner to use within your home (both on the bird cage, but also, around the house). Again, chemical cleaners cannot be used in the home unless avian safe. F10 SC (the yellow/clear concentrate) is a great, avian-safe disinfectant. Other (less effective) options include products such as "poop-off", white vinegar + water, grapefruit seed extract + water, baking soda etc. Peroxide is also fairly safe for disinfecting places like your bathroom, but you do not want your bird to come into contact with it.

Some foods are toxic to them--avocado, coffee (even decaf), caffeine, rhubarb, alcohol, onions/garlic/leeks/chives, mushrooms etc. Salt is also very bad for them, as is most human food. They love it, but it's not healthy.

They should not just eat seed--you will want to feed lots of washed fresh vegetables. Fruit is fine in moderation, but too much can lead to obesity and behavioral issues due to sugar. I feed my bird a mix of high-quality seed (no sunflowers, no peanuts) and pellets (in addition to fruit/veg). ECCLECTUS PARROTS SHOULD NOT EAT PELLETS. Fruit pits are toxic, as are apple seeds. Corn cob and certain nut shells (if swallowed in big pieces) can cause blockages, so you should be very cautious if you give your bird nuts in the shell. Peanuts can harbor aspergillosis, and should be avoided altogether (even they you often see them marketed towards parrots).

It is important to make sure that your bird's toys and cage are made of safe metals. Stainless steel is safest. They can get metal poisoning from playing with or mouthing objects made of unsafe metals.

They need a set amount of sleep each night (at least 10 hours) and the largest cage you can manage with lots of different perches. You want to avoid the totally smooth/round ones as they can lead to a condition called bumblefoot. Never place a cage near drafts and never allow cool air to blow on a bird. They are sensitive to drafts and any temperature shift greater than 10 degrees can cause a shock to their system.

They need lots of safe toys and safe wood to chew. Not all wood is safe, so don't just assume you can give them any kind you want. Pressure blasted or chemically treated wood (e.g., lumber and many other types of wood from the hardware contains toxic chemicals or are cut from trees that are naturally toxic.

They hide illness and so you have to watch them to make sure they are eating normally and pooping normally etc. You should try to find an avian vet (certified avian) if at all possible and take your bird AT LEAST 1 x yearly for an exam. An avian vet is NOT the same as an exotics vet who sees birds--- so if a certified avian vet is available within a few hours of where you live, you will want to set up care.

All parrots can easily confuse the relationship with their human for a sexual one. You don't want this to happen, even though it seems sweet at first. Stick to petting on the head and neck only (the rest is sexual) and do not allow your bird to play in shadowy places, like boxes or under furniture, as these spaces are similar nesting sites and are hormonal triggers. NO SNUGGLE HUTS/TENTS!

Food and water should be replaced daily--- wash the containers daily. Never leave wet food out for more than a few hours (as it can lead to bacterial growth). Never try to medicate a bird via drinking water and never add vitamins to water. Vitamins can be over-dosed easily and harm a bird. Plus, when you add things to water, it makes it impossible to know how much they have gotten and it also encourages bacterial growth. Sometimes it can prevent them from drinking adequately if they don't like the flavor of whatever it is you added. Citrus and fruits high in vitamin C should be given in extreme moderation because they can cause "Iron Storage Disease" (for a cockatoo, 1 small tangerine slice 1-2 times a week was okay, according to my vet).

These birds have the intelligence of 3-4-year-old human, but they are wild animals (not domesticated like dogs). This means that they see the world (and humans) in a very unique way and so you must learn about their behavior in order to prevent problems (screaming, plucking etc). They need lots of time out of their cage daily and a lot of interaction (at least a few hours). At the same time, you don't want to spend TOO much time with a bird of they will become overly dependent and not know what to do with themselves when you go to work etc.

Finally, baby birds are ALWAYS sweet compared to adult birds. When your bird hits puberty, expect that it will exhibit some annoying and problematic behaviors (much like a teen). A through knowledge of behavior and setting expectations at an early age will make your life easier when that time comes, but do prepare yourself and expect that things will not always be so smooth-sailing. Think about a baby human compared to a teen...

I am sure there is more...but that is a basic overview of caring for birds.

Here is an excerpt from another post (which you may want to reference when shopping/ calling about Teflon:
The most insidious is the Teflon/ptfe/pfoa/pfcs because you have to call the company to verify that anything that heats or is intended to be heated does not contain these substances ("PTFE free" doesn't mean PFC free and so there are a lot of marketing gimmicks out there to make people buy what seems like healthier cook-ware, even though it still contains a version of the same chemicals). Also-- these chemicals can be woven into fabric, mixed into metal during the moulding process, applied as a powder, applied as a clear-coat, or mixed with a colored coating. You cannot assume that you will be able to identify them visually, so, when you call, you must provide all abbreviations and full names + spellings of each chemical compound (and then they usually give you "the run around" for a week or so IF they ever answer your questions at all---because sometimes it's a "trade secret"). It's all very sketchy and DuPont (manufacturer of Teflon) claims that off-gassing only occurs at really high temperatures, but there have been numerous documented/scientific and anecdotal reports of birds passing away at temperatures in the 300 F range (and again, it kills through closed doors and on different floors).
FYI- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
A perfluorinated compound (PFC)
Teflon (a common brand-name of non-stick cookware containing these chemicals)

10- 12 hours nightly for sleep, so if you get up at 6 and make a bunch of noise, you will wake the bird up (even if they are still covered). If they wake up at 6, bed should be between 6-8. You want to keep it around the same time if possible (because that's how it is in nature).


OH-- something I didn't mention in my last post-- stainless steel is really one of the only safe metals for them. Research the heck out of your cage and make sure that if it uses a powder-coating it is truly non-toxic. Birds can get metal poisoning from playing with sketchy toys (many made in China do not adhere to best practices) and just mouthing things like money, bolts, locks etc can cause toxic impacts...A man I know allowed his bird to play with un-used toothbrushes and (unbeknownst to him) there were small copper bits that held the bristles in place-- this nearly killed his bird even though the bird didn't actually swallow the pieces. Copper, zinc, nickel, some iron, lead etc are all toxic. Chicken wire and most screens= bad news.

ALSO- AND NEVER EVER BUY A BABY THAT IS UNWEANED!! IT WILL NOT HELP YOU BOND BETTER. THIS IS A MYTH!!!! SERIOUSLY!

watch this, but never cut your bird off from what they are used to eating (even if it is bad) ---wean them off. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNBALAF3U5E"]Are You Making These 10 Common Bird Care MISTAKES? - YouTube[/ame]

Hello Peekabooo, welcome to the forums from a fellow Brisbane-ite!!

Congratulations on your decision to adopt a GCC - they are delightful and engaging little birds and I have no doubt yours will have you wrapped around his little claw in no time flat!

In answer to your question about food, my GCC (when I had him, God rest his precious little soul) LOVED the Vetafarm mini-pellets, as does my cockatiel, but he detested the South American ones. This will be a matter of individual preference for yours I'm sure. I generally get the 2kg bag rather than the 10kg and empty it into an airtight container, I just feel it stays fresher if I buy the smaller bags and store it that way. I also feed Tropimix small parrot food - it's not particularly cheap but I just think it offers a bit more variety than feeding pellets all day every day. I can send you some info via PM if you'd like to know more about that product and where I get it from.

It's always a good idea to have a new bird examined for wellness shortly after adoption. We are EXTREMELY fortunate in Brisbane to have the services of several amazing certified avian vets at our disposal. If, like me, you live on the Northside, I would highly recommend Brisbane Bird Vet at Chermside. I have been taking my babies there forever and trust them implicitly. There is another at Greenslopes that I have heard good reports about but have not been there myself. But folks come from all over south-east Queensland to go to BBV because he has been in business for a VERY long time and has an awesome reputation. Having your new birdie checked out early will help identify any underlying health issues he may have so that you can nip any problems in the bud nice and early, and will also take care of worming for you. The staff at any of the bird vet clinics in Brisbane should be able to tell you costs over the phone, I know the staff at BBV will be happy to do that. But whatever the cost, it is an important exam for your birdie to have and I know they will be only too pleased to answer any questions you may have about how to keep your new baby healthy and happy!

Once again, welcome aboard to you and your new little one. I am so excited to have another Brisbanian on the Forum, and don't forget to post some baby photos when you can!

LaManuka said:

Hello Peekabooo, welcome to the forums from a fellow Brisbane-ite!!

Congratulations on your decision to adopt a GCC - they are delightful and engaging little birds and I have no doubt yours will have you wrapped around his little claw in no time flat!

In answer to your question about food, my GCC (when I had him, God rest his precious little soul) LOVED the Vetafarm mini-pellets, as does my cockatiel, but he detested the South American ones. This will be a matter of individual preference for yours I'm sure. I generally get the 2kg bag rather than the 10kg and empty it into an airtight container, I just feel it stays fresher if I buy the smaller bags and store it that way. I also feed Tropimix small parrot food - it's not particularly cheap but I just think it offers a bit more variety than feeding pellets all day every day. I can send you some info via PM if you'd like to know more about that product and where I get it from.

It's always a good idea to have a new bird examined for wellness shortly after adoption. We are EXTREMELY fortunate in Brisbane to have the services of several amazing certified avian vets at our disposal. If, like me, you live on the Northside, I would highly recommend Brisbane Bird Vet at Chermside. I have been taking my babies there forever and trust them implicitly. There is another at Greenslopes that I have heard good reports about but have not been there myself. But folks come from all over south-east Queensland to go to BBV because he has been in business for a VERY long time and has an awesome reputation. Having your new birdie checked out early will help identify any underlying health issues he may have so that you can nip any problems in the bud nice and early, and will also take care of worming for you. The staff at any of the bird vet clinics in Brisbane should be able to tell you costs over the phone, I know the staff at BBV will be happy to do that. But whatever the cost, it is an important exam for your birdie to have and I know they will be only too pleased to answer any questions you may have about how to keep your new baby healthy and happy!

Once again, welcome aboard to you and your new little one. I am so excited to have another Brisbanian on the Forum, and don't forget to post some baby photos when you can!

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This is such a helpful post, thank you! I would love to know more about the food and what to buy prior to my GCC coming home (in two weeks).

How long would a 2kg bag of mini pellets last? And do we need to buy worming gel/ worm/lice spray. I am clueless on the best places for good prices. Cages are so expensive as are the toys/food. Where do you usually buy birb things?

Ill definitely be posting photos, very excited

Oh, the 2kg bags of pellets last for AAAAAAGES really. I would suggest though that when baby first comes home, just feed him whatever he's been fed at his previous home. Ideally he should have been eating solid adult food for a good two weeks or more prior to his arrival with you. As he will be in unfamiliar surroundings it's best that at least his food is familiar for a little while at least. You can introduce pellets gradually while he is young and he will probably take to them quite readily.

If you have a wellness exam done early on, I really don't think you will need to bother with mite or worm treatments. I have my guys wormed by the vet, that way I know it's done right the first time. Mites are fairly rare, I can count on fingers of one hand (with three of the fingers cut off!) the number of times my birds have had mites or lice in 40 years. If your bird does not come into contact with outdoor birds you will probably never have a problem with them. Mite spray is expensive, however it is FANTASTIC for killing ants! Living in Brisbane you will know how extraordinarily invasive and determined our ant species can be, and mite spray kills them stone dead You may have guessed that I HATE ANTS!!

Anyway I will send you a private message shortly with a bit more info about Brisbane Bird Vet (BBV) and where I get my supplies from - don't want to be seen as giving any free advertising. BBV are easily enough looked up on the interweb though

I am very excited to have you on board, and I know you will be a great parront to your new baby!