My very FIRST bird - a YSGCC!!

Hello all and Happy Holidays!

Let me start by saying i have never had a bird before, so i am new to all of this and open to constructive criticism. So let me tell you all about our birdie setup so far! Please be kind/helpful!

I am 25 y.o. I have wanted a bird and been doing research for well over a year. I finally settled on a green cheek conure a few months ago and refined my researching to this species at that time. Around the end of November i found a (somewhat) nearby breeder and picked out a 4 week old yellowsided baby. She sent me pictures and progress notes on him for a month until he was fully weaned then 5 days ago I was able to go meet my new child and bring him home. (I already uploaded pictures of him to my album)

I have him in an HQ flight cage and he uses every inch of it. He has natural and cement and rope perches. He has toys, but his favorite toy is me, so far.

His diet consist of Zupreem natural pellets available at all times and a cooked bird food my breeder uses called Hot and Hearty, as well as fruits and veggies (he LOVES carrots and applesauce). I am trying new veggies every single day and using the fruits more sparingly. I also got lafebers <sp? nuriberries and offer one a day but he doesnt think they are food yet.

His wings are clipped ATM but I AM GOING TO let them grow out for good.

Any advice/concerns/questions? (i WILL have questions)
Thanks for reading/replying!!

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome! It sounds like you're already on the right foot.

So excited for you. Sounds like you've done your homework. When I was given my B&G 18 years ago, I didn't have all the resources that are out there today. Spent a lot of time at the library reading. She was my first large bird. We have spent the years teaching each other. Now she is my best friend.
Good luck to you with your new friend. Btw-what's his/her name?

He has toys, but his favorite toy is me, so far.

TYPICAL CONURE! HAS HE DISCOVERED THE "CONURE SPOT" YET, i.e. INSIDE YOUR SHIRT WITH JUST THE HEAD STICKING OUT?

His diet consist of Zupreem natural pellets available at all times and a cooked bird food my breeder uses called Hot and Hearty, as well as fruits and veggies (he LOVES carrots and applesauce). I am trying new veggies every single day and using the fruits more sparingly. I also got lafebers <sp? nuriberries and offer one a day but he doesnt think they are food yet.

WARM OATMEAL ON A SPOON IS GOOD. THEY ALSO LOVE MILLET. A LITTLE BITE OF PLAIN SWEET POTATO. RICE. BUT IF YOU CAN GET HIM TO EAT CARROTS, YOU'RE GOLDEN. RIGHT NOW, IT'S ALL ABOUT INTRODUCING HIM TO A VARIETY OF FOODS SO HE DOESN'T BECOME A PICKY EATER...

His wings are clipped ATM but I AM GOING TO let them grow out for good.

OKAY, NOW WE GET INTO RECALL AND/OR HARNESS TRAINING, AND SAFETY OF THE INTERIOR OF YOUR HOUSE, AND MAKING SURE DOORS AND WINDOWS ARE CLOSED/COVERED...

MY LITTLE SUN CONURE WAS RECALLED AND FLIGHTED HIS ENTIRE LIFE. (I USED TO FREE FLY HIM...)

Any advice/concerns/questions? (i WILL have questions)
Thanks for reading/replying!![/QUOTE]

Thank you all for the welcome!
I have definitely tried to do my homework! Being this is my first bird and knowing that i didnt want to start with a "beginner bird"(i hate that concept) i wanted to get one that....i WANTED haha.
His Name is Pumpkin because his clutch started hatching on Halloween Day and with as much reddish-orange as he has i couldnt resist the name Pumpkin.
He has stuck his face down my shirt but didnt go too far in(yet). His spot is in my hair licking my ear. I have stretched ears with big lobes (so big jewelry for him to play with).
I have a lot of origional oatmeal so we shall see if he likes it! He has tried millet as a treat but wasn't interested...i guess thats okay with me though because i read millet really has no nutritional value. He likes veggie baby food and dips his "big boy food" into the baby food as if its a sauce?! I am trying to get him to eat new things every single day...
I really like the idea of harness training so i can take him outside sometimes without the cage like if i want to take him to the park or to pick out new toys at the petstore. In the summer time i plan to let him out in a cage for a while each day to get some sun. But the idea of free flying him scares me sooo bad!!

Hello and welcome, Ann! Congratulations, sounds like you are off to a great start with Pumpkin! Love the name and the reason you chose it. Have fun with your new friend and please share photos and updates.

Hi and welcome, good groups of folks here, and good luck with your new bird!!

Trying to post pictures. let's see if I can figure this out lol. One when he was a baby. This is the first pic the breeder sent me. The picture that stole my heart. The pic when he's older is from the day he came home one month later. They grow so fast!!