New member hello!

Hello all! I’m a new member here and wanted to introduce myself (I’m Kim) and my new friend Pepper, a Nanday conure. I just got him this week! I’m trying to read everything I can about his care and diet.

Welcome to you, Kim! How old is Pepper?

Welcome to you and Pepper! Lots of great information here, and many of us conure people here as well. Hope you’ll share some pictures - Nandays are beautiful

hello!

Since you're brand new, may I offer you some basics?

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Here's some reading on bonding for you.
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
General Parrot Information - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community
http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2012...n-parrots.html


Most of us swear by our avian vets in the event of health concerns. I don't know where you are, but here are some links. I only have USA info...
Certified Avian Vets
https://abvp.com/animal-owners/find-an-abvp-specialist/
If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians
http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.

What's the diet? That's critical for health. Too many are kept on seeds or other poor-nutrition things. They need veggies, legumes, grains... pellets are a good staple. Here's what I use.
Harrison's Bird Foods
I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff, like fruits and vegetables! My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.

Since you're new parront, I'll just drop a note about avoiding teflon pans, which are lethal to birds if even slightly overheated.

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I'm glad you're here. I'd love photos of your Nanday. I just love them!

Welcome to you and Pepper! Tell us how you did you come by your Nanday? What made you decide to take the lead and get a FID??

HELLO!

NO teflon/ptfe/pfoa or cleaning products (or scented anything) around your bird! ;0

Welcome Kim and Pepper! A wealth of information in the forums, GaleriaGila gave you a wonderful start in the best directions!

Hi Kim,


welcome and well done.
(they do not pay me to say this, so it must be true)
This is one of the best places to find the information you need, and also share in the madness that birdkeeping brings.


Great you are bitten by the bird-bug as well

Welcome to the forums.....

Welcome to the Community! Please do not ever hesitate to ask ANY question you may have, because with birds there are definitely no stupid questions!!!

As Noodles wisely mentioned to you above (new bird owners may not know anything about the danger of any scents/fumes/smoke/odors) if you own/use any pots, pans,
or bakeware/cookware that has a non-stick coating that contains any Teflon and/or any of the lethal Fluorinated Compounds such as PFOA, PFTE, etc., you must not ever use them in your house again now that you have a parrot! Usually these lethal non-stick coatings, when it comes to pots and pans, are black in color. So if your pots and pans have a black non-stick coating on them, then they're most likely going to have to be replaced; however, even if they aren't black coatings, that doesn't mean they are safe, you must confirm this...Instead of using these very common types of pots and pans, you must use either Ceramic Non-Stick, Stainless, Cast-Iron, or real Copper...

Also, you cannot ever run the "Self-Cleaning" cycle on your oven; you'll have to start cleaning your home with unscented, natural cleaning products; most of us use a mix of White Vinegar and very Hot Water, or we buy unscented, plant-based cleaning products. You can't use any type of "scented products", like any that you plug-in to emit scents, no candles of any kind, no incense, no scented oils (not even essential oils, they are not safe either), basically nothing scented. Birds are extremely sensitive to any and all scents/fumes/odors/smokes, and even your perfume can make your Nanday extremely ill or worse...The Teflon and Fluorinated Compound coatings emit lethal fumes that usually kill bird instantly. So it's really is a matter of totally changing the way you clean your home, and the way you live inside it, if you're a person who likes to burn candles or use any type of scented products...

How old is your Nanday? Did you get him from a breeder, pet shop, etc.? Or did you adopt him? The reason I ask is I'm wondering what his regular, daily diet is/has been, because their diet is so very important, and a diet high in fat is one of the main reasons that pet parrots die young...What is his daily diet?