An End to Fostering

[OutlawedSpirit]

So, as some of you know, I was fostering a sun conure, his name is Mango. Well, I am not fostering him anymore, instead I have decided he is going to just stay with me forever. He really is a little sweetheart, he just needs a little work. The pretty chicken was the same way and she has turned into an awesome addition to the family. My wife even likes him, which is major since she isn't a bird person. Plus, what am I supposed to do when I get this supposedly untame and aggressive bird out and he dose this:



So now I really have some questions, since I can drastically alter his diet and what not with him being my newest baby. I have never owned a conure of any sort before. Right now, he is eating a seed mix. I tried offering him some of the pretty chicken's chop mixed with some of her pellets, and he ate the chop but left the pellets. Honestly sort of the opposite of what I expected. So I am just wondering what I should aim for as far as his diet.

 

[SirEdwin89]

Bahahahahaha. And this is exactly why I could never foster "sure, i'll watch him temporarily. Temporary is until I die right?" LOL

That's awesome though! good for you, and for the sunny little fella. He is adorable. Quite frankly you probably have a better handle on dietary advice than I could give you to begin with. So to parrot (haha) what you are probably telling yourself already, I would just work on trying to find a pellet he doesn't hate and gradually get him switched over, and do everything else how you do already. Can't wait to see how things progress for you!

We get to have a race now, you working with his cage aggression, My working with Ely's displacement biting. Winner gets a pak-a-bird! (we will have to convince someone else to sponsor our race )

 

[snowflake311]

I have a little conure. I added pellets mixed with seeds then after a month I took the seeds away. He now only gets seeds as treats or in the morning but under the pellets so he has to work for them. Not all pellets are yummy to every bird. The healthy expensive Harrison ones my birds hates he would rather starve. He loves the fruit zupreem pellets. He also liked the natural Zupreem. I still try and get him to eat the Harrison but he leaves it every time. I give Pellets. I have 2 food cups and the other food cup is for fresh goodies. Pellets are the staple food.

Conures are my favorite birds. I have yet to meet a sun conure I did nothe like. They are great but that scream has kept me way from owning one. I don't mind the scream but my husband would not like it.

Looks like a great birds good job giving him a home.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

I have to admit, when I first saw the thread title, I was sad. Then reading the first post I was happy!

Suns are such incredible birds. They are VERY expressive and very social. Truth is though, with any bird, you get out of it what you put into it.

Some people don't want to bother with the effort, they expect immediate results and when they don't get them- they give the bird the boot.

I'm glad you've decided to keep that little sunny and also glad that you are aware and are willing to put the effort into him. Truth is, if he is already bonded to you, thats half the battle right there.

Just be careful, suns are notoriously over-protective. Make sure both you and your spouse give him love, time and attention so that he doesn't become over-attached to one of you and aggressive to the other.

 

[RavensGryf]

What an awesome story! Good to hear you put an end to fostering . That's surprising a seed eater went for fresh food and not pellets, wow. All my past and present birds absolutely love Harrison's. Raven literally runs (stumbling sometimes) to his pellet bowl when I put it in. Then he wolfs it down like he hasn't eaten in days (not true of course lol) He loves it as much as many people love chocolate .

 

[snowflake311]

What an awesome story! Good to hear you put an end to fostering . That's surprising a seed eater went for fresh food and not pellets, wow. All my past and present birds absolutely love Harrison's. Raven literally runs (stumbling sometimes) to his pellet bowl when I put it in. Then he wolfs it down like he hasn't eaten in days (not true of course lol) He loves it as much as many people love chocolate .

Kind kind of Harrison's food do you feed? I tried the High Potency. I wish my bird would eat it.

 

[RavensGryf]

What an awesome story! Good to hear you put an end to fostering . That's surprising a seed eater went for fresh food and not pellets, wow. All my past and present birds absolutely love Harrison's. Raven literally runs (stumbling sometimes) to his pellet bowl when I put it in. Then he wolfs it down like he hasn't eaten in days (not true of course lol) He loves it as much as many people love chocolate .

Kind kind of Harrison's food do you feed? I tried the High Potency. I wish my bird would eat it.

I feed the regular maintenance. Some of them have had the high potency and they loved that too. Many people say their birds don't like Harrison's, but I can count 10+ birds past and present that took right to it! I can't explain why others' have had a different experience. No converting necessary here. I've always used the 'fine' size even with larger birds. The budgies get 'super fine'.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Skittles took right to the Harrisons. So did Peaches, back when I had first put her on it in 2006.

Some birds are particularly stubborn eaters. Sometimes its a good idea to use the Power Treats in conversion from seed to pellet.

 

[SirEdwin89]

What an awesome story! Good to hear you put an end to fostering . That's surprising a seed eater went for fresh food and not pellets, wow. All my past and present birds absolutely love Harrison's. Raven literally runs (stumbling sometimes) to his pellet bowl when I put it in. Then he wolfs it down like he hasn't eaten in days (not true of course lol) He loves it as much as many people love chocolate .

Kind kind of Harrison's food do you feed? I tried the High Potency. I wish my bird would eat it.

I feed the regular maintenance. Some of them have had the high potency and they loved that too. Many people say their birds don't like Harrison's, but I can count 10+ birds past and present that took right to it! I can't explain why others' have had a different experience. No converting necessary here. I've always used the 'fine' size even with larger birds. The budgies get 'super fine'.

I think Harrisons must be one of those love it or hate it things with birds. I don't think i've heard anyone mention going through a slow conversion to it, either the birds take to it like crack, or won't touch it period. I had strangely good luck with it myself. Only with 3 parrots on my end, but the result was the same as yours, they saw it and instantly went in to devour mode.

 

[Firstgoatsnowthis]

So now I really have some questions, since I can drastically alter his diet and what not with him being my newest baby. I have never owned a conure of any sort before. Right now, he is eating a seed mix. I tried offering him some of the pretty chicken's chop mixed with some of her pellets, and he ate the chop but left the pellets. Honestly sort of the opposite of what I expected. So I am just wondering what I should aim for as far as his diet.

I had luck getting my Patagonian off seed with Nutriberries. They have seeds in them, and a seedy texture, so they seemed to work like "bridge" food. Balanced chop is very healthy, though complete pellets will ensure that nothing vital is missed in the diet.

 

[gracebowen]

All I can tell you is my fids are wierd. If I put pellets in their food dish they arent edible. If I leave the bag of pellets on my bed they are happy to peck open the bag and eat them.

If thats what it takes thats fine. At least they are eating them.

 

[RavensGryf]

All I can tell you is my fids are wierd. If I put pellets in their food dish they arent edible. If I leave the bag of pellets on my bed they are happy to peck open the bag and eat them.

If thats what it takes thats fine. At least they are eating them.

Grace, I think they're telling you they'd rather forage for their pellets lol. Also, if they're anything like Raven and Griffin, it's the whole thrill of getting away with something bad .

 

[Mamaof3]

This is a huge reason why i cant foster any animals, especially birds. Ill just end up keeping all of them!!! And than my hubby will have to leave me cause there's no love for him anymore...lol. The kids and my birds got it all...lol.

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[OutlawedSpirit]

This is a huge reason why i cant foster any animals, especially birds. Ill just end up keeping all of them!!! And than my hubby will have to leave me cause there's no love for him anymore...lol. The kids and my birds got it all...lol.

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I know it seems like a bad omen that I'm keeping one of the first two fosters, but in all fairness, I wanted him long before I fostered him. Plus my wife absolutely adores him which is huge because she is definitely not a bird person.

I really want to foster because I want to do something that makes a difference. If I can take an otherwise hard to place bird, put forth some effort and love, and make it adoptable, I just saved a life.

I know a lot of people want a bird, and are able to care for one like a child, but maybe don't have either the knowledge, experience, or the tenacity to turn around an animal that's in a bad place. Not everyone can emotionally handle trying to work with a bird that starts out hating you.

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[Mamaof3]

This is a huge reason why i cant foster any animals, especially birds. Ill just end up keeping all of them!!! And than my hubby will have to leave me cause there's no love for him anymore...lol. The kids and my birds got it all...lol.

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I know it seems like a bad omen that I'm keeping one of the first two fosters, but in all fairness, I wanted him long before I fostered him. Plus my wife absolutely adores him which is huge because she is definitely not a bird person.

I really want to foster because I want to do something that makes a difference. If I can take an otherwise hard to place bird, put forth some effort and love, and make it adoptable, I just saved a life.

I know a lot of people want a bird, and are able to care for one like a child, but maybe don't have either the knowledge, experience, or the tenacity to turn around an animal that's in a bad place. Not everyone can emotionally handle trying to work with a bird that starts out hating you.

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Well i think its wonderful that you're keeeping him. And i dont think its any kind of bad omen, but a blessing for both you and the bird.

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[OutlawedSpirit]

Well i think its wonderful that you're keeeping him. And i dont think its any kind of bad omen, but a blessing for both you and the bird.

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Ha ha, I just meant a bad omen for my house filling up with birds.

 

[GaleriaGila]

I have fed the Rickeybird Harrison's High Potency for 30-ish years. Initially I converted him by leaving them out all day and supplying him with seeds (his former diet) twice a day for half an hour. My avian vet recommended this. It's enough to sustain him but he's still hungry, she said. He started eating pellets within a few days.