Con

[SaraandContheConure]

This is my cheeky boy Con

I'm a new Conure owner and looking for tips

My boy was only fed a seed diet so looking for tips on how to switch him to a pellet diet also what fruit veggies should I avoid feeding him
At the moment I chop up bite sized pieces of corn, peas, sweet potato, zucchini and I also give him some lentils too

I'm also looking for tips on biting. Con only bites when he's on his cage is there way to stop him biting

Tia

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

First, Con is such a cutie!!!. I've been wanting to get a pineapple green cheek for a LONG time but Skittles won't let me.
As for foods: I would suggest eliminating the corn and peas (or decrease it to a rare treat) because they are high in sugar and don't have much nutritional value for birds. You want to stick with the 'meaty' orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes) as well as the leafy greens (broccoli,spinach,kale). Basically, the best ones are the ones rich in Vitamin A. Vitamin A is what Vitamin C is for us. Its the most important vitamin in birds cause it helps them stay healthy.

As for switching to pellets, Skittles was fed an all-see diet too when I first got him. He took right to the pellets. I'll leave the conversion advice to others who've gone through this. I feed him Harrisons, which is the 'gold standard' for bird pellets. There are tips for conversion on their website: Diet Conversion: Medium to Large Bird | Harrison's Bird Foods There are other brands too (Zupreem) but I have no experience with that brand.

As for foods to avoid. Avocado should NEVER be fed to birds. Its toxic to them. Onions should be avoided as well. The safest route is to stick with the ones I suggested as far as the type. Other foods to avoid are basically foods high in salt, sugar or caffeine. For example: chocolate, coffee, potato chips. Avoid dairy products. Make sure any juices you let him have are 100% juice with no added sugar.


On a side note: IF you have any non-stick cookware that contains chemicals (PFOA,PFOS,teflon) they should never be used when your bird is in the same 'airspace' because the chemicals are fatal to them if they are released into the air which will happen at high heat. I just wouldn't chance it. There are other options- stainless steel and ceramic. Cast iron is safe as well though its not a non-stick material. Also, conures are MAJOR chewers so I suggest getting 'bird-safe' chew toys and no matter how tempted you may be- I strongly suggest you do NOT get him a cuddle hut or happy hut. There have been so many stories of conures ingesting the fibers or getting caught by the threading.

 

[clark_conure]

hello again saw your other thread just a second ago

CUTE!

 

[clark_conure]

1) don't reach into his cage, thats his house.... make him come to you at the door. (don't worry after a week or a few weeks he won't care in the slightest once you have absolute trust.

2) for switching over try: my own thread... http://www.parrotforums.com/conures/78931-protips-switching-seeds-pellets.html I am/was asking the same thing for a brand new conure that started on seeds first.

 

[Flboy]

This is my cheeky boy Con
I'm also looking for tips on biting. Con only bites when he's on his cage is there way to stop him biting

Tia

His space! Respect that! Avoid the bite! If you get bit and scold him, that is a win in his mind!
In those times, use a stick for moving him about! My JoJo isn’t cage aggressive, but I still use a stick for him to step up on half the time!

Some great info in this thread! Totally turned around my approach to handling my little one!
http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

 

[Laurasea]

Very Beautiful GCC!

 

[YSGC]

... Cast iron is safe as well though its not a non-stick material ...

Great advice in your post but I'll dispute this one thing.

Cast iron pots and pans can be extremely non-stick.
Unfortunately IRL most pieces are not because people don't know how to, or bother to, properly use, season, clean and maintain them.
It is a bit of a hassle but IMO totally worth it.
I really love mine and use them all the time.

They now sell new "pre-seasoned" cast iron pans, but that's only a good start.
The best non-stick performance is achieved after many years of proper use and maintenance.

At garage sales and thrift stores I keep an eye out for examples that have built up decades of good seasoning.

ETA the best steak I've ever prepared was on my old cast iron skillet using this process:
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlgyODwaFIk"]How to Make a Perfectly Cooked Steak Using a Cast Iron Skillet - YouTube[/ame]

 

[SaraandContheConure]

Thank you everyone ��

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

... Cast iron is safe as well though its not a non-stick material ...

Great advice in your post but I'll dispute this one thing.

Cast iron pots and pans can be extremely non-stick.
Unfortunately IRL most pieces are not because people don't know how to, or bother to, properly use, season, clean and maintain it.
It is a bit of a hassle but IMO totally worth it.
I really love mine and use it all the time.

They now sell new "pre-seasoned" cast iron pans, but that's only a good start.
The best non-stick performance is achieved after many years of proper use and maintenance.

At garage sales and thrift stores I keep an eye out for examples that have built up decades of good seasoning.

Actually, I agree- you are correct- it can be non-stick if seasoned properly. But as you mentioned, they aren't "non-stick" right out of the box and that was my point- I should have clarified myself better.

 

[YSGC]

About the biting at the cage thing ...
Pico, my clipped-wing yellow sided GC, does that too and I don't fight it or feel compelled to 'train' him out of it.

I've decided to respect his territory - which to him means inside his cage, the playground on top of his cage, every one of his stand-perches which are spread throughout the house.

When I want to take him from his territory I just use the perch I keep handy.
When away from his space Pico's a sweet cuddly butterball of love.

I don't really understand his insistence on "defending" his territory.
But then I remember that he is a bird which is likely only a generation or two separated from the wild.
He doesn't have a human's brain, personality, or expectations, so I try to adapt to how he is.
IOW, pick your battles.

Parrots are all individuals.
Some allow hands in their territory, some don't.
I'm happy that Pico is highly social with all new people a decent talker, other aren't.
Parrots, like us, just vary.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Regarding his cage, I agree with what others have posted. Skittles and I share a very strong bond, but I don't make a habit of sticking my hand in his cage for anything other than the following- I do reach in to change his water and food dishes and he is fine with that, but when it comes to approaching him in his cage this is what I do-- I walk up to the cage. If he is signalling he wants to come out (ie he leans down and forward and vibrates), I open the door and he actually waits for me to stick my hand in so he can climb on it. IF he doesn't then I just walk away and leave the cage door open. He'll then come out on his own within 15 seconds, shorter than that if God forbid I leave the room. lol. 99.5% of the time he climbs onto my hand though because he is free-flighted. I have a chain lock to keep the door open so he can access food & water at his convenience. I just unchain it when it comes time to leave the house etc.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Skittles is only defensive of his cage when I'm taking things out of his cage for cleaning and when I go to put them back. But his defensiveness varies. Sometimes he's downright nasty and other times he is completely oblivious to it.