Conure eating issue/question

[polk203ct]

Greetings everyone,

First time Sun Conure owner and am glad I found such a large and active online community of bird enthusiasts!

I just received my Sun Consure, Beaker, this past Sunday. I have set up a cage for him for the time being as I'm awaiting for a better cage to get to delivered to me, but Beaker has 4 bowls, one for pellets, one for seed mix, water, and a left over bowl for treats/snacks.

Beaker doesn't seem to eating while he is left alone when I am at work or even when I am home. He only seems to eat and drink when I am in the room I keep him in, then he will eat inside of his cage. I'm worried that this might not be good for him. During the day I have the windows open, and have just started to leave some music playing for him.

He doesn't show much interest in his pellets, loves his seed mix but picks out his favorite seeds, drinks water when I'm around in person, and doesn't really show much interest in snacks/treats. I've tried to give him a little of a baby carrot, grape, and an apple on separate days, and he hasn't shown any interest in even exploring this new food.

Should I be worried or concerned? Is there anyway I can get him to be able to eat on his own throughout the day as opposed to when I get home and spend time with him? BTW, he's a very social bird and loves attention and spending time outside of his cage.

Some background info if it might help, Beaker is 1 yr old, I bought him from a breeder to whom he sold to a woman. She returned him less than 2 months later because her partner couldn't live with the bird and basically came down to the bird or I thing. He seems pretty healthy, social, loves attention, etc. My only other worry is that his previous owner really really clipped his wings that many feathers have been cut out or cut in half...he doesn't like when I try to touch his wings and open them up, but he is always preening himself. He bit one of his tail feathers and it's bent in half, but I don't know if I should leave that alone or what. Out of all the parrots I've looked at it, he really stuck out to me and made an instant bond with him the moment I got to handle him.

Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated and sorry for such a long first post...

 

[Flboy]

Welcome and welcome to the world of birds! I lived in Connecticut for 45 very loong years!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Hello, and welcome!

If his weight is consistent (a lot of us have a gram scale) I wouldn't worry. He may be eating when you're not aware.

He's probably inspired to eat more when you're around because parrots are such social birds...

I'd love for you to take him to an avian vet to check that wing issue...

Also... concerning these or any other issues... take any issue or topic which interests you, and use the Search Tab to read, read, read about it. I do that a lot. The people here are an amazing source of information, advice, and support. I'm glad you found this place!

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Skittles is more apt to eat when I am eating. Conures are very social creatures. He will, however, eat throughout the day.

I agree about the gram scale. A full grown sun conure should weigh between 110-120grams.

Also, it is best to keep a sun conure unclipped. They are very active and social creatures and if you don't allow them exercise time, they will become a screamer. That may be why the bird was re-homed, I don't know.

One he has completed a full molt, his feathers will grow back in. He may not like you touching his wings because of the feather clipping. It may be that his wings are sore OR he may think you are going to clip him. I don't know. In general, sunnies do love to be preened.

 

[polk203ct]

Thank you for the kind welcome and helpful insight.

I know Beaker doesn't eat much at all when I am gone at work. I know because his only favorite food, which happens to be seeds at the time being, have these mini colored pellets that come in all different shapes, triangle, squares, etc which he ALWAYS eats first. I put some in his cup in the morning and when I get home and see him they are still there untouched and then he'll start to eat them. I do have a scale in my kitchen which is barely used and I think it has a oz/gm option it. Will have to look and try to weigh him.

He also has pellets, which he doesn't pay much attention to which worries me as I know its not good to have your bird on an all seed diet. His seeds and pellets came with him when I purchased him at the breeders, he mixed it all up and gave it to me in some bags noting that this is what he's eating and I could always come back to buy more by the pound.

I do plan on taking him to a vet for his first visit. Yesterday a bigger and nicer cage I ordered for him came in and I put it together and relocated him. He's very excited about his new home that he took his first bird bath by himself, and prior to that, he tried to take flight for the first time. He was on top of the cage on his play perch and tried to make it from the top of that to my desk (not a far distance) but didn't make it and I managed to catch him. I have no intentions of clipping his wings, I'm going to let his feathers grow back because I got him a bigger cage in which he can fly around in the future.

I still can't get him to try any treats I offer him, he shows no interest, am I scratching my head on that just as well as him not showing any interest in the toys I have have hanging from the roof of his cage...rings with a bell, which he had as his cage in the breeders store and played with so much when he was caged, as well as hanging wooden blocks with bells on them. He seems to just be contempt sitting on his perch or a ladder I have that sits on top of a perch and is connect to a side. Any suggestions on toys and snack?

 

[GaleriaGila]

My thoughts on pellets.
I love Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first and 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. He 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.
By all means see what your vet recommends!
And good luck!

 

[Flboy]

Your baby is still adjusting to his new home!

 

[wrench13]

Keep trying with different foods and treats. You want to transition slowly anyway. My Salty still hates his wings touched even now at 1yr. Play with his toys yourself and let him see you doing it. Same thing for veggies and fruits, eat them in front of him. Most parrots enjoy eating with their flock, is his cage near the eating area for your family? Dinner time is excellent time to try new foods with him. Keep trying, he is still settling in. SOnds like a nice sunny. if you have a scale get a little t stand with a suction cup on the bottom for your scale... will make weighing him easy. I weigh Salty 1x a week or more, just keep track of weight, which is great indicator of health and sickness. Welcome, friend.

 

[polk203ct]

Thank you all for your kind welcomes, words of wisdom, and encouragement. Little update on Beaker: it looks like he eats a little bit during the day now, I know because I measure out his food when I give it to him, and measure whats left to see if there is a difference. Also pellet residue is in his water bowl on the bottom so I know he's eating AND drinking He EATS a lot of his pellets when I am in my man cave/office where he is in his cage. I can have my back turned to him working on my computer and talk to him when he chirps and squawks and I hear him crunching away on a pellet and see him holding one in his foot. He is loving his new cage. I got him more perches, some new toys, but can't seem to get him to try to play with them. I will try to play with them in front of him to try to get him to check out the toy.

I notice that when I cover his cage at night and take the cover off in the morning, he is tucked all the way up in the corner of the cage. I went out to Petco today and picked up a fluffy medium sized hideaway which I plan on putting in his cage tonight or tomorrow, along with switching out toys to spruce up his curiosity.

Thank you all again for your help and advice!

 

[Flboy]

Make some perches out of tree branches. Maple is fine, leave the bark on! No need to be fancy, just jam it into the cage. Big ol hunk of rope too! Cotton is great! I also have a simple piece of PVC, end caps, wrapped in jute. JoJo is sitting on it right now. Watch the hut, if your baby shreds it, it can kill him! Many fids are ok with them though!

 

[polk203ct]

Quick update: Beaker is eating fine. He prefers to eat more of his pellets than seeds, but still enjoys his seeds though. He's very picky though with his seeds. The majority of them are sun flower which he shows no interest in. He seems to love what I believe are pumpkin seeds, white tear shaped seed, and very small and fine seeds. I'm thinking about getting a conure seed mix from petco or some local pet store over the breeders mix which he uses for all his exotic birds.

Beaker still shows no interest in his toys even when I play with them in front of him. I bought a toy with bells, rope, and frizzy ends along with a hard shell that opens up where you can hide a treat in. I found that he loves dried banana and hid some in the toy but he doesn't even make an effort or look at it. I feel bad because I don't know if he is bored when I'm not around and have him out of the cage. Currently as I type he is walking on my shoulders and rubbing his head against the side of my beard, which he seems quite fond of doing and enjoying. He took "flight" today and went from my shoulder almost across my room, which was safe...not hurtful objects, which surprised me in which the state of his wings are in.

He also hasn't explored his new perches and just seems like he wants to either be hanging upside down from the cage or be pressed up against it. I put his hide away in near a corner high up in his cage...again...no signs of interest.

I also cant seem to find him any types of treats, fruits, veggies, or left overs to eat. Tried plain pasta no go and tried giving him millet which he pecked at a few times and then lost interest. I'd like to vary his diet and not solely give him dried fruits as his only treats. I just want my buddy to be a happy, healthy, and fun going bird.

 

[Skittys_Daddy]

Sunflower seeds are not really good for them anyways, so its good he is ignoring them.

Sunnies are very acrobatic and cuddly, so hanging upside down or pressing up against things is totally normal for them.

As for the hut, he may take to it, he may not. Just keep an eye on it, make sure there are no signs of tearing in the fabric.

 

[Puck]

I know there is a lot of disagreement in regards to this, but just be sure that you keep an eye on that hide away. As a paranoid parront I steer clear of them because I've seen so many pictures of birds who were terribly hurt by them. They can be dangerous if the bird gets caught in the thread or fabric and freaks out.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

If Beaker likes to be out and hang with you,try eating in front of him.
BB, my 9 month old 'tiel will NOT eat his nummies I put in his house :58:

HOWEVER..if I am on the computer,and put his plastic bowl on the computer desk,he will climb down from my shoulder and go investigate the bowl.
I have watched him nibble at broccoli and corn niblets,some sweet peas,smashed tateo's (which he will run thru then climb on me! )

But I rarely see him eating these things when he is in his house..go figure?

Jim