Hi everyone, I have recently become a sun conure owner. Nigel is my first bird. I have experience with birds from working in a vet office that saw birds, but that is about it. So basically I know medical things about them, but not much about behavior and training. A little background. Nigel is 5 and I am his 4th home 
. He came originally from the petsmart in my town. Please don't bash petsmart as I work there now, and while I don't agree with everything they do, I do love my job and the way the company treats employees. Anyway he is the only sun conure my store has ever had. He spent his first 2 years of life at petsmart, where he became terribly ill and had to be treated by the vet where I worked at the time. After he recovered he was then sold at a discounted price, due to the fact that he was already two and had been ill. The lady who bought him ended up returning him to the store a year and a half later. One of the employees then took him home until she could find him a home. She had him for about 6 months or so, then found him the home that I got him from. So long story short, he has never had a stable long term home really. He is a typical loud sun conure, which I don't mind. I just have a few questions. How much should the seed/fresh fruit and veggie/pellet ratio be for him. Currently I have some Lafeber pellets and some Higgins brand mix food on order. So for right now I have been feeding him fresh fruit and veggies in the morning and the seed diet he came with in the evening. How should I tweak his feedings when the new food comes in? Veggies/fruit and pellets in the morning then some of the Higgins mix in the evening?? How much of each should he be getting? Also when he is on his play stand thing he refuses to step up without causing a huge ruckus and biting pretty hard. However when he is not around it, he is a sweet guy and will step right up. What can I do about that? And currently he hangs on his play stand from 8 in the morning til 8 at night, he only uses his cage for sleeping. I appreciate any help and sorry for the long story, just figured it may help everyone understand what he has been through.
. He came originally from the petsmart in my town. Please don't bash petsmart as I work there now, and while I don't agree with everything they do, I do love my job and the way the company treats employees. Anyway he is the only sun conure my store has ever had. He spent his first 2 years of life at petsmart, where he became terribly ill and had to be treated by the vet where I worked at the time. After he recovered he was then sold at a discounted price, due to the fact that he was already two and had been ill. The lady who bought him ended up returning him to the store a year and a half later. One of the employees then took him home until she could find him a home. She had him for about 6 months or so, then found him the home that I got him from. So long story short, he has never had a stable long term home really. He is a typical loud sun conure, which I don't mind. I just have a few questions. How much should the seed/fresh fruit and veggie/pellet ratio be for him. Currently I have some Lafeber pellets and some Higgins brand mix food on order. So for right now I have been feeding him fresh fruit and veggies in the morning and the seed diet he came with in the evening. How should I tweak his feedings when the new food comes in? Veggies/fruit and pellets in the morning then some of the Higgins mix in the evening?? How much of each should he be getting? Also when he is on his play stand thing he refuses to step up without causing a huge ruckus and biting pretty hard. However when he is not around it, he is a sweet guy and will step right up. What can I do about that? And currently he hangs on his play stand from 8 in the morning til 8 at night, he only uses his cage for sleeping. I appreciate any help and sorry for the long story, just figured it may help everyone understand what he has been through.
