New to conure and need some tips

[tmorina]

Hello from Japan(sorry if my English is a lil funny in places)

I am now to this site and to conures.
so I got my first baby conure a few days ago.
I am guessing s/he is almost 2 mo yrs old, and almost weaned.
The previous owner told me to hand-feed him 3 times a day (if he wants) to for another week. But he since I got him, he never eats the formula and eats apples, sunflower seeds and mullets by himself.
Is it ok to stop tying to hand-feed him? I am scared he will dislike me/my hands if I keep trying to hand feed him.

Also how do you teach him to drink water? He is currently taking his water from eating apples. Any tips on weaning a baby conures would be appreciated

 

[weco]

Welcome to the forums, we are glad you stopped by.....

If he is refusing his formula, he is weaning himself, but young birds will sometimes regress and want to be hand fed again, if there is a major change....moving their cage, moving their home or they become scared for some reason, so don't throw his formula mix away just yet.....

The sunflower seeds should only be used as a treat, they contain too much fat and little nutrition...you need to start him on fresh vegetables or steamed foods...small amounts of fish, pork & beef is OK, on a weekly basis, not necessarily every day.....

A bird food mix designed for conures should only be 10%-40% of his diet, fruits should be about 10%-20% or less of his diet because of the sugars and the balance should be fresh foods or good pellet food.

I would read about touch training and clicker training...there is a lot of information on the internet, along with a number of video clips on youtube and begin his training as soon as possible, because the time is soon coming when his attitude will change overnight almost overnight and you will think him to be a demon bird.....it's that they are much like children, always needing guidance and direction.....

Good luck.....

 

[tmorina]

Thanks weco.
So now he is eating veggies/fruits, but refuses to eat any pellet food.
I tried to feed him many times, but he just throws it away.
He always have pellets and seed mixes on his cage floor, but doesn't look like he is eating any of his pellets.
Also I still don't know if he know how to drink water yet...

 

[strasia93]

Just keep fresh water for him and he will drink it. Conures love to take baths too.