Charlie the new addition needs some parrot forum help…

[kme3388]

I just brought Charlie the Sun Conure home today. He’s ate food now. He is about half the size of my Jenday Conure. He’s so little. I was informed he hatched in January of 2020. He hasn’t perched sense I’ve brought him home. He does step up, and does fly to his cage. He is a very sweet boy.

Does anyone have experience with birds who don’t perch? He just hangs off the side of his cage. I will attach photos. Maybe Charlie is just scared?

 

[Cottonoid]

Cotton's go to move when he was at the rescue was to cling to the side of the cage, and he still does when he's nervous.

I wonder if Charlie is doing this because he's anxious about all the changes. Or maybe something like he's used to hanging onto the side when his cage is physically moved and he doesn't know what to expect yet.

 

[kme3388]

Cotton's go to move when he was at the rescue was to cling to the side of the cage, and he still does when he's nervous.

I wonder if Charlie is doing this because he's anxious about all the changes. Or maybe something like he's used to hanging onto the side when his cage is physically moved and he doesn't know what to expect yet.

Do you know if suns are a lot smaller then jendays?

 

[Cottonoid]

Do you know if suns are a lot smaller then jendays?

MAARS has two jendays and one sun. One of the jendays is 30+ and the other two are middle adult age. They're all the same size - I wouldn't have known they were different except for the green wings (they're the first ones I've met in person).

 

[HeatherG]

https://lafeber.com/vet/basic-information-sheet-for-the-conure/#Physical_description

Has different conure species weights listed but no Jendays.

Average Weights of Conure (Parrot) Species | Beauty of Birds

The Average Weights of Conure (Parrot) Species and health problems associated with either weight gain or weight loss in pet birds, visit Beauty of Birds for all the related information.

www.beautyofbirds.com

Conures Size & Weight Chart - How Big do They Grow? - VIVO Pets

Conures are a household name among bird lovers and pet enthusiasts worldwide. These lovely birds are known not only for their good looks but also for their intelligence and interaction ...

vivopets.com

Indicate suns and jendays should be about same size.

 

[kme3388]

All of the Suns and Jendays I’ve seen are the same size, or very similar. I am wondering if Charlie is a baby. Maybe a runt? Is there a way to tell?

 

[Cottonoid]

All of the Suns and Jendays I’ve seen are the same size, or very similar. I am wondering if Charlie is a baby. Maybe a runt? Is there a way to tell?

Ask him? 🤪

 

[ravvlet]

Can’t tell from the photos, but are there a good number of perches in there besides the one in the very back of his cage and the rope ladder? Some birds don’t like the ladders to sit on; Kirby prefers to chew his, haha.

Not sure about the size though. I’ve seen suns and jendays together and they’re usually super close in size. A vet might be able to tell you more, have you made an appointment for him yet?

 

[HeatherG]

Charlie has a long tail (no baby tail) and doesn’t have lots of green feathers so I wouldn’t think he’s a ‘baby.’ And you have a hatch date 2 1/2 yrs ago. So not a baby.

Have you weighed him or do you know your jenday’s weight? Maybe you have a big jenday.

 

[kme3388]

Charlie is 98 grams

 

[kme3388]

Kiwi the Jenday is 122 grams

 

[kme3388]

Charlie will be going to the vet to be seen. He needs a beak trim, and I’m not fully comfortable doing it yet. I am still waiting to hear back as Nico is on a bunch of medications and doesn’t want to eat his regular diet. Unfortunately I had to resort to almonds, and things he likes just to get him to eat. Anything I can get him to eat is a win at this point. He hates his medications.

 

[HeatherG]

Spoon feed baby bird formula? Grits?

 

[kme3388]

I have considered this. He won’t eat baby formula, or grits on his own. I’d have to force that with a syringe along with his meds. He gets his meds 3 times a day, and 4 of them. I wanted to avoid forcing anything more as he is running from me if he thinks it’s med time.

The reason we got Charlie is because Nico was supposed to be a family bird. He picked favorites, and decided he is going to be a one person bird. He also doesn’t allow my conure anywhere near me. Nico will scurry across the floor to get Kiwi away from me. He would be aggressive towards her if she didn’t get away from me. He’s just protective of what he thinks is his. My husband, and I thought a friend for Kiwi would be healthy for her as she isn’t able to spend as much time on my shoulder.

 

[SunConureBaba]

When I just adopted my red sun, he was well over 200 g, holding him felt like grabbing a brick. He had an obvious cleavage, and a lot of fat around his neck. He could not fly, and too lazy to even move his ass to get food. He is a bigger sun and his feet are significantly larger than the average sun. Normal weight for a sun is 120 g.

You should probably put Charlie on Harrison's high potency fine. Also provide the food he used to eat. Cuz he is thin and can't afford to lose more weight, unlike mine.

 

[HeatherG]

I have considered this. He won’t eat baby formula, or grits on his own. I’d have to force that with a syringe along with his meds. He gets his meds 3 times a day, and 4 of them. I wanted to avoid forcing anything more as he is running from me if he thinks it’s med time.

The reason we got Charlie is because Nico was supposed to be a family bird. He picked favorites, and decided he is going to be a one person bird. He also doesn’t allow my conure anywhere near me. Nico will scurry across the floor to get Kiwi away from me. He would be aggressive towards her if she didn’t get away from me. He’s just protective of what he thinks is his. My husband, and I thought a friend for Kiwi would be healthy for her as she isn’t able to spend as much time on my shoulder.

What’s easily digestible and tasty? Offered in a spoon not syringe so not scary? 😟

I think flaxseed oil would be a good supplement; supposed to be anti inflammatory; I gave flaxseed to my arthritic birds.

what about plain soft scrambled egg?
Canary egg food? When I’m sick I get hungry for protein…

Melixicam is tasty—honey flavored—could you make the medication syringe a different color to indicated that it’s yummy?

I’m sorry you and Nico are having such a hard time. I am getting tearful thinking about this. I love birds more than anything. I wish I could help.

 

[wrench13]

Try mashed up sweet potatoes or yams, make like almost a puree and add the meds. Feed it to him by the spoonful and add the meds to one. Not a lot, a small teaspoon or 2 and see that he eats all of it. Most parrots love sweet taters.