New GCC Mummy

GCCMumma

New member
Jun 6, 2011
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Parrots
GCC - Sweet Dee
My husband and I adopted a hand reared GCC at 8 weeks of age, she is now 8months old. I just have a few questions regarding her care and whether I am doing the right thing.

Food: I give her a bowl of fresh veg, fruit, nuts & grain as well as a bowl of VetaFarm South American pellets each day (I tried switching her to Harrison's but she preferred the VetaFarm she was raised on previously). She gets sunflower kernels as treats for doing tricks or when she poops where she is supposed to.

She has a large cage which is filled with a variety of different tree branch perches as well as natural wood hanging toys (steppers, swings etc), a plush bunny to cuddle and a happy hut which she sleeps in. Her cage is in a seperate room in our house but she can hear me and when I am in the kitchen she can sometimes see me from her room.

I let her out 4 hours a day for one hour intervals (in the beginning I let her out 12hours a day and she started developing some behavioural issues and the breeder told me that a baby GCC should only be out a total of 4 hours a day). She spends most of that time in the lounge with me where she has a big playgym (she mostly uses it to poop and spends most her time playing with some foot toys on the windowsill).

I spend 5-10mins a day training during one of her hours and the rest of the time out I let her do what she wants, whether thats to cuddle or play on her own near me.

Even though she poops on command and gets food rewards and praise when she takes herself to her playgym to poop, she still poops wherever she happens to be, whether thats on my, my computer, the couch etc. IS there anything more I could be doing to get her to poop only on her playgym when out of the cage?

I also have a hard time getting her back in if I don't grab her quick enough as she flies away and won't come back until she thinks it's 'safe' and I don't seem interested in putting her back in. When I put her in her cage I give her kisses and give her a sunflower seed to try and make it a nice experience. When she is in her cage, if I am home I visit every now and again to give her a scratch and I respond if she calls out.
I don't know if all GCC's are like this but she hates being in her cage and yells for a while before going to her happy hut to sleep. When she is in there she is either eating or in her happy hut, she maybe plays with her toys for 30mins a day total, how do I get her to be happy when she is in her cage?

My husband and I also have a baby on the way and I am worried that for the first while I may not be able to give her the one-on-one attention for four hours a day like I am doing now although I will try my best, will this make her unhappy?

I was also thinking about trying a flight harness so she can spend some time outdoors with me in the summer. I just wanted some feedback as to whether I am currently giving her a good quality of life, I feel bad when I put her in cage as she just wants to be out all the time but the behaviour that resulted from all that free time out before was not great.

TIA
 

Spiritbird

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Aug 20, 2009
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I am a new GCC mummy also but also have a TAG. The conure is 13 weeks old now and a male. It sounds to me like you are doing everyting good for your new fid. They love being out of the cage with their flock. Nice job!!
 

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