New Green cheeked Conure Mom.. help!

[Mimi_conure]

Quick question, how soon should I let my conure out of her cage? Just got her yesterday. She’s still very withdrawn from me, I don’t want to force her into doing anything that would jeopardize her bonding with me. She’s only 5 months old. Any ideas/suggestions?
Thank you!

 

[T00tsyd]

Hello - don't worry she will take a while to get used to you, the cage, the room she's in. All of it is new and she is frightened. Give her time, if she backs away you are too close so take it very gently. Talk to her softly from a distance, no sudden noises if you can help it and no sudden movement. It may be that you will leave the cage door open in a few days time so that she can venture outside and get back in when she wants to. It will be her safe space after a while. Once she has got used to that she may get more curious about you and venture out further.

Don't rush anything, don't even think about a timetable she will do everything when she is ready. Try hard to be more patient than you have ever been while some days you will feel great only to feel as if she has taken 2 steps backwards the following day. Offer treats like sunflower seeds (Syd's favourite) you'll need to discover what your little one likes, but only if she comes to get it from your fingers, or put it where she can see it and let her get it. The best advice I can give you is read as much information and learn learn learn. There are many threads here with loads of guidance and keep asking questions if you are not sure.
I hope that helps until someone with more experience comes along, but it will get you started.

 

[Mimi_conure]

Hello - don't worry she will take a while to get used to you, the cage, the room she's in. All of it is new and she is frightened. Give her time, if she backs away you are too close so take it very gently. Talk to her softly from a distance, no sudden noises if you can help it and no sudden movement. It may be that you will leave the cage door open in a few days time so that she can venture outside and get back in when she wants to. It will be her safe space after a while. Once she has got used to that she may get more curious about you and venture out further.

Don't rush anything, don't even think about a timetable she will do everything when she is ready. Try hard to be more patient than you have ever been while some days you will feel great only to feel as if she has taken 2 steps backwards the following day. Offer treats like sunflower seeds (Syd's favourite) you'll need to discover what your little one likes, but only if she comes to get it from your fingers, or put it where she can see it and let her get it. The best advice I can give you is read as much information and learn learn learn. There are many threads here with loads of guidance and keep asking questions if you are not sure.
I hope that helps until someone with more experience comes along, but it will get you started.

Thank you so much! I have been offering treats and leaving them near her, & as soon as I step back. She goes for it, but it seems to be uninterested in her pallets. Hopefully she gets aquatinted to her cage soon and figures it out

 

[T00tsyd]

When I got Syd he was on a seed diet. The change over to pellets needs to be taken slowly. The last thing you want is for her to stop eating. She may not even recognise it as food. Do check that she is eating. For now I would keep her on the food that she was having when you got her and introducing food is done slowly maybe mixed in with what she knows. Is she eating veggies yet? I can only quote my experience. They are flock eaters in the wild so she needs to know from your that it's ok and nice. I used to stand near Syd's cage pretending to eat from his bowl with great delight. The curiosity finally got him and he joined in. Again it may be too soon if the pellets are new.

As an afterthought is it possible that she is only eating the treats and is therefore very hungry?

 

[Mimi_conure]

When I got Syd he was on a seed diet. The change over to pellets needs to be taken slowly. The last thing you want is for her to stop eating. She may not even recognise it as food. Do check that she is eating. For now I would keep her on the food that she was having when you got her and introducing food is done slowly maybe mixed in with what she knows. Is she eating veggies yet? I can only quote my experience. They are flock eaters in the wild so she needs to know from your that it's ok and nice. I used to stand near Syd's cage pretending to eat from his bowl with great delight. The curiosity finally got him and he joined in. Again it may be too soon if the pellets are new.

As an afterthought is it possible that she is only eating the treats and is therefore very hungry?

Im feeding her the same food they were giving her at the place where I got her from. I’m just worried she’s not eating enough. I gave her some apple slices yesterday, but she keeps eating the mallet spray. Should I take them away?

 

[T00tsyd]

Millet spray is like a really nice beef burgher - great but not too healthy. Nice for an occasional treat but not main diet. Try putting a little bit in with the pellets while she watches you do it and see if that reminds her that pellets are her food. Try vegetables rather than fruit, too much fruit is not too good either. Not avocado - its poisonous to them. Look up what parrots can eat if you aren't sure but get her back on her pellets.

Go to the Home page and there are articles for help on all things parrot. Look at diet and toxic foods
https://www.parrotforums.com/forums/general-parrot-information.8/

 

[Laurasea]

Congratulations on your new freind!
I'm all for letting new scared birds eat millet. In a couple of weeks confidence will have improved, a millet can be a treat, or used to encourage exploring toys and things.

Set up a safe as can, curtains drawn or shades across windows. Set you a comfy chair right pushed up next to cage, but turned sideways. Have a book. snacks , stuff to keep you busy and not 100% focused on the bird. Have perches on outside sides and top of cage. Open the door and just hang out. Hopefully he will slower come out and explore, and go in and out and maybe even climb over to you to explore.