Nutrition

[Bradmtx36]

So I Booger (8 weeks old unsexed). A trip to the vet 2 weeks later revealed that Booger is female. I was told by the vet to feed Booger pellets so I chose Rouybush.
Fast forward to the week before last the wife and I went to a parrot show in Miami. Every single conure we saw including a six week old was almost twice the size of Booger. seasoned breeders all told me that I need to be mixing pellets and s
The seasoned


Every single conure we saw was almost twice the size

 

[Bradmtx36]

I was told by seasoned breeders to mix pellets with seeds. I have since done so and I can tell you there is been a slight difference in Boogers weight and I noticed a certain girth in her chest. I have now switched to Rudy bush mini pellets with Higgins Vita seed mixed

 

[Vampiric_Conure49]

Don't forget veggies! They're just as important as pellets in a baby bird's diet. Anything except avocado, chocolate, and stuff with caffeine is safe.

 

[Bradmtx36]

I mix up fresh veggies. I get the Frozen California blend which has broccoli cauliflower and carrots to which I add spinach and some sweet potato. I give them fruits twice a week.

 

[Bradmtx36]

The more I read the more confused I get when it comes to nutrition. When I first got Booger she was on two hand feedings a day. About 3 to 4 weeks later I had her basically fully weaned with occasional baby food in the evening. I got her on strictly Roudybush pellets mixed in with either fresh fruits or salad daily.
On July 11 I went to a parrot show in Miami. My wife almost smack my head off when we realize that every single conure we saw including a six week year old was bigger than Booger. Mind you she had gone to the vet about 3 weeks prior and got checked out with a clean bill of health (94grams .... Also got results that Booger was female). So after that the breeders there said I should be mixing pellets and seeds which I have now done (they were kind enough to provide me with two bags of seeds to which I mixed the Roudybush). Now of course both birds pick and choose and leave most of the Rudy Bush behind.

As of now I am feeding them zupreem fruit blend with the seed mix and zupreem true harvest.

They're not touching the true harvest what will eat everything else.

I am strongly thinking of gradually switching over to Higgins in tune harmony with regular in tune mix (2 to 1 ratio).

 

[osklvste50]

Pellets, fresh veggies and fresh fruit should be part of every companion birds diet. That said every bird grows at their own rate. My Afican Grey is small for her species. So I guess I would've been hit in the head too! Bird breeders, owners professional and private have their favorite likes and dislikes. This is based primaily on personal experience. It's also based on cost as prices rise. Avian vets have their own preferences too. The important thing is a healthy happy birdie. Read here and online. Think. Ask lots of questions here about your breed.

 

[Bradmtx36]

Well crazy me mixed up all the pellets, zupreem true harvest , veggie blend, fruit blend and some seeds (safflower seed mix). No surprise both birds love the seeds. Booger who once enjoyed Roudybush likes Zupreem fruit blend and seeds. Foxy strangely enough likes the veggie blend fruit blend and seeds. After this concoction is done I'm going to slowly switch everybody over to Higgins Intune Harmony along with veggie blend with the usual assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables everyday.

 

[Bradmtx36]

So is anyone here using Higgins Intune Harmony for their conures?

 

[Bradmtx36]

So affordability won out. Someone is selling off three bags of Higgins sunburst conure blend. I'm going to end up with a final mixture of 1 part Roudybush pellets to 2 parts Zupreem fruit blend to one part Higgins sunburst conure blend. That should suffice with the pellet to seed ratio a daily mix of veggies and fruits. Ordered an airtight container so that way I'll just mix everything up keep it in there and feed them everyday.

 

[Bradmtx36]

So my main mixture for these birds:
1 part Roudybush pellets
1 part Zupreem fruit blend pellets
1 part Higgins Sunburst or Safflower Gold seed blend
In addition fresh vegetables and or fruits everyday.

I keep hearing how bad sunflower is for them and too fattening but, these are two juveniles less than 5 months of age on a little bit of fat I feel won't harm them.

Anyone else using something similar?

 

[Vampiric_Conure49]

I feed Tropican seed and pellet mix alongside the Tropican pellets. My conures love the big pieces, while my African Grey prefers the cockatiel-sized pieces . I might add some Zupreem at a later date.

 

[osklvste50]

My avian vet says sunflower and the like as routine food absolutely no. Use them as limited treats. They taste good. They can easily become preference over other items. My CAG isn't big on them. Her love and addiction are pistachios. Limiting amount and frequency of sunflower and safflower seeds maybe worth considering.

 

[Bradmtx36]

My avian vet said more pellets thus the 2 to 1 ratio. I will stick mostly to any seed mixture that is either sunflower free or low in sunflower ( depending on what is on sale). Roudybush & zupreem fruitblend are my staple pellet mixture.
Again, all this will be combined with a daily mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables.
I usually prep my veggies beforehand and portion for about a week's worth and alternate with some added fruits.

 

[Tman19]

Let me say this about shows.
Breeders will breed for color and size. I have two green cheeks. One is small con pared to the other green cheek that is a cinnamon. They are both 4 months old.
They eat pellets, chop, sprouts,
If your vet says they are fine trust me, your feeding them right. As babies grow on mature, they change. To many people over feed their parrots.
If you have them on veggies, pellets, you're on the right track.
And once you realize just how little the end to be in proper weight, your not going to belive it. We weigh are parrot by grams. They eat by grams. A 100grm parrot eats about 4 to 5 grams a meal two meals a day.

 

[Bradmtx36]

Well we got Booger on May 13th (hatch date March 31) and we had a crash course in weaning. It was not fully explained to me that she was on two feedings a day. About 3 weeks later she graduated to pellets and veggies. Now our vet exam in June indicated a healthy Female juvenile (breeder indicated possible male).
On July 11 we went to a parrot show in Miami and every single one of the conures we saw there including six week year old looked bigger than Booger. That resulted in our diet change where I mixed pellets with seeds (Higgins Safflower and or Sunburst). We ended up getting Foxy the next day and although her hatch day is 2 weeks after Booger, she is definitely noticeably larger in size. They both get along okay outside of the cage but I doubt they will ever be able to be cage mates.

 

[wrench1347]

Keep in mind that much like people, a parrot species can go from small individuals to big, large ones. I know a female yellow shoulder Amazon, same as Salty and she is positively tiny compared to him.

Mix and match to your hearts content but remember - the best pellet is the one your parrot actually eats!