Who was I kidding?

[T00tsyd]

I thought Syd and I had reached an understanding! I thought there was a mutual respect coupled with some love and friendship and blossoming bond. There is no fool like an old fool!

Yesterday it started to dawn on me that I am being played! My day starts as he starts to call. I dutifully pad in my dressing gown to his room and collect him to start his day and he prettily says 'Good morning' about a hundred times, while I prep his breakfast. He couldn't be sweeter.

Yesterday I realised that I have slowly been manipulated to include his best food loves, bell peppers, peas a little radish with his very healthy chop which he spreads about his dish to make it look as if he has eaten some. By teatime I realised I had been duped - he didn't get his fruit.

He looked at me with the evil eye I remember from the days when he wanted only seeds and food went in all directions except his crop, as chop hit the wall. We eyed each other in the same way that I seem to remember my toddlers doing many years ago and that moment arrived that every good mother will recognise.

This morning he has chop and a minimal amount of carrot, cucumber and radish. He has visited the bowl a couple of time so far and given me the evil eye once more. He has moved the chop around the dish, but as yet I'm not convinced. Pellets and anything else are on hold until he makes a dent in that chop - and I am going to win! Update - He has decided to break a toy instead. Situation - ongoing!

 

[LordTriggs]

Yesterday it started to dawn on me that I am being played!

How could you not tell? you have a conure, that's his job!

 

[T00tsyd]

Yesterday it started to dawn on me that I am being played!

How could you not tell? you have a conure, that's his job!

LOL Update - we are still breaking toys. I think we are in for the long haul!

 

[plumsmum2005]

Have you tried sprinkle of seeds or pellets (one liked best) on the chop? At least has to get his beak mucky!

 

[T00tsyd]

Have you tried sprinkle of seeds or pellets (one liked best) on the chop? At least has to get his beak mucky!

Yes I've fallen for that one in the past and all that has done is given him the measure of me!

It's taken just 2.5 hours and I see he is well into the chop. He is being a tad selective and carefully placing some bits on the side of the bowl but he is well in there. I almost expected it to take longer. Oh yes he is really eating!

When he leaves it he may well get one seed as a reward and then I'll put his pellets in. One to me I think. YEAH!

 

[plumsmum2005]

Well done Syd. Here's hoping he gets to like more and more of the 'good' stuff. BTW do you put apple, carrots and parsnips in the chop? The sweeter veg is usually a hit.

 

[T00tsyd]

Well done Syd. Here's hoping he gets to like more and more of the 'good' stuff. BTW do you put apple, carrots and parsnips in the chop? The sweeter veg is usually a hit.

Oh yes it's all in there. I borrowed the last recipe off here somewhere. I am having to work on the green stuff. I'm finding he will take to it one day but the next time I offer it he throws it.

He ought to apply as an English cricket team bowler the way he's going. I no sooner think I've cracked it than he turns his beak up at it again. Broccoli, lettuce, dandelion, cabbage etc (all colours), he's a typical child. Anything green and he sees poison. LOL I haven't yet dished it up looking like bird faces but I'm getting close.

 

[clark_conure]

I'm curious, why are pellets on hold? I give my bird all sorts of treats, fresh fruit, papaya treats, he eats human food with me if it's healthy, but I maintain a pellet diet in his food bowl and it's at least 80% or his food intake. As I understand it pelllets have the best nutritional blend. Did I miss something?

I'm not trying to be obtuse; I really don't think I'm getting the picture here, please advise.

 

[T00tsyd]

I'm curious, why are pellets on hold? I give my bird all sorts of treats, fresh fruit, papaya treats, he eats human food with me if it's healthy, but I maintain a pellet diet in his food bowl and it's at least 80% or his food intake. As I understand it pelllets have the best nutritional blend. Did I miss something?

I'm not trying to be obtuse; I really don't think I'm getting the picture here, please advise.

He has pellets all the time usually - although I suspect that he largely grinds them up rather than eat much, but he was getting that he wouldn't touch much else. He seemed to be gradually limiting what he would try perhaps because he realised that something better would turn up later (namely fruit). Even there he has gradually narrowed it down to red grapes. I was just a bit worried that he was foregoing fresh. He was completely seed fed when I rehomed him and they would be his first choice always, so I am conscious of really getting him onto fresh veg and he gets seeds only as treats.

After I had him for a month I got him to the Avian vet locally who felt although healthy he was a bit light, with underdeveloped chest muscles, and we had battled a bit over the diet change.

He is flying a lot now and out most of the time so hopefully his muscles are developing. I just want to make sure that he keeps up the progress he has made.

 

[clark_conure]

ok thanks. Clark makes crumbs of most of what he eats, I think it's because he never grew lips.....but I know he eats the pellets.

have you tried just sharing an orange, apples or grapes or strawberries etc. with him...That's how we eat. I take a bit of strawberry then he munches on the flesh while eat two more, then i bite some off and he has another fresh section to gnaw on (gross I know, I'm over it, we kiss anyways)

I've never actually made chop we just share fruits. And please don't feel defensive, I'm just saying this is how we do it, I'm curious.

 

[plumsmum2005]

@ TootSyd and ClarkConure See below, hope it give some good ideas?

FYI folks Green Cheek Conure Diet | PetGreenCheekConure.com

@ ClarkConure please pay particular attention to the pellet section. 80% of daily intake is a bit too high.

 

[T00tsyd]

ok thanks. Clark makes crumbs of most of what he eats, I think it's because he never grew lips.....but I know he eats the pellets.

have you tried just sharing an orange, apples or grapes or strawberries etc. with him...That's how we eat. I take a bit of strawberry then he munches on the flesh while eat two more, then i bite some off and he has another fresh section to gnaw on (gross I know, I'm over it, we kiss anyways)

I've never actually made chop we just share fruits. And please don't feel defensive, I'm just saying this is how we do it, I'm curious.

LOL I'm not feeling defensive at all. Don't worry. I am just mindful of what he eats. I would be wary of sharing stuff that I have already bitten as I believe that human saliva can be a problem for birds. I can feed him a fruit and he digs in happily one day then throws it at me the next. Grapes however as long as they are black/red go down without question. It's veggies he doesn't relish but I feel they are as important so want to encourage him rather than let him develop into a spoilt picky child.

By making chop I can hide most things but just recently he has got just way too picky.

 

[Notdumasilook]

Found out lonnnnnnnnnnng time ago, want them to try a new food?? Put some in your plate and eat it yourself. Eventually they turn to begging for what daddy has in his plate. That's how I BFA to try his first pellets.. put em in a bowl and I ate them like cereal as he watched.. bingo!!

 

[itchyfeet]

Found out lonnnnnnnnnnng time ago, want them to try a new food?? Put some in your plate and eat it yourself. Eventually they turn to begging for what daddy has in his plate. That's how I BFA to try his first pellets.. put em in a bowl and I ate them like cereal as he watched.. bingo!!

Dedicated!