Best food for a gcc?

[meltedrose]

I've been through a list of food for my green cheek Caspian, and thought I found a good one(Healthy Select Conure Diet) but now I'm not so sure. I think he's developed/developing scissor beak? His bottom beak is jetted out to the left, and on his top beak on the same side I think he's chipped a bit at the side. I don't know if he's resting on that side for a reason or if it's scissor beak, but I've been told it could be poor diet So how can I ween him onto a new diet and what would be a good healthy brand to go with? Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[nicolee003]

A very healthy diet would be organic pellets along with fruits and vegetables. Some of Yogi's favorite veggies are kale, broccoli, cabbage and carrots. He also likes cranberries cut in half!

 

[JasmineGCC]

Jasmine eats fruit - apple grapes etc and veg - carrot broccoli sweetcorn peppers. She has sprouted seeds and also some seed mix. I'm trying to convert her to pellets but its hard work! At the moment I soak some organic pellets in a little organic fruit juice for supper and she eats it all but dry pellets get ignored or thrown on the floor. She also has millet once a week.
Hope this helps

 

[Kantia]

I personally use Harrisons pellets. At first Tich didn't want to go from seed to pellets but he eventually did (It can be hard work). They also need fresh fruit and veggies, so just experiment and see which ones he likes.

 

[MonicaMc]

You might need to take your green cheek in to an avian vet to get his beak fixed up.

Seeds are not a healthy diet, and a diet high in sunflower seeds is not healthy at all!

Just to name a few brands...

Seeds:
TOP's
Goldenfeast
Kaylor of Colorado

Pellets:
Harrison's
Roudybush
TOP's
Mazuri


A pellet based diet is best unless you can provide a healthy fresh food diet. Sprouts, vegetables, some fruits, grains, legumes and the occasional cooked eggs are all important to a healthy diet!

 

[meltedrose]

Wow so many Thank you. He does enjoy some fruits and veggies as often as I can provide them, he especially loves corn and apples. Though there are some he doesn't even want to try As far as pellets go I'm not sure what size to give him, usually when I try to give him "Conure size" items they are too big even some Cockatiel sizes are too big for him. He does not like terrible large things or too small. He likes things he can comfortably wrap his foot around and hold, and things that he can fit into the crook of his beak and gnaw on. A good representation would be almonds. He can hold an almond for the most part, but doesn't like to try to eat it cause it's too big for him to take the bites he wants.

Also, as sad as I am to say this, I have no idea how to do sprouts or soak certain seeds and food.T^T

And yes I am taking him into the vets to get his beak cleared up. Though it's strange, it only started to shift just yesterday afternoon.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

I know my Gilbert is more likely to taste something new or that he is not sure of when it is dinner time and he is at his perch at the table with me. It's a different story then. If i introduce it in his cage he doesn't adjust to the change as well as "our" mealtime. He will often just follow me. If i eat it in front of him, he tries it too.

 

[MonicaMc]

If he likes small foods, then feed him budgie/parakeet/cockatiel pellets! If he likes larger foods, then feed him conure pellets! For the most part, the formulas are all similar or same.

As far as sprouts, they are simple! You rinse the seeds well, soak for 8-24 hours, rinse well, drain. Some seeds are ready to feed now. Others will require rinsing and draining for up to 2-3 times a day for 2-5 days before they are ready to feed.

If you buy a sprout mix for parrots, many of them come with instructions to sprout them.

 

[Aquila]

I feed my GCC Laefber's mainly, but she'll really eat anything I give her, so I'm really lucky. She also gets Zupreem fruit blend (Cockatiel size, though she loves my Amazon's big pellets.) Roudybush, and she gets some nutriberries or pelletberries occasionally.

I forget which package I read it off of, but soaking the pellets in some fruit juice to help convert them. Mine always dips hers in her water anyway.

She's pretty good with fruits and veggies, and she loves shredded carrots!

 

[JasmineGCC]

I use a mixture of cockatiel size organic zupreem and cockatiel fruity kaytee soaked in a little juice. Then I'll soak in water when she's readily eating it!

 

[meltedrose]

So you just soak the seeds in water until they're soft? Well, Cass will grab a dried fruit chunk or a pellet from his mix and dip it in water before eating it, so is he doing what you guys are saying I could do with his food? lol Sorry I hate to seem stupid, but if it means making life better for my baby I will gladly seem like a fool

But I don't wish to keep getting him Healthy Select, it just seems to be too many seeds and too fattening. A friend recommended it, so I thought it was okay. I'm also worried about colored foods I see in the stores, since I hear such horror stories about people who fed their bird dyed foods, or Kaytee brand and they died.

I'm also angry, because the Petco and Petsmart in my town have such little brands of bird food to chose from! It would be convenient for me to have a store to just buy some bags and try them out to see what he likes(since he is so picky about the size and flavor) but it seems like I might have to order online which makes it harder for me to just order everything since shipping and taxes, and the hassle of where I live, where the management office keeps the package without telling you anything if you don't get the delivery at the door, and the deliveryman knocks once very lightly and then rushes away. Honestly, I was in the living-room on one delivery and that is exactly what he did, and seems to do all the time so we miss a lot of packages most of the time.

I do have a Ma and Pa owned pet store in town though, they cater to birds mostly, so I want to try and go there and see what they have, maybe I can find a brand you guys posted on here and that would be great if he liked it too
Thanks again everyone for being so patient, understanding and helpful. I really appreciate it

 

[MonicaMc]

More or less, yes you just soak the seeds and allow them to grow... here's two articles that have pictures of sprouts ready to feed. This company does sell sprouts, but they can be rather expensive compared to other brands.
Why Feed Our Sprouting Blends? | Best Bird Food Ever
Features and Benefits of Our Sprouting Blends | Best Bird Food Ever
Soaked vs Sprouted Seeds | Best Bird Food Ever

Other pages showing different sprout blends
sprouts | Cooking for Parrots
PRC Online Shop l Parrot Toys and Accessories in Australia <--- this page has some great before/after shots!
Invitation to the Chop Party « The Happy Cockatoo: Elle's Avian Cuisine <---great diet example!
Sprouting For Parrots « Jamieleigh's Parrot Help
8feeding


Major chain pet shops typically don't have very good brands to begin with.... some might, but mostly they don't.

Yes, it can help to soften the pellets before feeding them! This thread that I put together may help some!
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/23367-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

 

[jennifernolin]

You have to soak the seeds for like a day or two, and then let them grow for like two or three days. Once the seeds sprout then that’s when they have the best nutritional value for your baby. If this is new for you, this book is great, The Complete Guide to Successful Sprouting for Parrots. The Complete Guide to Successful Sprouting
Here is an article that explains a little more of what to expect when using sprouts to feed your bird. Sprouting Blends – Expected Rate of Use | Best Bird Food Ever.
I would also recommend feed him fresh fruits and vegetables, not dried fruits. However, I would not Feed Garlic, Onions or Leeks to any bird.
I do not like big pet stores like Petco; this is because they are more about selling things to people and not the health or well being of the animal. I would want to use a local store or an expert that are interested in the health of the animal and not just the money.
I don’t think that the expense is really not a problem. This is because, it would cost the bird owned more money for vets visits and supplements since the owner decided to feed the bird cheep food thinking they are saving money. By spending just a little bit more money for food that will help and improve the life of the bird is much more rewording to the owner and the bird. It would be less stressful for the bird and the owner since they wouldn’t have to go to the vet as much, not only that there wouldn’t be all the supplements that the bird would have to take. By giving the bird the right nutrients in his diet will help the owner and the bird.
I think the work of Leslie Moran shows an understanding of the health and well being of birds. She has created a bird food that works for many birds and helps them become healthier as well.
Here are some articles that show how her bird food and consultations helped others that have used her product:
Best Bird Food Ever
Restoring Health & Balance in a Quaker Parrot
Healing a Cockatiel of Liver Disease
Feeding Parrots: What’s Essential for Good Health

 

[nightinday]

I use pellets mixed up with seeds. Fruits and veggies + sprouts. Sometimes I give him freshly squeezed juice, for example orange juice. Once a week I give him hard boiled egg.

 

[meltedrose]

Wow, thank you guys so much! This is very informative and helpful. I've heard about sprouting, but never gave it much thought. A previous Avian Vet I visited told me it was unnecessary and wasteful. That seeds should be a main part of the diet, with some pellets and fruits and veggies. But of course I give him whatever fresh fruits and veggies that are in the house, excluding the deadly ones. The mix I was previously giving him had seeds, some pellets, dried fruits and vegetables, and some nuts, so I thought it would be okay to give him. I visited a local pet store Clark's and a very nice lady there who had a house full of birds explained to me everything. She also recommended Zupreem Naturals, and to soak them for a little bit, then they become similar to soaked Grapenuts that sat in your milk too long
It made me laugh since I remember my grams feeding me Grapenuts.

So I've tried soaking them(hoping she was right and Zupreem pellets are good) and now he loves them. He waits patiently for them to be done soaking, and drained, and then just goes nuts over them. He is also sort of ignoring the seeds I'm still giving him since I wanted to slowly ween him to pellets, but I guess he just wants the pellets now hehe.

I am also no longer going to that Vet. He just didn't seem like a good choice. I am going to a Avian Vet close to me, and she seems like she knows much more about birds, and she trimmed his crazy bottom beak, and it looks so much better now. I think when he had his horrible fall, he chipped his bottom beak and it grew back long and weird, and shot out to side and was gangly. But it looks all better now.

I haven't found a store yet that carries seeds or legumes(without being seasoned ) I'm going to try Whole Foods near me, and start trying to sprout. It looks very colorful and delicious, and I hope he'll love them. I also thought birds couldn't eat cooked egg. Sheesh, I feel like a horrible owner

Thanks again everyone! You all are so nice and helpful, I am so happy

 

[Aquila]

It's good that you found a new vet. Vets, just like our doctors, don't always keep up with the latest medical journals and information, so it sounds like he was a little outdated. Avian medicine has come a long way in just a few years!

Whole foods should have what you're looking for, but when in doubt, order online.

And please don't feel like a bad owner, you're educating yourself and that's more than a lot of people do!

 

[aliray]

You can get grains, legumes, whole grains etc at any health food store. they usually have them in large container and you buy as much or as little as you want. I give mine cooked whole grain pasta. cooked egg ,cooked chicken , fish, beef, shrimp, low fat yougurt, cottage cheese, hard cheese. fresh or frozen fruits ,fresh or frozen veggies, cooked plain potatoes cooked or plain sweet potatoes cooked, whole grains like cooked oatmeal, cooked brown rice, homemade birdy bread. The menue varies by the day, also unsalted raw nuts pecans walnuts pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, almonds,. I try to give a starch a protein, and assorted veg a piece or two of fruit and a couple of nuts daily plus their base diet

 

[ConureLady]

I use Zupreems avian entrees with meticulously cut up saladbar from Safeway such as spinach, red leaf lettuce, strawberry, melons, red pepper, and pineapple. It ends up about $4.00 a week. I put juice into ice cube trays and let two cubes thaw every night so I have a constant supply of juice to make te pellet food yummier. I give conure nutriberries as a treat and golden feast mixes are always available ontop of the cage, but only let them out after 2pm to make sure they've had some pellets. Around 6pm they get a mix of cooked foods like whole wheat spagetti, orzo, couscous, rolled barley, a mix of rices, steel cut oats, hard boiled egg, and birdie bread.