Black bars

[JackieV]

I just got my little green cheek conure about 2 weeks ago. Today he let me preen him a bit and I noticed he had black bars on his feathers. He has not gone through a molt with me yet. I am altering his diet slowly and introducing him to a better diet. The place I get him from fed him a mostly seed diet. I’m introducing him to dried fruits and some dried veggies. I will be adding some fresh veggies and fruits slowly.
1. Are these bars caused by previous diet
2. What should I give as far as fresh veggies and fruit.
3. What are the bars caused from and how long will it take to go away.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Yikes!

I have often heard that bars are signs of stress, diet issues, etc. Nothing horrible but a sign that you are smart to attend to. I wish I had better inf for you. Here are a few notes. I'm so glad you're here. Stick with us.

They need veggies, legumes, grains... pellets are a good staple. Seeds are only a treat in my house. Here's what I've used for 40 years with the same bird.

HARRISON’S BIRD FOODS – CERTIFIED ORGANIC BIRD FOOD

See what's new at Harrison's Bird Foods: Certified organic, non-GMO diets for birds. Nutritionally complete for all life stages.

www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com

I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff, like fruits and vegetables! My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.
Another couple of ideas...
My ol' man is an athlete and health nut. He actually EATS all the good stuff, so it's always around. I find that tossing various stuff into the food bowls at random is good... the variations and differences seem to stimulate curiosity and attention.
The other idea... if you can stand it (lol) EAT the stuff in front of the birds, yes. That encourages them. I have also found that if my ol' man eats stuff in front of the bird, the bird WANTS it for himself. Kinda a rivalry thing!

Certified Avian Vets

Find an ABVP Specialist - American Board of Veterinary Practitioners

Find a Specialist ABVP Diplomates have proven knowledge and expertise above and beyond what is required to practice veterinary medicine. Beyond that, they have earned the privilege to specialize in the treatment of one or more categories of animals. Diplomates are in 49 of the 50 US states...

abvp.com

If none are near you...
Avian Veterinarians

http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803

In my opinion, any of the vets listed here should be better than a regular vet.
International contacts, too.
If none are near you, maybe you could call and ask for a recommendation for somebody in your area.
And... sometimes, distant vets will offer brief thoughts or advice...
Or... sometimes I find a place to start just by Googling "avian veterinarian near ((your location))"
Or maybe a local breeder might help... again, maybe Google?

Again, stick with us.

 

[wrench13]

BLack bars dont just spontaneously appear on feathers, they are like growth rings on trees. Seeing them means at that point in the feathers growth there was some stress. New feathers should not have them.

 

[GaleriaGila]

What Wrenchie said.
As usual.
Always.