Hello

[ACE209]

Just wanted to introduce myself my name is Raul. I had a few questions about conure nutrition and diet, this forum kept coming up and had great information. So here I am I decided to join up. I was having a hard time switching the kids aka my three GCC from seed to pellet. I tried several brands and tricks, in the end roudybush was the winner. They took to the new food like cows to feed. My only problem is that now with the mini pellet they break it up with their beak and send shards flying. The food is in a regular ceramic dish. Anyone having this problem? Solutions? Thanks in advance.

 

[ann]

hello and welcome! you could try roudybush crumbles, or you could make a soft food from the pellets? I soak the pellets in a little bit of warm water until they're the consistency of baby food and serve it warm. Sometimes i mix vegetables and fruit (chopped or pureed) into the pellet mush. You could also powder the pellets in a spice grinder and add a little water until it becomes like a paste, i like to substitute pellet powder for half the flour (i use whole wheat flour) in bird bread recipes. Hope this helps and good luck!
ps your birds are adorable!

 

[ACE209]

Crumbles isn't available at my local suppliers. I like the grinding it up idea. Mixing water into the pellets makes me worry it will go bad or attract unwanted parasites or pests.

 

[RavensGryf]

Hi Raul, it shouldn't be a problem at all! I'm imagining that maybe they bounce off the ceramic when it hits? I still can't imagine it happens with every pellet. It doesn't happen with the metal bowls at all. Also the dishes might be too shallow?

Keep in mind that you'll have lots of uneaten food at the bottom of the cage and even some outside of the cage is fairly normal, after all they're parrots!

 

[ACE209]

Also the dishes might be too shallow?

Keep in mind that you'll have lots of uneaten food at the bottom of the cage and even some outside of the cage is fairly normal, after all they're parrots!

Lol I know I think I anthropomorphize them too much, I see them as toddlers with feathers. The ceramic dishes are 3 inches deep. I'll try the slurry tomorrow.

 

[Ducatimom]

Ducati has the bowls I'm assuming came with the cage. It has a little hood on it. Sometimes he uses it as a little table which is kind of funny to watch. He doesn't seem to waste too much food other than when he takes a larger piece up to a perch to nibble on it. He'll get tired of it fairly and just drop it like, "I really don't want this anymore bleh"

 

[MrsKay]

"hello" and welcome to the wonderful world of PERPETUAL VACUUMING.
Larry's cage door is open most of the day. I give him the small size pellets because he enjoys holding them while he nibbles and we enjoy watching him. He even goes in his cage and brings them out to an outside perch to eat them sometimes. I think he is just showing off though hehehe
It will be a job for the vacuum no matter what, but not so much if they eat inside the cage.
I agree with RavensGryf that they won't bounce so much in other than a ceramic dish, or like Ducatimom suggests to try a dish with a hood.

 

[ACE209]

The slurry didn't go over very well; the wall behind the cage looks like a scene from the exorcist. Geronimo or gery, slurps it up then shakes his head. Bless his heart. I'm looking for a hooded ceramic dish. Finding one to fit the cages will be a challenge as the rings aren't typical sizes, but I like a challenge. Today after cleaning my walls, cages, and birds, I'll try crushing the pellets hopefully they still eat it.

 

[Ducatimom]

The slurry didn't go over very well; the wall behind the cage looks like a scene from the exorcist. Geronimo or gery, slurps it up then shakes his head. Bless his heart. I'm looking for a hooded ceramic dish. Finding one to fit the cages will be a challenge as the rings aren't typical sizes, but I like a challenge. Today after cleaning my walls, cages, and birds, I'll try crushing the pellets hopefully they still eat it.

That puts a pretty funny image in the head. I kinda want to see a video of this lol. I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time, but it made me laugh picturing him bathing in it lol.

 

[ACE209]

I was shocked he chose to bathe in it inside of eating it lol. He's a funny bird for sure. I should have taken a picture of the mess. The crushed pellets worked. He is eating it without the mess I got the result I wanted finally lol. I guess i was worried he wouldn't eat the crushed pellet. He was parent raised and fed seeds until he came home with me, so he's been my difficult child when it comes to feeding him the right food.

 

[Ducatimom]

I was shocked he chose to bathe in it inside of eating it lol. He's a funny bird for sure. I should have taken a picture of the mess. The crushed pellets worked. He is eating it without the mess I got the result I wanted finally lol. I guess i was worried he wouldn't eat the crushed pellet. He was parent raised and fed seeds until he came home with me, so he's been my difficult child when it comes to feeding him the right food.

Ducati was the same way. Had nothing but seeds for a year until I brought him home. Now he gets a dried mix of fruits and veggies with some pellets in it, and chop for dinner. Getting him to like chop was painful but he eventually came around and now he loves it!

 

[ACE209]

Dried fruit is another don't for him. He does however like mango and brocoli. That's the main reason I wanted him on a pelleted food I was worried he wasn't getting the nutrients he needed.

 

[JellyBean]

Hey, like the previous post, I am having problems in getting JellyBean of off seeds on to pellets... I tried Harrisons Bird Bread - he seems to like it, well tolerate it would be more accurate and will not eat the pellets. I might try the suggestion of soaking them in warm water and see what happens.