Help Needed: GCC underweight but eats great

[SandieV]

Looking for some information and support from the group. We have a 5 month old Pineapple Conure named Rin. He is an active, healthy, crazy upside down bird that we just fell in love with.


I feed him Zupreem Fruit Blend Pellets, Zupreem Pure Fun and Smart Selects all mixed together for an all day diet. I add some walnuts to that mix in the morning.

He also eats fruits and veggies throughout the day. No matter how much he eats he only weights 57-59 grams. Am I missing something else that I can supplement?

Am I worrying over nothing? Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[itzjbean]

Hello and welcome! How long have you had your little guy?

Did you bring him in for a vet check when you got him? It's always a good thing to do when acquiring any new parrot, as a CAV (certified avian vet) will be able to make sure your bird is healthy so there's no worrying on a forum. The vet can also weigh your bird and tell you if its a good weight for this species of conure and can also test their blood to make sure he is not unhealthy internally.

 

[Squeekmouse]

I'd recommend switching to a pellet without coloring. Zupreem makes an all-natural pellet. The trouble with the colored kind is it can affect how their poop looks and sometimes the color of their poop is an indicator of health issues. So if your bird's poop is bright yellow, how would you know if it was because your little fluff ate too many yellow pellets or if it's a liver problem? Also, you may want to scale back on the seeds and nuts. Those are like candy to our fids. Perfectly fine in moderation, but can lead to fatty liver disease if fed too much.

I recommend taking him to an Avian certified vet and see what they say. It could just be that your little fluff is just petite.

 

[KawaiiTori]

Definitely watch how much your baby is getting in the way of seed. I know that the extra fats sound like a good idea when you fear that your Fid is underweight but really you’re just asking for fatty liver disease or other fat related issues. I also have a GCC of about that same age that is consistently at 60g. I was also concerned about her weight but a visit to her CAV reassured me that she is just petite and completely healthy. Long story short, a visit to an avian professional is definitely in order here. Most likely there is nothing wrong but in the off chance there is something amiss you can jump on it early!

 

[SandieV]

I have had Rin for 2 months. Thanks everyone!

 

[RemiBird]

Remi only weighed 68g at his last vet check up. Apparently, he is perfectly healthy. Petey, on the other hand, feels heavier and even slightly bigger than Remi. Every bird is different.