How to introduce conures?!?

[ravvlet]

Have you gone over any of this with your bird’s current vet? Forgive me for asking, but what makes this person more qualified than your regular CAV?

I’m really not loving the mealworm concept either. I’ve kept poultry for many years and it’s known in that community that while mealworms make a good treat they shouldn’t make up a significant part of their diets as it contributes greatly to obesity, especially in smaller birds like quail.

 

[kme3388]

Have you gone over any of this with your bird’s current vet? Forgive me for asking, but what makes this person more qualified than your regular CAV?

I’m really not loving the mealworm concept either. I’ve kept poultry for many years and it’s known in that community that while mealworms make a good treat they shouldn’t make up a significant part of their diets as it contributes greatly to obesity, especially in smaller birds like quail.

I haven’t went over this information I found with my vet yet. I usually try to get other parrot owners perspectives on these things before making changes, or before bringing it up to my vet. That way if it’s simple I’m not poking at a vet unnecessarily.

If it’s behavioral I definitely try not to poke at my vet as I feel like us parrot owners generally can figure it out. The conures are so stubborn when it comes to their food. Their diet has been so challenging for me.

 

[Cottonoid]

I've only had Cotton, but I kept just mixing all the new things I wanted him to eat in with his seed. I made sure he had enough seed to be getting enough calories if that was all he would pick out, since I can't weigh him.

I definitely threw away a lot of food every day (the outdoor birds and squirrels love it), but eventually he started eating pellets and veggies too. At first he ate all the Harrison's but now prefers Roudybush (I offer Harrison's/Roudybush/TOPS mixed together).

I was way too nervous about him losing weight or not eating, so I went the Abundance route - lots of food available in different places all day long - and it worked way better than I expected. I haven't researched other methods, but my gut just didn't feel right about feeding only meals, especially since I work away from home. He does get fresh food at mealtimes now that he will try different foods, but has pellets/seed always available to encourage foraging during the day. I feel like their GI tract is short and designed to eat small amounts off and on all day long, so I went that direction.

I'm obviously NOT an expert but thought I'd share what worked with Cotton anyway

Edited to add that I use a seed blend from Parrot Island in Eden Prairie that they've mixed themselves since back in the day when they had a vet on site. I feel good about the quality and mix of ingredients.

 

[ravvlet]

Yeah, we do “meals” for fresh food that needs to be thrown out, but dry food is available at all times.

 

[HeatherG]

Hi: I think you should not be down on yourself about your birds diet in past or present. The zoologist (not a vet) whose videos you’re posting is in the raw/Whole Foods trend. I am not sure we can PROVE that this is better than using formulated diet for most parrots.

I’ve been thinking about this topic and here’s something I wrote in another thread:

“A lot of bird diets are based on what the owner/ parront can manage safely. For example I used to feed my parrots seeds and lots of fresh food. Then I went to pellets and some fresh food. I wasn’t home enough to exchange the fresh food so quickly.

It is nice and more interesting to feed all fresh/ whole/ raw foods but may not be necessary or practical. In which case I think it’s better to feed a formulated diet and know your bird gets its needed nutrients, albeit in a more boring way.”

I’d rather know my bird is getting it’s vitamins through a well researched formulated diet than take the risk that the bird tosses or refuses a lot of offered foods and gets an imbalanced diet.

But, this is not so relevant with an Eclectus parrot, as so many of you write they should not eat diets with artificial vitamin supplements.

I think that for Nico you should concern yourself that he gets enough calories and protein. For your healthy conures, think about variety and vitamins. But do the best you can. You are already putting in so much work and taking really good care of them all.

 

[kme3388]

Charlie doesn’t like pellets, fruits, or veggies… anyone care to tell this adorable face that he can’t just eat sun flower seeds?

 

[Cottonoid]

That face!!!

Cotton was about to tell Charlie how much fun it is to eat bell peppers and mango after a long time of only eating sunflower seeds, but mama got too distracted by that adorable photo!

 

[ravvlet]

Don’t feel too bad about Charlie, the only way I’ve gotten Sammy to eat veg is by letting her have corn and sweet peas and carrots, which are all sweet - only Kirby is a good boy who eats his leafy greens and peppers so far! You’ll get there. Persistence is key. It took THREE DIFFERENT BRANDS of pellet to get Sammy to give up on seeds. She hates peppers but loves Harrison’s Lifetime Pepper. Go figure.

 

[kme3388]

We are finally respecting each other’s personal space as well. My Jenday isn’t just instantly chasing Charlie anymore. I did move their cages close together. Hopefully this wasn’t a mistake!

 

[HeatherG]

View attachment 43036
Charlie doesn’t like pellets, fruits, or veggies… anyone care to tell this adorable face that he can’t just eat sun flower seeds?

Charlie needs a kiss on the side of his beak (imo). That’s why those beaks are flat on the side.

 

[kme3388]

Charlie needs a kiss on the side of his beak (imo). That’s why those beaks are flat on the side.

Charlie does have a flat beak on the sides. It doesn’t effect his eating that I’ve noticed. He loves his sun flower seeds, and cracks those right open. He didn’t know how to hold his sun flower seeds, and learned from my jenday conure that all you have to do is hold them with the claw. For awhile there he was trying to do everything with his beak!

He also needs a beak trim bad. I just didn’t want to over stress him. He doesn’t chew up toys anywhere near what my other conure does.

 

[Cottonoid]

He didn’t know how to hold his sun flower seeds, and learned from my jenday conure that all you have to do is hold them with the claw. For awhile there he was trying to do everything with his beak!

This is the cutest! Charlie's gonna have the best life now

 

[HeatherG]

Charlie does have a flat beak on the sides. It doesn’t effect his eating that I’ve noticed. He loves his sun flower seeds, and cracks those right open. He didn’t know how to hold his sun flower seeds, and learned from my jenday conure that all you have to do is hold them with the claw. For awhile there he was trying to do everything with his beak!

He also needs a beak trim bad. I just didn’t want to over stress him. He doesn’t chew up toys anywhere near what my other conure does.

His beak doesn’t look that bad to me. Maybe a little long. (I just checked. I guess it is pretty long.)

It would be good to get liver function tested as that is something that can cause beak overgrowth.

Charlie is beautiful! Too bad suns are known to be very loud. I live in an apartment and can’t have a very loud bird.

 

[kme3388]

Sun’s & Jenday’s are loud. I will say having a male & female that Charlie for sure is more vocal then my female Jenday. The scream in itself is equally loud. Charlie just likes to talk a lot more

 

[kme3388]

I have to find a time that my vet can get Charlie in. She’s so busy! I figured Nico the Ekkie will need a refill on his one med, and his prescription pellets refilled soon. I was planning on bringing Charlie for a visit then. I just wanted to at least give it a few weeks to get him settled in. I too wondered about his beak as it’s flat down the center. I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t impact his eating as he is underweight. It could be the reason he doesn’t play with toys either. My Jenday never stops chewing. We make homemade toys because it saves a significant amount of money on toys.

 

[HeatherG]

I have to find a time that my vet can get Charlie in. She’s so busy! I figured Nico the Ekkie will need a refill on his one med, and his prescription pellets refilled soon. I was planning on bringing Charlie for a visit then. I just wanted to at least give it a few weeks to get him settled in. I too wondered about his beak as it’s flat down the center. I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t impact his eating as he is underweight. It could be the reason he doesn’t play with toys either. My Jenday never stops chewing. We make homemade toys because it saves a significant amount of money on toys.

I didn’t really think there was an issue with the beak. I think the aratinga conure beak is just normally flat on the side.

 

[kme3388]

That could be… I just know my jenday, and sun have some differences aside from coloration. The beak is one of them. If you seen Charlie’s beak in person is sort of looks more square. Kiwi’s is round. Kiwi’s claws are double the size of Charlie’s.

 

[HeatherG]

That could be… I just know my jenday, and sun have some differences aside from coloration. The beak is one of them. If you seen Charlie’s beak in person is sort of looks more square. Kiwi’s is round. Kiwi’s claws are double the size of Charlie’s.

Ok. I’m not seeing them in person. You are right that Charlie’s beak is rather long. You wrote that kiwi is much bigger than Charlie; maybe kiwi just has bigger feet?

 

[kme3388]

They are getting closer! Not share a cage close, but this is an improvement.

 

[SunConureBaba]

Interested to see how this plays out. A parrot expert told me yesterday that if conures bond to each other then they gonna distance their human. Or if they don't bond to each other, they might fight. Hope she is wrong.