info on green cheek please

[becsta]

Hi everyone.
in two days time i am bringing home my first bird which is a
yellow sided green cheek conure.
the bird is about 2 months old. I have been reading though info but would really love it if anyone is willing to just give me any tips or advice. we are going to have the bird inside in the lounge room. parents and then 3 kids in the house..
Do please shower with their birds?
Do they make a big mess (poo ect)
how often do you feed them
what do you feed them
how do you go with getting them to talk
i have a cage that opens at the top so was going to have that open with a perch there, thinking that it would be able to sit there through the day an then id put it in the cage of a night.
do you cover the cage of a night?
will it sleep on its perch in the cage of a night or do they like more of a solid base.
oh i just want any info.
thanks

 

[faeryphoebe1]

Is this a handfed baby? Has it been completely weaned?

 

[Akraya]

A general tip from me would be not to rush things, don't rush to interact or push new things on your bird, it will only lead to frustration on both sides, take things sloooowwww. Also there are no silly questions on forum, everyone has had their overly paranoid moments with behaviour and health concerns, better safe than sorry!

Tried to answer your questions, I'm not an expert, this is just my opinion =)

Do please shower with their birds? - I do take my birds into the shower occasionally, the humidity is meant to be great for them.
Do they make a big mess (poo ect) - lots of mess, especially once they've settled in, food, poop and feathers everywhere
how often do you feed them - mine have pellets in their cage all day and get fed veggies everyday
what do you feed them - pellets, seeds, vegetables, fruits, nuts
how do you go with getting them to talk - repeat words in a very animated voice a lot, though GCC are not prolific talkers mine do talk a little bit, very gravelly though
do you cover the cage of a night? - yes, with a thick cover because they need a long uninterrupted sleep
will it sleep on its perch in the cage of a night or do they like more of a solid base - they should be happy on a perch, mine like to sleep either in their birdy bunk or on a rope perch in the hot weather.

 

[becsta]

thanks heaps for info. yes its eating on its own and all that now. its coming from a breader.
So this shower thing, do you take them into the shower and they play in the water or just into the bathroom?
do they fly around alot?
i was going to put the cage in the lounge room near the TV, so is that maybe a bad idea?
what sort of nuts do you give them?
thanks, this is good info

 

[faeryphoebe1]

Congratulations, Becsta. You are about to become the owner of a very intelligent little clown who can be manipulative and utterly adorable at the same time. I call mine my "Cheeky, little monkey" and she is.
Akraya gave you great advice about taking things slowly. Your baby will be fearful of a new environment, new people, new sounds and smells.
We keep Trixie's cage in the living room so that she's at the center of where the most activity/action goes on. She loves looking out our large window and watching crows, Mockingbirds and various other birds native to where I live. Trixie's gotten quite adept at imitating their calls. Trixie gets a kick out of any drama in her presence. If my kids begin arguing, Trixie squawks loudly and cackles in amusement.
Trixie can say my kids names (Becca and Brandon), she says "what?" just like my teenage daughter and she also says, "pretty bird, peek-a-boo" and "jerk". She learned that word from my son. Her favorite word is..."Trixie" and she says it all day long, lol (much to my hubby's annoyance).
My daughter says that we're the neighborhood freaks because when Trixie hears my car pulling up on the driveway, she becomes excited and begins screaming, "Trixie". I call back to her shouting, "Trixie" until we're inside the house.

 

[Echo]

I would suggest to ask the breeder what the baby is weaned on and keep feeding the same food (if you wish to change the diet, do it after a few months after the initial transition and then change gradually). Same thing with the sleeping question, is the baby used to a hut or does he sleep on a perch? Does the breeder have a bird bath for them to bath in? Sure you can bring him in the shower (also they tend to like cooler water than I do!) but a bird bath allows them to decide when THEY want to bath, which is not always when YOU are taking yours. I would try and have the smoothest transition by keeping what he is used to the same for a while until he is well settled and used to your family.

He needs to have food and water in the cage at all time. Also, he won't be satisfied by just hanging out on his cage, and should have a play gym for him to explore and play.

Plenty of people here can answer all your questions and you can learn tons from their experience, which is the best way to learn about your new companion.

 

[Akraya]

For the shower I just got a small hand towel rail with double sided tape and put that in the shower, if they've had enough they just fly to the top of the shower and sit up there, they just sit still otherwise. They're not too keen on playing in the shower water but go nuts outside under the hose.
When they're out of their cage they fly everywhere, usually food motivated, as soon as anyone steps into the kitchen they're there!
I live in a very small place so the lounge room is my only option but like faeryphoebe1 said they like to be in all the commotion, just be aware of stress levels when they first come home, they do need their space to sus it all out.
Just because you mentioned TV I'll mention that they can destroy cables and cords in seconds, so just be aware =)
I used to give peanuts because they loved the shell cracking, but I bought a bad batch last time so I've been scared off them because they can harbour harmful molds (I think it's molds...) so now I just get them a nut bar from the pet shop that has peanuts, almonds and other bits and pieces, I'll link the safe list at the end! If you buy from the supermarket be careful of additives some companies use to stop food spoilage... yeah this is how the paranoia starts but don't be worried you'll be fine!!!!

Check out the stickies
General Parrot Information - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community

 

[becsta]

thanks so much for all your info guys, keep it rolling in hehe. i pick the little fella up in a few hours when they are out and about and sitting on your shoulder ect do they poo alot'

 

[Echo]

thanks so much for all your info guys, keep it rolling in hehe. i pick the little fella up in a few hours when they are out and about and sitting on your shoulder ect do they poo alot'

What you can do is study the poop pattern of your bird, he might poop every 20mn or 1/2hr for example. So when he is on you, pay attention to the time and bring him back to his cage or wherever you want him to poop, that way you give him a chance to relieve himself other than on you. If he has been on you for 1/2 hour for example, then you know he should be ready to poop again. Take him back on you once he's done etc....

 

[Joshuwaaa]

My conure loves chillis and lots of fruit and veg. With some seed as general in the day food !

Be sure to handle them as much as they want and give them lots of attention, their big birds in little bodies

Have lots of fun! Can't wait to see some pictures!

 

[becsta]

he is chilling at home now, have the front and top door open but he seems happy hanging out in his cage. will have to have a chat with him about leaving his seeds in his bowl lol... he is very cute. only 10 weeks old. he has had his wings clipped so no flying for him. we named him chester. he seems shy but i am just sitting next to him talking to him. ill take it slow and see if he wants to sit on the back of the couch and stuff with me.He was pulling at his feathers alot, is that normal?

 

[Akraya]

If he's grooming that's a good sign, means he's comfortable and not too scared! =D
That being said, don't be suprised if he starts to come out of his shell in the next couple of weeks and become a bit agressive, they don't act like little birds and they like to act tough Keep us posted =D

 

[becsta]

he wont stay mean / biting ect though will he? only second day but today he sat on top of his cage most of the time instead of in it like yesterday. i layed with him on my bed today and he enjoyed walking around and biting my doona.... was even happy to come close to me... my question is.... he has one of them balls with the bell in it and i have it on string and if you roll at to him or dangle it infront of him he seems to love it, grabs it with his claws and bites at it ect... is this is good thing or a bad thing? thanks

 

[Akraya]

He won't stay bitey if you handle it properly, but for the first year and a half he'll possibly have phases, they go through a bluffing stage too, mine charge at my hand to see if I'll flinch
Both of my birds LOVE those cat ball things, chasing it around is a good way for them to burn excess energy which otherwise can turn into boredom nippyness.
These are all my own experiences, you could have a completely different experience, I just like to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst =)

 

[becsta]

thanks heaps.... sorry for all the questions but my next one is that the only thing he seems to wanna eat other than his seeds are apples. i have given him cooked warm sweet potato, potato. some carrot, grapes, celery, peas, corn some nuts but he seems to only want apple

 

[Akraya]

Because apple is sugary and delicious!
My conures have gotten to the stage where I need to feed them their vegetables seperately otherwise they'll throw it all on the floor and only eat their favourite thing.
Does he eat the other things? Try cutting them different ways,pretend to eat it yourself (or do)
I usually start new foods by handfeeding, so maybe try giving him a bit of carrot and broccoli (or whatever you've got) then apple, but that apple will come in handy when you're training if he likes it so much!

 

[becsta]

today i just put potato and sweet potato in his bowl. just looked at it an went stright to his seeds. ill just keep putting it in each day i guess. i ended up last night throwing it all out and gave him apple which he ate.

 

[barw33zy]

A lot of good advice you have been receiving, but I'd like to add the the shower topic. I have taken my sun conure in the shower many times and he seemed to like it so much that one day I let him stay while I was drying off. He found his way right under the water and sat there for a good time, it looked like he was enjoying soaking so I allowed it. While I was blow drying him(teflon free low heat), he pooped really watery stool and it concerned me. He started acting strange, then pooped almost all water, then vomited water, then fluffed up and remained in a squatting position like he was pushing.

I was terrified and immediately called the vet. He said water had entered his nares, after a few more questions he told me to keep close watch on him and if he didn't recover soon to bring him in. After a couple more watery stools in close succession he started acting normal and finally passed a regular stool. My vet told me he advises people to not take birds in the shower for that reason.

I like some of the ideas people have given like the towel rack, but be careful not to let this happen to your green cheek.

Also I've heard of people with darker showers having their birds mistake it for a nest and attempt to mate with them, so no candlelit showers! lol A clear shower curtain might help if you have this issue.

 

[Akraya]

Crazy barw33zy, mine get a bit of water up the nose but they sneeze it all out, do you think its the direction of the water? I wonder why showers would be bad compared to baths, because my GCCs put their heads under water, thoughts?

 

[barw33zy]

I think it is because of the high volume of water concentrated on one spot, and yes, the fact that it is pouring down right on top. The thing that bothered me was he chose to walk under the shower stream and he chose to stay there for a long time until I picked him up. Head dips aren't continuous water exposure so that is probably why its not a problem.