New bird mom

[FeatherLocklear]

Hey flock, I have recently found this forum. I have been terrified of birds since I was young and had a couple bad experiences with geese and sea gulls. In the past few months I started a new grooming position in a pet store where I met a green cheek conure, I do not know the true age but I am guessing about a year? This gcc was scared of everyone bite anyone and trembling when they put their hands in the cage. He (I say he but I dont actually know)seemed however to take a liking to me quick when I had no interest in being near a bird. But I started noticing he like papaya pieces and I would dig them out of his dish and and it to him. Eventually he let me touch him and even came out of the cage for me to hold him. I started looking up more information about his species and saw how poorly kept he really was, over grown nails, just a rope perch a single toy and a mirror on a seed only diet in the middle of a sales floor constantly poked at by customers causing him extreme stress.
After bonding with the first bird ever in my life I couldn't see him in such a stressful environment anymore so I bought him thought I really had no idea what I was doing or that I really couldn't afford a 400.00 bird i just knew he needed me. I have been taking in any video I can find on YouTube on birds i can find to learn what I can about properly caring for my new friend now named Link. I will attach the cage I have for him it is all I can afford at this time but I tried to make it as nice as I could if you could look at it. Also I am having a hard time getting him transitioned off of a seed diet he is being very resistant to new food textures and the nutrition pellets. He is also scared to step on any flat surfaces and had been scared of any foot toys I have tried introducing and wont mess with any foraging toys I have provided. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you and Link, congratulations for conquering a powerful phobia! You have been "chosen" by your GCC one of the highest compliments and most effective techniques for acquiring a feathered companion. I don't have conures, so will share generic information - no doubt our membership will have excellent targeted advice!

Cage looks good to me, keeping in mind the notion bigger is usually best though costs rise dramatically. Bar spacing appropriate for conure, playtop design most useful. Best to replace the typically included round dowels with natural wood perches. Very helpful to include various toys until learning what he likes best.

Kudos for seeking dietary improvements, keep in mind the transition already underway at your home. Almost any pellet is better than all-seed diet, best to include various fresh veggies/fruits aka "chop." Conversion to pellets can be challenging, I offer Harrison's protocol as highly successful for my flock. Please note I am not pushing the brand, only the methodology as workable for any pellet: https://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/using-our-foods/large-bird-conversion/ (prime consideration, never "starve" a bird into submission)

A few helpful links from our Parrot Food, Recipe, Diet forum:
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html

The welcoming PM I sent has a variety of links including some cautions for good health. Various seemingly innocent household items/odors can be lethal to parrots.

 

[Stitchthestitch]

Hello fellow groomer and green cheek mum! I have a cage very similar to that one for my albie and he loves it.

Well done on getting over your fear and being chosen.

 

[FeatherLocklear]

Thank you so much for all that great information. I am nervous and excited about being a conure mom.

 

[Laurasea]

Congratulations on being chosen by a conure!! I was shopping for my other pets decades ago, and visited the burds. A conure fell fir me, I kept visiting him * found out 10 years later was a her, till I decided to bring him home!

This link is to a great article I hope you find helpful, welcome to parrots!

https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/stress-reduction-for-parrot-companions/

This one is great to covers normal behavior, then issues like bites and screaming
https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/bird-behavior/

 

[noodles123]

Welcome and congrats!!!


Here is a copy and paste of mine for people living with birds after a long time, or for the first time:
Birds can cause allergies-- especially cockatiels, african greys and cockatoos...but others as well.

One really important thing when keeping a pet bird in the house is that you cannot use scented products or chemicals/fumes in your home (even things that smell nice to us(---things like smoke, perfumes, air freshener, standard cleaners, vaping, burning food, incense, cigarettes, glue, paint, window sealing kits, polishes, aerosol sprays etc can harm your bird's sensitive respiratory system (which is not the same as mammals'). Using products that heat or are heated which contain Teflon/PTFE/PFCs = very very dangerous. These products off-gas and can kill a bird in under 5 minutes. Teflon/PTFE/PFOA/PFCs are most commonly found in the kitchen (pots, pans, cookie sheets, drip trays, air fryers, popcorn poppers, baking mats, crock pots, toasters, toaster ovens, popcorn poppers, waffle irons, electric skillets etc. They can also be found in space-heaters, curling irons, blow-dryers, straighteners, heat lamps, heat guns, irons, ironing board covers etc. These fumes have killed birds through closed doors and on separate floors of a home, so you should replace your cookware with stainless steel, cast iron or ceramic. You may be thinking-- well, I have used them before and my bird is fine, but they kill very inconsistently and it depends on what you are cooking, the age of the pot/pan, the specific bird etc. There was a member who lost many of her birds from a pan she had literally used for years...then one day, her husband cooked an egg (without burning or overheating) and many of them died, while the rest showed signs of respiratory distress.

You will need an avian-safe cleaner to use within your home (both on the bird cage, but also, around the house). Again, chemical cleaners cannot be used in the home unless avian safe. F10 SC (the yellow/clear concentrate) is a great, avian-safe disinfectant. Other (less effective) options include products such as "poop-off", white vinegar + water, grapefruit seed extract + water, baking soda etc. Peroxide is also fairly safe for disinfecting places like your bathroom, but you do not want your bird to come into contact with it.

Some foods are toxic to them--avocado, coffee (even decaf), caffeine, rhubarb, alcohol, onions/garlic/leeks/chives, mushrooms etc. Salt is also very bad for them, as is most human food. They love it, but it's not healthy.

They should not just eat seed--you will want to feed lots of washed fresh vegetables. Fruit is fine in moderation, but too much can lead to obesity and behavioral issues due to sugar. I feed my bird a mix of high-quality seed (no sunflowers, no peanuts) and pellets (in addition to fruit/veg). ECCLECTUS PARROTS SHOULD NOT EAT PELLETS. Fruit pits are toxic, as are apple seeds. Corn cob and certain nut shells (if swallowed in big pieces) can cause blockages, so you should be very cautious if you give your bird nuts in the shell. Peanuts can harbor aspergillosis, and should be avoided altogether (even they you often see them marketed towards parrots).

It is important to make sure that your bird's toys and cage are made of safe metals. Stainless steel is safest. They can get metal poisoning from playing with or mouthing objects made of unsafe metals.

They need a set amount of sleep each night (at least 10 hours) and the largest cage you can manage with lots of different perches. You want to avoid the totally smooth/round ones as they can lead to a condition called bumblefoot. Never place a cage near drafts and never allow cool air to blow on a bird. They are sensitive to drafts and any temperature shift greater than 10 degrees can cause a shock to their system.

They need lots of safe toys and safe wood to chew. Not all wood is safe, so don't just assume you can give them any kind you want. Pressure blasted or chemically treated wood (e.g., lumber and many other types of wood from the hardware contains toxic chemicals or are cut from trees that are naturally toxic.

They hide illness and so you have to watch them to make sure they are eating normally and pooping normally etc. You should try to find an avian vet (certified avian) if at all possible and take your bird AT LEAST 1 x yearly for an exam. An avian vet is NOT the same as an exotics vet who sees birds--- so if a certified avian vet is available within a few hours of where you live, you will want to set up care.

All parrots can easily confuse the relationship with their human for a sexual one. You don't want this to happen, even though it seems sweet at first. Stick to petting on the head and neck only (the rest is sexual) and do not allow your bird to play in shadowy places, like boxes or under furniture, as these spaces are similar nesting sites and are hormonal triggers. NO SNUGGLE HUTS/TENTS!

Food and water should be replaced daily--- wash the containers daily. Never leave wet food out for more than a few hours (as it can lead to bacterial growth). Never try to medicate a bird via drinking water and never add vitamins to water. Vitamins can be over-dosed easily and harm a bird. Plus, when you add things to water, it makes it impossible to know how much they have gotten and it also encourages bacterial growth. Sometimes it can prevent them from drinking adequately if they don't like the flavor of whatever it is you added. Citrus and fruits high in vitamin C should be given in extreme moderation because they can cause "Iron Storage Disease" (for a cockatoo, 1 small tangerine slice 1-2 times a week was okay, according to my vet).

These birds have the intelligence of 3-4-year-old human, but they are wild animals (not domesticated like dogs). This means that they see the world (and humans) in a very unique way and so you must learn about their behavior in order to prevent problems (screaming, plucking etc). They need lots of time out of their cage daily and a lot of interaction (at least a few hours). At the same time, you don't want to spend TOO much time with a bird of they will become overly dependent and not know what to do with themselves when you go to work etc.

Finally, baby birds are ALWAYS sweet compared to adult birds. When your bird hits puberty, expect that it will exhibit some annoying and problematic behaviors (much like a teen). A through knowledge of behavior and setting expectations at an early age will make your life easier when that time comes, but do prepare yourself and expect that things will not always be so smooth-sailing. Think about a baby human compared to a teen...

I am sure there is more...but that is a basic overview of caring for birds.

Here is an excerpt from another post (which you may want to reference when shopping/ calling about Teflon:
The most insidious is the Teflon/ptfe/pfoa/pfcs because you have to call the company to verify that anything that heats or is intended to be heated does not contain these substances ("PTFE free" doesn't mean PFC free and so there are a lot of marketing gimmicks out there to make people buy what seems like healthier cook-ware, even though it still contains a version of the same chemicals). Also-- these chemicals can be woven into fabric, mixed into metal during the moulding process, applied as a powder, applied as a clear-coat, or mixed with a colored coating. You cannot assume that you will be able to identify them visually, so, when you call, you must provide all abbreviations and full names + spellings of each chemical compound (and then they usually give you "the run around" for a week or so IF they ever answer your questions at all---because sometimes it's a "trade secret"). It's all very sketchy and DuPont (manufacturer of Teflon) claims that off-gassing only occurs at really high temperatures, but there have been numerous documented/scientific and anecdotal reports of birds passing away at temperatures in the 300 F range (and again, it kills through closed doors and on different floors).
FYI- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
A perfluorinated compound (PFC)
Teflon (a common brand-name of non-stick cookware containing these chemicals)

10- 12 hours nightly for sleep, so if you get up at 6 and make a bunch of noise, you will wake the bird up (even if they are still covered). If they wake up at 6, bed should be between 6-8. You want to keep it around the same time if possible (because that's how it is in nature).


OH-- something I didn't mention in my last post-- stainless steel is really one of the only safe metals for them. Research the heck out of your cage and make sure that if it uses a powder-coating it is truly non-toxic. Birds can get metal poisoning from playing with sketchy toys (many made in China do not adhere to best practices) and just mouthing things like money, bolts, locks etc can cause toxic impacts...A man I know allowed his bird to play with un-used toothbrushes and (unbeknownst to him) there were small copper bits that held the bristles in place-- this nearly killed his bird even though the bird didn't actually swallow the pieces. Copper, zinc, nickel, some iron, lead etc are all toxic. Chicken wire and most screens= bad news.

 

[wrench13]

Welcome and be welcomed. Just what we need, another cutesy pie, adorable conure! J/K. Advice? Read, read, read as much as you can on this forum, one of the very best resources on the web. Read aloud to Link, parrots love being read to.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Welcome!!!!!!!!!!!
You have found a great community, and you sound like our kinda folks!
Great words of welcome above. Wrenchie put it all well, as usual.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to you both! A very nice cage selection!