Soon to be GCC owner could use some advice!

[ikethedeviant]

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie in every way: new to this forum and new to bird ownership. Now I know conures aren't recommended for beginners and I fully intended on getting a cockatiel from a breeder. But fate is a funny thing...I get to the pet store to browse for cockatiel supplies and I come face to face with an incubator full of green cheek babies. Needless to say, I fell in love right then and there, and in about a month, I will be the proud owner of a beautiful GCC! The little one I chose (labeled as #22) climbed right into my hands and proceeded to nibble on my sleeve, how could I resist?
Anyway...I'm super excited but I also feel a bit overwhelmed. I know I have plenty of time to prepare, but there are so many things I have questions about, and I feel like there's not enough information online. I did a search on GCC care and read all the results on the first 7 pages of google. If anyone can offer some more advice on any of my questions it would be very much appreciated! Here goes:

1. Cookware. I have non-stick cookware which I'll be throwing out, but what kind of cookware should I buy? Stainless steel? Aluminum?
2. Perches. I've read conflicting things about whether or not the typical wooden dowel type perches are suitable. Are they or aren't they? Would baked tree branches be better? Should I also get a cement perch to keep it's nails down?
3. Hidey hole for sleeping. I was planning on buying some type of burrow thing for it to sleep in, but what kind should I get? The cloth types or the weaved ones? And do they typically poop in there? I've read that conures don't like to poop where they sleep, but perhaps I should get 2 anyway so I can rotate them.
4. Treats. What are some healthy treats for GCCs? I try to stick with natural healthy treats with my dog and cats, and would like to do the same with this little one.
5. My other pets. My dog is not a big concern as he's a very good listener and gentle with all animals (he used to let my gerbils use him as a jungle gym and he has allowed many a foster kitten to "nurse" on him) so he will easily stay away from the little one if asked to do so. My concern is with my kitties. The cage will be on a stand away from everything so they cannot reach it, but I really would like to have the little one out of it's cage most of the day with me, and I'd like to know if that's at all a possibility. I'd really like to hear from people who own cats and conures about their experiences!

I do have more questions, but I'm sure this post is already too long so I'll stop this rambling :09: Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Akraya]

Grats on getting a gcc, you're life's about to get busy!
1. I've heard stainless steel is best
2. I use a variety of perches, dowel, natural tree branches, rope (they love rope) and a cement perch (though cement does nothing imo to trim their nails!)
3. I bought this tent/tunnel looking hut thing and my birds love it, they sleep in their every night, they run through it during the day and its easily washable so all wins for me
4. My birds love peanuts (not exactly healthy but fun to break open and eat) but everything in moderation, I feed mine fruit, peanuts, vegetables, millet spray, they ate a hibiscus the other day, moderation is key =)
5. I don't have cats so I can't help but I'm sure someone else will come along =)
When I first got my birds, not even a year ago, I found books were really helpful because there's just so much conflicting information on the internet and it's all heavily opinion based so it can be hard as a new bird owner to know what to do! So I just bought books off ebay and if I had any questions after that I went to forums and read peoples opinions and made a list of questions for my vet JUST to make sure, so yeah, now I'll stop rambling and let you get on with getting ready =D
Good luck!!

 

[lexx510]

1. Stainless steel and cast iron should be fine. We use both and have not had issues.
2. I've read that most "natural wood" perches are healthier for their feet. You can make them yourself as well, as long as you're not using toxic wood (which you can research further). Concrete/cement perches are great, too (and help trim down nails).

3. Please be warned that there have been several deaths associated with sleeping huts. Birds sometimes get strangled in lose threads and suffocate to death. They also promote egg laying (so there is risk of egg binding issues for female birds).

4. Conures love fruits (and veggies as long as they're mushed/mixed in with the fruits). Just make sure to take out the seeds (most are toxic). Apples, bananas, mangos, berries, broccoli, spinach, and many more are all fine. I believe avocados are toxic. There is a safe/toxic list in the general health forum, which I'd highly recommend reading. I don't have the link on hand, sorry.

5. I don't have other pets, so can't help here. Sorry.

 

[angiemw]

Also, My birdy doctor said to use pellets, fruits and vegies as their main source of food. Seeds should be given as snacks only. As they have a lot of fat in them.
Where we are adopting our GCC she buys the huts and sticks a perch in it to make it easier for the bird to be in and out of it.

 

[cdog]

Welcome to the forum. They gave you some good advice but I will add to it. Safe natural branches are the best perches, I really like the grapevine ones because it is so twisty and has dolifferent diameters. The dowels the cage comes with are ok for just one mabey two perches for variety but not for the main perch. I use one dowel down low, a cement perch up high, a rope perch in the middle along with a boeing hanging from the top, a bee pollen one and the rest are orange tree and grapevine perches.
I have a cat too but she loves to go outside so I just put her and my dog outside when the three in the living room are out. They don't come out all day because they like to play in their cages sometimes too, but I take them out about four times a day for an hour each time. My breeding pair is out all day because they are in my room so the cat and dog cant get to them in there.
Pellets should be about 60% of the diet and the rest should be fruits, veggies, pastas, rice and beans. I also give three nuriberries to all my conures a day.

 

[ikethedeviant]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice! This is making the process of putting together a checklist for the baby so much easier

 

[Remy]

1. I use stainless cookware. I have a couple of non-stick ones that are PFOA free, and that seems to be fine.
2. A variety is best for perches. Uneven surfaces are good, so they get to use all of their foot muscles. Maybe make the highest perch a more comfy one. Puck likes to sleep on the top part of his boing. I've gotten most of my toys and perches from BirdyBooty.com, because they're unique, custom made, and Puck loves their products.
3. Puck only used his for the first couple months I had him, and then ignored it. He never pooped in it, just on it if he was above it.
4. Birds can eat most things we can, except caffeine, chocolate and avocado. I recently spoke to a woman who accidentally killed her IRN by feeding it avocado (she didn't know, poor thing). Those are the only real no-nos that I can think of. Puck looooves most kinds of fruit, plus whatever I happen to be eating. I feed him mostly pellets, fruit, and food from my plate.
5. I live with 2 cats, and they ignore Puck completely. One time one of them came up to sniff him, and I shooed her away, and that was that. I've caught her watching him a few times, but she's never gone after him or my mom's rat, even though she does hunt wild animals (rats, gophers, etc). One of the dogs likes to play with Puck, but only under very close supervision.