Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 9/19/2006

Question
I am giving him fruits, he is eating them, but Im not sure he likes them, what else should I be giving him?
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Followup To

Question -
In about a week and a half I am starting the one a day feeding for my conure, How long does he have to do the one a day feeding before I can give him bird food?

Thanks

Answer -
Hi, Megan.  Thanks for posting!

You should have been giving your baby conure other foods since you started the weaning process, i.e., when you started removing handfeedings, you should have been substituting other nutritional foods in place of the handfeedings you eliminated.  Therefore, your baby conure should already be eating some foods (veggies, fruits, pellets, etc.).  Is this baby not eating anything except handfeeding formula?  You can't just stop handfeeding a baby bird and expect the baby to just start eating bird food.  It doesn't work this way.  

The once-per-day handfeeding should continue for a week or two or until the baby is eating enough other foods to sustain him throughout the day.  A baby conure has a little tummy and needs to eat many times per day in order to survive.  Also, his/her beak isn't hard enough yet to crack open seeds, so you must provide soft types of food (seed-only is a poor diet anyway) and pelleted food to start.

See my website for information you need:

http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/birdinfo/index.html

Come back with any questions.  I need more details about what's going on in your situation so I can help you and your baby conure more.  

Chrys

Answer
Hi again, Megan.

You really need to read the info on my website!

You should try warm foods to start with because your baby is used to eating warm handfeeding formula.  Try baked potato, corn bread, whole grain muffins, healthy cereals (no sugar/milk), broccoli florettes, soaked bird pellets (soak these in warm water and feed), soaked monkey/primate biscuits (these are a type of pellet for monkeys that birds love), applesauce, cooked brown rice with shredded veggies mixed in, cream of wheat, cooked oatmeal, cooked pasta (no sauce) shredded veggies of all types...the list is endless.  These foods should be served warm or at room temperature, but not cold.  As your baby gets older and is willing to accept more foods, then you can start feeding cold foods.  Feed seed only as an occasional treat or as a reward for positive behavior and then limit the amount.  Remove any uneaten foods after about an hour so they don't go bad and make the baby sick (except for the nonperishible foods that can be left).  I believe in abundance weaning, which means keeping healthy, nutritional foods in front of baby birds at all times until they are able to eat completely on their own.

Fruits are mostly water, so they aren't very nutritious, except for the melons/dark orange fruits, pomegranetes, kiwi, etc.  

You should have also been teaching your baby conure how to drink out of a water dish or, better yet, a water bottle.  Can this baby drink on it's own yet?  This is very important.

Chrys