Green cheek conure food?

[Iky18]

Hi! I've had my GCC for about 5 days now and I'm still trying out different foods for it. Right now I give it mostly fruit pellets and some seeds. She really loves the seeds and if I put them in with the fruit pellets she will only eat the seeds. I also give it carrots and cucumbers. I gave her a boiled egg and she didn't seem to like it. I might try to give it again.

I had a few questions. How small do I have to cut the fruits and vegetables? How do you guys cook the food you give your birds? Do you give canned veggies? And is it normal that she eats half a pellet and throws the rest sometimes?

Thank you

[Harpmaker]

Try fresh fruits. Canned veggies are probably too salty, but frozen ones are fine. Check the internet for lists of things to NOT feed parrots (like avocado). Keep trying-it took the better part of a year to get Corsair to try broccoli, but she happily munches it now.

As far as how small you cut things, it can depend on the bird. A lot of people dice things so the bird can't just pull out favorites. I'm usually too lazy for that, but cutting up berries can mean that Corsair doesn't have to hold them in her foot and track berry juice all over the cage. The first time she had strawberries everyone thought she was bleeding on her perch. Remember those beaks chew through wood, so getting through peels, rinds, and skins is a matter of motivation-just let them know something really good is inside and they'll forage it right out (I'm thinking of tangerines right now-if anyone picks one up, Corsair demands her share)

Yams are good for most parrots-I microwave them until they are soft, then slice and chop for ease of eating. She likes them better with cinnamon sprinkled on them( Me, too!). Plain oatmeal and brown rice get cooked as if for me, but without salt. Cool before serving, and store in the refrigerator.

Carrots often need to be grated to get her to touch them-unless she changes her mind again!

Dried fruits are another favorite-raisins and cranberries mostly-but we save those for training treats because they add sugar to the dried cranberries(not something she needs), and if she tosses raisins outside the cage the dogs might get them and get sick. Other dried fruits don't attract her as much.

I hope this helps. It should get you started at any rate.

[Pajarita]

GCCs are mostly fruit eaters so they don't need a whole lot of protein -which translates into 'don't free-feed seeds or pellets or she will end up eating too much of it and messing up her liver. Cooked whole grains are good for them and they love them (try wheat, barley, brown rice, kamut, oats, spelt, etc -you can find them in Whole Foods or the internet -http://barryfarm.com/). As to fruits, they love all of them and how to present them depends on the individual bird's preference so try different ways and see which one is the one yours like (mine adored corn on the cob, cherry or grape tomatoes, sugar snaps, sweet peas, sweet potatoes, and cooked and diced carrots, too).

[Iky18]

Thank you so much guys!! I have a seed and nut mix and she likes that more than the fruit pellets. Should I give the seed and nut mix like once a week cause she picks out the seeds before she eats anything else.

[Pajarita]

GCCs can have a little seed every day. Mine got a tablespoon of a good quality budgie mix (lower in protein and fat because it has more cereal grains than oil seeds) for dinner every day.