YSGC Conure not eating food (Harrison's), only treats

[rudip]

Hi guys,

Our Rudi has been on Harrison's for about 5 years now. We just bought a new batch of food (a small bag and a large bag) and he doesn't want to touch it. He goes near it and behaves like he is searching for something, but does not even touch the food. We thought that he might be sick, but the second we give him treats and/or herb salad- he goes to town.
I thought the small bag could be a bad batch, so we opened the big bag as well and he acts the same.
The store that we usually buy the food from moved a few months ago, so maybe they didn't store the food properly? Could it be that the food has some sort of smell (which we cannot notice) that he does not want it? I called the store and they said that no one else reported anything wrong with the food.
I am waiting for our avian to call us back, but do any of you have any other guesses?

[Pajarita]

I really have very little experience with any kind of pellet, Harrison's or otherwise. I don't use them for my birds as I think they are not the best dietary option for them.

GCCs need little protein and lots and lots of fruits so I am thinking that maybe your bird reached the point where he is not feeling well with eating dry as a bone protein all day long (their liver and kidneys get damaged). Why don't you try some cooked whole grains with chopped veggies mixed in and some nice fruit? (mine eat huge portions of fruit every day). It's so much healthier for them than pellets...

[Wolf]

I do not use pellets for my birds either, but it is possible that Harrisons has changed the ingredients of their pellets. You could either compare an older bag with the new or contact the company and ask them about it.

[rudip]

We feed him a lot of fruit, and he gets seeds sometimes as well.
I don't mind trying anything. What would you suggest I try feeding a conure?
I always thought the pellet diet is the best after researching, and now see that I might have been in the dark

[rudip]

sorry, ignorance here.
what whole grain would you suggest?
also, is there an existing topic with suggestions, so that you guys do not repeat something that has been said a thousand times. I have a six month old baby, so when preparing his solids, I don't mind doing the same for our conure. I would just need to know where to start.

[Wolf]

I am giving you a link and on the second page of postings you will find a list of items that are safe and also listings for toxic items. This lists contains foods, woods, trees, plants, household items and is the most comprehensive list that I have found yet.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12521

[rudip]

Thank you so much, Wolf.
Finally, what whole grains are best to give to him?
Spelt, Barley?

[Wolf]

I am not the best at this topic but am really working on getting better at it. Pajarita is probably the most knowledgeable in this field.
Actually, based on what I am finding thus far, this species of parrot doesn't eat a lot of grains, it appears to me that the vast majority of their diet consists of fruit and veggies. But I would suggest oats, barley, buckwheat, brown rice, and corn. I would try to obtain only organic versions of these as I worry that grains are among the most heavily modified of foods that we have.
I hope that this is not too far off base and will help you to some degree.

[rudip]

Thank you so much for everything, Wolf. You and Parajita have been quite helpful. Rudi thanks you

[Pajarita]

I never use dry corn (too much risk on aspergillus and aflatoxin) or buckwheat but the buckwheat elimination is one of those "just in case" things because I noticed that my plucking Senegal had started letting his feathers grow when I stopped using it and, thinking back, he had started around the time I started adding it so "better safe than sorry"...

I use wheat kernels (either hard red winter or soft white spring, depending on the season), hulled barley (not pearled), kamut, brown basmati rice from Indonesia, India or Lundberg (lowest in arsenic) and red and/or black japonica plus wild rice (which is not really rice at all). I've been adding flax/sesame/chia seeds but I am going to start grinding them as of the next batch to increase their bioavailability and benefits (my recipe is constantly revised and tweaked). To this I add small white beans (no other kind because these are the lowest in the bad bean lectin) and, usually, black and/or red lentils but, if I can't get them, I use regular brown ones. Then I add corn, peas, carrots, broccoli, blue kale, green beans, white hominy, butternut squash and sweet potatoes plus one other item that varies from batch to batch (the one I just prepared has beets but it could be palm hearts, artichoke hearts, bamboo shoots, etc).

It sounds complicated but once you get the knack of it and do it regularly, it becomes easy and not that time consuming (I make a giant batch of grains, split it in two, freeze one half and prepare the other half with the veggies which I then split into daily portions in freezer baggies and freeze, too).

I once experimented with a quick and easy gloop and found that Kashi 7 Whole Grains Pilaf cooked according to the box directions (microwave) made a good substitute for the grains - and then you can add cans or frozen bags of the veggies and it's like an instant gloop.