Checking my Conure's Diet

[AS91379]

Hi! I have owned a Green-Cheeked Conure-- currently called Bird because I can't find a name that fits-- for about three months. I did a bunch of research on food, but I'm still concerned that she doesn't have the right diet. I'm currently feeding her ZuPreem AvianEntrees: Garden Goodness and Ecotrition Essential Blend. Garden Goodness is pellets with dried vegetables, and Essential Blend is mostly seeds with some dried fruits and pellets. I try to get to her to eat a mixture of 90% pellets and 10% seeds, and she is afraid of the chopped up fruits and vegetables I give her (carrots, apples, grapes, etc). I'm trying to make her diet 50% fruits/vegetables, 40% pellets, and 10% seeds, but Bird wants just seeds and people food. Is the diet I want her on a good one, and how can I make her eat it?

[Cage Cleaner]

80-90% pellets, 20% other, max. Pellets have been formulated according to many years of research. We still do not know the ideal nutritional make up for birds (nor for humans for that matter), but we have good ideas. Seeds are the food of the last generation, and due to their high fat content as well as lack of nutritional content, should be omitted.

Fruits/nuts/veggies can be fed, along with some certain types of table food as well. It can be tricky to make birds accept them if you only stick them in their cage. Sometimes eating it with them, or making them perform a trick for it will make them more curious about trying new foods.

I would make the switch to an organic brand and keep it that way, as non-organic brands tend to use GMO corn as the main ingredient, and GMO soy as a close second. GMO corn is very unhealthy due to the insectcide genes that are spliced into the organism's genome.

This applies even to brands labeled "natural". Natural doesn't mean organic. And these days, unless it says certified organic, there is definitely a catch to it if it only says "natural".

I'm about to pick up my first bag of Totally Organic Pellets today, so I haven't had personal experience with it. However, pricing-wise it is definitely good, and I've heard that birds generally take well to it, preferring it over other brands quickly. I'll know soon for myself, I suppose.

Harrisons is the brand with a long history of being good. But, it also uses corn as a main ingredient, and while it is supposed to be organic, the corn shouldn't be GMO. However, organic certification doesn't actually test for GMO, so I am on the fence for that.

[AS91379]

Thank you! I looked at both products, and I believe I will be switching her to Harrison's as soon as possible.

[laducockatiel]

To get your bird to eat veggies, bake into a birdie bread. There are many recipes on google if you type in birdie bread. Also, you can try mashing the veggies so your bird will just see them as mash and will hopefully try them. Harrisons is a great brand, my cockatiel is on harrisons and he started eating it right away. Good luck

[anna83]

Our green cheek is usually a bit wary of trying new foods, but definitely agree with the bird bread comment, she loves these. I make a standard muffin mix using lactose free milk and no sugar, then add carrot, spinach, corn, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, chopped nuts and cinnamon. Also if she sees us eating the food, she will want to try it, and once Ive got her eating it I put her back in the cage and put some in her bowl.

We feed her roudybush pellets, birdzone conure blend (australian product with nuts, fruit, vege, seeds, grains etc), pepitas, sunflower kernels and 2 almonds each day. South american birds go crazy over nuts!!!