Is this odd behavior for a Sun Conure?

Question

We just got a sun conure on the 12th of november, 07, and she's very loving and loves to be held. She loves to chew. The thing is, I haven't really seen her eat any of her pellets. I'm worried we made the mistake of giving her some millet when she came home. She only wants to eat millet. When the branch was gone I took it out and she tried for 15 minutes to get the seeds out from underneath the bars of the bottom of her cage. She's very picky! She won't eat treats, her pellets (she was already on a pellet diet), bananas, apples, or anything else. She took a few nibbles at some corn bread, but other than that I'm just worried she's obsessing over millet. She won't sleep in her hut at night. I'm thinking maybe she won't eat her pellets because they're a different shape than the ones she's used to. These ones are more of a football shaped, but it's all Zupreme (sp?). Also, she acts like she's still a baby. She is only around 4-5 months, the pet store owner had (continued)

...(cont) only had her for a month. She is very gentle, but will gently grip your chin or whatever she's nibbling on of you and bob her head in and out, like shes trying to get food. She also, when being held, flaps her wings a little (not to the point to where they're fully extended but it's more of a little twitch) and she peeps. She has a lot of pin feathers on her head and her tailfeathers are raggedy and her wingfeathers are a little jagged on the sides too. Please tell me how I can get her to eat better food so she can have a healthy diet. Also, why is her behavior still like a young bird's? Thanks!

Answer 1

She sounds a lot younger than what they told you at the store. My guess is that she's not fully weaned. She's old enough to start eating things like millet and muffin crumbs, but she's not ready to completely eat on her own.

You say yourself that she still acts like a baby. You also describe that she has pin feathers, which at 4-5 months should be all well grown out. She's also partly "flapping" her wings, which is baby bird language for feed me.

Did you witness her eating anything, like her pellets, at the store, or did they just tell you that's what she ate?

You could bring her back to the store ASAP so that they can hand feed her, but I think I would skip that, and go right to an avian vet. If she still needs to be on formula, she will dehydrate quickly, as she needs the fluid from the mixture. Tell them all of your observations.

You can find an avian vet at:
http://aav.org/vet-lookup/

Answer 2

From the sound of it, it appears that she is a little bit spoiled but with proper adjustments things can get back to normal. Millet spray (or seed) is like candy to birds. It's a favorite treat for them and they love it. If you have kids you probably know the similarity between the two. You wouldn't give kids junk food to eat all the time would you? Just like kids birds need a variety of food too. Birds are creatures of habit. They are VERY picky when it comes to food. If the pellets are a different shape she won't eat them right away cause she is used to a different type of pellet that the previous owner gave her. Here's what I would try...... Try to find a pellet food similar to what she was raised on. even if it's not exact, something close to what she has been eating should do the trick. Start to introduce her to fruits and veggies slowly. By this I mean start with just enough for her in a bowl with some fruits and veggies mixed in. (usually cup your hand and fill it with some fruit and veggies.) then mix it in with her food. I'm not sure about how you feed her (meaning the bowl or a cup that hangs on the cage.) What I did with my cockatiels was I found a dish that was not only a little bit deep but had a rim around it. (the best way I can describe it looked like a hat shape when you turned it upside down.) Put only enough food in the bowl for about 2 days with mostly pellets and a few fruits and veggies mixed in. Put the bowl on the bottom on the cage (preferably not with in target range if you know what I mean) and let her discover it. Most birds are bottom feeders. They enjoy pecking and eating. You'll have to keep an eye on the food regardless because they will have a tendency to poop in it, so that's why the smaller amounts.
** Remember Millet is something to give her like once a week or once every two weeks. It's a treat.**

Now being only 4-5 months old, she is still technically a baby. Not positive about sun conure's but cockatiels fully mature about 2-3 years of age. Sun conure's might take a little bit longer. For the not sleeping dilemma, try covering the cage at night to signal to her that it's bed time. Remember that when the cage is covered to keep the noise to a minium and maybe turn down the lights. Any noise she hears, she will think it's not bed time and still play time. The cover should be something fairly light and breathable to let oxygen flow through it. In the winter you can fully cover the cage. In the hotter months just cover it but lift the cover toward the front of the cage so things won't get too hot for her. Birds have a high body temp. to begin with. Once she gets the signal it's bedtime, she'll be fine. Just remember when it is bed time, cut down on the noise. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I would try and get the exact same type of food she is used to eating. Sometimes even a minor change, such as shape, will make them get upset. If all she wants to eat right now is the millet, I'd give her that. Its very important that she at least eat something, and you can start transitioning her over to an appropriate diet after she has settled in.

One thing that might be possible is that the pet store owner lied to you about her age and actually sold you a younger, barely weaned (or heck, maybe unweaned) bird. Stranger things have been known to happen.

Since you will want to take her in to an avian vet for a new pet exam anyway, I'd say you should try and take her in ASAP to make sure they did not sell you an underage or improperly weaned bird.

Answer 4

She's still acting like a baby because she is still a baby! The crouching down and flicking her wings while she is looking at you is "begging". None of my birds are younger than 2 years, and they all do it. Not all the time, but if they want to be held or get off their cages, they beg. It may take her some time getting used to the fresh fruit, I'm sure she probably didn't get it in the pet store. She is just starting to learn so keep providing her with different fruits to try. You know what I do when I want my boys to try something and they won't? I show them that I eat it, and I say "ummm yummy", and then they are usually dying to try it!! As long as you keep providing her with different things to try- she will probably end up eating them. As for sleeping in her hut at night- you've just brought her home, she may decide to sleep in it. We have one quaker that moves all around his cage from week to week. It seems like he's always picking out a different spot to sleep in! She will be fine- your just having the first time bird owner jitters. I would call the pet store where you bought her and find out exactly what kind of pellets she was fed while there. Good luck with your new baby!

Answer 5

If I were you I would contact the place you got her. Most times, when birds are hungry they will bob their head, and sometimes fluff up. Since she is a conure she was probably hand fed formula. Usually they will be hand fed any where from 2-4 months depending on the bird. If you look where her crop (neck) is, you can check if it is cavved in or pushed out. If it is in, then she has no food in there and she is hungry.

Sometimes, the birds can be weaned and then they get sold right away and since they go under stress they stop eating and forget how to eat seed/pellet. I would try to get the exact same food as before so she may get used too it. Also if she is still bobbing her head try not to give her fresh fruits and veggies as that is even more reason not to eat pellet. You can also grab a bag of seed based food, and see if she'll eat that. It is definatley higher in fat, but still has all the vitamins.

When we sell conures at my store that are hand fed and have only been off for a week or so, we show the new owner how to feed them incase the bird dont eat. Give her another day or two...under stress birds wont eat....and if still no progress call a vet. Good Luck.

Answer 6

I'm surprised the shop owner did not insist you buy the same food she was being fed there... where I work, you cannot take a bird home unless you buy (or have bought) the same food we feed them. It's ok if you want to change the bird's food eventually, but not for the first month they are home. The process of "going home" for a bird is extremely stressful and they need lots of time to adjust to their new environment, their new family, their new cage, etc. Giving her new food is just not a good idea until she's established herself in your home... and even then it's a slow, gradual conversion.

Call the shop you bought her from immediately and find out what pellets and seed they fed her. More than likely it was 80% Roudybush Small Daily Maintenance Pellets and 20% seed mixture… but whatever it was, go back and pick some up immediately and give it to her. Birds will usually ALWAYS default to millet as it’s a yummy treat that is irresistible to them. But it’s nothing but fattening! It’s good that since she’s not eating the new food you gave her, she’s eating the millet, but you need to get her on the other food immediately.

After about a month, if you want to convert her from whatever the store is feeding her that’s fine (if it’s Roudybush, I would recommend keeping her on it as it’s one of the top two pellets you can feed your bird… Harrison’s is the other… Zupreem is ok, but I don’t recommend the fruity pellets as they are artificially colored and that can be harmful as well as cause allergy problems… i.e. plucking). But there’s a process. Birds are very visual creatures… while they can taste and smell a bit, they rely on their vision much more. Therefore, you must keep putting the new foods in her dish, day after day… sometimes for a couple of weeks. She needs to recognize it as food by becoming familiar with it. She’s not eating the pellets you put in because she doesn’t know what they are there for.  And you should gradually increase the new food and decrease the old food. For example:

First 3 days of conversion: 60% old pellet, 20% new pellet, 20% seed/other
On the 4th day: 50% old pellet, 30% new pellet, 20% seed/other
On the 7th day: 40% old pellet, 40% new pellet, 20% seed/other
and so on and so forth…

Be sure to watch her closely during this time and make sure she starts picking at the new stuff. Once she becomes visually familiar, she should start picking at it. Pellets should always be about 80% of their diet, with seed, fresh fruits and veggies being the other 20%. Seed has nearly no nutritional value so seed junkie birds often end up with health problems and deficiencies that can seriously cause problems.

As far as her behavior… I just brought home a 5 month old African Grey and she still jerks her head (food response) when I touch her beak a certain way. My Nanday was only 4 months old when I brought her home and she did the cute little head bobbing and wing flicking. As long as she was properly weaned at the store, you get her back on the “solids” she’s used to and she eats ok, she’ll be fine and grow out of this behavior… but enjoy it while it lasts… It’s so endearing.

Pin feathers: preening them for her is a great way to bond! Just be careful of blood feathers. You’ll know it’s ready to be preened if the “sheath” surrounding it is white and flaky. If it’s dark and soft, leave it be. You’ll know if you hit a blood feather… she’ll likely scream or flinch a bit.  Then you can take a look at it and you’ll know what to avoid. Pin feathers are often most sensitive near the skin. Preening becomes addictive to me… it’s relaxing and as I mentioned, is a great way of bonding.


I hope this information helps… congratulations on your new baby!!

Answer 7

She should be on the same diet that she was on before. And NOT the colored/flavored ones, as the dye/flavoring is horrible on their kidneys.
If she wasn't weaned onto veggies & fruits, she will not yet know they are food. Keep giving them to her, try eating them yourself and making a show of how yummy they are.

(The best pellets for your bird are Harrison's Organic Pellets. They are only sold at your avian vet's office, supplement this with fresh fruits, veggies, and of course seed mixtures & tablefood items, at a minimum as the fat is beneficial)

Answer 8

she sounds very young to me. you should go by how she acts, and treat her the way she acts, rather than continuing to question why. i would study what a younger bird should eat. she definitely is particular, but there should be things she will eat, you might have to experiment a bit, and yes, try to get exactly what she was eating before with her prior owner. as for human food (non "pet" food), it is normal for them to like some things and not others. my Conure was very picky about human food, he liked only a very few fruits and vegetables, and i had to figure out which ones.

Answer 9

she will eat when she is hungry
Offer her fresh fruits and veggies
Stop giving her millet until you see her eating her pellets