Hot Peppers and other snacks for conures...

[Nanajennie]

Hello, I read that Coconut would like hot peppers. (she is a Pineapple Green Cheek) So I bought two tiny little Anaheim Peppers. I was planning on using them as a treat while at work. But should I try watching her with them first? Anyone give hot peppers to their PGCC?

What are other good treats? She loves grapes, how many a day should she be allowed?

Thanks

[cindy]

this is a guide for hookbill and safe foods

http://www.itsagreysworld.com/diet/food.htm

Unsafe foods

http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/unsafe-f ... r-parrots/

[Nanajennie]

So, does anyone give chili peppers to their conures?

[cindy]

They have dried chili pepper in some of the Higgins seed mixes...

Article on chili peppers and parrots

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/rea ... -the-seeds

[Nerien]

I've offered dried chili peppers to the parrotlets, bought in a package labelled specifically for hookbills. They shatter when they bite into them, and mostly they just make a mess with them, but these parrotlets seem to drop 95% of everything I offer them to eat, very messy.

[Nanajennie]

Thanks Cindy and Nerien

[finchmix22]

I have given Lil Bit sweet peppers, chopped, but he doesn't like those as much as he loves, loves, loves BLUEBERRIES! He'll eat grapes and kale and other produce, but his all time favorite is blueberries. I give him six blueberries at breakfast and dinner with his pellets. He loves it. I also use half a blueberry when training for his treat.

[Nanajennie]

finchmix22 I gave her the pepper, she wont even pay attention to it. She loves loves loves grapes I have not tried the blueberries yet. They are expensive here this time of year, and I hate them, so to buy a package of them for just her is not an option, I wonder if frozen would be ok..... have you tried frozen? She wont try banana, or oranges... she is a spoiled brat lol

[cindy]

The frozen blueberries tend to be messy, more mushy. try carrots, long fresh green beans, red and green peppers, broccoli tops...things she can manipulate with her feet and figure out how to eat.

This is something I talked about with our avian vet (I went in to see my daughter...and of course we talked birds!!) We chatted about greens and veggies, protein. I told her the hookbills really like shaved broccoli tops...she suggested giving the florets whole, let them manipulate it, move it about, taste and feel the different textures with their tongues, beak. It is a good brain workout also.

Went home and gave the javas and hookbills florets... what a party they had, I also did long carrot shavings instead of finely grated. I closed the screen door to the bird room and watched them....going to try apple wedges and whole carrot sections (Rummy loves to shred carrot sections...if the dogs get one each he squawks until he gets his...he looks down at what the dog has and get very demanding like wanting to know where his carrot is).

[Nanajennie]

That made me smile, imagining what a party they had...LOL I just bought broccoli this AM, so I will give her some in a floret tonight (see is sleeping on my chest right now)

I gave her apple this AM, she wouldn't eat it unless I was holding it in front of her, but she uses her feet to eat the grapes and Nutiberries. Even the pellets sometimes.

I will also buy some carrots and shave them and see if she likes them.

For Pete's sake! What lucky, spoiled birds

[Nerien]

I clip chunks of veggies to the sides of the cage, inside, with either binder clips or these made-for-cages plastic clips we recently found. Keeps stuff from getting dropped onto the mess on the floor or below the bottom grate. Whatever it is, they have to rip it apart and eat it themselves, work for their food.

I have found that the budgies will eat even the big, thick stems of broccoli. I used to just clip the crowns in the cage, but found they were eating them right down to the clip, so now I split the big stems longways when I break up the crown, and give them the whole thing. Since I have 14 budgies in the giant flight, I have to spread out quite a few clumps around the cage to make sure everyone has a chance to get some.

Lettuce, I take the whole leaf, cut a slit in a paper plate and shove the stem through, to hold it in place. Then the plates go down on the bottom of the cage, and everybody rips off and eats what they want, again, every last bit goes. Shredded and small bits of other veggies go on top of the leaf, 14 budgies tend to make a very big mess of everything and otherwise much gets lost through the grate. Have also used the paper plate technique with dandelion greens, carrot tops, stuff like that.

If you don't want to have to hold food for Coconut, how about getting some sort of play gym on a tray, adding some clips, and clipping things like apple slices and veggies to it. She should learn to sit there and eat on her own. That way, you could set her up nearby and get her eating and still have your hands free to do what you need to. You could set up a similar clip station inside her cage, for when you need to leave her food in there when you go out.

[finchmix22]

I had to keep offering food that was GC size for grasping with feet and for nibbling/ chewing. After a while, he started to try stuff. The best option was when I have him sit on the counter while I prepare finch plates and he wants to eat what I put on their plates! That's how he tried kale.

[Nanajennie]

..she suggested giving the florets whole, let them manipulate it, move it about, taste and feel the different textures with their tongues, beak. It is a good brain workout also

Is your daughter the Vet? What kind of protein should she get? (She is on a pellet diet, with seed as a treat)

I gave Coconut a floret....... nothing..... she is a picky picky girl... but I will keep introducing things over and over... she is only 3 months old and I don't think she was introduced to anything much more than pellets and romaine prior to me.

[Nanajennie]

Nerien You have such an amazing way of thinking, that scientist brain, always showing itself off... can't hide intellegence

I am going to try the paper plate idea, not because I have open grates (I use paper liners) but because I think that the more of a challenge it it for them to eat, the more 'natural' and stimulating, like Cindy mentioned Great Ideas Thanks so much

OH also, I have a play gym that sits next to me, and I did try that yesterday, but as soon as I put the food on it, even just sitting there, she just hops back to me. She is really clingy. I think it is because I work so much. POOR BABY! She is alone on average 50 hours per week, and if I have to work on the weekend, then it's more...I was supposed to work this weekend but the Shutdown ruined that for me!

I am enjoying this time off though, very relaxed

[Nanajennie]

finchmix22 that is so funny, that is what Coconut did this AM! even tried the eggfood, but didn't revisit it LOL She is so braty