Average weight for a green cheek conure?

[Fritzy]

Hey guys, apologies in advance if this is a very common question but is 55-60g a normal weight for a 1-year-old green cheek conure? I was surprised when I brought him to the vet the first time and he stepped on the scale and weighed 55g. He didn’t stay put too long so I figured maybe the scale was off but they wrote down 55g for his weight. They noted it was a little on the lower side and I immediately got worried. They reassured me that my diet for him sounded good and were happy I was already feeding him fresh chop and pellets after having him for a little under two weeks.

Since then, I found using a scale for hair products that my friend had given me ages ago was perfect for weighing him, as I can just set his bowl on top and tare it then have him step up. That was a little more than a weekafter the vet visit and he was at 57g.

fast forward a few months (vet visit was just after October) and now he’s at 60g. I’m glad to see he’s been gaining, but thevery first time I googled this subject I found an AA thread from years back asking about green cheek conure weights and theirs was significantly higher than mine! Like shockingly high(lol) so I’m wondering if now, after a few years, we can maybe get a thread going on your conures’ weights?
Thanks guys.

 

[Pixiebeak]

My Ta-dah is 74 grams not fst perfect weight

 

[owlsthetic]

Pico weighs 63 grams!

 

[April]

@Mizzely wasn't Koopa around 54 ish grams? Both my Greenies a Normal Wild Color and a Cinnamon Turquoise were 70 grams and 74 grams as adults.

 

[Mizzely]

Yep Koopa was a healthy 54g for all 4 years I had her

 

[Mizzely]

Straight numbers are way less important than body condition

 

[Fritzy]

Straight numbers are way less important than body condition

View attachment 421268

Oh wow, thank you! This is helpful. I tend to not have the best eye for these sorts of things but I’ll definitely reference it while giving him a good look. As far as I can tell though he seems in the normal range!

 

[tka]

Going by body condition is much more useful

Some birds are just naturally petite for their species. It's very possible that your bird is just a small cheekie and that 60g is an ideal weight for him. If he's just on the smaller side, then 74g could be overweight for him. Similarly, there are larger GCCs who would be underweight at 60g.

Is he flighted? The modest increase in weight could be due to developing his flight muscles.

Make sure you weigh him at a consistent time e.g. in the morning after his morning poo. I'm always surprised by how big those morning poos can be, and they're big enough to nudge his weight up a bit.

 

[Birdie Mama]

Bailey is 75 g and pretty steady for him…

 

[Pixiebeak]

Straight numbers are way less important than body condition

View attachment 421268

This is great ...but I think is kinda an art. For me anyway. Especially between normal and thin but not skeleton thin. Wetting them down helps .

 

[Mizzely]

This is great ...but I think is kinda an art. For me anyway. Especially between normal and thin but not skeleton thin. Wetting them down helps .

It's easier if you can hold them. Or if you trust your vet haha. This is what the vets look for, too, and why they don't express concern over "small" birds unless they are actually skinny.

 

[taxidermynerd]

Jade (3yo) is 60 grams I believe! Her weight has held steady too.

 

[zERo/]

My GCC Tom weighed around 65g when I first got him almost 2 years ago, over a few months he shot up to 78g and has stayed there for over a year now! He's well muscled as we recall often.

 

[Fritzy]

It's easier if you can hold them. Or if you trust your vet haha. This is what the vets look for, too, and why they don't express concern over "small" birds unless they are actually skinny.

So THAT’S what my vet is doing here! Lol makes so much sense now. I was so jealous of how she was able to flip him on his back and hold him this way btw, he hates being on his back with me

 

[Mizzely]

View attachment 421397

So THAT’S what my vet is doing here! Lol makes so much sense now. I was so jealous of how she was able to flip him on his back and hold him this way btw, he hates being on his back with me

Yes exactly! It also gives them a chance to check their feet, vent, and often they will check inside their mouth from this position too. Lots of great information available at this angle!