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Pictures Happy fluff?

SgtNikola

Walking the driveway
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Finn
I got Niko last Saturday, and hes really sweet when I hold him. But, it has to be his idea to get on me. At the store, he was pretty good at step up, but at home he tends to sit fluffed up on his cage and coo at me. (Not sure if coo is the right word, but this is my first bird) However, if I try to pick him up or pet him he puts his foot on my finger and bites. Just wondering if this is happy fluff or angry fluff?
 

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sunnysmom

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Sitting fluffed up is a bit concerning to me as it can be a sign of illness. Birds will fluff up a bit when they sleep but just hanging out, they're not really fluffed up. Is he eating okay? Are his droppings ok? And birds aren't like cats or dogs. They only like to be held/petted on their terms. If you just got him Saturday, he's still adjusting to your home. Just give him some time to settle in.
 

SgtNikola

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Thanks for the heads up about handling, I'll try to keep that in mind. I got him from the pet shop after his previous owner turned him in, and the lady at the shop told me she wasn't sure what they were feeding him before, and I heard that changing their food can have an effect on their droppings. He eats a lot when I first put the food in, but his poop is loose and green. He seemed fine other than the poop and the fluffing, he's aware of his surroundings. Would changing what kind of food he's eating affect him like this, or would the pooping and the fluffing definitely say that he's ill? I have him set up for a wellness check this upcoming Saturday anyway, but is this all stuff I need to mention?
 

sunnysmom

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That's great that you have a wellness check scheduled. Change of food can effect dropping, although dropping usually are loose and green. I would probably mention him being fluffed up. A gram stain is never a bad idea for a new bird regardless. Do you give him access to food all day? It's usually a good idea to especially with smaller birds.
 

Sylvester

Hit the Road
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Wow, Niko is really stunning, I love the color of his head. Remember, you get out of birds what you put in, so just keep working with him.
 

SgtNikola

Walking the driveway
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Ohio
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Finn
I’ve been giving him a 1/4 cup of conure mix seed every morning and leaving it in with him all day, we’ve been trying different fruits and veggies. So far, he seems to like broccoli and carrots.
He’s pretty sweet when he wants to be, just trying to find the best treat to get a start on checkpoint training. And figuring out how to get him into his travel cage without him flying back to his big cage.
Thank you for the quick feedback about his fluffing, I’ve had dogs most of my life so I’m trying to find a middle ground. Somewhere between respecting that he is a bird and has different needs than I am used to, and not panicking over everything like when you get a new dog/puppy.
 

Donna turner

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Pellets have th e added vitamins and minerals you don't get in seed so you should probably try to find some he will eat. It's really hard to get them all the stuff they need in veges a n seed alone because they can be so picky. Also most pellets have vitamin d which is very important and if they aren't getting direct sunlight ( not thru a window) they aren't making vitamin d.
 

SgtNikola

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Finn
I’m giving him the seed they were giving him at the store, but I’ve been trying to figure out if there’s any food that helps feather growth. He lost most of his tail feathers, and had his wings clipped at the store. I want him to be fully flighted, and I’m not sure what to get/how much of it to give to him.
 

Donna turner

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Any vegetables( exception being those parrots can't have like avocados) and some fruit is good, and some seeds are ok but they're full of fat so not too much, eggs are ok, but to make sure you get enough protein , vitamins, and minerals it's wise to have good pellets in their diet. It takes out the guesswork
 

webchirp

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Mine all seem to like zupreem. I started on fruity zupreem but it can discolor their poop and red can freak you out a bit. Sometimes so much so that you spend $300 thinking there was a bloody poop. :facepalm: They do like the tropican pellets the best but everyone had darker green poop so I kicked that out of the mix.

Mine get zupreem natural and sometimes roudybush california blend. Harrisons is supposed to be really good but it's costly buying 20lbs every month. I am a huge advocate of nutriberries. I rarely feed seed. Also try some hemp hearts...all of mine LOVE them. @Mizzely did a post somewhere I think about pellets.

And with just one, you can go crazy with a lot of the dehydrated chops.
 

Mizzely

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A seed only diet will lead to poor Feather condition, but also can cause more serious problems. My Jardine's was fed only seeds his whole life and he now is underweight, has a heart murmur, respiratory issues, and who knows what else. It is a long road to recovery when your body is deprived of nutrition. They are deficient in many vital nutrients: calcium, vitamin D3, vitamin A just for starters.

Pellets for Parrots

Vitamin D3 for Our Birds

 
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