Yellow Sided Conure, liquiid alternatives?

**bobbylove1** · 10-23-2019, 07:28 AM

Hi guy,

We have 2 Conures, one Yellow sided and a Sun. They both love to drink from our glasses. I know the rules about caffeine and carbonated drinks, but can we do something like power ade, cool ade with less sugar? I know I wouldn't want to drink just plain water all the time, so any suggestions would be greatly apricated. This wouldn't replace the water , I just want to know what to have in my glass that wont hurt my babies.

Thanks in advance, and I hope to really enjoy my stay here. I have been a avian keeper for 30 years, but have just now branched out to the lovable world of Conures.

**boomer girl** · 10-23-2019, 10:55 AM

If anything I would only use pure juice if you want to give them a drink. Apple or grape juice would be my choice but I sure wouldnt let them have lots of it just because it is high in sugars but it least it is natural juices. Never let them drink any soda at all because I have heard horror stories from our vet tech about this.

**bobbylove1** · 10-24-2019, 03:52 AM

Thanks Deanna, I have used unsweetened organic apple juice in the past, but didn't want to do wrong. I have read what seems like novels of information on the web, (everything on the web is TRUE) lol. I haven't spoken with my avian vet yet, as its not time for their checkup. We have 4 kids all together. A Fischer's Love Bird, Pied Cockatiel, Sun Conure, and the Yellow sided GC. Over the past 20-30 years the wife and I have rescued countless birds mostly larger species that were mistreated or in distress, and abandoned. We have lost a few over the years, as they were just to far gone to survive. Its been a joy over the years, but just in the last 7 years, have we began keeping parrots as pets (for our pleasure). Its been a wild ride, I had forgotten that your signing up for 20+ years for 2-3 year old human children. Oh but what a joy to have such wonderful creatures around you, for love and support. I have rescued several species of Conure's over the years but never had kept any. I would get them healthy, well nourished, and teach what I could and then adopt them out to a family or individual in need of emotional support. I have really been missing out all these years by not keeping Conures as a personal member of the family. I had posed the question about the Conures as even though there are 339 different species of parrots, it seems like every single one is different, even in subspecies such as Conures.

**maxollie** · 10-24-2019, 10:56 AM

Hi, and welcome to the community. I admire you completely for all the hard work you have accomplished in rescuing birds over the years. I feel that fresh fruits and veggies are a must feed for all caged birds. Over the years, I have read very few posts inquiring of feeding fruit juices. I do know that some folks sprinkle a small amount of organic apple juice over seeds, when they first bring baby birds into their home. You can consider taking an apple and chopping it, or, putting it through a juice machine, and use that juice for a treat, and the appple peelings and rest of apple could be put on a plate, add some chopped lettuce, and some chopped cooked hen egg. And some seeds, or pellets, if you feed pellets.

I suggest you doing a Google search for...birdy bread, and birdy chop. Also, search for favorite bird bread and bird chop recipes.

I feel the main goal is to not feed vast amounts of sugar or salt to parrots or other birds. In the wild, parrots often live in warm climates where they basically live on a diet of berries, twigs, and other fruits, and perhaps a few fresh veggies.

We will welcome your updates anytime. Good !uck with your flock. And thank you for caring for and loving the most beautiful of all Nature's creatures. Birds of all kinds.

**bobbylove1** · 10-24-2019, 06:56 PM

Dearest Ellen, Thank you for your compliments, its been such a joy to love and take care of God's most (to me) wonderful creation in the animal kingdom. You know I had never heard of birdy bread until I started staggering around this forum. It looks like I need to try this with my flock. Which seems strange, since I been in the I guess you would call it the (Bird Business) so long. But hope to pick up lots of information while I'm here and hopefully make some new friends.

Although both Conures are under a year (Sophie, Yellow Sided GC) is only 4 months old, and my my what a heart stealer she is. I have never felt so loved by an animal in all my life. I had her 3 days and she started feeding me. Of course at dinner time, its a free for all at the table everybody gets their own plate, but in the Parrot Kingdom you know the rules (if your eating it, playing with it, and it looks good, IT MUST BE MINE) LOL so our parrots get a lot of nutritive food. I dont do pellets, as I have tried them and I wouldn't want to eat cardboard all the time, so I know they wouldn't like it. I mostly do a 40% seed, 20% fruit, veggie, and the rest table food.

I hope to post pictures soon, as soon as I can figure out how, and what pixel size to use. Thank you all so much for your willingness to help, and all your input, its most apricated.
-Michael

**maxollie** · 10-25-2019, 01:53 PM

It is not difficult to post pics. Go on line, and go to a website called...tiny pic. It is a free account. You upload your pictures to that website, and then you can use that website URL, and post them here in your gallery, which you access by going to home page here, and then click on gallery and it will instruct you.

The diet you feed your flock is excellent, in my view. Over the years, I have always fed seeds.

We will look forward to your posts and pictures. Thank you for your kind words. And speaking of Tennessee, I have been a country music lover all my life. In 1977, I took my then 10 year old son to Nashville, to Opryland, the Grand Ole Opry, and Fan Fair. We loved the trip. And there is no better hospitality in the USA, than Tennessee, and that southern cooking is FAB. I am not as much into today's modern country music. To me, that old country sound has been replaced. I go back to the days of the WLS barn dance, when my dad, mom, and I, as a little girl, tuned into the music on an old time radio. My dad loved that music, and often sang for country barn dances in the area, back then.