I have messy CONURES, What can I do?

Question

I have two Conures:

Paco - Halfmoon Conure

Peaches - Sun Conure

Okay so they eat all day long, They both are in the same big cage. BUT they are so messy!!!

I thought of only giving them food in the day time and taking it away at night. I will leave the water because that's not messy plus they need it 24/7.

Is that a good idea?

Do they need food every day?

Thanks

Answer 1

"Do they need food every day?"

Please tell me you didn't mean to say that.

Of course they need food every day.  All day.  Birds have a fast metabolism.  It goes through them quickly.

If you are talking about seed waste, you should consider using pellets.  Seed-only diets are not only messy, but they are also very unhealthy.  Like eating bread all day.   If the diet includes sunflower seed, they're probably getting too much fat, which can lead to a variety of serious health problems.

Pellets are a little cleaner, they still get flung out of the cage.

For half of the day, try feeding things that are easier to clean up, and healthier for your bird like veggies.  They need fruit too, but it can be very messy.

Try dark leafy greens like romaine lettuce, endive, kale, spinach, parsley, cilantro, collard, mustard and turnip greens.  I recommend making a bouquet out of several of these, and using twist ties to hang it on the cage wall.

These are not only good for birds, but since they're not wet or sloppy, birds don't have to flick them out of the cage, or wipe it off of their beaks.  They may shred the bouquet, but it should wind up on the cage bottom.

Another not-so-messy treat is putting ice in the bottom a deep water dish, and filling the cup (stuffed) with carrot, sweet potato, green pepper, and celery sticks, and top off with cold water.  Use different lengths of veggies.  They are all crunchy and don't stick to beaks, so you won't find them "wiped" all over the cage, like bananas.

You can remove the food at night, while they are sleeping.  Any fresh food should always be removed at the end or the day, or if soiled.   Fresh water should be in the cage 24/7.

Best of luck to you and your birds!