Conures are medium-sized colorful parrots that make great pets. With over 40 different conure species, roughly a dozen types are kept as pets.
In the wild, conures eat a varied diet made up of things like insects, seeds, grains, fruits, berries, and vegetation. When kept in captivity, a concur can be fed a pellet diet and given some fresh foods to enjoy now and then like seeds, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. If you’re wondering about apples, you should know that conures can indeed eat apples.
How to Feed Your Conure Apples
Now that you know you can feed apples to your conure, you should know how to give these fruits to your pet bird. First, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables is good for your bird, as long as you don’t overdo it. In other words, apples should not be your bird’s main meal source but rather served as a fun snack for your feathered friend to enjoy now and then.
If you’d like to feed apples to your conure, don’t just set a whole apple in your bird’s cage. Instead, chop the apple into small pieces and place a few pieces in your bird’s food dish. Once your bird has eaten his apple treats, remove any leftover pieces so nothing is left to rot.
The Health Benefits of Apples
When it comes to humans, the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” has some truth to it. Apples contain lots of essential nutrients that are good for people. But what about conures?
Apples contain nutrients that can benefit many conures such as vitamin A and magnesium. A conure with a vitamin A deficiency can develop health problems like respiratory and sinus infections so an apple is a good treat for your conure to enjoy.
When it comes to magnesium, in the wild, conures get this nutrient in the wild from eating nuts, plants, soil, and insects to support their nerve, digestive, and reproductive health. Conures kept in captivity need magnesium to support their overall health, just like their wild counterparts.
Can Conures Eat the Skin of Apples?
Many conure owners have heard that they should peel the skin off apples before feeding them to their pet birds. What about this? Are apple skins harmful for conures to eat?
It’s not necessary to peel the apple skin for your conure, but it’s not a bad idea to do so. In the wild, conures eat the skin of apples without any problems, and they don’t get sick from doing so. But since the apples you buy at the grocery store may have been sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals, the skins of the apples may be contaminated.
To play it safe, it’s a good idea to first wash the apples you plan on giving your bird and peeling off the skin. Your bird won’t miss eating the skin and you’ll be given the peace of mind knowing that your conure isn’t ingesting any harmful toxins while enjoying his sweet treat!
Other Fruits Your Conure Can Eat
There are many different fruits you can feed your pet conure that are perfectly safe for your bird to consume. If possible, purchase organic fruits and wash them before chopping them up for your bird to enjoy.
Vegetables to Feed Your Conure
In addition to sweet fruits, conures also enjoy eating a variety of vegetables. Again, if you want to feed your conure some vegetables now and then, be sure to wash them thoroughly to remove any pesticides.
Getting a Picky Eater to Try Fruits and Vegetables
If your conure has never been fed fresh fruits and vegetables, he may not want to try them. However, with a bit of coaxing, you can most likely get your bird to taste the fruits and vegetables you place in his dish. The best time of the day to give a new food to your conure is first thing in the morning as this is when your bird is most likely to be hungry.
A good way to introduce a new vegetable or fruit to your bird is to place a few pieces on top of his regular food. If that doesn’t do the trick, put the fruit or vegetable pieces in a separate food dish and make a big fuss over how great that snack is when placing it in your conure’s cage.
Mixing things up a bit may also help. Try putting some sweet and flavorful pieces of fruit in with some vegetables that don’t have so much flavor. For example, try mixing some orange pieces in with some chopped cabbage or kale to see if your bird will try it.
With a little bit of imagination and patience, you should be able to coax your bird into trying some fruits and vegetables that are new to him. Once you know what treats your bird likes, it will be much easier down the road to feed your feathered friend some healthy treats!
Conclusion
Not only can your conure safely eat apples, but the chances are also good that your pet bird will love the sweet crispiness of the apples you give him! If possible, pick your own apples or buy organic apples that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides. If you don’t have those options, wash the apples you buy from your grocery store and peel them to make sure they’re pesticide-free!
You may also want to read:
- Can Conures Eat Strawberries? What You Need To Know
- 15 Types of Conure Parrots to Keep as Pets (With Pictures)
Featured Image Credit: pasja1000, Pixabay
