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Conures are medium-sized colorful parrots that make great pets. Out of over 40 different conure species, roughly a dozen types are kept as pets.1 In the wild, these birds eat a varied diet composed of things like insects, seeds, grains, fruits, berries, and vegetation. A pet conure should be fed a nutritionally complete pellet diet and occasionally given fresh foods to enjoy, such as 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 that you can feed apples to your conure, you should know how to do so. 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 fun snacks 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 smaller pieces, and place a few in your bird’s food dish. Once your bird has eaten their fill of 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 a bit of truth to it. Apples contain lots of essential nutrients that are good for people. But what about conures?
Apples contain nutrients that can benefit most conures, such as vitamin A and magnesium. A conure with a vitamin A deficiency can develop health problems like respiratory and sinus infections,2 so an apple can be a good treat for your conure to enjoy.
When it comes to magnesium, conures get this nutrient in the wild from eating nuts, plants, soil, and insects to support their nerve, digestive, and reproductive health. Pet conures also need magnesium to support their overall health.
Can Conures Eat the Skin of Apples?
Many owners have heard that they should peel the skin off apples before feeding them to their pet birds. Why is 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 may be contaminated.
To play it safe, it’s a good idea to first wash the apples that you plan on giving your bird and then peel off the skin. Your bird won’t miss eating it, and you’ll be given peace of mind knowing that your conure isn’t ingesting any harmful toxins while enjoying this sweet treat!
Can Conures Eat Apple Seeds?
The seeds of apples and many other fruits contain trace amounts of organic cyanide in the form of amygdalin. This is released whenever the seed is crushed. Though no reports of toxicity of apple seeds exist in pet parrots, it’s nonetheless best to avoid offering your conure the seeds of apples.
Other Fruits Your Conure Can Eat
There are many different fruits you can feed your pet conure that are perfectly safe for them 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 enjoy eating a variety of vegetables. If you want to feed them veggies now and then, be sure to wash them thoroughly to remove any pesticides.
- Green beans
- Celery
- Carrots
- Swiss chard
- Kale
- Romaine lettuce
- Peas
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Brussel sprouts
- Watercress
- Sweet potatoes
- Okra
Getting a Picky Eater to Try Fruits and Vegetables
If your conure has never been fed fresh fruits and vegetables, they may not want to try them. However, with a bit of coaxing, you can most likely get your bird to taste the fruits and veggies that you place in their dish. The best time of the day to give 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 their regular food. If that doesn’t do the trick, put the pieces in a separate food dish, and make a big fuss over how great the snack is when placing it in your conure’s cage.
Mixing things up a bit may also help. Try putting sweet and flavorful pieces of fruit in with vegetables that don’t have so much flavor. For example, try mixing orange pieces with chopped cabbage or kale to see if your bird will try it.
With a bit of imagination and patience, you should be able to coax your bird into trying fruits and vegetables that are new to them. Once you know what your bird likes, it will be much easier down the road to feed your feathered friend 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 that you give them! If possible, pick your own apples, or buy organic ones that you can verify haven’t been sprayed with pesticides. Always wash any apples that you acquire, and peel them to make doubly sure they’re pesticide-free!
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Featured Image Credit: pasja1000, Pixabay
