How to Hand-Feed Sun Conure Birds

With green, orange and yellow feathers, the sun conure is a parrot originating from South America. Sun conures are brightly colored, unique avians but maintain the same feeding habits as other birds. When you first bring a baby sun conure home, you still need to hand-feed your bird for a period of time. With a couple tools and bird formula, you will learn about how your bird feeds and wean it until your feathery pet is ready to eat solid food.

Things You'll Need

  • Dish
  • Microwave or stove
  • Candy thermometer
  • Towel
  • Eyedropper
  • Bird formula
  • Water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place 1 tablespoon of formula into a dish. Heat 35 cc of water in the microwave to 110 degrees. Mix the formula and water together in the dish until the consistency of gravy. Check the temperature of the formula with your finger. If burning hot, wait for formula to cool. The formula mixture needs to be warm, around 100 degrees, after letting it cool.

    • 2

      Place your baby sun conure on a towel in front of you. Fill the eyedropper with formula.

    • 3

      Hold the head of the sun conure gently between your thumb on one side of the head and the index finger on the other. Hold the eyedropper in your other hand. If your bird does not have its beak open, use your thumb to coax apart.

    • 4

      Insert the eyedropper slightly into the beak and down, angling for the back of the throat on your right side facing the sun conure. The placement is important as there are small holes in the head of your bird on the left side. Squeeze a little formula above the bird's tongue. Slowly continue squeezing, allowing the baby bird to rest while eating.

    • 5

      Feed baby sun conures three times a day during the first 30 days, two times a day from 35 to 40 days and once a day 50 to 60 days. The amount of food depends on the weight of your sun conure. Your bird should be fed 10 percent of its body weight. Once you start feeding your sun conure twice per day, your bird can also eat solid food, such as weaning puffs or pellets that can be placed in a visible food dish.