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[Lea79]

Hello!

Bit of advice please!!

My Timneh Rocco is one in a couple of weeks time. Ive had him since September and he has grown and filled out but Im unsure if im feeding him enough or too much??

Am

He gets half a slice of multi seeded toast with fruit palm spread on it ( or honey sometimes as a change) cut into small squares. Some weekends as a treat he has small amount of boiled egg.

PM

He has small bowl of warm veg mash and a teaspoon of seed. Ive tried EVERYTHING to get him to eat the pellets and he will NOT touch them! I make the veg 3 or 4 times a week and always change whats in it so he doesnt get the same one all the time. He also gets cooked brown pasta and rice.

He also has fruit as a treat a couple of times a week. Ive bought various 'parrot' treats but he again wont touch them.



He spits and throws alot of his food out which I know is normal but am I getting the portion size right??

Lea & Rocco :0)

[lovebirds]

Have you tried sprouting grains and seeds for him? Also, have you tried making pellet bread?

How much toast do you give in the morning. 1 inch square, or even smaller for a timneh is more than enough.

Apart from the things you've listed do you give him a parrot seed mix or some other dry food?

[Lea79]

Thanks for quick reply Irina!!

The toast is a multiseeded one. It contains things like millet and lindseed. The slices are quite small well smaller than your usual white/brown loaf. He prob gets just under half a slice but by the time he has dropped it or thrown bits out he prob doesnt eat all that much?

The parrot seed we feed him is one that doesnt contain too many sunflower seeds as we had read that too many of those arent so good for parrots?

What other dry foods could I give him??

Typically the mash I make contains things like: carrots, cauliflower, potatoe, swede, sprouts, sweetcorn, broccoli, turnip,celery, sweet potatoe.

Lea & Rocco :0) x

[lovebirds]

I would still stick to a tiny bit, 1 inch or smaller, just a corner of a slice. No matter how good bread still contains yeast, salt and additives you don't want the parrot to eat a lot of. Also, if he gets a smaller bit he will be more careful to eat the whole thing and not waste the rest. Another thing is by overfeeding on one thing the parrot won't be so interested in eating another, like healthy pellets for example.

What brands of pellets have you tried?
Here is a recipe for pellet muffins you can make http://www.africangreyparrotcentre.co.uk/african-grey-forum/african-grey-diet/another-way-to-feed-pellets/

They can constitute a whole meal, or up to 30% of the diet. Parrots usually eat them quite eagerly and they are easy to store and feed.

[pinky]

I too give a bit of toast and was giving a bit much. Even when he chucks it, he goes down later and picks it up. Maybe I was filing him up so he wasn't hungry enough to try new things and his usual food. I have started the sprouted stuff and he isn't keen but will keep offering as its a new foodstuff to him. He is not keen on the mash either so will make up another batch with different ingredients. Lets face it, they may not like some things just like people

[lovebirds]

Since I stopped giving toast, nuts and other treats to Digby throughout the day he eats his pellets, sprouts and vegetables so much more eagerly. He even eats broccoli! He never ate it before. It's really worth trying to cut out all the "unnecessary"/treat foods if you are trying to improve the diet and concentrate on them getting accepted the healthy stuff.
As for sprouting, there are some things which parrots like more than others. For example, you can sprout organic hulled sunflower seed (from any supermarket) and these will most likely be readily accepted. You could also try that with organic hulled pumpkin seeds, though they are unlikely to sprout, soaking/sprouting them for 24-36 hours will improve their nutritional value. I also love soaked almonds.
 Also for example Digby loves all sorts of lentils, but not so keen on aduki beans. Sometimes he really goes for chickpeas but sometimes just ignores them. So keep trying, they are great for them 

[Lea79]

I bought and tried the harrisons pellets when I first got him...so before I ever fed him toast with the spread. I tried all the advice on here ie orange juice etc but to no avail.

He does also sometimes have lentils and chickpeas in with his dinner.

It sounds as though im giving him too much toast so will cut that down :0)

But would you say on the whole his diet isnt too bad?? Few tweaks here or here??

Lea & Rocco :0)

ps will try the muffins!

Pinky: Yeah Rocco also goes down later and pick up the bits hes dropped! He LOVES the mash I make him luckily. Potato is his absolute favourite.  I tried him with some lemon tea the other day which he quite liked. He just hated the pellets long before I started making mash etc. But as you say...we dont like everything so why should they?

Lea & Rocco :0) x

[lizduncan]

Potato is not that nutritious and like the toast it is filling him up with really providing much in return. try sweet potato instead, it's much better for them. Also the lemon tea, does that contain caffeine because that is bad as well try chamomile tea instead  

[lovebirds]

You could get Hagen pellets and try him with that. They are a lot cheaper and they make very good pellet bread.

When it comes to parrots hating or loving stuff, it's not the same as with humans. They don't hate any food - they reject eating it because they don't recognise it as food or edible stuff, because they are not used to it. It's possible to get your parrot to eat anything, just requires a bit of time, ingenuity and determination 

[Lea79]

It was a herbal tea and didnt contain caffeine...I checked first and he only had a tiny bit. I also did list sweet potato at the start of the thread  I vary the mash all the time so he doesnt gets lots of the same things.

He does eat most things...just not the pellets. But will try the Hagen ones.

Thanks!

Lea & Rocco :0)

[Lesley]

To me it doesnt sound too bad apart from too much toast.

But after his breakfast maybe just leave pellets (Hagens or whatever brand you go for) available in the cage for the rest of the day. Put his teaspoon seeds in with the pellets so he has to touch them to get the seeds and he will accidentally nibble a few and eventually realise that he can eat them.

Then just feed his dinner at the usual time.

I dont give Flint toast, he has 6 power treats and a teaspoon of chopped nut and seed for his breakfast. Then he has just fresh veg and pellets available until evening when he gets warm veggie mash - like Rocco its his favourite meal! I add the palm fruit extract to his mash. In the vening he goes between the mash and the dry pellets for about 30 minutes properly scoffing!

[geffsgrey]

Many birds have to be tricked or conned into eating new foods. With Charlie I fed him pellets in the mash, then pretended I was eating them and offering him one, eventually he got the taste and eats them readily as with most things offered, he was over 10 yrs and seed fed when I had him.

[Lea79]

Thanks Lesley! Will look into the power treats and I will also get some Hagens Pellets as he really didnt like the harrisons ones.

Have you had any news on keeping Flint??

Bob...I even ate one to try and get him to eat them LOL! I also saw on here before your suggestion to someone to put them in the mash and he just caught on pretty quick and turned his beak up! Too clever!! But will keep on trying....

Lea & Rocco :0)

[Shivvym]

The power treats are a big hit in this house too so worth a try.  If Zeb has any he rejects other lower value food until the power treats are gone.  In my experience it's worth thinking about a food hierarchy of what is good for him and how long you can leave it with him to ensure the veg doesn't go nasty whilst you are trying other stuff.

[Lesley]

Have you had any news on keeping Flint??

No, haven't been in touch with his owner again - thanks for asking! If I get any concrete news I'll post it. Was beginning to feel bad about posting then nothing actually happening!

[Lea79]

Fingers crossed for you! You obviously really love him 

Lea & Rocco :0) x