Any known recipes available?   I'd actually rather bake them at home.

Jason loves to open them, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, macadamia etc, and destroy the shells, but has no interest in eating the nuts themselves.... regardless which type.

Am aware nuts not essential for good diet, and they even can be bit fatty, but am still intrigued.... :-)

Here it is... photographic proof of Alfie willingly eating a piece of carrot. It might have been the smallest beak sized piece in the world... but he actually willingly bit into a piece of carrot that I offered him and ate it, instead of immediately flinging it back at me. He then went on to eat a few more teeny tiny pieces. AND he was willing to try and pea and a couple of pieces of broccoli too... although he wasn't so keen on either of those.

It is a constant battle to try and get this guy to eat healthier foods. I'll hold my hands up and admit that I wasn't very good at trying him with different foods when he was young so that's probably why he's so picky. There was a lot less information around on keeping parrots back then and not as much information available online as there is now, so he is a bit of a seed junkie. I make sure he doesn't get sunflower seeds or peanuts and I mix dried fruit and veggies and occasionally some nuts into his main food mix. Then I offer up fresh veggies cooked or prepared in various ways. He liked mashed potato and I managed to get him on mashed sweet potato with some veggies finely chopped and mixed in for a while but then he started rejecting that too. I've tried every pellet available over the years too... although he has just started to try his tops and roudy bush pellets recently... after having them served up for months on end. 😂 

One thing that's helped is that he's recently become interested in what I do in the kitchen when I'm preparing dinner. So I set a chair nearby so he can perch on the back of it and see what I'm up to. Then I offer him what I'm preparing- anything that's safe for him to have I'll offer to him. He mostly ignored me for the longest time but I noticed he's getting more and more curious. Sometimes he would poke what was offered and sometimes he'd pick it up and immediately drop it. More recently he has taken a couple of bites... he ate a bit of chilli pepper the other month and seemed to like it. Most veggies were pretty much immediately rejected though- especially things like carrot and broccoli.

Yesterday though he was in his cage and so I offered him some carrot, a pea and some broccoli and to my surprise he took all three, gave them a good poking with his tongue and then actually ate some. He seemed to like the carrot and although the pieces he bit off were very small, he did eat them and come back for more. He did chew up some broccoli but I'm not convinced he ate any and he dropped the next piece I offered. And he ate a bit of the pea but rejected the next one offered. I praised him loads for just trying the foods though, as this is a big step forward.

So... for anyone with a picky eater... keep trying! I'm fairly certain that if I offer him carrot again today it'll probably get flung straight back at me again... but I shall persevere as always!

Then I stumbled upon this idea to give chewable Vitamin A Tablets to it. Whats your opinion on this subject ?

At 28, do I need to work her toward some pellets too? I would kind of like to, but don't know if it's something I should put at the top or bottom of the list in getting her acclimated to our home.

My little Timmy has himself a girlfriend, and by that I mean a grey, plastic cup that he is in *love* with! He holds this thing and can spend hours puking on it if I let him! Anyway, as I was cleaning up the bathroom floor, I noticed Timmy had chucked up some really big peanut chunks. I mean, these were big enough that I wouldn't even swallow something that large! Should I be concerned about how Timmy chews his food? Should I sit him down and discuss the science of digestion, with a chart to make it easier for him to understand? Any insight would really be appreciated.

I saw this and thought of Alfie! 🤣

Here is the link to my new website: https://www.bodaciousbirdiebites.com. It's a spankin' new website, so there might possibly be a few processing hiccups along the way.

This is my new facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bodaciousbirdiebites. Would be honored to have you 'like' my page!

Please take a look and let me know what you think. Also, please let me know if there are any foods you'd love to have freeze dried for future consideration.

Thanks for looking! And thanks, Admin, for allowing me to launch my new business here on Grey Forums! 🙂

I wonder if the thinks certain veggies/fruit work the same way as seeds -- perhaps he thinks the peeling is like hull?  No idea.

Have many here had difficulty with 'seed junkies" or "picky eaters?"  Been there, done that.  I truly feel your pain.

My CAG came to me believing only seed and pellets were edible.  That said, only certain 'coloured' pellets met his approval (still true -- the orange round 'basketballs' in Zupreem are deemed inedible -- who knows why??)  He refuses all other brands of pellet brands and WILL NOT eat non-coloured pellets.  (sigh)

I am so thankful today to have a CAG who will eat most anything.  Granted, I've had him 22 years and I don't pretend that was an easy road.

His fave these days are his morning apple/grapes/melon, (whatever fruit I have on hand) etc..   (But apples ARE his favourite -- not red/yellow delicious or rome -- he likes the crisper, sweeter, less mealy types -- the "special" apples). Yeah, he's picky now re: apples.  Don't ever offer a special apple to a CAG who gratefully accepts red delicious or romes -- they get SPOILED like us, desiring only the crispest sweetest apples available! 

His favourite supper is fresh veg (sometimes frozen, sometimes actually fresh, sometimes a mix) with some rice (and sometimes pasta -- whole wheat).

I always keep a bowl of Zupreem pellets available for him to snack on, it's like an "all day" available snack. 

What does YOUR Grey eat and enjoy???

Thanks in advance -- I am always curious. 
 

Tonight I made a foraging tray and put it on Alfie's shelves. I put some fruit and veg and other tasty morsels in the bottom of a tray then filled it up with shredded paper and foot toys. He had to root around and pull the paper and toys out before he could get to the treats. It kept him busy for quite some time. Most of it (including the food) ended up over the sofa but he seemed to enjoy digging through the tray.

I have a couple of foraging toys in his cage (a buffet ball and a wheel that he has to spin and line up the holes with the treats in different compartments) and I'm thinking of putting a tray at the bottom of his cage for him to forage in.

I'm also toying with the idea of getting some bird safe plants and putting them in his cage (whilst supervised) so he can dig through those and pull them apart. I just need to be a little bit careful because I also have two cats- so I would have to make sure they either can't get at the plants or that they are cat safe as well as bird safe as my two cats get into everything! (they are indoor cats)

Do you provide foraging opportunities for your birds? If so, what do you set up for them?

I also have a question on Coconut Oil... I heard it was suppose to be good for the bird also.. But reading I can't find out what kind you give and how much per day.

I was told hemp seed was good also for essential acids. True or not??

I also was told essential acid oil was good for seizures? 

I am taking my Grey for a well check up and have so many questions, but I also like other opinions.

I also have a question on Coconut Oil... I heard it was suppose to be good for the bird also.. But reading I can't find out what kind you give and how much per day.

I was told hemp seed was good also for essential acids. True or not??

I also was told essential acid oil was good for seizures? 

I am taking my Grey for a well check up and have so many questions, but I also like other opinions.

im a new member so I’m very happy to have found this forum. I’ll be getting my African grey in two weeks and I’m having questions regarding their diet. 

I know the food they can and can’t eat. I also know their diet consists of pellets veggies, moderate nuts , moderate seeds and fruits. I know it’s 75% of pellets 20-25% of veggies and fruits and 5% of treats(nuts,seeds). However, I’m wondering how many times a day I should give her veggies and how many fruits she can eat. Can she eat one entire banana or should I just cut in half and give her the half? How many sun flower needs should I give her and how many almonds ? I guess it’s one almond a day? 

I read I could give her a plate of veggies and fruits in the morning and one hour before going to sleep then give her treats throughout the day. Is this correct? 

Thanks a lot and sorry for asking lots of questions but I want to know how to feed her so I don’t make mistakes. 

The best food by far for your parrot will be Tinkerbell mash, a food that you make with love and care for your parrot. No additives or shelf life extenders in it.

Morning with Harry & the decision// Sultan of Oman Palace// Tinkerbell Mash Batch 7

http://shanlung.livejournal.com/109957.html

Warmest regards

Shanlung

山 龍

http://www.geocities.com/shanlung9/

ps

You know why the mash I made need to be kept in the freezer?

With only one baggie at a time being thawed and must be kept in the fridge as well?

Whereas what you buy in a box need not be in the freezer? Here is why

Here is the list of the common additives found in pellets.

Do have fun reading that.

Ethoxyquin: Is listed and identified as a harsh hazardous chemical by OSHA. It was originally used to preserve rubber. This is not allowed in human food and some feel it is not a chemical that they want in their bird food. The FDA has asked manufacturers for voluntary reduction in its use in pet foods and is in the process of deciding whether or not to ban the use of it altogether. Bird's bodies can not get rid of it like a dog or cat and it then builds up and causes problems. Ethoxyquin promotes kidney carcinogenesis, significantly increases the incidence of stomach tumors, enhanced bladder carcinogenesis and urinary bladder carcinogenesis. Cancers of this type are the most lethal and fastest acting, the swiftest effects being seen among animals.

Artificial Colors: Most people are aware of toxic side effects of artificial colors and flavors from coal tar derivatives such as Red #40, a possible carcinogen, and Yellow #6, which causes sensitivity to fatal viruses in animals. Artificial colors DO cause yellow feather discoloration in Eclectus.

BHT/BHA: These petroleum products are used to stabilize fats in foods. In the process of metabolizing BHA and BHT, chemical changes occur in the body. These changes have caused reduced growth rates and they inhibit white blood cell stimulation. In pets, they can exhibit reactions such as skin blisters, hemorrhaging of the eye, weakness, discomfort in breathing, a reduction of the body's own antioxidant enzyme, glutathione peroxidase and may cause cancer. According to Dr. Wendell Belfield, DVM, a practicing vet for some 26 years, both BHA and BHT are known to cause liver and kidney dysfunction and are banned in some European countries.

Propylene Glycol: Used as a de-icing fluid for airplanes, this chemical is added to food and skin products to maintain texture and moisture as well as inhibiting bacteria growth in products. It also inhibits the growth of friendly bacteria in the digestive system by decreasing the amount of moisture in the intestinal tract leading to constipation and cancer. It can affect the liver and kidneys and causes the destruction of red blood cells.

Salt: Added as a preservative, salt can irritate the stomach lining, cause increased thirst and aggravate heart and kidney problems through fluid retention.

Sodium Nitrite: Used in the curing of meats, this substance participates in a chemical reaction in the body that becomes carcinogenic. It is used also in pet foods to add color.

Sugar and other Sweeteners: The most common sweeteners in pet/bird foods are beet sugar, corn sugar, molasses and sucrose. They are used as preservatives and have the side effect of creating sugar addicts in pets. They require almost no digestion and are rapidly absorbed into the blood stream. These will provide sugar highs (just as humans experience) and subsequent lows (moodiness), inhibit the proper growth of friendly intestinal bacteria and they virtually shut down the digestive system while being processed. Sugar can also contribute to diabetes and hypoglycemia, cataract development, obesity and arthritis.

Go to your cupboard and get your pellets out and find out how many of these additives are in the brand you buy. If there is something else on the ingredients list and you don't know what it is, FIND OUT.

Do your research or ask questions of someone who can find out for you. Did you see the natural ingredients on your pellet ingredients list? Why not feed those items in their fresh, natural state instead?

I got:

sweet red pepper
peas (I shelled these)
sweetcorn (removed from the cob)
sugar snap peas (left whole)
kale
butternut squash (only half used)
apples
mango
beetroot
carrots
brocoli
sweet potato
blueberries

The nuts are to sprinkle on top of his food or to use as a treat. These weren't mixed into the chop.

It took roughly 2 hours... or thereabouts... but that was with various distractions. It's the hottest day of the year so far today and the kitchen is the hottest room in the house, so I did have to keep stepping away to have a drink and cool down from time to time.

I got 19 bags (plus whatever I chucked in his bowl already) out of it!

Alfie hasn't tried it yet so I'm not sure if I have the beak of approval yet.

I've dabbled with chop on and off before but this is the first time I've made a biiig batch of it like this. Most of it normally ends up on the walls and floors. I'm hoping that Alfie takes to it I can sneak more veggies into his diet. (he's very picky!)

sweet potato dog treats

Barkz Jerkies - Single-Ingredient Chews for Dogs - Healthy Dog Treats - No Fillers, Additives or Preservatives

Amazon.....https://www.amazon.com/Barkz-Jerkies-Just-Sweet-Potato/dp/B01MSAVIO8/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1531064966&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=sweet+potato+dog+treats&psc=1