Vegetables and fruits.

[hbalkhi]

Everyone knows that vegetables and fruits get bad after a while from serving it to the parrot.

My question is, how do I know if my parrot is hungry and ready to eat vegetables and fruits before they get bad? Is there specific time to serve? And how many times should I serve vegetables or fruits a day?

 

What I do is in the morning I fill only the quarter of the parrot's ballet with seeds and stays all day long until it finishs. In the afternoon, I give my parrot some vegetables. At around 8-9 PM, I give my parrot fruits but not everyday, only 4 days of the week.

 

But, it seems that my parrot doesn't eat by herself, I have to stay with the vegetables or the fruits handled close to her until she eat a little then she push the ballet away, and I handle it close again and again... and same thing happens.

 

I appreciate your helping, thank you.

[ranaz]

Hi again,

Well if you want her to eat healthy, you gotta keep trying. First I think you have to start her day with fresh veggies and fruits instead of the seeds. When shes hungry she will eat them. Keep the seeds for later in the day. Kookie starts with a large plate of veggis and fruits each morning (corn on the cob, chilis, ocra, snow peas, carrot, apples, grape, a slice of orange, a pce of rambootan....) with time you will figure up her favourits and its good to keep offering things even if she doesnt eat them at first, eventually one day she will try and you dont know, maybe she will like them

I keep all day a bowl of pellets ( I hope you have pellets, if not can you get some from UAE?) and a fresh bowl of water. I remove the veggis leftovers around noon time, and put a new plate for the afternoon. Evening he gets some seeds, either if we are trainig or late vening at sleep time. He gets some peanuts and almonds during the day. Also some times we share a mango, a banana, a carrot, or even some peanut butter. Kookie always prefers to eat out of my hand, but also he eats well on his own. Greys like attention, but they will eat alone when they are hungry, so dont worry.

She is acting like a child, who tries to get your attention, she is still very young, I could notice by the grey color of her eyes in the photos you posted, so its normal that she does this for your attention.

Also I wanted to ask if you have any toys in her cage, it will make her enjoy the cage time and have things to play with. Kookie loves cage time, he is eaith playing all the time with his toys, or he takes naps during the days... Also toys help them develop their independence, so they can have fun on their own without having you there all the time

good luck and God Bless you for what you are doing

Rana

[dw310]

I give my parrot his fruits and veggies in the morning. Each day, he gets a different mix of veggies, though he always gets a few grapes, a few raspberries and some pine nuts in the mix (they are his favorites.)

 

They are just like us, in that they like variety in their meals. Serve some veggies whole one day, and chopped the next, then maybe lightly steamed (but cooled-don't give your bird hot food) the next. I usually vary between kale, broccoli, squash, carrots, a variety of peppers, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and green beans. He'll get 4-6 of these veggies in some form daily, along with the fruit and nuts mentioned above. In addition, my bird always has pellets available, as well as fresh water.

 

If your bird is not used to eating veggies/fruits, give her some time to get used to them. Just continue to vary them, and watch to see what your bird likes. You can see best what she likes by seeing what has been chewed then dropped to the bottom of the cage, or by what is just plain "missing" from her bowl.

 

I also have noticed that by bird's tastes have changed over time. He used to totally ignore squash, and now he loves it. So just because she doesn't eat something at first, maybe she will in a few weeks. Also, one day Morgan loves brussel sprouts, and the next day he doesn't touch them. Again, just like us, they pick and chose.

 

There are some fruits and vegetables that are toxic to birds, so make sure you read those lists.

[dw310]

One more thing--My bird gets about a 1/2 cup of seeds through out a week. I just sprinkle a few seeds into the pellets. I understand the seeds have very little nutritional value--kind of like giving a child a candy bar. They love them, but they are not particularly good for them.

[Jayd]

All the reply's are grey't. Seed's: Seed's have a lot of nutritional value, they are just not complete in all the bird needs. Fruit: A Grey should have very little fruit, fruit is mostly sugar and water, in turn it makes their metabolism higher, causing them to burn more energy and not absorb all they need. Fruit makes there poop watery. Feed your veggies in the afternoon, along with some seeds, even a 1/2 tsp of sunflower seeds are great. Limit fruits to every other day or so, look at the size of a grape, or 2, plus a few raspberries, look at the size of your Greys head! add a slice of apple and orange to that, all sugar and water,. The number one veggie is Dark green leafy veg's, number 2 is Carrots, lightly cooked or steamed. Example: Walnuts, A human is suppose to have only 3 whole walnuts a day, compare the size of 3 walnuts to the size of a average human, now compare a piece of walnut to the size of a Grey?

Thanks

Jayd

Edited June 21, 2010 by Jayd

[hbalkhi]

I was searching for a good grey's diet. So I found this website: http://www.african-grey-parrots.co.uk/parrot-articles/african-grey-parrot-diet.html

 

But, it have some vegetables that is not good vegetables for greys in other websites. For that, I wanted to ask you, people who knows what we should give for our greys. I'm don't have much experience to say its good diet or not.

 

Hope this link helps others too. Thank you

[Jayd]

I was searching for a good grey's diet. So I found this website: http://www.african-grey-parrots.co.uk/parrot-articles/african-grey-parrot-diet.html

But, it have some vegetables that is not good vegetables for greys in other websites. For that, I wanted to ask you, people who knows what we should give for our greys. I'm don't have much experience to say its good diet or not.

Hope this link helps others too. Thank you

Quote from your web site!!!!! Avian Holistic Health Consultant Alicia McWatters recommends the following general guideline: vegetables 30%; legumes 20%; pellets 20%; seeds/nuts 15%; fruits 10%; and grains 5%. The FACT is that the avian nutrition field is too new and NO ONE knows all the answers, so please look at it conservatively.

 

Hbalkhi, on this forum, we have hundreds of thread and post of what "Real" people are feeding there gray's, and posts and threads of what not to feed.

Here's a good and simple example: Water, Pellets, some seeds, fresh veggies, a little fresh fruit.. Treat's: Nuts[walnuts, almonds, roasted no shell peanuts. Extras: white chicken/turkey meat, pasta, oatmeal, tuna in water, wheat bread, palm nuts etc! Start a basic diet, then if you want to feed the baby something your not sure of , ask! I promises some one will answer.

Jayd