Ravenous Grey

[lyndell]

My bird looks great.She just turned 14. She Seems fine, but over the past year she started begging for more and more food. I started to give it to her when I finally backed down, thinking it odd that she was so hungry and doubting that she really could be. She weighs about 509 gms. I tried cutting back thinking it was behavioural. It all began after she stayed with a good friend.I leave her food off with her and instructions. She knows the ropes. i know the birds get bored, but its beyond that. She thinks shes going to starve to death. While preparing her food she lunges for her dish and tries to pull it inside then gulps the food down. I am feeding her more than I ever used to, but she still wants more. Her poop looks fine. She looks good, but im afraid to keep giving her more food.She cant possibly still be hungry all the time, its well more than 2x what she used to eat. Any tips on what this might be about?

I appreciate any insight.

[judygram]

Just a suggestion, if you haven't had this grey to the vet in a while it might not be a bad idea to have her checked out but it is good that she has a healthy appetite, maybe she just loves food the same way some of us do, like me! You can give her all the fresh veggies she will eat as they won't pile on the grams like other foods will.

[Dave007]

****She looks good, but im afraid to keep giving her more food.She cant possibly still be hungry all the time, its well more than 2x what she used to eat. *****

 

You can't be giving * too much food* Your bird is a big boned bird and the larger parrots eat lots more than smaller birds. It may not start that way but it does happen. I don't know if you give the food a certain amount of times ( 3 meals a day) but if you are, it's not a good method. A parrot needs food all day long in it's cage. They don't eat like people. They eat constantly throughout the day. If you need to give more food, then give it. What you really need to worry about is when a grey starts not eating food. That's a sign of illness. A grey won't get obese from too much food. Obesity isn't something that happens with greys. Loss of weight can happen. Your grey isn't showing any signs of problems. I have greys that eat much more than the others and there's never been a problem with either my greys or other people who have greys that eat alot. They simply have a bigger appetite.

[tbird]

I wish Sunny could eat like that LOL ...

[Guest]

lyndell,

 

You didn't say if you've had your Grey all 14 years, or if it is new to you. The reason I bring this up is when I first got my Grey, she was three years old but new to me, and I thought she was a delicate little eater. Well, after she settled in with me for a few months, holy moly, get the trough out! She eats a ton of food - much, much more than when she first came to me. But now she is "at home" and plays constantly, climbs the cage bars, flies around (was clipped when I got her), hangs upside down from her toys and flaps, on and on, so she is putting out a lot more energy than when I first got her and she did virtually nothing but sit on her perch and wonder what the hell happened and why she was suddenly in a new home. Anyway, just thought I'd put my experience out there for what it's worth.