Food & behavior questions

[ZivaDiva]

Phoebe (hatch date 3/15/11) will not eat seed. She eats fresh fruits, veggies, cooked & raw pasta, pistachios, etc. Her favorite things are the dehydrated papaya chunks from the seed mix, edamame, pasta, brown rice and cooked sweet potato.

 

I know some people work really hard at getting their birds off seed but I'd like her to eat some as I'm gone for 8-9 hours a day and don't want fresh food sitting in her cage rotting. I bought dehydrated papaya and she won't eat it. She wants what's in the mix only and it's a pain to pick out.

 

Any suggestions on what to do for food when I'm gone? She eats a lot and she eats good food, but I'm not sure what to leave in her cage all day long. She wakes up screaming and frantic for food and doesn't calm down until I feed her.

 

Behavior issue is that she screams whenever we're not in the same room. She lives in my bedroom along with my other CAG, Z. (different cages) I do call out to her (when she's not screaming) to let her know where I am but it hasn't made a difference yet. I often take her with me from room to room but can't always do that and she freaks out. It's not a little scream either, it's an ear piercing dinosaur scream. She also does it whenever I leave or come home. That's not real fun for the neighbors if I'm walking in or out at 2am.

 

What's the best way to solve this. She's still young so I'm hoping it will be easier and quicker to take care of these issues.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Luvparrots]

I give my fids safflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and cracked corn. I also crack a walnut and leave it in their bowl to work on when I am not around. I don't let them have sunflowers seeds. I give them dehydrated vegetables so I can leave it in all day. As for the screaming, have you tried turning on the radio for your fids while you are out/gone from the room.

[ZivaDiva]

Thanks for the reply. I bought some dehydrated veggies but realized they have chemicals in them so I am going to run to the store for something better. I will go get some walnuts and give that a try. I just don't want her starving while I'm at work. My daughter is home the next couple of weeks so she is able to put in fresh food during the day for now.

 

She won't eat safflower or pumpkin seeds but she likes cooked and raw corn.

 

I do leave the radio on when I'm gone and it doesn't seem to make a difference as far as the screaming. I am still leaving it on anyway so they get to have some sort of entertainment during the day.

[ranaz]

Did you try pellets? They keep Kookie busy during my absence, I mix Harrison's high potency with Harisons Power Treats (peanut butter flavor). You can also add an almond and maybe some other nuts.

[ZivaDiva]

I haven't yet but I will try it. She won't even take food from me that I'm eating. Well, she's eaten one tortilla chip but nothing else. She just wants her fruit, veggies and favorites. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Dave007]

*****Behavior issue is that she screams whenever we're not in the same room. She lives in my bedroom along with my other CAG, Z. (different cages) I do call out to her (when she's not screaming) to let her know where I am but it hasn't made a difference yet. I often take her with me from room to room but can't always do that and she freaks out.*****

 

Not to be harsh but you should really decide on a permanent main room for both of your birds instead of taking the bird/birds from room to room. Simply put, you're spoiling the bird. He now knows what to do in order to get your attention for different things he wants or does. That room should serve as a place where the family is all the time.

One of the most important things that are told to people who are getting a grey is to make sure the bird is in an area/room ( usually a living room) where everything is visible, people are around and everyday habits can be seen. When bedtime comes around that bird should settle into the cage in the main room where's he's been around you all day and has seen you all day.

Most prople don't consider a bedroom as a main room in a house. Since you have 2 birds, they'll keep themselves busy throughout the day in a main room.

A radio is good but greys and other parrots will soon tire of it. Some people leave a TV on but eventually the same results happen.

If you've been doing what you're doing for quite a while, it'll take some time to break the bird of that habit.

[ZivaDiva]

Thanks, Dave. I have 7 birds in my living room and my daughter spends a lot of time in there. I pretty much live in my bedroom and there just isn't room for 2 more birds in the living room. You can't see into most rooms from any rooms in my apt., so they can't see me unless there are in the actual room with me/us.

 

I'd read about having perches/stands in many different rooms so you can take your birds with you and I'd set it up so I could do that. I guess that wasn't the smartest (or most economical) thing to do. She came from a store where she was with a zillion birds and was out on a perch for 6 hrs a day where she got to see people the entire time. It's been a big change for her. Some of her screaming is from wanting to see me but a lot of it seems to be that she is frantic with hunger. When I come home, she screams and flops around her cage until I put more food in and then she settles down and eats. I want her to feel secure that she will be fed but I don't want to reward the screaming for it, either.

 

I've been thinking about donating some furniture and trying to put them in the living room but am not sure that's a good thing to do. I'm not in there much and am afraid it will make the screaming worse. Plus, my other CAG, Z, has been in my room for 2 yrs so it would be a big change for him. We don't have tv, so we aren't sitting in the living room at night watching it. I usually just settle in with a book and read at night in my room.

[abbie21187]

As far as food goes I feed my birds Ultimate Blends by bird paradise. It is dried human grade fruit veggies, nuts, you name it blended with pellets. My fids have fresh and cookable foods available while I'm there, but when I'm out or go to work I leave them this. It's nice because it has such a variety of ingredients that I think even the pickiest bird will find something to eat out of it. Here's the link, they ship pretty much everywhere: http://www.mybirdstore.com/BIRD_PARADISE_BLENDS-PARADISE_ULTIMATE_BLEND_B_GREY_ECLECTUS_B.html

 

Also, if you can make room for the cages in the living room, why don't you put the cages there than put a play stand in your room? That way, when your not home, they will at least have your daughter around and won't be totally isolated, and then, when you're home in your room you can have them on the play stand and spend time with them that way. I have a similar set up, my cages are in the main area of the house where everyone passes by the cages and can talk to them if I'm out, but I have a play stand set up by the couch where I sit and relax on the T.V./Laptop when I'm home.

 

You can build a play stand very inexpensively with PVC pipe.

 

Good Luck!

[ZivaDiva]

Thanks so much for the link! I will check it out. I did call Harrison's today and they are sending me samples but I have a feeling she won't want to eat straight pellets. Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm willing to give it a try.

 

I think I will try to rearrange the living room. The reason I had them in with me is because of space and that my other CAG, Z, is not hand or stick trained. He's a sweetheart and will stand on my arm but it's only to try and mate with me. The second I move, he freaks out and jumps off. I've been working with him for 2 years and that's how long it's taken for him to get on my arm while it's on his cage. When I'm home, he's out, which means he's on top of his cage, or walking around my room/bed. I tried for over a year to get him onto a playstand and he wouldn't go for it. He does not do well with new things. So, if I do go hang out in the living room, I roll his cage out there. I've tried leaving him in the living room while I'm gone or sleeping and he screams and freaks out. I tried putting Phoebe in the living room with him in my room and they called out to each other and woke the dead. Z is fairly quiet in my room and has no problem with me coming and going. But Phoebe is a different story!

 

So, if I move their cages into the living room and bring them into my room when I'm home, I can pick up Phoebe and place her on a stand in my room (I've already purchased several stands)but I have to roll Z's cage in there. Z's previous owner had him for 7 years and never held him and he was a hand fed baby! She rolled him everywhere and it's evident as when he wants to go somewhere, he says, "I can roll!" I am still working on getting Z to step on my hand and letting me actually move him away from his cage but it's a very slow process.

[ZivaDiva]

I went to that site and ordered 3 different blends for my birds as I have birds from parakeets on up. I saw other items on there that are cheaper than my local discount bird store but I stayed away. That site might be dangerous for me. Thanks again!

[abbie21187]

I totally understand, try living close by to the place! I spend way to much time and money there.