Jasper seems to forget to eat

[Wulfgeist]

Jasper has been home about a month now, two weeks ago he had his wellness visit and was said to look healthy. He had a fecal smear and exam, the vet didn't feel he needed to do any bloodwork.

 

When he first got home he had no trouble with eating. He gets a mix of bean cuisine with frozen mixed veggies in the morning which he dives into eagerly. After a couple hours I take whatever is left away and give him his pellet mix. This consists of Roudybush Maint., a bit of Just Veggies (dried veggies) and a crumbled Avicake.

 

As time goes on I am feeling his breastbone a bit more and he's leaving alot of pellets. Now I see he is diving right for the avicake bits and will eat some of the dried veggies. I just picked up some Harrison's HP coarse and add a bit of that in as well. He will pick those up right away and bites them into little pieces, the bits go all over so I'm not real sure how much of this is going into him. He loves his Nutriberries and he gets one or two of those a day.

 

I purchased a Sterling scale from My Safe Bird Store (great site, can't say enough good about it) and got it last week. His weight has gone up and down a bit in the week I've weighed him. I always weigh him first thing in the morning and he is getting trained to "go" on command and know when it's appropriate for him to do so. He is voided when he gets on the scale every morning. It is possible that he could have gotten up ahead of me and snacked on pellet mix, I leave that in until the next morning when I go to feed breakfast.

 

The Roudybush I got at the same place I got him, they never said it had to be refrigerated or anything like the Harrison's. Is it possible it's gotten stale or something and that's why he chooses not to eat it? He takes to the "goody" stuff quite well. I'm going to have to learn to cook healthy stuff for him it seems, I don't eat alot of good stuff but it's slowly changing. I gave him a portion of plain baked potato the other night when it was cooled off and he ate that up (I know sweet potato is better for him).

 

I see there is a Food section as well, wasn't sure which to put this in, sorry if it's the wrong room.

Edited April 13, 2012 by Wulfgeist

[judygram]

Why not try the Harrison's High Potency fine pellets, I find that my grey eats them more readily and doesn't waste as much of them, smaller so she doesn't have to break them up as much to eat. Instead of offering frozen vegetables why not try more fresh offerings and later when you take that way replace it with some nuts, like almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios and maybe a few sunflower seeds.

[Wulfgeist]

Fine would have been my first choice but everyone on the parrot forum was saying coarse for greys. I had contacted Harrison's and they are supposed to be sending me sample of both I think.

 

I didn't think about nuts, I'm sure he'd love them, he's had almonds and liked them alot. Would the bags of nut bits and such that you can use in baking be ok? Those are about the only nuts I think I could find readily available, aside from the obvious taboo salted snack nuts. Darnit I just got back from the store, too.

 

I just gave him lunch, gave him all Harrison's, no Roudybush to see what he eats. I bought a sweet potato to cook up and some corn bread mix.

[judygram]

As long as the nuts are unsalted, I usually buy mine from the fresh produce section of the store, they seem fresher than the ones in the baking aisle and do try some in the shell, you might have to start it with one end cut off and make him work for his nut.

[Wulfgeist]

I'll have to take a closer look at the couple of stores near me, I didn't think nuts are something carried year-round but then it's not one of those things I really buy except at holiday time. Thanks for the tip, I will look for them in produce next time I go shopping.

[snoepgoed123]

honestly, I wouldn't use the scale more than once a week, unless he is ill and his weight needs to be monitored, otherwise you'll drive yourself batty. I often question whether Archimedes eats enough, because his favorite past time is flinging food... just know this... if there's something coming out one end, means theres something coming in the other end...

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

They eventually understand your expectations for diet. You may find fresh fruits and veggies " painted on the walls". LOL Find a diet that is healthy your bird likes, as well as you have confidence in. As far as fresh fruits and veggies, they need to be offered them, all the time. They will throw it out. just continue to ignore them, continue to offer. Change the offering. It does work eventually.

Can I brag that twelve years later.... they all rush to frsh fruits and veggie tray first? ( competition also helped!) I'm gonna brag anyway! LOL Nancy