Orange Juice?

[neoow]

Hello all,

 

Just a quick question - is orange juice ok for African Greys? Alfie likes eating oranges and I know these are ok but he also loves orange juice - so much so that if I have him on my shoulder whilst drinking it he will stick his beak in the glass and steal some! I buy orange juice from concentrate from my local supermarket. Is this ok to give Alfie every so often? (definitely not every day but just a couple of sips from time to time)

 

I was also wondering if this would work as a treat for training. He doesn't seem to like taking food from my hand that much- especially when out of the cage. If I offer food to him by hand he'll just look at it. If I put it in his bowl he'll go and investigate and will eat it if he's hungry. I think he's more interested in everything else other than food when he's out. I think orange juice (assuming it's ok for him to have it) would make a better training treat than any of his favourite fruit/seeds.

 

Many thanks!

Katrina

[judygram]

Oranges are one of the acidic fruits and they shouldn't have it very often but my birds enjoy a little from time to time, an occasional treat is fine.

[danmcq]

Like Judy said, it's ok in moderation.

 

Dayo tried orange juice once, shook his head and made (if they could) a funny face like an infant tasting something for the first time. Never touched another orange or orange juice again.

[neoow]

Great, thanks. Perhaps I'll stick to using this as an occasional treat and look for something else for a training treat then. He has never been overly food orientated but I'll have to try a few things and see if I can find something else that he likes as much as juice.

[danmcq]

Just an observation here and how Dayo interacts and always has. Treats never really worked as enticements for him either and many times I would end up with a bloody finger rather than him taking the treat.

 

Then one day I noticed how he just glowed when I praised him with my biggest smiley face on, excited voice and thanked him for turning the water off and told him he was so smart. From then on I used praise with enthusiasm and he will do just about anything to get it. It has turned out to be fun for both of us. Sometimes he will turn the kitchen water on just so I will ask him to turn it off and praise him when he does so. He such a stinker, just like a little child. They want nothing bu your undivided attention and praise.

[neoow]

Thanks danmcq, I'll bear this in mind when working with Alfie if I can't find anything he likes to eat.

That's why I was wondering about the orange juice really, because it's something that he likes that he doesn't have very often and whenever I have a glass he always wants some!

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Kiki my Amazon, always comes out to see what I have, before I go to work. I drink a glass of orange juice, before I go to work. She always takes a sip. ( of course then shakes her beak!) Nancy

[chezron]

Dan you are SOO right about the praise thing. When i tell Brutus he is handsome, he is the best, and that I am so proud of him, he looks like he gonna explode he is so happy with himself. I love that!