Gracie Getting Finicky

[JeffNOK]

My CAG Gracie is one year old. She has always eaten pellets along with a vegetable mix. Recently I have added a few things to her veggies. Twice a day I feed her a dish mixed with corn, peas, carrots and green beans along with some egg white, a small amount of cooked turkey breast or chicken and some cooked pasta. Recently she hasn't been eating her pellets much. I also notice that her morning poop is more watery than before. If she only eats the veggie mix with egg, chicken and pasta described above, will she get enough nutrients? I know the pellets have all she needs, but I'm not sure my mix does. Should I feed her the mix only once a day and hope she gets hungry enough to eat the pellets? Should I add something to the mix or take something out? I'm willing to cook more and be creative for Gracie's meals, but I don't want my life to turn into "Top Chef: Grey Edition".

[birdhouse]

Oh, why not? You'd be in greyt company! lol

 

The less pellets Gracie eats, the more water her poop would have. Bird poop is urine & solid waste. She's taking in more moisture, so she's excreting more.

 

Her veggie mix isn't balanced *yet*. Maybe ease up on the meat & egg. There are other forms of pure protein. Needs some fruit & lots of green leafy's. It does take some research to learn everything about what goes into a good, healthy fresh fed diet. There's a lot already post on GF & you could do worse than to start by following this thread.

 

http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?194243-Mash-amp-Chop&p=241139#post241139

 

For now, maybe you could give Gracie pellets at the beginning of the day when she's likely most hungry. Good in the hot weather, too. Then give her the veggie mix when you come home. This may well be a phase, but it's one that I hope you'll encourage. You may find being a top chef is actually kind of fun.

[Sarasota]

...You may find being a top chef is actually kind of fun.

Heck yeah! I just re-did my kitchen. Not for me, of course. The kids needed more room to romp around on the (yes, grey) countertops.

 

JeffNOK, you have a lot of questions. It shows that you are really paying attention to detail...great work, and great care! I notice my birds (all of them) go through phases with their food intake. Often, the toucans will go completley off their pellets, other times it's their blueberries. Same thing with the greys - at times pellets are only for shredding. You mention peas, corn, etc. Are they frozen veggies? Those can contain a lot of water.

 

I am NO expert when it comes to diet. I follow the mash recipes on Feeding Feathers to get a complete mix of veggies, fruit, legumes and grains.

[Timbersmom]

Is it normal for greys to eat a lot one day then not so much the next? Timber was a real pig yesterday, eating everything in sight. Today he is just picking around and not eating much. I've noticed this before. His other behavior doesn't change, just his level of consumption. Thanks!

[Sarasota]

Is it normal for greys to eat a lot one day then not so much the next? Timber was a real pig yesterday, eating everything in sight. Today he is just picking around and not eating much. I've noticed this before. His other behavior doesn't change, just his level of consumption. Thanks!

 

Mine are the same. If the behavior doesn't change, weight stays consistent - I wouldn't worry about it.

[Timbersmom]

Thanks Sarasota. Glad to hear it!