help with Smokeys Diet

[Parrot Lady]

I have noticed the last few days Smokey has not been eating his Intune pellets , his morning poop is fine but after that he has very small dark green droppings and they use to be a dark red from the pellets so that's another way I knew he was eating them, I'am going to add some vitamins to his water tomorrow until I can get him to eating his pellets again , I decreased his seed intake a lot so maybe that's why , my plan is to add back more seed and more pellets plus his golden feast , I ordered some Tops Pellets tonight so I can gradually add them and start takeing away the Intune pellets anyone have any ideas on how I can get him back to eating pellets ? going to try the conversation but going vedry slow with him , he is looking pretty skinny to , I have a weight scale so I will be weighing him every day any help appreciated ty

[danmcq]

Getting his weight after the morning bomb at least weekly is important so you know his normal weight. This is a key indicator should it start dropping all of a sudden. When you say he looks skinny, thats very subjective and really does not tell much. I would not reduce seeds to try and force eating more pellets on a bird. If he stopped eating the pellets and you were only providing a very small quantity of seeds, he could certainly be losing weight. The key is to try various high quality pellets and see if one is a hit he will eat some of. I never recommend adding vitamins to water. There is no way of knowing how much they are actually getting and it fouls the water. As long as you provide a variety of veggies, seeds, nuts etc. for a well rounded diet, pellets are not needed at all. Also, if you do not have avian lighting over each cage, you should for vitamin D3 production. The dark green poop just indicates he is eating some seeds. After the morning bomb, smaller frequent poops are the norm for all parrots.

Edited August 22, 2013 by danmcq

[judygram]

Regular weighing is really the best way to know whether they are losing or gaining any weight, you can also do a feel test on their keel bone, if it is prominent then he is skinny or if it is hardly felt then he might be too fat but greys as a rule do not usually overeat so the key is providing a balanced diet with pellets, lots of vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, rices, pastas and a little meat from time to time.

[Parrot Lady]

I weighed him this morning he is 374 last week he was 410 so he has dropped weight , I gave him fresh Goldenfeast Central , that's his seed mix with some pellets and I'am making the birds some veggies in a minute , he hardly eats any veggies, same for Rocky he eats a few bites then walks away , Opey is my only veggie eater , only going to give him vitamins from morning to late evening , when he goes to bed I will change and give him fresh water and only until he starts eating his pellets again then I will quit giving him any vitamins

[SRSeedBurners]

410 to 374 is significant weight loss. If that were my bird, I'd be looking at supplemental syringe/spoon feedings until I get that weight back up to where it's 'normal'. I think 410 is even underweight for a male Grey.

 

We have a bird right now that we are syringing with some stuff we got from the vet and mixing in pellets that we pulvarize in the bullet. This is all being done under the watchful eye of a veterinarian that we seem to have on retainer (oh gawd my wallet).

 

I'm so paranoid now that I weigh Greycie every morning and I get a start every time I see her poops start straying from normal.

 

 

Edit: I reread my post - Greycie is fine. We have a rescue that's not doing so well. Greycie's biggest issue is getting bad daily report cards from 'Mom' when I get home from work.

Edited August 22, 2013 by SterlingSL

[danmcq]

Sterling is right. That is a huge weight drop. I would let him eat all the seed he wants right now to get his weight up. One of the big things all parrot pellet manufacturers stress is to watch your birds weight when trying to convert them to pellets. It could be a long process and some birds will never convert to pellets. I wish you well in this trying to convert him, but please ensure he maintains weight. Right now, your CAG is in the weight range of a large TAG.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I would suggest skipping the extra seed, as this won't be your future normal! Time for some mac and cheese, get the pounds on. Simple carbs and protein! Continue to introduce new fruits and veggies. Even if bird throws them at the wall Nancy

[SRSeedBurners]

Thought of this thread when I saw 'Einstein' posting up on FB about the Goldenfeast recall...

[danmcq]

Thanks Sterling, this could avert a serious problem with a birds health for anyone feeding Goldenfeast to their bird.

[danmcq]

I would suggest skipping the extra seed, as this won't be your future normal! Time for some mac and cheese, get the pounds on. Simple carbs and protein! Continue to introduce new fruits and veggies. Even if bird throws them at the wall Nancy

 

Nancy, I am not trying to be rude. But I am concerned about your advice to feed Mac and Cheese as a good protein and carbo source. this simply is not true in regards protein. Seeds and nuts are filled with protein, vitamin E,and essential fatty acids etc. and are far more healthy than Mac and Cheese which also has a very high salt content.

 

No one should should feed a bird that in trying to "Fatten Up" their bird. It is detrimental to their health if continued for long.