Jump to content
NEW ADDRESS FOR MEMBERS GREYFORUMS.ORG ×
NEW ADDRESS FOR MEMBERS GREYFORUMS.ORG

My grey is so lazy....


LNCAG

Recommended Posts

My grey is so lazy...

...that he tosses peanuts that are still in the shell to the floor. 

He refuses (after 22 years) to crack open his own peanut.  I gave up years ago, and just buy him the unsalted roasted peanuts in a jar (ready to eat kind).  My other parrots never minded cracking open a peanut.  My grey won't even crack open a small almond or ANY kind of nut!  I get that some nuts are difficult to open and perhaps are more appropriate for a macaw -- but c'mon -- peanuts???  :)

How lazy is your parrot???

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Timber is lazy, really lazy. I put fresh peas on a skewer for him every morning. He will get one or two out himself, then sit there and stare at me til I come over and shell the rest. And handfeed each one to him. He will shell his own peanuts, but usually only does one side then tosses the other down. Like, I just wore myself out and don't have the energy to do the other one.

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My grey is so lazy...

...that he lifts one foot in the air and says "step up" when he wants to be held.

Now, if he wanted, this bird could fly over to the sofa or even slide down his bar and hit the floor in less than a second and walk over to me.  (Technically, I  suppose I appreciate this laziness -- nice to know he can sort of stay-put).  But he's using his foot like a hitchhiker's thumb!  

How lazy is YOUR grey???

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine is definitely a perch potato!   Macaws are sort of known for being big babies, always wanting to be held and carried everywhere; but a CAG?  Mine rarely leaves his perch, or sofa, or play area or wherever you set him down.  Lazy and not overly adventurous -- happily contented to just stay put and play where he is.  That's not to say he won't chew & destroy stuff (toys or not) within in his easy/lazy reach... And like a cat, he takes joy in just knocking things onto the floor.  I learned a long time ago not to play 'pick up' games with him!   lol

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

I've seriously wondered if my grey truly is incapable of shelling a peanut.  Now, if I break one in half, he will sometimes play with it a little while and may actually nibble at the revealed peanut... sometimes.  More often than not, it just gets dropped to the floor though.  So much easier to buy salt-free dry roasted ones in a jar for him.

Edited by LNCAG
wrote by instead of buy
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
On 12/7/2019 at 3:49 PM, Timbersmom said:

Timber will shell peanuts, but that's about it. I have to crack almonds and others for him. I'm not sure if he can't do it (doubtful) or won't do it because he's lazy (probable).

I’ve been trying various ways to get Tiko switched from seeds to pellets for about two months. I tried mixing seeds with her pellets and lessening gradually, putting a little juice on, Taking food away for hours. Nothing worked.

 

On 12/7/2019 at 3:49 PM, Timbersmom said:

Timber will shell peanuts, but that's about it. I have to crack almonds and others for him. I'm not sure if he can't do it (doubtful) or won't do it because he's lazy (probable).

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tikobird256, I feel your pain. I tried for almost a year to switch Timber to pellets. Every kind, every variety. Regardless of the pellet, he stares at me with that "you've got to be kidding me" look and refuses to eat any of them. I just try to feed him as much fresh stuff and things I fix as possible, and he does eat seed. You do what you can!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't imagine a parrot starving to death as long as they recognize what's offered IS edible.  I suppose mine has a varied diet because I would offer things that I was also eating. I made his first fresh foods seem more like me sharing with him than just dumping it in his dish and letting him figure it out.  His main diet is fresh fruit/veg/starches.

He came to me on a seed/pellet diet.  He already liked seed mixes & peanuts but would pick through his pellets, eating only his favourite colours first.  But if I am patient, he will eventually even eat the pellets in the non-desirable colours.  I consider seed/pellets as treats -- not his main diet.

With fruit/veg/rice/pasta... I guess he figured it out that this was what was being offered and relented and tried the foods I feed.  Seeing me eat the same foods helped a LOT.  He's so healthy, with good feathering and bright eyes.  Patience works.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alfie is an awkward little bugger. He shows no interest whatsover in what I'm eating and will never venture over to see/steal what's on my plate. He's not particularly great at eating his veggies but will eat fresh fruit. He will eat dried/dehydrated veggies more often than fresh/cooked veggies. Pellets were an absolute no no. They got tipped or flung out of his bowl at high velocity. I have tried every make I can get my hands on to no avail... until recently when I tried him on tropican pellets.I got the really small ones which are yellow and green and have a very fruity smell to them. He will actually seek them out in his bowl. I mix these in with a seed, nut, dried fruit and dried veggie mix. It also has some larger tropican pellets/sticks in which I think he mostly eats round/avoids. In good news though, I'm seeing a lot less food wastage with this particular mix. I end up buying four or five different products and mixing them all in his food bin. It's working for now. I persevere with trying to get him to eat fresh foods but most of that gets tossed to one side!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Snickers prefers the fruity pellets (Zupreem).  I know there are healthier pelleted diets available, but since it's not his main meal - I just view them as treats (or something to snack on between healthier meals).  I think it would be difficult to interest him in 'all-one-colour-healthier' pellets. I may be wrong.  If his main diet was pelleted, I would probably mix pellet types.

Hope your guy starts becoming more adventurous in trying new foods. 

Perhaps you could eat such stuff around him (like really in his personal space) and deliberately NOT share -- esp since they always want they can't have? Like a big production of eating around him, letting him have a sniff and then pulling dish back away from him?  Force him to steal a bite?  I dunno -- these greys are so smart, he might not fall for it anyway.   lol

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, LNCAG said:

Snickers prefers the fruity pellets (Zupreem).  I know there are healthier pelleted diets available, but since it's not his main meal - I just view them as treats (or something to snack on between healthier meals).  I think it would be difficult to interest him in 'all-one-colour-healthier' pellets. I may be wrong.  If his main diet was pelleted, I would probably mix pellet types.

Hope your guy starts becoming more adventurous in trying new foods. 

Perhaps you could eat such stuff around him (like really in his personal space) and deliberately NOT share -- esp since they always want they can't have? Like a big production of eating around him, letting him have a sniff and then pulling dish back away from him?  Force him to steal a bite?  I dunno -- these greys are so smart, he might not fall for it anyway.   lol

Yeah... He out smarts me every time! 😂

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...