Can Greys overeat?

[DavidH]

I'm of the mind to give Shanti plentiful healthy and nutritious food, but my wife and daughter are concerned that if we keep feeding him all he wants he'll get fat (like the family cat).

 

I've read that weight is usually not an issue with Greys, so my tendency is to keep as much food as he wants in his bowl. (I worry that he'll wake up hungry in the middle of the night).

 

Is obesity ever an issue?

 

David

 

 

Blogging about Shanti

http://http://congo-african-grey-parrot.blogspot.com/

[danmcq]

Hi David,

 

They will not over eat. Obesity can become an issue only by a Grey that is not playing and eating too much junk food like nuts and foods off of human plates. The key is to just limit the Nuts and Human foods to a very small percentage of his daily intake.

 

Believe it or not, if you watch them eat, they waste atleast 60 percent of it. :-)<br><br>Post edited by: danmcq, at: 2008/12/30 14:00

[judygram]

Dan is right, they do waste a lot of what is offered to them but they do not overeat. Any extra weight they may put on is because they are fed lots of seeds and nuts that have a higher fat content, if they are fed a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables included then you have nothing to worry about.

 

I leave food like pellets available in Josey's cage at all times just so she can have them when she wants them and if she wants a midnight snack then she can have it.