Senegals vs AGs

[Guest SkuTheSnake]

I have a Senegal and I don't seem to be able to find many newgroups with active Senegal topics.

 

Currently, I'm trying to switch my guy over to pellets, and I seem to finally be having some success with Harrison's.

 

Does anyone know if Senegals have essentially similar nutrition needs to African Greys? I can only assume they do, given their overlapping territories et such.

 

Do you think whatever is supposed to be good for an AG goes for a

Senegal too?

[Guest SkuTheSnake]

Blame Bird Talk and all the propaganda here.

 

Point is, my Senegal is 8, and seems to be doing fine (except for his nippiness), but he's alert, talks constantly and seems otherwise happy.

 

I have always feed him as varied a seed diet as I could find (lots of big as well as small "seeds" (almonds, peanuts, etc) -- your basic large parrot mix.

 

I am not the type who cooks a lot (even for myself), so "cooking" for him everyday is something that I'd have to work out with difficulty, and I am not sure how well he'd like it anyhow, as he's quite finicky.

 

So, I have experiemented with various pellets that I gave him in addition to his seed mixtures, and invariably, he ignores them.

 

Lately, I started getting him Nutriberries, which I can clearly see are just seeds mixed with nutritious "goo".

 

Is that better? I don't know. He seems to enjoy it.

 

This week, I bought some Harrison's Pepper compressed pellets, and he actually has shown some interest in them. They are supposed to be the healthiest as far as pellets go, as they're completely organic and preservative-free.

 

Basically, I want to focus down to a suitable diet for a Senegal that

I can easily prepare and maintain, and something superior to his all-seed mixture diet.

[Guest philbob10]

http://www.birdcareco.com/English/Arts/Pet_arts/PelletsOrSeed/POS.html

http://www.qi-whiz.com/pu/pellet.html

http://www.abbaseed.com/Breeders/Tips_2/tips_2.html

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww38eii.htm

[Guest javacrypto]

While I'm not a pellet advocate, when the choice is a seed mix only, or a seed mix with some pellets added (that is, when feeding natural foods isn't an option for whatever reason), I can understand why some would want to add a few pellets to their birds' diets. I also know that Harrison's has convinced many people that they're the best, mainly through the vets that sell them - originally it was only sold through vets, who people assumed to be the "experts" on avian nutrition.

 

On occasion I will offer some pellets, for example over the last week I've had too many physical problems to care for my family properly, let alone the birds...and while I know that a week on a seed mix won't hurt them (I feed quality seed mixes with a large variety of ingredients), having my daughter toss a few pellets in was easy for her to do. Because I use them only as a small part of their diets (when I use them at all, which isn't often), I use

Scenic. They're designed to be fed with other foods and don't make the preposterous claim that they can meet every nutritional need of every species. Another brand of pellet that I've looked into but haven't personally tried yet - but plan to - are TOPS I think they're called? They have gotten my attention as well.

 

One thing I would suggest, even with very limited time, is to give germinating a try. Before you go to bed at night, you rinse off a handful of seeds and grains and put them in a bowl of water in the fridge. The next evening you drain and rinse them, and feed - not a big time or $ investment, but a huge nutritional gain for the birds. Do your birds share your meals with you?

[Guest philbob10]

I have to ask why you think you need to swap your bird over to pellets?

 

http://www.birdcareco.com/English/Arts/Pet_arts/PelletsOrSeed/POS.html

http://www.qi-whiz.com/pu/pellet.html

http://www.abbaseed.com/Breeders/Tips_2/tips_2.html

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww38eii.htm

[Guest philbob10]

The diet you were feeding was probably just great. I avoid shop bought treats and thing. Nutriberries are simply a treat and should not be regarded as a food source. I never use the things. I would much rather feed someting like Owley's birdy bites, as they are made and designed by a bird keeper, for her birds, not by a large company who's first interest is how much money they can screw out of bird keepers for a substandard product.

If you are in USA, ask Owly for a small sample. She was so kind as to send me a batch here in UK and I have to say, every one of my birds loved them, I wish they were available over here as postage makes a small amount too expensive for me.

As regards cooked food, well your microwave is your friend. How difficult would it be to buy a sweet potato, peel it and boil it? Or cook some wholegrain rice? Or toast a bit of wholegrain bred and smear a thin layer of honey ionto it? Or scrambled eggs or the bone from your chicken leg. Or buy some baby corn or mange tout and give straight to your bird. They are claw sized and birds love them. Add stuff like that to a quality seedmix and you will be doing just fine. I understand from people over in the states that something called 'volkmanns' is a very good seedmix. You need to be lookin for something with few or no black or striped sunflower seeds, no nasty wierd colours and lots and lots of different shaped and sized seed.

There are penty of great websites about tellling about all of the ways to feed parrots, including cooking, soaking, etc and they become fun.

You don't have to cook daily for your bird, if you even found a recipe which was simple, llike sweet potatoe boiled, mashed and fed warm, you could do it once a week as a treat couldn't you? Finding ways to feed your bird is certainly cheaper and easier than keep buying expensive pellets and throwing them away. Your bird knows what he was designed by nature to eat, let him tell you.

 

http://www.birdcareco.com/English/Arts/Pet_arts/PelletsOrSeed/POS.html

http://www.qi-whiz.com/pu/pellet.html

http://www.abbaseed.com/Breeders/Tips_2/tips_2.html

http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww38eii.htm