Shady's having problems

[Tycos_mom]

Now that Shady is in a big bird cage I've put his food in big bird dishes rather than on saucers I did this because he keeps knocking over the saucers and all the food fals through the Grate but I've noticed that he's haveing a little trouble finding his food. do you think he will figure it out on his own I've tryed to show him but he doesn't quite get it I put my Irns cage right next to his because he is just a baby also I'm hoping he will learn from him what do you think. My Indian ring neck is just a year old the end of march.

[cf737]

Are the dishes on the bottom of the cage or in holders on the sides?

[Tycos_mom]

some are on th bottem his seeds and water are in the holder his pellet fruits and veggies are on the bottom.

[cf737]

I've read that it is a bird's instinct to look for food on the ground, and my breeder told me to put Darwin's dishes on the bottom of her cage...however, after watching her and realizing she wasn't eating much in her cage the first few days I moved the dishes up to the holders and she found them immediately. Is there a place Shady normally sits? I would say watch him and see where he spends most of his time, and try putting the food dishes as close to there as possible? I don't have the best advice, I just watched Darwin for a bit and noticed she hardly spent any time on the bottom of the cage.

It also might just take him some time to get used to.

[Eckobird]

Maybe if you put the food on a paper plate at the bottom so he can't knock it over as easily. My baby doesn't knock his bowls over, he tips the bowl but not enough to knock it over. I can't put the food in the upper bowls because he is hardly ever up top.

[Parrotdise]

It's possible that Shady isn't seeing the food in the crocks in they are opaque ceramic. I use transparent quik crocks,next to the regular dished in cages when babies are weaning and newly weaned. Then I put food in the quik crocks and the dishes until they realized there is food in both. After that I take the quik crocks out and watch them to be sure they are eating from the ceramic dishes

[Azzie]

When Cleo moved into her new biiiiig cage, I bought a bright red plastic container that hangs on the side of the cage. The first few days after I filled it with pellets I made sure she was watching me, showed her the pellets and stirred them around with my finger so they rattled. That really got her attention, and I kept rattling whilst I was hanging the container. She very quickly learnt to associate the removal of the red container with its return with some yummies in it. As soon as I remove it now, she's hanging around the space it usually hangs and inspects it the moment it is back in place.

[Tycos_mom]

I have a few of those see through Quick crocks I will try that S/he still spends most of the time on the bottom of her/his cage. The saucers were great when the grate wasn't there but she tends to try and perch on the side of the saucer now and when she does that of course it tips and there goes all the food down under the grate ukk ukk. I put the seeds in the holder so s/he might not find them but s/he had those scoped out right away the good stuff is the stuff she is haveing trouble with. thank goodness she is still haveing a few problems eating seeds and only eat a little bit then get frustrated and gives up