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Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips

Monica

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I recommend Apple Cider Vinegar or Citric Acid over GSE.
 

quazy4quakers

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Olivia, if you can, go for dye-free, sugar-free pellets. Petco typically carries Roudybush.

If you are having problems converting Macho to eating pellets, you can try making the "pellet paste" (to be made into "pellet nutriballs" or "pellet cakes" with seed) and you don't want to use dyes for that! I've also noticed that dyes may result in runny droppings and may cause discoloration of feces. Because of dyes, it may make it harder to determine if you have a sick bird. If a bird has blood in their droppings, depending on where the blood is within the digestive system it can come out either red or black in the feces. It can even turn feces brown. Sick birds may also have an unhealthy green tinge to their droppings and birds with liver failure may have yellow urine.

You might also want to do a search on Ethoxyquin. It is used as a preservative in the Kaytee food.

Would Nutriberries work? I am heading out to the pet store later today, maybe get a new cage! :excited1: :excited1:(Keep CALM!!!) :excited1:
I have enough current food to gradually switch over, and Macho is not really picky at all. Thanks! :starshower:
 

Monica

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Sorry for the extremely late reply! Most people view Nutriberries treats, not many people use them as the base of a diet, although you can!

I have my Jayde eating Nutriberries as part of her diet, although she gets them every other day, with pellets on the days she doesn't get Nutrbiberries.
 

quazy4quakers

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ok thanks :)
 

msplantladi

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Stubborn doesn't even come close to describing my two macaws-one will at least dry new foods, the other throws everything out of her bowl or if she is really disgusted she dumps the whole bowl-so frustrating . All of the parrot mixtures I have tried always have such small seed, my birds just waste that.I have tried pellets dry/soaked..no go. I was so happy when one of the birds started liking more fruit a few weeks ago-that didn't last long-I love my birds and will keep trying but it sure gets expensive & does try my patience's.
 

krupali

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Wow thank you so much, Monica! I've already learned alot from your thread! I'm going to try these method and see if they make any difference in my birds' diet :)
 

jducky426

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Thank you for the tips @Monica! I tried the morning feed method on all the parrots and it worked! They were all eating the fresh foods the first day. :) They have seen fresh foods before but that particular trick worked. They don't eat it all but the fact they are eating fresh food is just so awesome. I will do this from now on!
 

Monica

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That's awesome Jami that it worked! :D Sometimes we just have to try things differently to get our birds to try something new or do a behavior! :)
 

jducky426

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I think I saw this on the conure thread somewhere but I will also always out stubburn those little birds when it comes to their health! lol :p
 

Bokkapooh

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Stubborn doesn't even coThey woclose to describing my two macaws-one will at least dry new foods, the other throws everything out of her bowl or if she is really disgusted she dumps the whole bowl-so frustrating . All of the parrot mixtures I have tried always have such small seed, my birds just waste that.I have tried pellets dry/soaked..no go. I was so happy when one of the birds started liking more fruit a few weeks ago-that didn't last long-I love my birds and will keep trying but it sure gets expensive & does try my patience's.
Take the seed and nuts completely away and only offer for 1 hour at night. They wont starve and will try pellets and new foods because their junk food isn't available to them. Be patient, dont waver and you will persevere.
 

Rashmi_S

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Wow Monica, that was something. Answers to every question I asked in my thread to be honest :-D

Since my options are limited I'll start with the pellet powder and see how this one takes it.

Fingers crossed and much love,
 

Rashmi_S

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Hi Monica,

Day2 : this is left untouched :-(

He's always excited when I take his tray, fill millets and place it back so usually paces on perch and then comes down to eat. However since two days no matter how hard I tried, he comes down to check food and goes back.

I guess he's on a hunger strike since two days and really very hungry :'(

I ground ZuPreem into powder and made it a soft, eatable format by adding some water so he could just dig his beak in and have it easily.

Thanks and much love,
 

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Rashmi_S

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Oh and I added some millets in it and mixed well in order to attract him but no good :-(
 

Monica

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You might need to up the amount of seeds for a bit. Keep trying and make sure he's eating every day!
 

Rashmi_S

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I did. He didn't even sniff at it. Honestly what kinda parrot doesn't go near bell peppers? He doesn't. What kinda parrot doesn't like fruits? He doesn't.

Now this.

Uh :-( I can't force him he'll just nip at me real hard if I try. I've even lifted him from his perch and made him sit on the tray to indicate he should eat. He's just too stubborn with those hormones.

Thanks and much love,
 

Monica

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Tomi Girl, a cockatiel I took in that was near death didn't even know what millet was... and it was spray millet, the kind on a stick.


Many parrots don't know that fresh foods are food. It would be like someone handing you a plate of crickets, meal worms, tarantulas, balut and maybe even iguana and expecting you to eat it when you've never eaten these foods in your life. People *DO* eat them, but I know I'd have a hard time trying unfamiliar food!
 

Rashmi_S

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Hahaha that was something Monica! Luckily I don't have to go through That trouble.

Anyway, look what I came home to see ! ;-)

Well apparently two days of completely fasting your tiny body does that to you.

Although I don't expect to see that empty in next 10m, Am I Happy!


Thanks a ton and much much love,
 

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Monica

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Glad he's eating! Please try to avoid starving him if you can, though. It's better to provide new foods for one or two hours in the morning then switching to their regular food. Birds have fast metabolisms so they need to eat every day.
 

Rashmi_S

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I hate starving him too but I'm not home those hours to change his food. I saw him eat again now, so less worried :)

Thanks and much love,
 

Rashmi_S

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Hey guys,

Sorry I've been away for ages. Work's been hectic.

I'm more than happy to let you all know that my recent experiment with him crushed pellets only worked. He now eats pellets (since the last three days) even if there aren't any millets with them.

Having said this I am going to try veggies only for the next couple of days. Once he likes them, I'll start with the seeds, pellets + veggies diet.

Fingers crossed to me ;-)

Thanks again and much love,
 
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