How do I know if Paco is getting enough to eat?

[Snowghost]

I did use one that someone posted here but it came out grey looking and mushy???

 

[Mizzely]

Anyone have a recipe for birdie bread? I tried egg cakes from here and they didn't turn out right.

I cheat

I use Harrison's Bird Bread or Momma's Bird Bread. Bird Breads

 

[Clueless]

I cheat

I use Harrison's Bird Bread or Momma's Bird Bread. Bird Breads

Yeah, my kind of person!

I did use one that someone posted here but it came out grey looking and mushy???

Did it need to be baked longer?

 

[Snowghost]

I followed her directions 35 minutes at 350, it was an egg cake.

 

[Snowghost]

So I gave him his favorite sweet potato, nope off it goes to the floor. I guess I'll have to start giving him vitamins.

 

[BertAllen]

I've never seen a bird starve itself. If it is in good health I'd say it's trying to train you for it's desert first.
Put out a good quality pellet food and it's other foods and leave him to it.
He will eat it.

 

[Snowghost]

He won't touch a pellet. I've tried soaking them in apple juice. I don't understand, desert first?

 

[Snowghost]

Bird breads are out of stock

 

[Clueless]

Senior nutriberries?

 

[BertAllen]

I don't understand, desert first?

Tinker always likes foods he shouldn't have a lot of, like sunflower seeds. That's what I call desert foods.
He will do anything to get them.

 

[BertAllen]

Bird breads are out of stock

Make your own that's what many do.

Look here and you will find lots of info.
Feathered Food Court | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum

 

[BertAllen]

Tinker eats this everyday. He gets a 1" square.
Parrot Muffins Recipe


Thought I'd share my recipe for parrot muffins for anyone who's interested, my girls love them!

2 very ripe bananas
1 jar of vegetable baby food
2 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp red palm oil
1 egg (with crushed shell)
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup water
1 cup pellets
1/2 cup almonds
2 cups corn bread mix (from bulk barn)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tap baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl:
Mash bananas
Add baby food, oils, egg and water and honey. Blend with mixer until smooth
Powderize (not a real word) egg shell, almonds and pellets in a blender
Slowly add dry ingredients while mixing

Grease mini muffin tin, fill each cup about 2/3 full and bake for 15-20 min or until toothpick comes out clean
(You can also make in a shallow cake pan and cut into squares)

My girls get 1/2 a muffin each per day as a treat. Enjoy!

I also give him a square of this one everyday. He would eat all of it in one sitting if given the chance.

The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds
½ cup / 90g flax seeds
½ cup / 65g hazelnuts or almonds
1 ½ cups / 145g rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil or ghee
1 ½ cups / 350ml water

Directions:
1. In a flexible, silicon loaf pan combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it it.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).
4. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!

 

[Hawk12237]

I've searched forums before posting and didn't see anything. I give him veggies and fruit in the morning and at 6 at night. Took him off the Harts Parrot diet food and now gets Nutri Berries twice a day in addition to crumbled up Avi Cakes and a little of Harvest Parrot food, has a variety of seeds, no sunflower. He just acts like he could eat all day or is this normal?

Do they get bored with the same veggies? I try to switch it up with carrots, green pepper, red pepper and corn on the cob. Now he tosses everything. I'm running out of veggies to try. Won't go near leafy greens, peas, string beans or pellets.

He did like bananas and now tosses them. Will eat apple. One frustrated bird mom right now.

Road trip went well, perch fell once when I had to hit brakes to avoid accident, I hate NOVA traffic, but he got back right on perch. He did better then I did. Don't think I want to do that route again. He even learned when I said bump bump he knew we were getting a little rough road. I did slow down too.

I personally never seen a bird starve itself...if that happens then there's an under lying issue. They can refuse food, turn their noses up, but to starve, never seen it happen.
How do you tell if a bird had enough to eat..??...
well my grey will burp if I ask him if he had enough yum yum.....wonder where he learned that from....oh...must be me.!!

 

[manuelcalavera]

This is my question as well. Specially now that I don't give formula to Kido anymore. What I look, is her poop. I expect regular poop and big ones in the morning. She has 24/7 food around her. Sunflower seeds in one container, mix seeds in another, one container is veggies (Broccoli, Sweet pepper, etc), once container is for fruits (Strawberries, cherries, mango, etc.) and one for apples (Yes, she loves apple that much, although the appetite changes a lot).
But still, I don't know if she eats enough food or not.

 

[BertAllen]

Get a scale and weigh her after the big morning poop. Keep a record of it.

 

[Arno]

I weigh my fids every 3rd morning so that i can pick up on a sudden weight drop seeing as birds hide illness very well.

I also weigh their food and give +-15% of their body weight for each meal except for the night time healty seed snack thats just a spoon full nothing more.

Started chopping my birds food into small pieces so thay can't decide what to eat and what not

 

[Clueless]

Secret likes small pieces of red pepper. They will eat carrots better if they're a thin strip.

They like chop because it's a variety.

They're just . . . unique . . . little feathered buddies.

 

[Rain Bow]

Maybe he'd enjoy working for food.

Buddy's been getting into Paper pecans. Mom does have to help a little. Probably be a piece of cake for a grey tho.


Paper-Shell Pecans - By the Pound - Nuts.com

I'm not sure w/ it for a grey, if you'll need to crack the shell or not.

I'm waiting for my Unapproved Vendor's bits. That's Marsha's version of pellets. She also has balls which I believe mine are coming in my order after that. I can let you know how they go over. It's second to fresh, in my opinion.

Maybe there's just general boredom. After 6 years, maybe he's really ready to work w/ you. I'm so glad he's finally outta the cage. For the foods that he doesn't like have you tried eating them w/ him?

I don't know much about a Grey's diet. I wish I could be more help.

I use a kitchen scale w/ tape on the chrome part to weigh Buddy.

 

[Snowghost]

I'm at my wits end, now he won't eat any veggies. I've tried pasta, and everything else. I guess he won't starve to death.

 

[Clueless]

I'm at my wits end, now he won't eat any veggies. I've tried pasta, and everything else. I guess he won't starve to death.

Try cutting different. Strip, chop fine, chop coarse, include cooked quinoa (I use organic tri color)