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Over the moon happy! Yeah Paco!

Snowghost

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I had a few tame ones, a sky blue one would fly to my hand when I wiggled my thumb. Keets are quite characters. I never really bothered to tame them since the ones I had were skittish. They are cute little guys and I'm sure with time and patience he will come around. Thanks
@BertAllen
 

Fergus Mom

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Oh Lawsy if you guys could see the silly grin on my face! Takes so little to make me happy when it comes to that bird.

Oh I can SO relate! :D So proud of your little guy for sitting there so bravely and not biting or lunging!
Bet this progress will continue. Oh, and yes, we'd love to see that silly grin too! :D
 

Clueless

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He's quite beautiful
 

Snowghost

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Ok I need some advise guys. My temp job ends Friday, Paco still likes his seed. I give him a sprinkle of pumpkin and he picks out the sunflower and safflower. The rest he won't touch, red pepper, banana etc. What is a good quality food I can buy that I don"t have to spend an arm and leg on for shipping and handling? He isn't eating the pellets but will eat nutri berries.
 

Clueless

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My guys eat roudybush pellets (medium). If you check out places like petsmart, the stores will match the price they offer online.

In the beginning, they were going between zupreem (natural) and roudybush. I gave them a little of each.

First though, write the manufacturer's and ask for samples. See what he likes.
 

Clueless

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Sorry, reach out to them online.
 

BertAllen

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@Clueless I already reached out to all of the manufacturers 7 months ago when I first got him. Not one single response. Sigh......
Same here in Canada.
Do you have a bulk barn or something like it that you can buy different grains etc and mix your own?
 

Rain Bow

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The answer to quality food that won't cost a million $: The food that's in season or one where the grocery normally carries it for things like roasts & you maybe surprise @ what they'll eat. Buddy loves cooked cabbage (green) but wouldn't eat the purple kind that's in some salads. Then one day out of the blue, he just started eating the purple. Loves carrots raw, but I boiled some tonight & he wouldn't touch until I gave him a small chunk off the bigger piece in his bowl. So when we talk about cut we're not kidding, one day one way & nothing, immediately give same exact thing as a piece a different cut or shape & gone, gone, gone.

As for the seeds, sprout 'um. Safflower & sunflower much healthier sprouted then in there dry form. Even just a nightly (12 hr) soak & then feed will do this. I don't feed nutriberries but I believe they are vitamin & mineral fortifed like a pellet. It looks like you are on the right path. Apples are cheap & I give to Buddy 1-2 times a week. I basically leave grapes to just raisin form now but here & there or in a jam... Ok. I wouldn't give more then 1 fresh a day. A bite or piece of Banana ok. Just more veggies than fruit. If he's eating white potatos, same just a piece every once in awhile. If our body converts it into sugar their body does too. Pumpkins, Winter squash, Sweet potatoes, Peppers, very good. Some species need more of certain things, an Amazon needs the things on that last sentence all the time because they often have very low levels of vitamin A which w/ the exception of Broccoli all the Red,Orange & yellow veggies are high in. For a grey, I'm not aware of any extra things that they need in their diets only what to not give them like additional salts & bad fats. Maybe @Hawk12237 or @BertAllen can comment here.
 

Snowghost

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I just bought Higgins Safflower Gold. He dove right into that. Nutri Berries are expensive so I only give him 4 two times a day. I have seen him nibble on a few pellets. I had bought a bag of something, can't remember now, but it had dried banana chips in it, dried red pepper and hazel nuts, Paco wouldn't touch any of it. He used to like sweet potatoes, bananas, green pepper and broccoli. Now he turns his nose up at it.

He does like grapes sometimes and will eat frozen carrots, sometimes fresh. Size is funny, when I first got him I gave him carrot slices and then I tried sticks and he eats them that way. He likes fresh corn on the cob too.

He won't eat string beans or peas, black beans sometimes if I smash them up with something else. I have chia seeds and sesame seeds and he eats around them.

I'm beyond frustrated. Out of work again and probably no income for at least a month. I will use my savings to pay car payment etc. I just can't afford to experiment with his diet right now.

All in all his feathers are coming in, he has gained a little weight, (I hadn't realize he was a little thin) His eyes are bright and he is happy. I will try and get some good photos of him with my camera instead of cell phone.

How are cucumbers? He goes bats over them, however they do give him watery poo and I try not to give him a lot.

All in all I''m sure he is not starving as he has a healthy appetite.
 

Rain Bow

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Cucumbers are good but lotsa water (always wattery poo). It's possible he has had enough of those 3 or 4 Frts & Veg. Try somethung cheap that you never buy, a new something. Try to make it something you'll eat w/ out all the people food gunk like salt & butter. As an example: A mango maybe. Cut it into cubes & put in bowl. Walk out & eat in front of him & either offer him some or let him sneak over. I ate mine w/ my hands so not to have fork & spoon in mouth then in bowl. Its messy but crazy good for them. It was the first time I actually hot Buddy to try Mango. He :heart:'d it!
 

Snowghost

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Oh we tried Mango, he didn't like it and neither did I, LOL. We tried Pomegranate, he didn't like it, I tasted it and it was sour, same with Kale, it was bitter. He tosses any greens now but will eat canned string beans sometimes. I sneak peas and broccoli in corn bread, he will eat fresh corn on the cob. He eats apples sometimes. When I was working, I left the veggies in cage all day and I could tell he nibbled on squash. His diet isn't as good as some of the parrots on here, but it sure is a lot better then it was.
 

Clueless

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Just FYI, I don't leave fresh veggies out all day. I think I read on here somewhere that it was bad to leave out for long periods.

My guys always have pellets in their cage. That way there is always food available. The nutriberries and fresh foods kind of "come and go" until close to bedtime when I give them a strip of fresh organic red bell pepper that I chop into small pieces.
 

Snowghost

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The house is air conditioned and I only leave firm veggies, such has broccoli, apples or carrots, no soft foods. Not sure what to do about this winter, will cross that bridge when I come to it.
 

Rain Bow

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You may want to use Frozen Veggies this is a great way to add veggies into his diet. I forget about it because Buddy only eats them in Rice. Canned veggies can be high in salt so be careful not to pver do them, I try to opt. for low salt options when they're available.

The frozen are reasonably priced so have @ it. Maybe Paco would like a few frozen floating in his water. Sometimes temperature is just as important as cut. I always heat up anything w/ Lima beans because Parrots cannot have them raw. I forgot the reason why but there is a particular issue w/ Lima beans, which are usually in mixed veggies.

If you are leaving Apples or any fruit w/ the seeds or pits intact, they are toxic. Seeds in apples contain cyanide. Pits in a peach contain a toxin too, I cannot remember if its cyanide or arsinic, @ the moment.
 

Snowghost

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I get sodium free beans, no apple seeds or pits, Paco is not my first parrot, just a different breed. LOL that says enough! I do give him frozen veggies just wasn't sure if they were healthy.
 
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