Hello! To preface this post, I would like to first start off by listing my darlings' eating habits. I have two senegal parrots - one male (5 years old), and one female (4 years old). They are currently feeding on a pelleted diet (Zupreem Large Bird FruitBlend, mixed with ~20% Naturals) that is supplemented daily with fresh fruits and veggies. Peanuts and papayas are among some of their favorite treats, but I never have them out and available in their cage. Nutriberries serve as my in-cage treat.
They each have their own cage, both filled to the brim with toys and foraging opportunities. As a surprise to absolutely no one, they love it! They have one standard dowel perch (I plan to replace them soon), three rope perches (where they spend most of their time), and two natural therapeutic perches. There are no sand/concrete perches. What are your opinions on sand/concrete perches, by the way? I have my birds' nails trimmed at my vet, and I don't mind spending the money. I was just curious as to whether or not it served any benefits, or if they ultimately committed more harm than good.
Anyway, my male comes from a rescue, and he's always been at a perfectly healthy weight. Right now, he's sporting a good 150ish grams. My female, on the other hand? She was adopted from an individual, and most commonly alternates between 190-200. The average weight for senegal parrots - as far as I've seen from references online - tends to fall between 120-170.
It was clear when I first brought the female home that her original owner must have inundated her with unacceptable treats. Why did I come to this conclusion? Well, in the travel cage that she was sent home with, there was a cup of human-grade popcorn resting at the bottom of the cage - I didn't notice what it was before I left. She was also overweight when I put her on the scale. Like many parrots, she vied for whatever food that I was eating. She would go out of her way to climb down from her bird stand, walk across the room, climb up the couch, and try to lean into my plate.
Since she's lived with me for several months now, she has come to learn that I will not offer her anything that I'm eating. However, despite her changed eating habits, she has maintained that same weight. Is 20-30 grams overweight unacceptable? If so, what steps should I take to make my baby healthier? Also, I do intend to get her checked out by the vet, but he's currently away on a research trip for the month. Just looking for some general suggestions. Thanks!
They each have their own cage, both filled to the brim with toys and foraging opportunities. As a surprise to absolutely no one, they love it! They have one standard dowel perch (I plan to replace them soon), three rope perches (where they spend most of their time), and two natural therapeutic perches. There are no sand/concrete perches. What are your opinions on sand/concrete perches, by the way? I have my birds' nails trimmed at my vet, and I don't mind spending the money. I was just curious as to whether or not it served any benefits, or if they ultimately committed more harm than good.
Anyway, my male comes from a rescue, and he's always been at a perfectly healthy weight. Right now, he's sporting a good 150ish grams. My female, on the other hand? She was adopted from an individual, and most commonly alternates between 190-200. The average weight for senegal parrots - as far as I've seen from references online - tends to fall between 120-170.
It was clear when I first brought the female home that her original owner must have inundated her with unacceptable treats. Why did I come to this conclusion? Well, in the travel cage that she was sent home with, there was a cup of human-grade popcorn resting at the bottom of the cage - I didn't notice what it was before I left. She was also overweight when I put her on the scale. Like many parrots, she vied for whatever food that I was eating. She would go out of her way to climb down from her bird stand, walk across the room, climb up the couch, and try to lean into my plate.
Since she's lived with me for several months now, she has come to learn that I will not offer her anything that I'm eating. However, despite her changed eating habits, she has maintained that same weight. Is 20-30 grams overweight unacceptable? If so, what steps should I take to make my baby healthier? Also, I do intend to get her checked out by the vet, but he's currently away on a research trip for the month. Just looking for some general suggestions. Thanks!
