African Gray feeding questions

[Snowghost]

Wow you really did save him. With Walter, outside of him likely being wild caught, he has just been stuck with me. When I first got him very little was really known about nutrition, flight, care etc. I updated his cage with every boyfriend trying to impress me, took him everywhere, and fed him my own way. Which was really a lot of what I ate. Sometimes I just fed him seeds, (I didn’t know any better). Sometimes he ate pellets, ( when they finally came out with decent pellets) sometimes I was lucky that we both had some cheep Mac and cheese. Now that he is older I am worried that I didn’t do enough or that I let him have way too much seed because he is a seed junkie and I wanted to make him happy. Last year I nearly lost him to a hematoma which caused him to lose a good amount of blood. Now I am trying to get him healthy again.

Now its my turn to tell you don't beat yourself up. I had a wild caught White Front Amazon for 25 years. I didn't know any better then, no internet LOL. She was on parrot food, with sunflower seeds, two peanuts a day. I smoked around her and she even lived 7 years beside a wood stove. She was a character, an old bf taught her to fly to him and take a peanut out of his mouth. That was as close as I ever got to her. NO stepping up. But boy she loved to rock with me, I would crank up Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf. She would scream her bloody head off in delight. Everyone loved her. She started to slow down, I figure it was age, it go to she couldn't fly to the top of the bedroom door. I took her the vet, bad news, crystals on her kidney's and severe gout. I could keep her alive at the bottom of a padded cage and on meds. I knew when I called the vet I wouldn't be bringing her back home. I still tear up. She was my best budd. Her illness/death brought me to this site. My vet was amazing, he had been in a car accident but was still taking care of birds, he hugged me and encourage me to sit next to Bugsy and say good bye. She was a co-workers parrot and they didn't like each other. She was neglected. The vet said that he could tell that Bugsy led a very happy healthy life, can't switch a wild caught birds diet. My friends husband named her after a fighter since they thought she was a male. With internet I found out he was a she but the name stuck. She will live forever in my heart. I estimated she was probably at least 50 if not more when I had to help her cross the rainbow bridge. I had plans to give her to my son-in -law when I passed, they loved each other. So enjoy your feathered friend. It's so nice to make friends on this forum.

 

[Darklotus555]

Fear in CAGs is not uncommon. Sangria was afraid to come out of her cage. She was afraid of anything new near her cage. You need to desensitize them to something new. With Sangria, I formed a trust bond. It took almost a year. I was severely afraid of her. Small birds have small breaks, and hurt when they bite you. I couldn't imagine being bitten by such a large beak. After a year of interacting with her, I finally was like, "if I get bit, I get bit." I overcame my fear. Its the same with birds. I decided to show her how to play with toys. I hung a new toy on the outside, outer end of her cage. I would come in the room, and talk to Sangria. Then I would play with the toy...making it fun, and saying "yay!!". And I would laugh and clap. I moved the toy closer to her cage door, repeating my playing with it. I moved the toy onto her cage door a bit later, repeating the process. I walked in one day, and there she was, playing with the toy. I played with her and the toy, again, saying "yay!", and clapping, and having fun.
I got her another new toy. I hung it near the other toy, outside the cage. I would play with the first toy, then the new toy. It didn't take long for her to start playing with both toys. I always repeated "toy" to let her know a name for what these strange things were.
She now has several new toys, and no longer has a fear of new toys if I introduce it as "a toy", and show her it is fun.
Fear of a new food is the same thing. You have to associate it with something they are familiar with. If your bird will eat from your hand, place 1 new food with its regular food. Let them watch you eat it, say "mmmm!!!", and ASK them if they want some. Do not try to force it. It may take a VERY long time, but eventually, they will try it because they are curious.
Always ask a bird to do anything. Use phrases like "do you want to step up?". "Do you want a treat?" "Can I have a kiss?", "do you want to play?" Always give your bird a choice.
I don't know if I answered this, but organic red palm oil can be purchased on Amazon.
A lot of behavioral issues can be corrected by diet. Food affects your birds central nervous system.
We all want our birds to be healthy, happy, and we want to give them the best life we can. They are our "babies". We want them to feel safe, and loved. We have to address issues one step at a time.

May 10, 2021

youtube.com

 

[Shannan]

Now its my turn to tell you don't beat yourself up. I had a wild caught White Front Amazon for 25 years. I didn't know any better then, no internet LOL. She was on parrot food, with sunflower seeds, two peanuts a day. I smoked around her and she even lived 7 years beside a wood stove. She was a character, an old bf taught her to fly to him and take a peanut out of his mouth. That was as close as I ever got to her. NO stepping up. But boy she loved to rock with me, I would crank up Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf. She would scream her bloody head off in delight. Everyone loved her. She started to slow down, I figure it was age, it go to she couldn't fly to the top of the bedroom door. I took her the vet, bad news, crystals on her kidney's and severe gout. I could keep her alive at the bottom of a padded cage and on meds. I knew when I called the vet I wouldn't be bringing her back home. I still tear up. She was my best budd. Her illness/death brought me to this site. My vet was amazing, he had been in a car accident but was still taking care of birds, he hugged me and encourage me to sit next to Bugsy and say good bye. She was a co-workers parrot and they didn't like each other. She was neglected. The vet said that he could tell that Bugsy led a very happy healthy life, can't switch a wild caught birds diet. My friends husband named her after a fighter since they thought she was a male. With internet I found out he was a she but the name stuck. She will live forever in my heart. I estimated she was probably at least 50 if not more when I had to help her cross the rainbow bridge. I had plans to give her to my son-in -law when I passed, they loved each other. So enjoy your feathered friend. It's so nice to make friends on this forum.

Bugsy sounds like a character. How did you know that he was a she? Walter has some behaviors which I think lean towards female but I am not sure as Walter has Never laid an egg. When Walter is strong and healthy enough I will try to find out but I don't want to do anything to risk his health and I haven't had the answer for 38 years so why not wait. Anyway, Your Bugsy reminds me a little of a Nanday I rescued. We called her Tuffstuff because she was one tough bird. I got her because my aunt found her on the front porch in a small cage in 28 degree F. temp. I remember the phone call like yesterday. She brought her into a car and slowly warmed her up. When I got her I realized that her feet were probably frost bite. She had apparently lived in the small cage with only one dowel perch that was too small for her. She could not open her feet up. I have no idea how old she was. I really worked on her feet, good diet (well as much as we knew back than). She could not hold her treats so I put a treat clip on the side of her cage to hold her treats. I went out of town for a weekend and when I came back, I noticed blood on the cage (of course on a Sunday Evening). Thankfully I did have a vet who treated birds (I was taking care of an eagle at the time so I knew him. ) She had apparently fallen onto the clip. We treated her with antibiotics and she seemed to be getting better but when the antibiotics ended, she turned quickly and sadly died in my arms (of course on a Sunday). If I ever get another bird, I would love a Nanday.

 

[Snowghost]

Bugsy sounds like a character. How did you know that he was a she? Walter has some behaviors which I think lean towards female but I am not sure as Walter has Never laid an egg. When Walter is strong and healthy enough I will try to find out but I don't want to do anything to risk his health and I haven't had the answer for 38 years so why not wait. Anyway, Your Bugsy reminds me a little of a Nanday I rescued. We called her Tuffstuff because she was one tough bird. I got her because my aunt found her on the front porch in a small cage in 28 degree F. temp. I remember the phone call like yesterday. She brought her into a car and slowly warmed her up. When I got her I realized that her feet were probably frost bite. She had apparently lived in the small cage with only one dowel perch that was too small for her. She could not open her feet up. I have no idea how old she was. I really worked on her feet, good diet (well as much as we knew back than). She could not hold her treats so I put a treat clip on the side of her cage to hold her treats. I went out of town for a weekend and when I came back, I noticed blood on the cage (of course on a Sunday Evening). Thankfully I did have a vet who treated birds (I was taking care of an eagle at the time so I knew him. ) She had apparently fallen onto the clip. We treated her with antibiotics and she seemed to be getting better but when the antibiotics ended, she turned quickly and sadly died in my arms (of course on a Sunday). If I ever get another bird, I would love a Nanday.

The male White Front Amazon has red on the outer edge of their flight feathers, Bugsy did not. You gave your Nanday a great life. When Bugsy was gone I couldn't stand the silence, I raised my two girls alone and then I had Bugsy left, I had no one to feed or take care of. WOW talk about empty "nest" syndrome. The cashier I got her from had been telling me she was looking for a home for her CAG she couldn't take care it like she wanted to. I was terrified of that big big he is a lot bigger then an amazon. When I met him I couldn't leave him there, he was in such sad conditions. I have had my doubts sometimes, he takes a lot of work but the fun times we have and the way he cracks me up is worth it. People don't get bird people they will never understand how much fun and a close friend they can be. Bugsy never laid an egg either. I think their environment might trigger egg laying not sure.

 

[Snowghost]

Fear in CAGs is not uncommon. Sangria was afraid to come out of her cage. She was afraid of anything new near her cage. You need to desensitize them to something new. With Sangria, I formed a trust bond. It took almost a year. I was severely afraid of her. Small birds have small breaks, and hurt when they bite you. I couldn't imagine being bitten by such a large beak. After a year of interacting with her, I finally was like, "if I get bit, I get bit." I overcame my fear. Its the same with birds. I decided to show her how to play with toys. I hung a new toy on the outside, outer end of her cage. I would come in the room, and talk to Sangria. Then I would play with the toy...making it fun, and saying "yay!!". And I would laugh and clap. I moved the toy closer to her cage door, repeating my playing with it. I moved the toy onto her cage door a bit later, repeating the process. I walked in one day, and there she was, playing with the toy. I played with her and the toy, again, saying "yay!", and clapping, and having fun.
I got her another new toy. I hung it near the other toy, outside the cage. I would play with the first toy, then the new toy. It didn't take long for her to start playing with both toys. I always repeated "toy" to let her know a name for what these strange things were.
She now has several new toys, and no longer has a fear of new toys if I introduce it as "a toy", and show her it is fun.
Fear of a new food is the same thing. You have to associate it with something they are familiar with. If your bird will eat from your hand, place 1 new food with its regular food. Let them watch you eat it, say "mmmm!!!", and ASK them if they want some. Do not try to force it. It may take a VERY long time, but eventually, they will try it because they are curious.
Always ask a bird to do anything. Use phrases like "do you want to step up?". "Do you want a treat?" "Can I have a kiss?", "do you want to play?" Always give your bird a choice.
I don't know if I answered this, but organic red palm oil can be purchased on Amazon.
A lot of behavioral issues can be corrected by diet. Food affects your birds central nervous system.
We all want our birds to be healthy, happy, and we want to give them the best life we can. They are our "babies". We want them to feel safe, and loved. We have to address issues one step at a time.

May 10, 2021

youtube.com

How would I feed the palm oil to him? I just placed an Amazon order and didn't get it. I might see if wallyworld has it. He has come a long way. He would bite any chance he could when I changed his bowls, so I would make sure he had his "goodies" can't bite with a full beak! Not only did he bite, but he would twist the skin on my forearm and let me tell you it hurt. I don't even remember how it started but I say "scootch" over and now he slides over so I can get his bowls. In the last two weeks he will now give me a kiss, he leans over and touches his beak to my nose. I will keep at it with the toys. He is back to enjoying his spray bottle showers, I let the mist fall down over him and he has 3 wing feathers coming in, finally!

Thank you for your tips. Keep up the good work!

 

[Toy]

How would I feed the palm oil to him? I just placed an Amazon order and didn't get it. I might see if wallyworld has it. He has come a long way. He would bite any chance he could when I changed his bowls, so I would make sure he had his "goodies" can't bite with a full beak! Not only did he bite, but he would twist the skin on my forearm and let me tell you it hurt. I don't even remember how it started but I say "scootch" over and now he slides over so I can get his bowls. In the last two weeks he will now give me a kiss, he leans over and touches his beak to my nose. I will keep at it with the toys. He is back to enjoying his spray bottle showers, I let the mist fall down over him and he has 3 wing feathers coming in, finally!

Thank you for your tips. Keep up the good work!

This one shows it's in stock: https://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Red-Palm-Oil-15/dp/B00IMQC78C

It will turn solid at temps below 70. Either way just stir it into his food.

 

[Shannan]

Ok, so I have been poking around the web and found this link. Any thoughts on this? The person seems to be well respected in her field. (I found her through this forum). I just get so frustrated as to what is right for Walter. no veggie diet. I guess on the other hand no one is absolutely sure exactly what is right....

 

[Snowghost]

This one shows it's in stock: https://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Red-Palm-Oil-15/dp/B00IMQC78C

It will turn solid at temps below 70. Either way just stir it into his food.

Food? I give him three things, Lafeber's Nutri Berries, warm veggies twice a day and he has a bowl of Higgins California seed blend. Below 70? Yikes!

 

[Snowghost]

Ok, so I have been poking around the web and found this link. Any thoughts on this? The person seems to be well respected in her field. (I found her through this forum). I just get so frustrated as to what is right for Walter. no veggie diet. I guess on the other hand no one is absolutely sure exactly what is right....

Never heard of not feeding a parrot veggies, maybe only veggies?

 

[Darklotus555]

Nutri-berries are a very well liked product with bird owners. But they are horrible for your birds. They are a respected company, no doubt, but they are extremely expensive, and my birds won't touch any of their products.
Its your bird, your choice. Feed them whatever you want. I love my birds and want them to he healthy, and live a long life without pain, diseases, behavioral issues, hormonal problems, or plucking.
Btw, congratulations with the progress you have made with Walter.
Red palm oil can be microwaved. I mix it in the chop, and slightly warm the chop before serving.
You may want to google "the most genetically engendered products", "peanuts and parrots", and "the worst GMO products on the market".

 

[Snowghost]

I feed Paco nutri berries and I have researched their products. What makes you feel they are so horrible for birds? I can't add red palm oil to chop since Paco won't eat it.

 

[Shannan]

I went through a period where I tried Nutriberries. Walter liked them but then he had some sort of reaction to them and was regurgitating so I took him off. I thought I had a bad batch so I tried months later. Same reaction. Not sure but I think he may be reacting to peanuts so I don’t give him anything with peanuts. Haven’t had another reaction. I have increased his veggies and my philosophy has been to rotate his type of pellets with the idea that we still have limited research on what these senior parrots need. Thankfully he is pretty adaptable as far as food choices. He eats a lot of what I eat mainly because with only one bird, making something special is a lot of work for two tablespoons. So I have just had to force myself to eat more veggies.

 

[Shannan]

I think nutrberries are a great choice for most birds. I might try some without peanuts, I guess what I am saying is that until more research is done what they should be fed is just an educated guess.

 

[Snowghost]

I went through a period where I tried Nutriberries. Walter liked them but then he had some sort of reaction to them and was regurgitating so I took him off. I thought I had a bad batch so I tried months later. Same reaction. Not sure but I think he may be reacting to peanuts so I don’t give him anything with peanuts. Haven’t had another reaction. I have increased his veggies and my philosophy has been to rotate his type of pellets with the idea that we still have limited research on what these senior parrots need. Thankfully he is pretty adaptable as far as food choices. He eats a lot of what I eat mainly because with only one bird, making something special is a lot of work for two tablespoons. So I have just had to force myself to eat more veggies.

I really don't think Paco eats that much of them. I am using them as a stepping stone to pellets. I had him on Roudy Bush pellets and I made the mistake of getting a smaller size and he was off of them. Grrr, this guy can drive me crazy. I have been watching his diet. He pretty much tosses the berries out to get to pumpkin seeds, he's a freak over them. I know he nibbles on the berries, don't think he has ever ate a whole one. I also have him on Higgins Safflower Seed, California diet. It has some kind of pellet in it, looks like cat food, but he doesn't eat much of it, mostly the safflower. Again I don't see a lot of seed hulls at the bottom of his cage with either food. He loves his warm broccoli, peas and carrots, not carrots so much. We have moved up to sweet potato, fresh string beans and squash mixed it the potato. Of course he loves banana's, apples and grapes, he is picky so sometimes they just get thrown at me. He is 24 I'm not sure when a parrot is considered a senior.

 

[Shannan]

Walter was on Higgins Safflower for years. It sounds like Paco has an excellent diet just with what he is already willing to eat. According to my vet, 24 is senior and if he looks good, is happy, then I think you have the right diet for HIM. Interestingly, Walter went through a phase where he sorted out the Zoopreem fruit. He would eat only the purple and throw the rest, then he switched to the bananas, etc. Thats when I started adding some Higgins because it was obvious that he was BORED with his diet. He did finally stop that after a break from that pellet. He would even stack them into piles.

 

[Snowghost]

Walter was on Higgins Safflower for years. It sounds like Paco has an excellent diet just with what he is already willing to eat. According to my vet, 24 is senior and if he looks good, is happy, then I think you have the right diet for HIM. Interestingly, Walter went through a phase where he sorted out the Zoopreem fruit. He would eat only the purple and throw the rest, then he switched to the bananas, etc. Thats when I started adding some Higgins because it was obvious that he was BORED with his diet. He did finally stop that after a break from that pellet. He would even stack them into piles.

Oh I agree with boredom. He finally got sick of the broccoli after two years so I stopped and he is back to liking them. Zupreem has a lot of sugar, but I haven't looked at the natural ones. Too funny stacking pellets into piles! Right now I'm trying to get Paco to play with a new toy as I type this. I will continue to improve his diet and offer a variety. Like my vet has said when they have spent 20 years on a crappy diet of seed its hard to get them off it. At least Paco is doing far better then Bugsy my Amazon. I couldn't get that bird to eat a healthy diet if I starved her.