Caique Diet and Treat Quantity

[Ozarkarts]

Hello,

I have had my two baby caiques (Dobby and Winky) now for just over two months - they are nine months old now. In the morning I feed them small bowls of “bean cuisine” (something they had been on in the shop where I bought them) and also a parrot chop mix (recipe from Birdtricks). I usually add some extra cut up carrots and colored bell peppers (they LOVE bell peppers!). In the mid-afternoon I give them a small amount of cut up berries (blueberries, red raspberries, blackberries), corn (cut from the cob), and sometimes small bits of pineapple, orange, and cantaloupe. In the late afternoon I give them a mix of pellets from Birdtricks, Topps and Kaytee “Nutrisoft” pellets (which they were also fed at the shop - and LOVE, btw.). Throughout the day, I give them small pieces of nuts (during training and sometimes just because they love them). They love walnuts, but most of all pecans.

My main question is, how many nuts (pecans for example) is OK to give these each bird during the day? At this point, I would say they average between 1 - 2 halves of a pecan each per day - is that too much to give them? Also, please let me know if you see any other “red flags” in the other food I give them. They are very active and playful birds and spend at least 6-hours a day out of their (very large) cage playing, so they get a lot of exercise but at this point they cannot fly yet because their wings were clipped at the shop.

Thanks,

Brittany

 

[Ozarkarts]

Oops, sorry the birds just turned 8-months old, not 9-months…!

 

[expressmailtome]

I know that caiques are a high energy species, but I am unsure of how much fat that they can have, especially not knowing the rest of your specific birds caloric intake as well as their activity levels. @Irishj9 may know the general answer for your question though.

 

[CrazyKozmo]

I would probably reduce the amount of nuts given daily. Maybe 1/4 to 1/2 nut per bird. Make it a high value treat. Sometimes offering mine a bit of walnut is the only way I can get some cooperation. I've had a quaker develop a fatty tumor...I want to avoid that with my caiques.
Cute birds

 

[Irishj9]

If you let their feathers grow you can give nuts liberally.

Unlike most other birds, caiques have a very high tolerance for fats, and burn off excess weight really fast , IF YOU LET THEM FLY. ( my rants on bird clipping are well known, please dont start me off)

Their feathers shine because theyre waterproof
They are waterproof because the birds spread oil on them from their preen gland under the tail
Where can they get oil if they have no fats in their diet?

Again I sometimes withhold nuts because the birds value them so much. They become your special friend for encouraging good beheaviour, not just an everyday routine foodstuff.
At other times I provide nut feasts and the babies go WILD. Its PARTAAAAY TIIIIME

BUT ALL MY BIRDS FLY

 

[Ozarkarts]

If you let their feathers grow you can give nuts liberally.

Unlike most other birds, caiques have a very high tolerance for fats, and burn off excess weight really fast , IF YOU LET THEM FLY. ( my rants on bird clipping are well known, please dont start me off)

Their feathers shine because theyre waterproof
They are waterproof because the birds spread oil on them from their preen gland under the tail
Where can they get oil if they have no fats in their diet?

Again I sometimes withhold nuts because the birds value them so much. They become your special friend for encouraging good beheaviour, not just an everyday routine foodstuff.
At other times I provide nut feasts and the babies go WILD. Its PARTAAAAY TIIIIME

BUT ALL MY BIRDS FLY

Thanks for the advice. I totally agree on the wing-clipping thing - birds were meant to fly and I certainly won’t take that away from them. When their feathers grow in I plan to teach them to fly to me, both on the level and down to me. Birds have no trouble ascending but have to learn to descend, so it is important to teach them to fly down to you in case they get loose and fly up into a tree. Of course, I do NOT ever plan to have that happen, but we all have nightmares about that because it does sometimes happen. Training them to fly to me could possibly help in that situation but depending on the circumstances it may not either. Using nuts to entice them to fly to you could also possibly help (if they are still in sight anyway).

As for the amount of nuts I will feed them, I will do my best to give them around 1/2 of a full pecan a day. If you think this is too much until they start flying please let me know. So far they have not gained weight at least…

Thanks again,

Brittany

 

[wwolff]

It sounds like you are providing your caiques with a varied and nutritious diet, which is great! As for nuts, it's important to remember that nuts are high in fat and should be given in moderation. Pecans are a good source of protein and healthy fats, but it's best to limit their intake to a few pieces per week. One or two halves of a pecan each per day is probably okay, but it's important not to overdo it. It's also a good idea to offer them some dark, leafy greens like kale or spinach for added vitamins and minerals.