Caique parrot diet

[Legend88]

Hello everyone, so I have two young baby parrots that are 3 and 4months old one is a male black head and the other is a yet to be determined white bellied caique, I was told originally that my WB caique was a male but their was no proof of that meaning no dna text was done so it's a 50/50 percent chance that my WB could be male or female, I got got them both at a very young age while they were still getting hand feeding baby parrot formula intune and exact, They both weaned at around 10 weeks and started trying different things like seed mix and fruits , Their favorite things to eat are apples, blueberries and seed mix, I tried feeding then zupreem fruit blend pellets but they do not like it , I tried carrots they nipple on some of it and waste most of it I have served the carrots to them cooked and raw doesnt make a difference, so my question is I know making apples , blueberries and seed mix their main diet wont be healthy for them in the long run , so to all the caique owners out their please give me some ideas on other healthier foods I can try to feed the caiques that they might like..

Also depending on the gender of what my WB caique turns out to be I will like to add one or two more caiques of the opposite sex to the two I have so that when they reach the appropriate age to breed that can be a possibility , my question is if I were to add two more caiques when my two that I have now are a year old or a year and a half etc would they still have a good chance of accepting new caique members to the family flock? I know it's best to get them while they are baby young but considering how expensive caiques are the two I have now are probably all I am gonna have for awhile until I can save up and get the other one or two caiques I will eventually get at some point rather it be before the year ends or at some point next year , and btw they were both born in the month of February 2021..

 

[Legend88]

Hello everyone, so I have two young baby parrots that are 3 and 4months old one is a male black head and the other is a yet to be determined white bellied caique, I was told originally that my WB caique was a male but their was no proof of that meaning no dna text was done so it's a 50/50 percent chance that my WB could be male or female, I got got them both at a very young age while they were still getting hand feeding baby parrot formula intune and exact, They both weaned at around 10 weeks and started trying different things like seed mix and fruits , Their favorite things to eat are apples, blueberries and seed mix, I tried feeding then zupreem fruit blend pellets but they do not like it , I tried carrots they nipple on some of it and waste most of it I have served the carrots to them cooked and raw doesnt make a difference, so my question is I know making apples , blueberries and seed mix their main diet wont be healthy for them in the long run , so to all the caique owners out their please give me some ideas on other healthier foods I can try to feed the caiques that they might like..

Also depending on the gender of what my WB caique turns out to be I will like to add one or two more caiques of the opposite sex to the two I have so that when they reach the appropriate age to breed that can be a possibility , my question is if I were to add two more caiques when my two that I have now are a year old or a year and a half etc would they still have a good chance of accepting new caique members to the family flock? I know it's best to get them while they are baby young but considering how expensive caiques are the two I have now are probably all I am gonna have for awhile until I can save up and get the other one or two caiques I will eventually get at some point rather it be before the year ends or at some point next year , and btw they were both born in the month of February 2021..

 

[Zara]

I like this article for help putting foods together;

My Chop "Recipe"

I see a lot of requests in bird groups and forums all over the web asking for a good recipe for chop. It's hard to give a definite or correct answer to that question because there simply isn't any right way to do it. (Chop, for those who don't know, is simply a name for "salad" or "mash" as some...

www.lilmonstersbirdtoys.com

There´s also some tips if you scroll further down that should help you.

@Laurie knows her stuff with caiques, and @saroj12 makes the best buffets for her birds I´m sure she´ll have some ideas for you based on what her birds like

 

[saroj12]

Their cooked food tonight



steam in bag microwave fresh carrots and steam in bag frozen mixed veggies. Morning they get apple blueberry steamed foods and some days banana. Eggs once a week. They are both chunky so no nuts for them. And they like micrograin sprouts from China prairie
they like Harrison’s fine and top pellets.

 

[saroj12]

 

[Mizzely]

Some stuff here: Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips

If you give them unlimited access to treats they have no incentive to eat healthy foods. Just like if you give kids a choice between unlimited candy or veggies, there is no incentive for them to eat the veggies when the candy tastes so good!

 

[Legend88]

Their cooked food tonight

View attachment 383543

steam in bag microwave fresh carrots and steam in bag frozen mixed veggies. Morning they get apple blueberry steamed foods and some days banana. Eggs once a week. They are both chunky so no nuts for them. And they like micrograin sprouts from China prairie
they like Harrison’s fine and top pellets.

Thank you, you just gave me a great idea idk why I never thought about it before but I could buy a veggie mix form the grocery store and in frozen foods section and steam it in the steamer or microwave, Thank you..

 

[saroj12]

Thank you, you just gave me a great idea idk why I never thought about it before but I could buy a veggie mix form the grocery store and in frozen foods section and steam it in the steamer or microwave, Thank you..

You’re welcome! Glad I can help!

 

[saroj12]

You’re welcome! Glad I can help!

Btw my vet says I give them too many carrots. The breeder had said go heavy on fruits but vet said no.

 

[saroj12]

Last year I did a food thread every month

Pictures - In bird cooking news today May 2020

BScoot doesn’t like the banana bird bread I made last week. Sigh I’ll bake plain Harrisons mix tonight. Ps the cheesy meal is mine. I stole beans and butternut squash from the birds haha 5/12

forums.avianavenue.com

 

[Legend88]

Btw my vet says I give them too many carrots. The breeder had said go heavy on fruits but vet said no.

Interesting! So basically just mix things up and change the meal order everyday but feed more veggies then fruits..

 

[saroj12]

Interesting! So basically just mix things up and change the meal order everyday but feed more veggies then fruits..

Yes but try different types of pellets and feed them before the fresh or you would have to add vitamins a few times a week. Do you have vet? Great to discuss them.

 

[saroj12]

Interesting! So basically just mix things up and change the meal order everyday but feed more veggies then fruits..

Hey I’m not the authority on bird diets though @Mizzely

 

[Mizzely]

I mean vet is best for sure! I prefer a diet for most parrots at least 50% pellets, then lots of veggies, then fruits, seeds, and nuts in treat quantities (10% or less of the diet)

 

[tka]

Having some frozen veg in the freezer is great for when you're short of time. Carrots go a bit mushy and not all birds like the texture, but peas and edamame beans are great to have on hand. Make sure that they do not contain added salt, oils or seasoning. The fancier ones sometimes come with garlic or seasoned butter and you don't want to give your birds that.

They can be cooked in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.

 

[Hankmacaw]

The reason (and it is a good one) that you don't want to feed to much in fruits, is that all fruits are high in sugar. Sugar contributes to diabetes, fatty liver and heart/circulatory problems, including atherosclerosis. Sugar - any kind - once it is digested metabolizes directly to fat and fat is the main culprit in the diseases mentioned above. The leaner you can keep your birds' diet the longer they will stay fit and healthy. A fat bird is at risk for many illnesses.

 

[Legend88]

Yes but try different types of pellets and feed them before the fresh or you would have to add vitamins a few times a week. Do you have vet? Great to discuss them.

No I do not have a vet yet, But when I get my white bellied caique dna tested I suppose that person will be my vet for my two caiques

 

[Legend88]

I mean vet is best for sure! I prefer a diet for most parrots at least 50% pellets, then lots of veggies, then fruits, seeds, and nuts in treat quantities (10% or less of the diet)

What kind of pellets do you recommend? My caiques dont really like zupreem fruit blend

 

[Legend88]

Hey I’m not the authority on bird diets though @Mizzely

What kind of pellets do you recommend? My two caiques dont like zupreem fruit blend for some reason

 

[Mizzely]

You can check out a bunch of options here:

Pellets for Parrots

Click the links below to be taken to that section. All Living Things | Caitec | FM Brown's | Goldenfeast | Hagen/Hari | Harrison's | Higgin's | Kaytee | Lafeber | Mazuri | Pretty Bird | Psittacus | Roudybush | Scenic | TOP's Parrot Food | Versele-Laga | Vetafarm | Zupreem I have gone through a...

www.lilmonstersbirdtoys.com

My focuses are:


1. The bird eats it. If they won't eat it, it doesn't matter if it is harvested from the Amazon itself.

2. The bird does well on it. Not all pellets are a good fit for every bird.

3. It fits your budget. If you are having to eat Ramen 5 nights a week to feed your bird, it is okay to feed them another pellet they like and do well on!


Now, I do have preferences. Ideally, I like a pellet to be:


1. Free of Sugar. They don't need it!

2. Free of Dyes. No reason to have them if you can avoid them!

3. Vitamin Fortified.

If I could have my bird eat any pellet, it would be Harrison's. Barring that, I like Roudybush, Lafeber, and Hagen. All have decades of research and were formulated by vets.