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How do you manage feeding fresh food during the day, week in and week out? (chronic crop infections)

JornsBergenson

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Toby the Eclectus has sour breath [/b]very[/b] often. One week it is fine, one week it is sour. My intent is to to keep him healthy, but I feel so bad that I can't provide a healthy environment and healthy food for him on a daily basis. He's been to the vet 4 times with this issue in his short 4-year life. I often feel he would be better in someone else's care.
Okay, enough of the emotional side of things -- now, how can I prevent this?

I don't know exactly what I'm doing wrong. My thinking is that either his chop is going bad in the fridge or his "fresh" food is staying out too long during the day. Instead of analyzing what I'm doing wrong, I'd like to hear how folks feed their birds fresh food throughout the day.

So, how do you manage feeding your birds fresh food? How long is it available to your bird? How often during the day do they get fresh food?
My goal has always been to feed our Eclectus 80-90% fresh veggies and fruit due to the unique requirements of Ecletctus.
Thanks in advance!
 

Shezbug

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I have found feeding finely chopped veggies wastes so much more than larger chunks of fresh foods- it goes off faster in and also out of the fridge.

I often chuck a whole small capsicum, carrot or whatever we have avail on top of Burts cage or on a skewer for Birdie and they are still looking pretty good hours later but when it is sliced or chopped it is horribly wilted in no time.

You could try freeze dried veggies as they stay pretty decent till eaten, wet or dropped on the floor.
 

Pixiebeak

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I do as above hunks of fresh stuff. I rarely ever do a chop and if I do I serve same day don't store . Or I make and freeze some things individually like beans, lentils, quinoa,baked mashed sweet potato. So I can thaw n seve those with my veggies.

Eclectus seem to need more vitamin A rich diets. And low vitamin A lowers immunity and makes more prone to yeast. So lots of vitamin A rich sources, romaine, Swiss chard, watercress, cooked sweet potatoes, cooked carrots. Peppers , red chili ( even dried are good source)

Its also worth noting when prone to yeast there can be an underlying chronic health issues that is lowering immunity.

I also have success with plain Greek yogurt fed weekly about table spoon amount. My vet has yet to recommend any of the bird probiotic to me. But there are many coming on the market . I was going through a breeder site with tailored products to breeding and hand raising oarritvsupolies that I found interesting but didn't book mark.
 
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Mizzely

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What is your schedule like?

Chopped up veggies I only keep out 2-3 hours, and in the fridge 2-3 days. Whole or large pieces I usually leave around 4 hours, and in the fridge for 4-6 days. If your weather is warmer, consider doing shorter amounts of time to prevent spoilage. Also make sure that the bowls are well cleaned and sanitized inbetween uses, that they can't poop in their food or water, and that water is changed out twice a day if your bird likes to dunk their food.
 

JornsBergenson

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I have found feeding finely chopped veggies wastes so much more than larger chunks of fresh foods- it goes off faster in and also out of the fridge.
I often chuck a whole small capsicum, carrot or whatever we have avail on top of Burts cage or on a skewer for Birdie and they are still looking pretty good hours later but when it is sliced or chopped it is horribly wilted in no time.
Unfortunately, our Ecletus will munch a little one one or two chunks and toss the rest on the floor. I've had no luck feeding chunks of veggies either in a bowl or on a skewer. I'll go back and try again and see if he's changed his mind.

I do as above hunks of fresh stuff. I rarely ever do a chop and if I do I serve same day don't store . Or I make and freeze some things individually like beans, lentils, quinoa,baked mashed sweet potato. So I can thaw n seve those with my veggies.
Eclectus seem to need more vitamin A rich diets. And low vitamin A lowers immunity and makes more prone to yeast. So lots of vitamin A rich sources, romaine, Swiss chard, watercress, cooked sweet potatoes, cooked carrots. Peppers , red chili ( even dried are good source)
Its also worth noting when prone to yeast there can be an underlying chronic health issues that is lowering immunity.
I also have success with plain Greek yogurt fed weekly about table spoon amount. My vet has yet to recommend any of the bird probiotic to me. But there are many coming on the market . I was going through a breeder site with tailored products to breeding and hand raising oarritvsupolies that I found interesting but didn't book mark.
Toby's chop includes all the things you mention plus a couple of other vitamin A rich foods. Since the last crop infection, I've been mixing a probiotic in his food that our vet recommended. I've also been adding a few drops of raw apple cider vinegar too his water.
Toby recently got his annual bloodwork done and no deficiencies or other issues found. His cholesterol is a little high, but he is a perch potato. We're working on that. He needs to get over his fear of hands and flying -- he's been a bit stunted in these areas for quite a while.

What is your schedule like?

Chopped up veggies I only keep out 2-3 hours, and in the fridge 2-3 days. Whole or large pieces I usually leave around 4 hours, and in the fridge for 4-6 days. If your weather is warmer, consider doing shorter amounts of time to prevent spoilage. Also make sure that the bowls are well cleaned and sanitized inbetween uses, that they can't poop in their food or water, and that water is changed out twice a day if your bird likes to dunk their food.
I think my schedule may be the major contributor. He gets his fresh food around 9am. It stays with him until 11am to 12, but there are a few days a month where I get involved in meetings and it stays out until 1:30 or 2pm. Obviously that's too long.
I need to set an alarm at noon to make sure the food and water gets changed.

Q: Do people provide fresh food all day (that would mean changing out the food at least 4 times)? Or fresh food twice a day with pellets freely available in between meals?
 
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Joe Henderson

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I’ve noticed some foods don’t store well together especially if they are a little damp I store most Things separate - I also noticed when I was using a acv to clean it wilted fast I switched to a few drops of gse and water i also belivr Organic stays better .. try keeping everything unwashed and whole and wash and. make fresh each time - it’s annoying but worth a try I don’t believe 9 to 1 is to long I provide fresh
is the morning for 5 hrs then I take it out he gets other stuff for dinner
I’d also try a probiotic
 

Fuzzy

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Sorry to hear your Eclectus is having a problem with sour breath. Did the vet diagnose a bacterial or yeast infection? I just Googled and saw that Candidiasis (yeast infection) can also be triggered by stress - that bit stood out as you say Toby has a fear of hands and of flying? Perhaps with the food, gradually add larger chunks of veggies into his chop to slowly transition. It may be the size of veggies and the accompanying juices that are the problem? What does it smell like at the end of the day? Is there any cooked food in there, like beans etc?

I do provide raw sprouts, veggies and fruit in the morning and leave it in all day - they just slowly dry out. I've never had a problem, even in the very hot summers we've been having lately. The size I present the food is like this:



They get a new fresh bowl with added cooked stuff in the evening which is removed after about 2 hours as cooked foods are likely to go off.
 

JornsBergenson

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Sorry to hear your Eclectus is having a problem with sour breath. Did the vet diagnose a bacterial or yeast infection? I just Googled and saw that Candidiasis (yeast infection) can also be triggered by stress - that bit stood out as you say Toby has a fear of hands and of flying? Perhaps with the food, gradually add larger chunks of veggies into his chop to slowly transition. It may be the size of veggies and the accompanying juices that are the problem? What does it smell like at the end of the day? Is there any cooked food in there, like beans etc?
Thanks for that.

A few months ago, I took Toby to the vet when he had sour breath and stringy droppings. He had both yeast and bacterial infections. After a round of meds, Toby's breath cleared up as well as his poops. A month ago, he had bloodwork done and was given a clean bill of health. Now, another month later his breath is a little sour even though he is eating well and droppings look normal.
Generally, I don't feel Toby is stressed - he hates hands and is happy not to fly. He will fly to another spot in the room if startled, but that's it.

There are cooked foods in his chop like sweet potato, butternut squash, sometimes quinoa, lentils or chick peas. Like you, I add them separately.

When I pull his chop, it has never smelled bad. In fact, I've been tasting his food before I give it to him and after I take it up.

I think I'm just going to be more diligent about removing his food and changing his water. I now have an alarm on my phone that goes off 2.5hours after I put his food out.
 
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