How much food does your pionus need?

[cm16600]

Hi, i have a 5 month old Maxi lady that does not seem to eat much compared to the Meyer i owned before. 15 grams pellets a day and she eats only a couple at a time, can wait several hours until she eats an other one. Fruits and veggies are the same. She seem fine though, just not eating much. I click train her a lot so she gets sun flower seed as a treat. Have you experienced similar behaviors?

 

[Mizzely]

How much does she weigh? 10 to 20% of body weight is considered normal. Was she recently weaned? Would she take a spoonful of moistened pellets?

 

[cm16600]

240 grams. She is eating the pellets the breeder had. I haven’t t tried to moisten them, she is not dipping them in her water bowl.

 

[jh81]

My Pionusses also dont eat much, but they are weighing enough, so i think its all fine. 240 is within healthy range, some are heavier, some are lighter. As long as she stays that weight and not drops a lot, i’d say youre allright.

keep feeding her pellets en fruits and veggies, maybe she needs some adjusting to it, either she’ll start eating more soon enough, or she just has enough. Pionusses (well, most) are quieter then most other parrots, they dint scream a lot, dont play a lot.. as a result they also dont need that much food

 

[Dartman]

240 is right in the middle of where a Maxi should be. Nerd bird averaged 211 and Dobby has been has high as 280 but is probably around 260 right now and is a happy active boy that flies like a jet everywhere.
Nerd was very skinny with a sharp keel but he stayed at that weight for 31 years and was a active happy boy.

 

[cm16600]

Thank you, that is reassuring

 

[budgieluv3]

Hope it all works out!

 

[cm16600]

I take a chance on Asking an other advice now that i have a couple of fine membrers om the book
Reading the practical Pionus, i decided to use a sleeping cage because her main cage is in the living room, even thought we were covering it. I feel she is stressed when in it and settle down after a while, it seems she does not want to be in there. It is hard to get her in it.She is having 12 hours in the dark in silence but I am wondering if it was the right move. She seemed to be less irritated in her main cage.

 

[Mizzely]

Not at advice works for every bird. If a sleep cage is causing issues, take it out of the equation

 

[Dartman]

All of my Pionus lived where they could be involved with the family during the rest of the day when everyone is home. I usually don't cover them and they adjust to our schedule and stay in their normal cage. Some use sleeping cages and they do fine but they also tend to claim the house they're in and will protect it and get cage aggressive.
Nerd lived in his tiny 19x19 cage his whole life quite happily. When we were home he was cage free and I was the only one he allowed in. Dobby had a sleep cage with Momazon but he's perfectly happy to live in the living area with us and snooze when we aren't home, eats, and plays with his toys. He knows when we normally gets home and starts getting active and asking to come out, then he's out till our bedtime.
They are quite adaptable and learn the routine of their flock.

 

[cm16600]

Thanks for the input Dartman.

 

[jh81]

My birds dont have a sleepingcage. They are out and about during the day, when they go into the cage when its dark, i usually close it for safety.

 

[cm16600]

My birds dont have a sleepingcage. They are out and about during the day, when they go into the cage when its dark, i usually close it for safety.

Is Your cage in a main living area?

 

[cm16600]

I Think i will get rid of the sleeping cage, because i feel it is harming our relation. If she gets cage bound or agressive I might reconsider it a later stage. Right now we need to bond and it seems it is not helping, more reversing what we had built.

 

[jh81]

My cage is in the kitchen. This is also the place i work most, so they are close by

truth be told, my home is fairly small.. anything is really closeby ;-)

 

[finchly]

Ernie is too much of a homebody. He likes his cage, and don't dare change anything around about it. He wouldn't want a sleep cage.

Angel created her own. She sleeps above our front door on a window ledge.