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Journal - Should zoo foods be chopped (macaws)

Macawnutz

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Okay this might be a fluke. However, before and afters:



View attachment 405011 View attachment 405012

He ate all of the center of the pepper/seeds, most of the cucumber, and 2 grapes.

I've also learned blackberries are terrifying :lol:

He's currently eating a piece of sweet potato I microwaved for a bit.

View attachment 405013

All I'm saying is... I've tried to get this bird to eat veggies and chop for almost 3 years and besides the orange and blackberry, he actually ATE. I'll be pickup up more whole fresh veggies to try with him this week!

I feel like I just went to a different dimension.
I swear to you... The day they all were eating carrots.... I stood there watching and listening to the crunches.. I didn't want to move for fear of spooking them! :rofl:
I put pictures on IG saying "pigs are flying"!!!

It's something about needing the skin left on. It's like it's lets them know what part should be eaten.


EDIT YOUR BARFS ARE GOING TO BE EVEN MORE GROSS NOW> LOL
 

Wardy

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Okay this might be a fluke. However, before and afters:



View attachment 405011 View attachment 405012

He ate all of the center of the pepper/seeds, most of the cucumber, and 2 grapes.

I've also learned blackberries are terrifying :lol:

He's currently eating a piece of sweet potato I microwaved for a bit.

View attachment 405013

All I'm saying is... I've tried to get this bird to eat veggies and chop for almost 3 years and besides the orange and blackberry, he actually ATE. I'll be pickup up more whole fresh veggies to try with him this week!

I feel like I just went to a different dimension.
Would you normally give Ripley that much fruit ?
I know he doesnt eat much fresh but i dont give the girls much in the way of fruit, thinking i could feed them more or did you go fruit overload to encourage him ?
 

LovieLouie

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Okay this might be a fluke. However, before and afters:



View attachment 405011 View attachment 405012

He ate all of the center of the pepper/seeds, most of the cucumber, and 2 grapes.

I've also learned blackberries are terrifying :lol:

He's currently eating a piece of sweet potato I microwaved for a bit.

View attachment 405013

All I'm saying is... I've tried to get this bird to eat veggies and chop for almost 3 years and besides the orange and blackberry, he actually ATE. I'll be pickup up more whole fresh veggies to try with him this week!

I feel like I just went to a different dimension.
That’s awesome! My guy loves the pepper seeds too!! BTW I love his little bowl it’s so pretty! Lol I just noticed too that his fruits and veggies matched him :)
 

Mizzely

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Would you normally give Ripley that much fruit ?
I know he doesnt eat much fresh but i dont give the girls much in the way of fruit, thinking i could feed them more or did you go fruit overload to encourage him ?
Oh no absolutely not, I rarely give him fruit. I just wanted to test the theory and I need to go grocery shopping :lol:
 

Mizzely

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That’s awesome! My guy loves the pepper seeds too!! BTW I love his little bowl it’s so pretty! Lol I just noticed too that his fruits and veggies matched him :)
AHH I didn't even realize they coordinated! Those bowls are ceramic cat bowls actually - they work awesome as they are hard to flip :lol:
 

flyzipper

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I should have called this out in the OP, but here's a direct link to the entire research article in case the PDF isn't obvious on the site (PDF).
 

LovieLouie

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AHH I didn't even realize they coordinated! Those bowls are ceramic cat bowls actually - they work awesome as they are hard to flip :lol:
I have a little cat dish too it’s small and shallow I put it near him when hes out if he wants a bath or a drink... those cats do have some cute little dishes don’t they lol..I used to put it in the bottom of the cage but he just plays in his water bowl anyway lol!
 
Last edited:

Momof3litt

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Way to go Ripley!

I've been giving Argo whole chilis all week and he's been loving them. Still have to process stuff down for the budgies though, they have zero affinity for food chunks that are not tiny.
 

Wardy

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This is about the size of food the girls get
20220327_165639.jpg
Bowls are 4.5" food not actually that big but big enough to hold, but think i will start
leaving in larger pieces.
 

Mizzely

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This is about the size of food the girls get
View attachment 405040
Bowls are 4.5" food not actually that big but big enough to hold, but think i will start
leaving in larger pieces.
This is about the size I was doing for Ripley too. I am trying him out on another bowl today :)
 

Peachfaced

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Rupert is easily the least picky eater I've ever had, but I'd still like him to eat greens. Most of his foods, I do a "rough chop". The pieces are about the size of his head. I only started doing it in the last couple of years, partly out of laziness, but also because I noticed that Poopert enjoys the effort. Rupert loves peppers, but I'll have to leave the tops for him. I usually cut those off out of habit.
It's still pretty messy cleanup, but the bigger pieces tend to be easier to find/retrieve, on the bright side. :lol:

Stuff he'll eat: Sprouts, carrot, peppers (most kinds), yellow squash, zucchini, cucumber, butternut squash, sweet potato, brussels, broccoli, cauliflower, sugar snap peas and green peas, green beans, corn (he'd have a hissy fit if there wasn't at least a few kernels). He'll happily eat pretty much any fruit, as long as it's not citrus.

Unsure: Beets (scared the daylights out of me, haven't tried since), raddish, artichoke

Not unless Hell freezes over: Leafy greens
 

flyzipper

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Beets (scared the daylights out of me, haven't tried since)
Site search satisfied my curiosity...
 

Peachfaced

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Site search satisfied my curiosity...
See, I didn't learn my lesson until I did it again with Rupert! :lol: I thought he was mortally wounded.
 

Mizzely

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Here's our results from today. Not as impressive but I'm hopefully going to be going out tomorrow for some fresh stuff to test this theory more :)

PXL_20220327_151523174.jpg

PXL_20220327_203833240.jpg
 

Tyrion

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I have found that my guys like their chop and small pieces of fruit . I have tried larger pieces of veggies and its like they dont know how to eat them but with fruit they love the bigger pieces ..Ill try again with large pieces of veggies and see what happens ;)
 
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