Quaker Parrot who needs to gain weight

[Lee Lachap]

Hey guys,
I have a quaker parrot rescue. She has been to the vet and he wants to see more weight on her scrawny frame. Some suggestions are sunflower and flax added to her present pellet diet. I'm wondering about eggs as well? I know some parrots love them. Would they be good for her to help gain some weight?

 

[Pixiebeak]

Can you share pictures? And a little more details? Est age, what kind of pellets, and health testing rule outs?

Definitely eggs are a good addition, i feed them s couple of times a week. I also have some seeds in mine diet. Plus lots and lots of fresh veggies, leafy greens, sprouts , soaked s d it soak and cooked whole grain and legumes and some berries and deep color fruits.

Baby bird formula made a little thicker and serve warm mixed with a little pellets, or own it's own , or mix with a little soft cooked quinoa, or Farrow. Baby bird formula has a good amount of calories and often well liked . A spoonful made up fresh a day might really help.

 

[Lee Lachap]

Can you share pictures? And a little more details? Est age, what kind of pellets, and health testing rule outs?

Definitely eggs are a good addition, i feed them s couple of times a week. I also have some seeds in mine diet. Plus lots and lots of fresh veggies, leafy greens, sprouts , soaked s d it soak and cooked whole grain and legumes and some berries and deep color fruits.

Baby bird formula made a little thicker and serve warm mixed with a little pellets, or own it's own , or mix with a little soft cooked quinoa, or Farrow. Baby bird formula has a good amount of calories and often well liked . A spoonful made up fresh a day might really help.

Hello. I've tried the baby fird formula. I did that as soon as she came to me, but she refused it and I don't want to force feed as she eats her zupreem pellets very well. I've also tried all kinds of different fruits and veggies as I have sugar gliders and always have different "salad mixes" available. She wouldn't touch that either. She is picking at the flax and sunflower seeds though. And she loves nutriberries for treats. I have attached a few pics of the poor dear. She was apparently born with defects in her feet due to inbreeding. Doesn't matter to me. I will love her dearly for as long as she lives.

 

[Lee Lachap]

Hello. I've tried the baby fird formula. I did that as soon as she came to me, but she refused it and I don't want to force feed as she eats her zupreem pellets very well. I've also tried all kinds of different fruits and veggies as I have sugar gliders and always have different "salad mixes" available. She wouldn't touch that either. She is picking at the flax and sunflower seeds though. And she loves nutriberries for treats. I have attached a few pics of the poor dear. She was apparently born with defects in her feet due to inbreeding. Doesn't matter to me. I will love her dearly for as long as she lives.

Sorry. According to her band, she will be 7 at some time this year.

 

[Mizzely]

You could try a breeder pellet; those are usually higher in fat and protein.

I have a chronically underweight bird; it's hard for sure! It took me about 3 years of offering veggies for him to eat them, and he did not like salads; he only wanted huge hunks of veggies to bite into.

Hemp seed, walnuts, and almonds are full of great nutrients

You could also try to make a bird bread to sneak things into

 

[Pixiebeak]

She is a cutie!! Try not to have her so covered all the time, better bright light can increase activity and eating.

The soft fuzzy hut beds..it's easy for them to pull off and injest that fuzz. I do use sleep tents for mine , but I get the more fabric , canvas , low fuzz ones. You can test any buy pulling with your fingers if threads and fuzz vine right off it's bad . Thst builds up in their crop , and over time s lot gets stuck in their sbd can even impact the crop. Any soft ropes that you can pull thread off are the worst too .

I use zoo preem as one of my pellets in rotation too. But I think something is missing from this pellet or formula. 2 of my quakers came to me eating zoo preem only , both were under weight , with less than ideal feathers ..I have noticed this with others as well. I can't give you facts , but I strongly feel the formula is off , to low of essential fatty acids or they aren't adorable fir dime reason..
When I changed my quaker girls and got them eating other pellet brands and vegg they gained back weight quickly and feathers improved to ideal lushness. They had no health issues, it was just the diet.

Don't give up on veggies! I took in a near 20 year old seed eater only Quaker and got her eating healthy it took time! I really wanted her eating leafy greens, it took 2 years for that to happen. And I kid you not they become in her top 3 favorite veg and she ate daily!!!! After resistance for 2 years!!!

You can try a minced up veggies and different pellets pre soaked and crumble into an omelette and try that. I hid them in everything st first like mizzly mentioned above in bird muffins, the omelet , Ive also had luck steaming and mix in cooked quinoa served warm . Mine love cooked sweet potato mash , and I dampen and crumble pellets in that as well .

 

[Mizzely]

I'm on the opposite end... I love Zupreem! My Quaker (doesn't live with me anymore though) has been eating Zupreem for his whole life (He will be 13 this year) and has great feathers. I actually recently put my Jardine's back into it because of poor feather quality on Psittacus.

 

[Lee Lachap]

She is a cutie!! Try not to have her so covered all the time, better bright light can increase activity and eating.

The soft fuzzy hut beds..it's easy for them to pull off and injest that fuzz. I do use sleep tents for mine , but I get the more fabric , canvas , low fuzz ones. You can test any buy pulling with your fingers if threads and fuzz vine right off it's bad . Thst builds up in their crop , and over time s lot gets stuck in their sbd can even impact the crop. Any soft ropes that you can pull thread off are the worst too .

I use zoo preem as one of my pellets in rotation too. But I think something is missing from this pellet or formula. 2 of my quakers came to me eating zoo preem only , both were under weight , with less than ideal feathers ..I have noticed this with others as well. I can't give you facts , but I strongly feel the formula is off , to low of essential fatty acids or they aren't adorable fir dime reason..
When I changed my quaker girls and got them eating other pellet brands and vegg they gained back weight quickly and feathers improved to ideal lushness. They had no health issues, it was just the diet.

Don't give up on veggies! I took in a near 20 year old seed eater only Quaker and got her eating healthy it took time! I really wanted her eating leafy greens, it took 2 years for that to happen. And I kid you not they become in her top 3 favorite veg and she ate daily!!!! After resistance for 2 years!!!

You can try a minced up veggies and different pellets pre soaked and crumble into an omelette and try that. I hid them in everything st first like mizzly mentioned above in bird muffins, the omelet , Ive also had luck steaming and mix in cooked quinoa served warm . Mine love cooked sweet potato mash , and I dampen and crumble pellets in that as well .

She came with that particular "bed" but actually rarely gets in it. She prefers to curl up on a fleece blanket on the bottom of the cage. I will try some of your suggestions. She's a picky, fiesty little lady. But I adore her

 

[Lee Lachap]

She is a cutie!! Try not to have her so covered all the time, better bright light can increase activity and eating.

The soft fuzzy hut beds..it's easy for them to pull off and injest that fuzz. I do use sleep tents for mine , but I get the more fabric , canvas , low fuzz ones. You can test any buy pulling with your fingers if threads and fuzz vine right off it's bad . Thst builds up in their crop , and over time s lot gets stuck in their sbd can even impact the crop. Any soft ropes that you can pull thread off are the worst too .

I use zoo preem as one of my pellets in rotation too. But I think something is missing from this pellet or formula. 2 of my quakers came to me eating zoo preem only , both were under weight , with less than ideal feathers ..I have noticed this with others as well. I can't give you facts , but I strongly feel the formula is off , to low of essential fatty acids or they aren't adorable fir dime reason..
When I changed my quaker girls and got them eating other pellet brands and vegg they gained back weight quickly and feathers improved to ideal lushness. They had no health issues, it was just the diet.

Don't give up on veggies! I took in a near 20 year old seed eater only Quaker and got her eating healthy it took time! I really wanted her eating leafy greens, it took 2 years for that to happen. And I kid you not they become in her top 3 favorite veg and she ate daily!!!! After resistance for 2 years!!!

You can try a minced up veggies and different pellets pre soaked and crumble into an omelette and try that. I hid them in everything st first like mizzly mentioned above in bird muffins, the omelet , Ive also had luck steaming and mix in cooked quinoa served warm . Mine love cooked sweet potato mash , and I dampen and crumble pellets in that as well .

Thank you. I will try the omelet idea. She's a picky fiesty little thing, and that sounds like it might catch her interest. The vet said her feather quality isn't bad, it's just that she is underweight. So I'm trying many different things to get her to be less picky.

 

[Lee Lachap]

You could try a breeder pellet; those are usually higher in fat and protein.

I have a chronically underweight bird; it's hard for sure! It took me about 3 years of offering veggies for him to eat them, and he did not like salads; he only wanted huge hunks of veggies to bite into.

Hemp seed, walnuts, and almonds are full of great nutrients

You could also try to make a bird bread to sneak things into

Thank you. With her being so picky I'm trying a variety of things to try to peek her interest.

 

[Pixiebeak]

I'm on the opposite end... I love Zupreem! My Quaker (doesn't live with me anymore though) has been eating Zupreem for his whole life (He will be 13 this year) and has great feathers. I actually recently put my Jardine's back into it because of poor feather quality on Psittacus.

If they eat veggies, and other stuff I don't think it's a problem.
But those two girls were only fed zoo preem and nothing else, no seeds, no veg, nothing but straight pellets.
Same for Ta-dah when I first got her from pet store, that's all they feed them, . and her feathers were dull.
I still feed zoo preem with everything else, because they do eat it . But for me and what I saw , it doesn't seem to be a complete diet

 

[Mizzely]

If they eat veggies, and other stuff I don't think it's a problem.
But those two girls were only fed zoo preem and nothing else, no seeds, no veg, nothing but straight pellets.
Same for Ta-dah when I first got her from pet store, that's all they feed them, . and her feathers were dull.
I still feed zoo preem with everything else, because they do eat it . But for me and what I saw , it doesn't seem to be a complete diet

Ripley was on 99% Zupreem for 3 years.

 

[zoo mom]

Here is the link to what I make.

"Parrot Butter"

I've never seen a parrot that will turn down a piece of bread with some butter on it. White bread and butter are not good for them so I came up with what I call a super food. It is made with Raw Organic Coconut Oil, Hemp hearts (seeds), Chia seed and a little bit of Red Palm Oil which also...

forums.avianavenue.com

I don't know how to put in a link so I am quoting this post hopefully that works. If not maybe someone else can attach the link. This was posted by one of our long time members as a way to help put weight on underweight birds.

 

[Pixiebeak]

Ripley was on 99% Zupreem for 3 years.

But he has low weight right?? A d his feathers aren't the best ..but I hear you, people have different experiences and different results.
This was also the fruity zoo preem pellets they came in on
With 3 different birds from different places and states , it's enough to convince me.

 

[Mizzely]

But he has low weight right?? A d his feathers aren't the best ..but I hear you, people have different experiences and different results.
This was also the fruity zoo preem pellets they came in on
With 3 different birds from different places and states , it's enough to convince me.

No his feathers were great on Zupreem! I'm going back to it because he's been on a combo of Harrison's, Psittacus, and veggies and they aren't as good as they used to be on just Zupreem.

He's been low weight the entire time I've had him on various pellets and diet ratios.

 

[Pixiebeak]

No his feathers were great on Zupreem! I'm going back to it because he's been on a combo of Harrison's, Psittacus, and veggies and they aren't as good as they used to be on just Zupreem.

He's been low weight the entire time I've had him on various pellets and diet ratios.

The fruity pebbles one?

 

[Mizzely]

The fruity pebbles one?

Yep