PSA if you have exotic birds, (Parrots)

talk to your vet about diet.

We have three, and our Nanday almost died from malnutrition. All he ate for years was candy (seeds) after he almost died, these days there is no candy... aka seeds in their cages and they eat a very varied diet.

It is essential for their well being. So if you have any of these guys, talk to your vet about diet, and perhaps on strategies to add all kinds of things that they'd find in the wild to their diet. Hell my two conures love meat... in the wild they eat insects, grubs and small mammals and other birds... so why not give them steak? That is what we had for lunch. They love it, and they are very healthy.

Of course no avocado or chocolate for our kids... but that goes without saying...

End of PSA

www.mytoos.com

It makes it all too clear why so many of these magnificent birds end up in shelters!

but these guys will not end there... the tiel is 23, the nanday is 19 and the sun is 9...

I went to a store recently with a neighbor to pick up toys... and I had a Senegal nuzzle... you could almost see the NO, when I told the bird, sorry, three is my limit.

Sweet bird though.

You then are looking at something like a Cockatiel. They don't mind too much that you're gone all day, and don't need a great deal of attention

The 'Tiel needs a lot of attention, as well as the rest of the kids.

Not as much as a cockatoo, and I would not get a too... not only the noise, but at my age it is not fair to the bird... hell not even a larger parrot at this point, same reason. I do not want the birds to outlive me, not fair to the birds.

for publicizing the My Toos site. They were the ones who explained to me, very gently, that I had done everything wrong and was an asshole. It has helped me deal with my Moluccan semi-rationally. She also loves to hear the opening screams! Thanks to My Toos, I only want to kill her once a day, instead of all day, every day. Seriously, everyone who is considering getting a parrot should visit My Toos FIRST!! I wish I had.

and other larger birds are not a good "starter." Tiels are a far better choice.

Hell, when we got Connie, a Military Mackaw tried the cute with hubby and almost got the sucker nailed. I put my foot down. I didn't want such a large bird, for many reasons.

and was stupid enough to think a too was just a big tiel! My SO was the smart one, sticking with Quakers. But we have a fairly calm household now, with a Quaker, rescued double yellowhead, and moluccan we are still deciding what to do with.

www.mickaboo.com

those calendars are great and will go for a good cause.

Send them one with the tiel, and one with the suns.

Thanks

Thanks for checking it out.

so I have bookmarked the place.

I just set up the fifth cage in my living room. I finally have a Crazy Bird Person Bird Room -- something I've been trying to avoid for years.

and because of how long they live, once tuky passes, we are not replacing him... nor we could replace him. He has the sweetest personality of the three.

But we do not think it is fair to the birds to decide who they will go once their parents pass

(And yes Tuky is 23 so that is not crazy talk, he is a somewhat arthritic cockatiel)

I am increasingly convinced that not all folks should get birds, but that goes for dogs and cats too... or children for that matter.

when the vet haters chime in...........

:popcorn:

Don't you know, whatever the vets tell you to do, you should do the opposite?? Because we are all just lying shills out to make a fast buck by giving bad advice to increase our case load.

he was firmly on a seed diet... sunflower seed diet. That was the first to go. Yes, they get high from sun flowers.

Three years ago bird had feathers falling apart in the shower. He cannot reach his tail feathers, so every molt he goes to the shower and I clean them... from the chitin layer. Well off to the vet we go.

They did a full work up. As a vet you can imagine what was running through their minds. Nope, was good ol' fashioned malnutrition. And damn it, we tried for years to introduce him to pasta, beans, cooked vegies... you mention it. He'd have none of it.

So we came home from that, and we knew he was starving to death. A matter of days most likely. I got Ezekiel's cereal, since it looks like seed, and we basically told him, that's it. Well we risked bird not eating. At first he looked at it funny. Then he tried a few, then he ate a full bowl of the stuff. I added things over the course of the next few months. These days he begs for steak, fruit, what have you... and have fine table manners. He will NOT eat until we seat down to eat.

Connie started eating a mixed diet so she was easy... and tuky... he is more of a carby bird, but he is 23, I give him a pass... but they have not eaten a seed in now years.

$1700.00 later and 2 solid months of 3-times-a-day syringe feeding, "saved" his liver.. The vet was even surprised..said he'd never seen as "yellow" a cat survive.
he was so yellow, he was practically orange:(..

After all the tests, we never did find out why his liver started to fail..but we're knocking on wood, and now trying to deal with the "crack addict" we created.. he took a liking to his Fancy Feast he gets twice a day.. He'll pick at the food the others eat, but as soon as Dad's butt hits the "food chair", he starts whining like a jonesing addict :rofl:

was 700 dollars, twenty three years ago... when the Tiel received ICU care for Psitachosis... most parrots don't survive it.

His next most expensive was 500 for wing surgery oh 20 years ago.

The other day we got out with a 70 dollar bill with meds... today it was seventy, and I guess the nanday will run about the same... though three years ago it ran into the 300 territory, all them blood tests to see why he was losing his feathers.

I thought 700 back then was a lot of money, today I guess it would be at least double with inflation and all that. He is just seating there, watching, and taking it easy.

As a service to everyone. I'm not putting you down, I'm just trying to help!

but he got the tiel part wrong. Trust me. Then again Tuky may be a srange tiel, he WAITS for his dad to come home from work, at ten to eleven at night. No way in hell I can get that bird to go to sleep without seeing dad.

Hell, he snuck into his sea bag and tried going to sea with him. Tom came late to his life, but that tiel is very bonded to him.

and believe you me, we hear about it when she doesn't get her bit! Her name's "Pidge" becasue she's pigeon grey, but we like to refer to her as "The Toll Bird," since she charges a toll every time you walk by her with food.

She's just stunningly intelligent, btw. I grew up with a grandfather who loved and kept birds, and we've had several over the years. She's far smarter than the dogs, and has a wicked sense of humor. She's also got a great understanding of what she's saying, certainly in the sense of making connections between things. She has been with us through a couple of dogs and cats (as we've had kids who have left home and taken them, and old dogs) and she clearly knows who's who and calls them by either our name or her name (associated with a sound they make). Since we live in the city she can also do several car alarms, a city bus, and a 500 lb. sparrow (she's loud). When our oldest son was home she would crack us up by making the sound of a phone ringing, then saying "Hello?" and calling out "Justin!" He got a lot of calls.

If I had to count all her sounds and words I'm sure it would easily equal 1.8 million, but I am a little biased. ;-)

Have you read on Alex? (Dr. Pepperberger's famous African Gray)

Our lovely eternal three year olds are just amazing. And it is good to know that other adoptees, I am not sure who is the pet here, feed their kids what they truly need.

The only birds I live are the hummingbirds who nag me when I sit outside, but this deserves a kick!

My babies, who would choose seeds over healthy food if given a choice.

across the table and come back and beg for you to hold it, so he can properly eat it.

When I make oatmeal, they get oatmeal...

It took work to move the boys from seeds, especially the Nanday...

So yes, offer them what you cook. My sun loves raw tomato... and I cannot eat a piece of fruit without them begging for it

People who feed their birds a properly-balanced diet are seeing their life spans increase by decades. Kaytee and the other purveyors of junk food need to be shut down.

when they are sick and they need the extra calories...

That's about it.

He also said, if that is ever recommended, and he does once in a blue moon with sick birds... buy the smallest bag possible WITHOUT sun flower seeds... or plain out get them some nuts

I've spent so much time getting foster birds off of seeds I try to avoid them if at all possible.

BTW, what's wrong with sunflower nuts? I use them as training treats for my birds.

so the little feathered ones get high

Sounds like I've got some research to do tonight.

he became very angry for a week... even bity.

Don't know if we would call that withdrawal

Our birds probably get two or three whole nuts during a training session. We just give them a little chip for each task they complete.

we got cookie from a piece of slime. In some ways it was a rescue... the way I realize later they were treating him... he is a wild caught, was probably nine months at the time... and they kept him on them seeds to keep him calm.

He is 19, he still does not like going to people, just tell him how pretty he is.

I had a parrot that died from this.

We almost lost connie to zinc poisoning to that one.

I try to give them different kinds of food but they ignore it.

Questions:

1. What human foods should I give them?

2. Will it take a few times to actually try it?

They appear to be very healthy - I do give them seeds and fresh fruit and some vegies but they are very particular.
Any recommendations would be appreciated!

we just give them whatever I cook. Today they had steak, not kidding, some Brussels sprouts boiled and mashed potatoes, as well as banana and orange.

They love their eggo waffles in the morning. picky yes tehy are. I at times make waffles in the waffle maker, they prefer the eggo.

And it takes offering them the food, and eating the food in front of them. Why I think the Nanday will NOT start eating until we do.

Ok, you eat it, I guess it's safe.

Realize, it took literally sixteen years for the Nanday to finally change his diet, but what we did was VERY RADICAL and VERY DANGEROUS, we literally took his seeds away and he received nothing but Ezekiels cereal. He could just have refused to eat, period. If you can find Ezekiels, it looks like seed, so they may accept it more easily, try mixing in with the seeds. And if they won't. they fortify these days.

I forgot, rice, beans and pasta are usually easier for them to accept, as well as carrots, and carrot peels, as well as bread

I know you are suppose to cut things small - but how small? Like a piece of steak? just a nibble size?
Something big enough to hold with their toes?


Thanks for responding...

Some of my birds like big chunks -- especially the ones that were wild-born -- but my Jenday will only eat veggies that are chopped to bits.

The main breakthrough we had was when we stopped feeding in one big bowl and went to smaller foraging bowls and skewers. Parrots will eat just about anything they have to work for.

I will have to just experiment and keep on trying...

We all just want to do our best to take care of our babies...

Parrot diet in the wild is between 2-6 % protein. Lots of high-protein, high-fat foods can give them gout, which is really, really nasty and deadly for birds.

and not every day. But you should hear them when it sizzles... birds start dancing. Oh and the tiel does not even touch it... grass feeder that he is, or should I say agricultural pest. Though that varies by species. Conures are far more of an omnivore... so diet recommendations are NOT across all parrot species

I keep having to remind myself that Psittaciformes is a biological order, as diverse as rodents or carnivores. I don't feed my cat and dog the same food, so why should we do it with parrots?

that you can fill with goodies. I could never take that out, but it is funny to watch the conure work for his food.

Connie large enough for her to hold...

Cookie he does not care, just give it to him, and tuky he nibbles from the floor. So he will appreciate smaller pieces, except bread... that he likes large so it does not escape

The best I can advise is experiment, birds are little people in that sense.

It is nice to know there are Birders, especially parrots, here at DU...

My birds are young - under 4 years. Their names are Tawney, Snoop (yes my du name), Rascal, and Gretchen.

They are adorable - my little winged angels...

become little devils...

Raising our third teen now.

:-)

On the bright side, they don't demand to get the car

Nobody calls Child and Family Services if you stick them in a cage at night. :D

I know it is bed time when nanday starts going SQUAK and looks at me. Like a well trained human pet I know what he wants...

They have cages and 'wood trees' that they are free to walk around on, but I never lock them in their cage. At night, all four go into one cage and sleep (very cute).

Is that ok? Is it better to lock them up once in awhile?

They are very well behaved. They only fly around when they see a hawk or squirrel. (Their wings are clipped to allow glide down not lift).

or the little darlings may get themselves into all kinds of trouble... like chewing through cords... electrical cords. ZAPP

Other things that they may get themselves into trouble, curtain cords... of course if their toe nails are long... carpeting

Oh and there is the ever so popular book chewing, furniture chewing et al.

Now we sort of make an exception with the senior cockatiel. He does not sleep in his cage, though lately he has. since his feet hurt. So he's been known to fall from perch... he is getting meds now, so he is doing much better.

One day I found where a lamp cord was chewed thru and Rascal (the explorer) was guilty... Luckily it was on a wall switched socket or he would have been toast.

So yes, no cords.

I have had my share of 'scares' and actual injuries (like toes caught in their 'rope' perches). They like to play in my shirts, while I am wearing it, and yes they shred it to pieces. A few times their wings will
get tangled in the shreds - very scary. I get them out of their predicament but not before I get a few 'hurry up blood drawn bites'.

I have been working hard to break connie from the habit... and after three years, it is somewhat working. Then again she'll be ten this year, so she is finally getting over the teen fun years... trust me... teen age parrots can be as trying as human ones.

My Nanday did the electrical once, and he went flying backwards. You'd think the shock and sparks would have scared him from it... NOOHH... so these days he is carefully supervised. As I said, they are NOT OUT if there are no adults present with them.

Where are your birds kept? (meaning location).

By windows? Where lots of light or medium or little sunlight comes in?

In a bedroom or in a family area? Do you have an outdoor aviary?

My biggest concern is to make sure they are happy. We give them tons of love and they have each other.

Where are your birds?

they get plenty of light and here is a critical thing... as long as you do not have cats. Their cages are ON THE FLOOR, on proper things to catch the mess.

The reason for that, in order to keep happy birds (that more or less know their place in the flock) they need to know that they are lower than you. And being on the floor makes sure that even when standing on the T-Stand, even the Nanday is lower than I am when seating down. Borderline when I lay down.

We also did not go hog wild on cages, they got cheap ones... and we check them every so often. If the cage shows signs of wear and tear, like bars coming off or paint going off, they get replaced. And they get toys every so often, and believe it or not their preferred toys are old ice tea and nut bottles. They just play fetch and they taught that to each other. I had nothing to do with it. Oh and the Conure has been known to remove the threaded cap... he will bring cap over, and tap me on the foot... hey human put it back... I do pet tricks.

Oh and enjoy them, they do have so many different personalities, they are a joy. But you became the mom to four three year olds that will never grow up.

thanks - I will have to think about your cage strategy...!

Yes they do have their own personalities that I enjoy immensely.

And, I am actually the 'dad'... I always have had a thing with animals...

oh many years ago... and it did a world of difference, especially with cookie. Connie has not known any different. She's always been on floor as it were.

And it goes without saying, find a good local AVIAN vet if you can, and establish a relationship with him\her.

Birds hide disease very well, so it is important to bet blood test done, and think about getting them chipped, in case the unthinkable happens (I don't know why I bothered with Tuky since he cannot fly, long story). My local animal control has the scanners, so if animal control got a hold of them... there is hope I will get them back.

You're not just getting a pet, you're adopting a lifestyle and an academic discipline. Just the question of height dominance could fill several PhD theses. Some people swear by it, other people think it's nonsense. As usual, I think the answer is somewhere in between: it may work for some birds, it will have no effect on others. Many species (cherryheads, pionus) have no designated flock leaders. They rotate based on some internal mechanism (usually who is squawking the loudest at the moment).

One thing I do know about height dominance: I've seen it work exactly the reverse in birds that are wild-caught or have been abused. If they get high up, where they feel safer, they suddenly become a lot easier to deal with.

http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com

You can feed Harrison's Fine mixed in with seeds. Just keep increasing the ratio until they're eating nothing but the pellets.

You can also mix it with wet foods as long as you don't let it sit in the cage too long.

Or do you also give them other fresh foods?

Right now, they're getting a mix of carrot, yams, broccoli, kale, hot peppers, apple, blueberry, cilantro and sprouted grains. Tonight I'll put some dry foraging mix in their bowls (pellets and dried veggies mixed with empty pistachio shells).

the Jungle). They're up in their room eating a hamburger right now. But they still eat way too much seed. Non-seed food that I give them includes oatmeal, vegetables (they prefer cooked), some fruit, and of course they love chips, pizza, crackers, popcorn (and "apcorn" which is a popcorn apple hybrid :<p)

Anything special your vet mentioned?

so they are safe... the yolk has the same effect as in humans

Careful with the cheese, some birds don't tolerate it well... poor dears they are lactose intolerant... Connie loves it, just milk.

Otherwise the usual warning, keep the chocolate and the avocado away from them, and the coffee... (try that with the conure... she loves the foam in the lattes and will beg for coffee with creamer, not black though)

I'm really trying to get them to eat Harrison's too. Are your birds completely off of seed? I would love that.

or any other bird pellet product. They eat purely human food.

Do I have to do everything?

We have 4 parrots and they eat almost everything we do. Our eclectus (Pocco)is a pig. It'll hop right on your food plate and start eating what ever you are eating and drink what ever you are drinking. We've taking much care to remove everything that is a possible toxin and use green products as much as possible. No teflon ...no bug spray ...NO FABREEZE !!!! which will kill in 5 minutes ...watch out for toxic plants too and PVC on any kind ....zinc latches and zinc based paint = bad mojo. There's a lot to learn and change if you are going to live with birds. Get a bird magazine like Bird Talk ...lots of good info.

They really need a varied diet.

From what I have read, seeds are like us trying to live off twinkies. Yeah they taste good, but you need real food. Too bad that shops try to push seed on you all the time.

like feeding your kids hersheys all day. Nobody in their right mind would do that.

And tell your mother, good job on feeding the step children.

Unlike other parrots, particularly Amazons and Macaws, it is absolutely critical for them to have a low fat and high calcium diet. They can become hypocalcemic very easily. This can lead to many health problems, even death. Give your grey a tums with extra calcium every few days to ensure they get the calcium they need.

It is also critical to find a vet that really specialized in birds. Board certified in avian medicine is ideal, but hard to find. Too many vets see birds when they lack the experience and knowledge necessary. A local parrot club of society can help you find a good avian vet. I have 12 years experience as a veterinary technician, a real love of birds, and a 15 year old grey that I love as much (if not more) than anyone in my life. We have been through a lot together.

share info on the vet. HE specializes in birds, board certified.

And him, tuky and I have been through a lot of also changes in what is thought to be best practice for birds.

will be a great source of calcium, due to the way masa is processed.

Fresh fruits and veggies, along w/ his regular food.