|
|
Post by cnyguy on Apr 1, 2016 20:38:54 GMT -5
Something that I've found can help in converting a parrot to pellets is to soak some of the pellets to soften them, either in water or unsweetened fruit juice. Often a parrot who is reluctant to try the dry pellets will eat the soaked ones. Ralph still enjoys some of the softened ones every day, even though he does eat dry pellets. I use bottled spring water to soak the pellets (my tap water is too heavily chlorinated), but if you have good water out of the tap, that will do. The soaked pellets shouldn't be left in the food dish for too long to avoid bacterial growth.
|
|
|
|
Post by PaScuba on Apr 1, 2016 21:36:45 GMT -5
Lola dunks her pellets in the water dish to soften them herself. Ja ja ja  Personally I think she just wants me to change her water twice a day. Another technique I've used - is to remove the food dish around 6:00 to 6:30 pm when she is settling in for the night. Then when I greet her in the morning - we start some training, and I give her either the regular pellets or the fruit pellets for her treat. I admit that a few times, Lola has thrown the pellets to the floor - and that's ok because she received her treat after getting the click. Most of the time she will crush them up and eat her bite size for the treat - actually faster than she eats the millet spray which means we can get more cycles of the training behavior within the 15 minute time. Then after training - I give Lola her dish of pellets, and the fruit of the day. |
|
|
|
Post by Holly on Apr 2, 2016 2:29:29 GMT -5
So I have started the transition from seeds to pellets, I mixed equal parts together with warm water and put it in Norman's cage... and it was sort of a success...
He still picked out all of the sunflower seeds, but that was to be expected but I did see some of the squishy pellets that were stuck to the sunflower seeds do into his mouth! Yay!
I will now slowly start to reduce the amount of seed. Wish me luck and thank you again for all your advice.
|
|
|
|
Post by easttex on Apr 2, 2016 5:56:27 GMT -5
Thank you biteybird. I will have a look through as well  I'm just starting to get a bit worried he isn't eating enough! Worrying about everything is part of parronthood initiation. It's a good idea to get a gram-level scale and weigh him once a week. Try to do it at the same time of day and under the same conditions. I get Peppy first thing in the morning, before he eats anything. He poops throughout the night, so that isn't a factor. (My grey holds her all night, and well into the morning if she doesn't want to leave her night cage, so it is a factor with her.) A little variation is normal. Watch for consistent change in one direction. You should also get familiar with how the keel should feel. Before I knew Peppy was ill, he had a granuloma growing inside and his weight was very steady overall, but it became apparent he was losing muscle around the keel. |
|
|
|
Post by Holly on Apr 4, 2016 18:30:14 GMT -5
I have actually ordered a gram scale on eBay last night! Thanks for all the tips, I have been feeling his bone and k think it feels ok, maybe a bit skinny but he is still a baby and is still growing I think. I wouldn't have thought of doing the weighing the same time each week, first thing in the morning sounds like a good idea |
|
|
|
New Quaker
Apr 11, 2016 14:19:04 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by rosemary on Apr 11, 2016 14:19:04 GMT -5
Hi I'm rose.I got a Quaker parrot called jacob in January 2015 and he Will not come too me or my husband he loves being out of he's cage all day but we have no control on when he goes in,so we have to wait until he goes in,i am the one who feeds and clean him out,he screams for 2 hours solid everyday if i go near the cage he makes really scary noises at me,if he's out of the cage he will fly away from me.help I'm desperate .X
|
|
|
|
Post by easttex on Apr 11, 2016 16:19:48 GMT -5
Hi Rose. Don't despair, many have come to the same place with their parrots and have been able to establish good relationships. It sounds like Jacob has you buffaloed. Do you know his history before you? If he has never been hand tame, it may take a while, but you can help Jacob to become a better behaved bird, if you're willing to work with him. To begin with, I would not let him out of his cage for now. Spend the time reintroducing yourselves to him. Talk to him and give him treats when he's behaving. He may scream about it, but you can't respond to it if you want him to stop in the long run. I'm going to assume that you've been bitten in the past, and that has made you reluctant to interact with him, so I'm going to post this link which has great information about how to start or restart the training process. It applies very well because what you don't have with Jacob is hand control, and you really need to establish that. www.stfrancisanimalandbird.com/index.php/pet-resources/library/9-avian-care/84-my-parrot-bites-what-can-i-doIt's a long article, but it's very good, so I recommend that you start there. |
|
|
|
Post by julianna on Apr 13, 2016 13:33:39 GMT -5
Hi Rose and Jacob... welcome to the forum. Most quakers are very protective of their cages and food... so I can understand why yours would be as well.
I am wondering if your quaker has been hand raised? It sounds like he is scared of people which is unusual for a hand raised bird. You must have all the patience in the world once you get one of these little guys. They are very smart and will try to dominate everything.
Best wishes and keep us posted on how things go.
|
|
Personally I think she just wants me to change her water twice a day. 
