|
|
Post by rickygonzalez on Feb 16, 2018 19:55:24 GMT -5
So, I was wondering do you think that seeds are a necessity for quakers? I am hesitant to feed mine any as I have read so much on how bad they are. I seem to recall that smaller seeds are better as they are lower in fat. If that's true, would it be better to feed a budgie seed mix that doesn't have sunflower seeds? Is there a danger that they would just eat the seeds and leave the pellets?
|
|
|
|
Post by cnyguy on Feb 16, 2018 21:29:46 GMT -5
I don't think that seeds are a necessity for parrots; many parronts choose to avoid feeding any seed at all. However, my two do get a small amount of a good quality seed mix every day, along with the pellets, vegetables and cooked grains that make up the main part of their diet. I prefer Higgins California Blend or their Safflower Gold, neither of which contain sunflower seeds. Both mixes have other good things like nuts, dried fruit and vegetables and some Higgins In-Tune Natural pellets. Some of the things in the mix are rejected by both parrots, and the peanuts in the Safflower Gold get put out for the wild birds and squirrels; I don't feed peanuts in the shell to the resident birds. There is always a risk when feeding seed that the parrot will eat only that and ignore pellets and other foods. Ralph and Scooter don't get the seed mix until they've eaten plenty of their other foods.
|
|
|
|
Post by rickygonzalez on Feb 17, 2018 0:20:57 GMT -5
I was asking because my quaker is 7 weeks old, and maybe he needs the fat at this age?
|
|
|
|
Post by biteybird on Feb 17, 2018 3:31:34 GMT -5
When we got Bonnie at 8 weeks old (or so) we just fed her the same as we do now - about 1 tablespoon of pellets and just a couple of pinches of medium parrot mix. The parrot mix has some sunflower seeds in it, but if you can choose the type that has stripes they are meant to be healthier than the plain black ones. She also gets some veggies (cooked peas & corn, raw carrot tops), mushroom (she eats just the dark bit) and a bit of whatever we happen to be eating at the time - except for the toxic foods (e.g., avocado) of course!
|
|
|
|
Post by dinucci on Feb 17, 2018 8:48:50 GMT -5
good recommendations from cnyguy,and bitybird. The only thing I would add is that I feed buddy zupreem. Haven't seen the mix cnyguy guy uses but sounds interesting. On the back of the zupreem bag, the one for medium parrots it had a weighted recommendation using 3 different varieties. 60 percent pellets they call "essential nutrition, ,30 percent "pure fun" and 10 percent "rewarding treats".
So this is for a balanced diet. He loves it too. I also feed him veggies and soaked grains like wheat berries,lentils,peas ect.
Nuts I give him on the side for treats during training. Walnut crumbles,pin head size,so he thinks he's really getting something special,But isn't pigging on them. Small pieces he consumes quickly,so he stays on track with training. He also gets pumpkin seeds,but the small green ones found in the Latin isle of the grocery store. .pepitos..and only 4 or so a day. At 11 months,he's 105 grams and no fat on the keel bone at all.
One interesting note is that my sitter sent him home with a small bag of food that had sunflower seeds in it. I gave him some here and there and he didn't eat the sunflower seeds. .
|
|
|
|
Post by julianna on Feb 18, 2018 15:31:56 GMT -5
My Oscar isn't fond of sunflower seeds either. There is usually one or two in his bowl each morning and the next morning when I clean it.. he might have eaten one... or none at all. He does get a good mixture of other seeds but mostly pellets. Also he eats lots of raw and cooked vegetables... a little fruit... and everything on my plate... lol
|
|
|
|
Post by julianna on Feb 18, 2018 15:34:30 GMT -5
Oh... I wanted to mention. Have you ever tried to give your Quaker chewing gum?? It is quite funny to watch as he chews it.. in little pieces and then drops it. He has never swallowed a piece yet but he loves to chew it. If he knows I have some in my mouth he wants the entire thing. One day I gave him a big glob of gum and he held it.. and tore little pieces off... rolls it into little balls in his beak and then drops it. Sure it was really cute but what a gummy mess.
|
|
|
|
Post by rickygonzalez on Feb 18, 2018 18:27:45 GMT -5
Lol, chewing gum!!! I don't trust/ Know mine well enough to do that. I'm sure it's hilarious though!!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by siobhan on Feb 26, 2018 16:54:47 GMT -5
Mine have pellets for their main diet and seeds for treats. With four parrots of three species (Quaker, tiel and budgie) in the same room, out of their cages all the time, I can't keep the Quakers out of the seed mixes for the tiel and budgie. Everybody steals everybody else's food. My tiel and budgie steal pellets from the Quakers, too. It seems to be working. We haven't had any issues and feather quality and energy and poops are all normal.
|
|
|
|
Post by biteybird on Feb 27, 2018 8:24:17 GMT -5
Siobhan, I laughed at this...when I had an aviary with both canaries and Bourke's parrots, the parrots favourite seed was the Canary Mix and the canaries favourite seed was the Medium Parrot Mix.  It seems they always want what they think they don't have. |
|
|
|
Post by siobhan on Feb 27, 2018 12:05:11 GMT -5
What's even funnier is, if I put those same pellets, which are labeled "for cockatiels" in Freddie's own dish, he won't touch them. But he'll still go stick his head into Clyde's dish and take his and go into Benjy's cage and eat his budgie food and ignore his own dish entirely. Jade goes into Freddie's cage and eats his food or I'd never have to refill his dish. Benjy eats his own food sometimes, but mostly he eats Clyde's food. Poor Clyde! Everyone eats his food (including him).
|
|
|
|
Post by pidgesmum on Mar 20, 2018 21:56:20 GMT -5
My book on Quakers recommends the occasional millet seed or something else (I'll look it up) to give the bird the natural pleasure of cracking seed.
|
|
|
|
Post by rickygonzalez on Mar 23, 2018 23:54:11 GMT -5
I eat Brown rice a lot, (no oil or salt) which I share with her. She gets some seeds a few times a week. She eats zupreem naturals pellets, and all kinds of veggies. I'm really happy she is not a picky eater. She seems to prefer the veggies and rice. She has picked up the wolf whistle, and is trying to talk. Having had her for only a month or so, I'm really happy where we are in our friendship. She is sweet, and too smart I have to watch her like a hawk or she will get into mischief... I love her!
|
|
|
|
Post by biteybird on Mar 24, 2018 20:40:39 GMT -5
My book on Quakers recommends the occasional millet seed or something else (I'll look it up) to give the bird the natural pleasure of cracking seed. Bonnie likes millet seeds, but when I got her a millet spray she didn't know what it was - got scared and bobbed and flapped at it...  So I need to break the seeds off the spray before she will eat them. |
|
|
|
Post by julianna on Mar 28, 2018 12:44:21 GMT -5
I have tried the millet seeds a few times with Oscar and he won't touch them at all. Like Bonnie he is scared of the spray so I did break them up... but he still won't touch them. Mostly what he wants is my food... lol
|
|
