Skye's Eating Patterns | Quaker Parrot Forum

fig
Hatchling

Posts: 42

Skye's Eating Patterns Mar 5, 2015 20:09:18 GMT -5

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Post by fig on Mar 5, 2015 20:09:18 GMT -5

Skye seems to be a very light eater, and a choosy one as well.

Fortunately, he converted easily and quickly from a seed to a pellet diet when he first came to live with me...he was 5 months old.

He eats his pellets, and will sometimes accept an almond...but only eats part of it. He'll eat a little corn muffin or pumpkin bread, apple, Romaine lettuce, broccoli. It's always just a little bit.

Skye is a dainty 95 grams. He's very healthy and happy, in excellent feather. It's just his eating that worries me.

Perhaps he has sensed his Mommy's Eating Disorder (yes, I have anorexia) and is following suit...

easttex
Top Bird/Chief Slave

Posts: 2,410

Skye's Eating Patterns Mar 6, 2015 5:52:48 GMT -5

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Post by easttex on Mar 6, 2015 5:52:48 GMT -5

Well, I would worry about you, but Skye is probably doing fine. I would monitor him for weight change, but waste and parrots pretty much go together. In the wild, he'd be doing his part to re-generate plant growth.

Peppy does the same thing with an almond, even if I give him a small piece to begin with. I'd be pretty happy if he would even sample broccoli or romaine lettuce. The only extra he doesn't routinely drop or fling part of is bird bread or a little bit of Spanish cookie my husband gives him. Even with that, the crumbs are everywhere.

Birds eat a lot for their weight, but still, how much can 95g take in. For comparison, if you weighed 100lbs, that is over 45,000g. You've got him on pellets, which is the main thing, and if he's eating a little if the fresh stuff, you're doing well.

Quaker Peppy (RIP my sweet pea), CAG Allie, dogs Wanda and Bonnie, feral kitties Cleo and Antoinette, mice Charlotte and Emily, née Jake and Elwood

aaron
Senior Forum Manager

Cupcake's Dad

Posts: 2,217

Skye's Eating Patterns Mar 6, 2015 10:18:58 GMT -5

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Post by aaron on Mar 6, 2015 10:18:58 GMT -5

I'm inclined to agree with Easttex on the matter -- Skye is probably okay. 90-150g is considered normal range for Quaker parrots... Have you discussed the matter with a vet that can examine him to determine if he is underweight? I suspect they would tell you everything is fine.

Check out Cupcake and the whole flock at our instagram page: www.instagram.com/cupcakethequaker/

julianna
Top Bird/Chief Slave

Posts: 1,727

Skye's Eating Patterns Mar 6, 2015 13:43:32 GMT -5

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Post by julianna on Mar 6, 2015 13:43:32 GMT -5

There seems to be only certain times of the day that Oscar will eat what I consider a lot. That is usually in the morning and then just before bed. Other than that he just nibbles. Another reason for them to drop their food is that they are saving it for later... but when later comes, I usually have it cleaned up and new food on hand.

biteybird
Top Bird/Chief Slave

Still alive!

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Skye's Eating Patterns Mar 14, 2015 2:45:12 GMT -5

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Post by biteybird on Mar 14, 2015 2:45:12 GMT -5

Bonnie takes one bite of everything we put in her food tray, then FLINGS it on the floor (accompanied by a contemptuous expression). She won't pick it up off the floor, but has trained us to pick it up for her. When we've put whatever it is back in her tray, she takes another bite...and so it goes.

I'd say Skye is fine at 95 grams. Bonnie weighs 105 grams, but it took her a year to get to that weight. When we got her at 8 weeks old she weighed 89 grams. Don't forget that many say the blue quakers are smaller than the greens anyway.

Last Edit: Mar 14, 2015 2:49:35 GMT -5 by biteybird

Bonnie (quaker parrot), R.I.P. Pinky (Bourke's parrot), R.I.P. Cockatiel "Scruffy"