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Post by Holly on Jul 8, 2015 20:34:23 GMT -5
Hello! I've had my QP for a week, we are doing great! But this is going to be a bit long... But my grandfather had to take care of her during my Grandmother's passing... And Bandit had refused to eat! So he went and found a picture of what looked like Bandit on a tub of seed in a pet shop... She has been on a mega fatty cockatiel seed mix for a year/ a year and a half. My grandfather also has a grandson there so she hasn't had the best diet, even if u ignore the full seed diet. This is actually my first bird, mainly because it only liked me and my grandmother. But it took a while for me to be able to get her because of medical conditions and the distance.. Anyway, I have seen a couple brands thrown around, but I didn't see either in any pet store's I have access to! I brought home two different kinds of food to see if she might take a few bites, and the pellets are rather large compared to her? I managed to crush up a little of both foods to a size closer to what she's used to.. It did help, but now I'm wondering if "Medium parrot" wasn't the right one? ( One food is called the Higgins "In tune-natural with added vitamins & minerals. This one has got muted colors and had the highest protein content along with the lowest fat content.) (The other food is CAITEC "Oven fresh bites- natural baked diet. This one has got no color, except brown. It has the same protein content as the Higgins, but had a percent more fat, I don't like feeding my animals the rainbow which is why I chose this one also.) I've been reading more about what not to give as a daily treat, etc, and the CAITEC food has some fatty stuff listed in the ingredients... Mainly sunflower seed related items, of which I am having to hide because her old food had so many of them, she's spoiled! And while I like the ingredients list for the Higgins food, Bandit is so used to nuts and seeds that she's mainly trying the CAITEC food... I'm wondering if I should do a ladder plan of sorts? Like use the CAITEC food to get her used to pellets then switch to a better brand? Probably about to make an account, had to type this up quickly before bandit decided to play with the tablets screen... Thank you! |
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holly
Hatchling
Posts: 25 
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Post by holly on Jul 8, 2015 21:02:34 GMT -5
There all set up, just posting for the sake of my newly created account!
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Post by cnyguy on Jul 8, 2015 21:55:53 GMT -5
Welcome to you and Bandit!  My QP Ralph likes the Higgins InTune pellets, and I buy the Conure/Cockatiel size, which is more appropriate for a Quaker. If the medium-sized pellets are too big for Bandit, you might try breaking them up into smaller pieces. I'd also suggest soaking some in water or unsweetened fruit juice to soften them. That often works to introduce pellets to parrots used to a seed diet or unwilling to try dry pellets. Even though he eats dry pellets, my QP Ralph still gets softened pellets every day-- he thinks they're a special treat. I'm not familiar with the CAITEC food. If a seed mix is fed, I'd suggest Higgins Safflower Gold, which contains no sunflower seed. Ralph gets a little every day, along with lots of fresh vegetables, cooked grains and pellets. This mix contains a few of the InTune pellets, along with millet, dried fruit and vegetables and small quantities of some other seeds and a few nuts. The quality is good. Again, I'd recommend the Conure and Cockatiel mix over the Parrot mix (which contains peanuts , dried corn and the large InTune pellets). This article on the companion site Quakerparrots.com is about converting parrots to a pellet diet, and may be helpful to you. |
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holly
Hatchling
Posts: 25
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Post by holly on Jul 8, 2015 22:11:24 GMT -5
Thank you, and I've been mixing the crushed pellets with some seed for during the day, then adding in enough seed for her to be fed for bed. She's still eating, she just keeps sending me dirty looks.
I've also been picking out all the sunflower seeds from her mix and hiding them, it's air tight so she hasn't found them yet!
Thanks again for the tips, I'm glad that I was able to pick out a good food the first try!
I am about to go to another questions correct thread, so if you maybe know any tips to help with a dog/bird relationship, I'd be grateful!
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Post by aaron on Jul 8, 2015 22:27:01 GMT -5
We personally use Harrison's, which I primarily prefer because it is organic... I order it on Amazon, which is actually really convenient. This is what we feed Cupcake: www.amazon.com/dp/B0007LI0WC/ref=sr_ph_1?m=A1Z25GD9GAI6A1&ie=UTF8&qid=1436411715&sr=1&keywords=adult+lifetime+fineThey also make a mash, which is in powder form. When converting Cupcake from a seed diet to a pellet diet, we would put her seeds in this stuff, so it was all over them, and it got her used to the taste of the pellets, which honestly she quickly grew to like. Now she loves them and eats them enthusiastically. Here's the mash that we use (I use the high potency for the mash): www.amazon.com/Harrisons-High-potency-Mash-Lb/dp/B0040TBJNO/ref=sr_1_1?m=A1Z25GD9GAI6A1&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1436411986&sr=1-1&keywords=high+potency+mashWhen I did feed her a seed mix, I also used Higgins Safflower Gold, and agree that it is a good product. I stopped feeding her seeds because I didn't feel like they have a good effect on her behaviorally, and she would take less interest in other food. But this seems to vary from bird to bird. I have no experience with dog/bird relationships personally, but would not let them anywhere near each other, under constant vigilance as it can go wrong very quickly... but it certainly does work out for many people. |
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holly
Hatchling
Posts: 25
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Post by holly on Jul 8, 2015 23:44:43 GMT -5
Thank you Aaron! Bandit is actually in my room, due to her anxiety over being left again. Unless she is covered, she cries if I'm not in sight. The first time she flew to me was when she could hear me halfway across the house but couldn't see me, took her half an hour to work up the nerve to fly. My goals is for Bandit and Ford to co-exist, not quite interact. In the same amount of time I know she was on a seed diet, she has not been given enough exercise. She took her frustrations out on my Grandfather and the little boy in his care, so she wasn't let out near as often as she should have. But it was the choice between the boy maybe getting injured, or the bird losing muscle mass whilst waiting for me to recover. I've been the animal guru out here my whole life, so my Grandfather figured the chances of me getting her back on her feet were plenty high enough verses the chance of injury. SO when she flies she doesn't always make it where she plans, she loses altitude easily at this point in time. This along with the fact we do have other animals(we live in the middle of the woods, on a nice sized plot of land), this includes a snake hunting cat. We have a large family and a lil' 2 year old here, we HAVE to have a cat. This is where Ford comes in, our animals listen to him, he's the alpha under me I suppose. But if the bird flies out of the room he follows her, and tells me when/where she mis-lands. If another animal is in the room when she hits the floor, Ford stops them from getting close.. This was once, because my Mother's Shepard/lab mix can bump every door open, and she's just too friendly! I just want to teach him that she's special to me, while also getting the point across that she is a fickle creature, so distance is needed... I might make a regime, and post it here. Sorry about the length! I'm a good writer, I simply want to make sure I cover all my points... Thank you for your tips for the move from seed to pellets!!  |
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Post by aaron on Jul 9, 2015 9:06:35 GMT -5
Glad to help! It does sound like you have a very special dog there in Ford. And it sounds like you have the kind of household that has the right energy for animal coexistence... But in general things will be safer for her when she can fly comfortably. Even so, I would never let her out of your sight with those other animals around, especially at first. Don't worry, I am often guilty of long posts as well. We like details around here. Please keep us posted on how things progress! |
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Post by easttex on Jul 9, 2015 9:22:19 GMT -5
A little shopping tip, mostly for you, Aaron. Drsfostersmith.com usually has a better price on Harrison's pellets. Their shipping is free at $49, which for me is terribly easy to hit. |
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Post by aaron on Jul 9, 2015 13:09:40 GMT -5
Oh nice! I will have to check that out. I'm so spoiled by Amazon Prime I don't even comparison shop any more, because of the free 2-day shipping, I just order everything there. But I'm sure I'd have no trouble hitting $49 either, so I will look into it next time I order.
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holly
Hatchling
Posts: 25
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Post by holly on Jul 10, 2015 21:49:21 GMT -5
So just a quick update, I had actually had the idea to mix the softened food with some seed(Only in there for 30-45 minutes first thing, and right before bed). And it was going good! She would fill up on the wet mix, then nibble on the smashed(dry) bits that had a small amount of seed.. And after she filled up on the wet mix, I added more seed to her dry food mix to fill in any holes. Like I said, its worked great, for about three days.... Now she is sticking her head in the food and pretending to eat.. I wasn't sure at first, but her droppings confirm. So I fell like an evil mom for holding the seed today.. But I think she is starting to get that I mean business, she said please while eyeing her wet food, promptly answered with a "No, now eat." Now I hear her chewing, so I'm crossing my fingers! Also, about being able to fly unhindered.. We(my Mom and I) actually have a halfway perch in the living room, and its help stop the crash landings a bit. Anyway, she flies the house and rides my shoulder everywhere. The only animal she is around is my service dog, the rest are separated at all times.. We replaced the knob part of the door after the escape of my Mom's dog, she hasn't figured out how to break this one(thank goodness). We have introduced them(kind of) because my Mom's dog has issues with animals that she thinks aren't supposed to be inside the house.. But Bandit doesn't seem interested, and my Mom's dog understands that the bird will bite her if given the chance. She lived though all kinds a critters, including a rat that didn't act like a rat(more like a bird now that think about it). This rat enjoyed escaping its cage and finding her, being cute, until it had the nose within reach. So when Bandit went to bite her nose she's decided she doesn't need to be friends! XD Sorry for the long story, I'd just feel bad if you guys read my posts and were waiting for one that announced Bandit's death.. P.S. If I say I remembered something randomly, I lost my memories a little over a year ago and it takes something like a trigger to remember. Working with and reading about Bandit has triggered some memories of baby sitting pet birds, and patching up wild birds... So I know a bit more than I thought I did! ~~~Holly~~~ |
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Post by aaron on Jul 12, 2015 12:37:39 GMT -5
Glad to hear things are going so well with Bandit. Sounds like you are doing a good job. I would be very careful if that dog is territorial in nature, but I am sure you will be.
Keep us posted!
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holly
Hatchling
Posts: 25
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Post by holly on Jul 17, 2015 11:10:24 GMT -5
Hey guys! So I got a nice heavy glass dog food bowl, so she can stand on it and eat without it tipping. I have been feeding her wet food mix out of this bowl a while, and today she decided the food was taking too long to get soft enough for me to mix the seeds in! She jumped on the bowl and started munching on the wet food pieces!! She doesn't seem to like it yet, but she is taking lil' bites out of the food pieces and eating it(alone!!). She seems to like the yellow pieces? Is it ok for her to eat more of one color than the rest? Is the color, and I guess taste, the only difference? Or do I need to make sure she eats some of all the colors to get the right nutrients..? I have also begun hand training her to come when I call, I had to start out with just hopping from one hand to the other.. But I've been using millet, I break of a lil' ball from the main stem, then I strip the seeds in smaller bunches off that. How much millet is ok? I am also mixing the little single millet seeds with some of her food seed she likes it just as well(for a reward, this she has to eat from my palm). Is there a safe(and edible) way to stick the seeds together, like they do with sticky rice almost? She absolutely loves fruits, I know to watch how much she has of those because of water content.. But she's not a fan of greens, she loves shredding green beans and eating the lil' seeds inside but that's all... She adores watermelon, I have to put her up to be able to eat mine because she comes over and takes a bite right off my piece! She's fast about it too, but I give her a small piece and she devours it then asks for more. There's no seeds in her small bite, but I just wanted to know if you guys let your birds eat watermelon, etc...? I have also been looking around for in-shell nuts, but there only seems to be peanuts in that category... Any place(online or off) that you guys trust? And any specific types that are rather popular with the birds? Also is there a specific spot in the forum that I could maybe post full updates of Bandit, kind of like a blog? (If I'm understanding the correct meaning of a "blog") It would include stuff she has gotten into that day, food habits, toys I make( And how she likes them/plays with them, and her favorites of them) Just day to day things! ~~~Holly~~~ |
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Post by easttex on Jul 17, 2015 14:10:05 GMT -5
I'm not sure what brand you're feeding, but the nutrition should be uniform, no matter the color. I can't detect any difference in the taste of different colors for either the Higgins or the Zepreem, but maybe birds can. I don't worry about the water content in fruit; it's the sugar. Millet is a good seed choice. It's a grass seed and is very low in fat. It has a lot of nutritional upside, but I would still use it as a treat and not a main dish. I try to use the rule of thumb that treats should not make up more than about 10% of the daily diet. Neither of my birds cares for watermelon, but it's okay to give Bandit some. You can find a variety of whole nuts here www.drsfostersmith.com/bird-supplies/food-formulas-diets/foster-smith-premium-food-blends-seeds/ps/c/5059/5911/8539Most whole nuts are going to be too much for the Quaker beak. The pine nuts are really fatty, and I wouldn't give them often. Pistachios are okay, though my Peppy has yet to crack one. I buy pumpkin seed here. I give Peppy a small amount of cockatiel mix and replace the sunflower seeds with pumpkin seed. I also give my birds the dried papaya and pineapple from here. It can be hard to find dried fruit without added sulfites. |
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Post by biteybird on Jul 20, 2015 5:30:34 GMT -5
Hi Holly and Bandit, it sounds like you two are going very well together. I just wanted to say "well done"!
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holly
Hatchling
Posts: 25
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Post by holly on Jul 21, 2015 2:11:07 GMT -5
Hey guys! Thanks for all the information! Bandit is going to be going to be so happy!! She is now very happy with her pellet diet, and gets real excited when she sees her food bowl. She only gets seeds when we work on commands and we do some work outs to help her build her muscle back up. She really doesn't seem to mind this at all, she has finally stopped digging around for dropped seeds. ~~~Holly~~~ |
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My QP Ralph likes the Higgins InTune pellets, and I buy the Conure/Cockatiel size, which is more appropriate for a Quaker. If the medium-sized pellets are too big for Bandit, you might try breaking them up into smaller pieces. I'd also suggest soaking some in water or unsweetened fruit juice to soften them. That often works to introduce pellets to parrots used to a seed diet or unwilling to try dry pellets. Even though he eats dry pellets, my QP Ralph still gets softened pellets every day-- he thinks they're a special treat. I'm not familiar with the CAITEC food. If a seed mix is fed, I'd suggest Higgins Safflower Gold, which contains no sunflower seed. Ralph gets a little every day, along with lots of fresh vegetables, cooked grains and pellets. This mix contains a few of the InTune pellets, along with millet, dried fruit and vegetables and small quantities of some other seeds and a few nuts. The quality is good. Again, I'd recommend the Conure and Cockatiel mix over the Parrot mix (which contains peanuts , dried corn and the large InTune pellets). 
