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Post by Loz on Apr 25, 2023 9:22:39 GMT
Finrod has become a fatty (don't tell him I said so). His weight goes up & down in a cycle. The vet said it's likely hormonal. He suggested a pellet diet but that's not where I want to go. Finrod is very active though, always on the move flying, running around and of course, he has to dodge Chocobo regularly when she has taken exception to him. I cannot say I am happy with his weight but I am not unduly concerned - as long as he stays active.
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,800
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Apr 25, 2023 9:25:24 GMT
It's really hard to get a budgie on a pellet diet when you have a large flock. I have had that suggested by a vet too when I had Custard 2, as he had liver issues and his health was up and down all the time.
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Post by Loz on Apr 25, 2023 9:50:58 GMT
There's additives in pellets that, if they were in my diet, I would drop them without hesitation. So I wouldn't expect the budgies to eat things that I have safety concerns over. Further, pellets also contain seeds material and vegetable-matter - both of which are present in my budgies' diet.
Equally, the logistics of swapping over to pellets are daunting. I sometimes think that budgies don't put on weight on pellets because they only eat them when they are starving. This is a disastrous approach for someone like Squeak, whose weight I am trying to get up to a healthy value. And isolating Finrod so that I control his diet - ugh, no.
Some of what I am saying may be controversial but it is only meant to apply to my flock. I cast no shade whatsoever on anyone who believes in pellets and for whom a pellet diet works well. It's just that until I have a budgie whose life is in danger from eating seeds, pellets are not a good choice for me.
Sorry for the hijack.
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Post by sweetpea on Apr 25, 2023 9:57:24 GMT
Awww, poor little guy. So sad when they can't fly. I know. The loveliest thing is seeing them flying. I am sure my Lennie's anxiety was because of his lack of flying - after a couple of bad moults his flying ability was never the same.
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Post by sweetpea on Apr 25, 2023 10:02:37 GMT
Aw. I take it you have playgrounds dotted about and places that they can land when out? I'd encourage him to fly more somehow because if you don't he may lose the ability like Peter has. But Peter isn't a fatty There's two flat tops & the 'tunnel' on top of one flight cage, plus the top of the open doors. Depending on the bud, I find that if they have a bad experience flying (i.e., falling to the floor) it puts them off, & then you get into a vicious cycle. That said, this sunny morning, Frediano came out to investigate the bath (he didn't have one!) & decided to have a little fly. It was noticeable that his attempts were less ambitious than yesterday evening, which I am pleased about as at least the experience is pleasant & then he'll keep doing it. He had a mooch about on top of the cages. I quickly took some photos as otherwise it's difficult to get decent ones of him in the cage.
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Post by sweetpea on Apr 25, 2023 10:05:11 GMT
Finrod has become a fatty (don't tell him I said so). His weight goes up & down in a cycle. The vet said it's likely hormonal. He suggested a pellet diet but that's not where I want to go. Finrod is very active though, always on the move flying, running around and of course, he has to dodge Chocobo regularly when she has taken exception to him. I cannot say I am happy with his weight but I am not unduly concerned - as long as he stays active. I wouldn't dream of telling Finrod he is a [whispers] fatty. It's interesting that the vet says it may be hormonal. You're right, if he is active & happy then there's probably no need to stress too much about it.
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Post by sweetpea on Apr 25, 2023 10:15:49 GMT
There's additives in pellets that, if they were in my diet, I would drop them without hesitation. So I wouldn't expect the budgies to eat things that I have safety concerns over. Further, pellets also contain seeds material and vegetable-matter - both of which are present in my budgies' diet. Equally, the logistics of swapping over to pellets are daunting. I sometimes think that budgies don't put on weight on pellets because they only eat them when they are starving. This is a disastrous approach for someone like Squeak, whose weight I am trying to get up to a healthy value. And isolating Finrod so that I control his diet - ugh, no. Some of what I am saying may be controversial but it is only meant to apply to my flock. I cast no shade whatsoever on anyone who believes in pellets and for whom a pellet diet works well. It's just that until I have a budgie whose life is in danger from eating seeds, pellets are not a good choice for me. Sorry for the hijack. I give mine harrisons pellets but only as an extra. I'm not sure that they even eat them or like them! The last birds who actually enjoyed them were my girls Atilla & Raspy (they were both fat puddings!), & that's going back a decade!
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Post by Loz on Apr 25, 2023 10:23:13 GMT
Harrisons is what the vet recommended to me.
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,800
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Apr 25, 2023 10:27:44 GMT
Same. Harrisons superfine. Harrisons is what the vet recommended to me.
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Post by sweetpea on Apr 25, 2023 13:15:09 GMT
Same. Harrisons superfine. Harrisons is what the vet recommended to me. Yes, has to be super fine. Fine alone isn't super enough.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Apr 25, 2023 14:06:30 GMT
sweetpea I do what you do. I sprinkle their dish of sprouts with the Harrison's Super fine. I think only Buddys eats them and only a few. But the woman who raised him from the egg fed him pellets so he recognizes them as food. I sometimes think I'm throwing away money buying them but I'm only using a bit everyday and as long as Buddy eats a few, its ok. I have seen him eat a pellet with the sprouts.
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Post by sweetpea on Apr 25, 2023 14:22:28 GMT
sweetpea I do what you do. I sprinkle their dish of sprouts with the Harrison's Super fine. I think only Buddys eats them and only a few. But the woman who raised him from the egg fed him pellets so he recognizes them as food. I sometimes think I'm throwing away money buying them but I'm only using a bit everyday and as long as Buddy eats a few, its ok. I have seen him eat a pellet with the sprouts. I know what you mean about thinking you're throwing money away. I think that with the vegetables! I just wish shops would package/sell veg in single budgie size bags! Moriarty has eaten a few pellets when I have offered them by hand but I don't think he's particularly mad about them. I have no idea if the new boys are eating them - they are still wary of my hands. Thank you for reminding me about sprouts... I should try them again....
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Apr 25, 2023 14:27:23 GMT
I am a big fan of the sprouts that I feed them because both my boys dig right in. Once I incorporated the sprouting into my daily routine, it doesn't seem like a chore plus I have a simple to use system.
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Post by sweetpea on Apr 25, 2023 14:31:40 GMT
I am a big fan of the sprouts that I feed them because both my boys dig right in. Once I incorporated the sprouting into my daily routine, it doesn't seem like a chore plus I have a simple to use system. Funnily enough, my last fans of sprouts were my girls. I've tried them off & on since then, but no one else has been interested. Maybe the new boys will be... If not, maybe I should do them for myself!
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Post by criswell on Apr 25, 2023 16:44:31 GMT
I'm glad they boys are getting along. It's lovely to hear about them. Dexter has pellets as well as seeds but probably doesn't eat them but I don't want to stop in case he is eating them As you all know, Randolph Carter was a chubby fellow and after one visit the vet said picking him up was like picking up a bag of sugar! Our vet always suggests nutriberries but I'm not happy with the ingredients on those which include glucose syrup, and some varieties have gelatine. Criswell quite liked pellets and he had a nutriberry now and then but nutriberries have been far to scary for any other budgies, even if they are crumbled up. I got them some Tops pellets once which do have quite a strong smell and they all took refuge on the other side of the cage for an hour until I took them away.
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