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Post by skysmum on Nov 16, 2013 20:50:35 GMT
Im after a little direction here. As some of you may know my lovely Ted has a fatty tumour on his chest. Now i know these things can be controlled by diet. As most people do my buds have a constant supply of seed, i have reduced millet to twice a week and stepped up the fruit and veg. The thing is, ive noticed since having them inside again that Ted is almost always at the seed pot  , it was millet day today and he hogged the lot seeing off anyone who came near. Now seeing as they are only supposed to eat two teaspoons a day would it be wrong to take the seed away altogether once they have had their morning feed, putting it back in the evening. Everything is telling me to separate him from the others and control his diet but i cant bring myself to do that. I am sure the tumour is getting smaller since upping the veg but if he continues to gorge seed as he does it is counter productive. Any thoughts on this would be good. |
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Post by kikkinu on Nov 16, 2013 21:16:36 GMT
probably putting him in one of those cages with a separator, will not make him feel as lonely, yet you can control his intake of food
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Post by birdguhl on Nov 16, 2013 21:49:31 GMT
Have you ever thought of getting them onto pellets, skysmum? I'm convinced this is what has made a huge difference to Woody and my others too. Then you could have seed in distinct meals and pellets available all the time?
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Post by skysmum on Nov 16, 2013 22:12:56 GMT
Have you ever thought of getting them onto pellets, skysmum? I'm convinced this is what has made a huge difference to Woody and my others too. Then you could have seed in distinct meals and pellets available all the time? I have thought about pellets birdguhl, i know you have had quite a good result from them  . I haven't researched them as yet, and have no clue what they are made from etc. I find it hard to get my head around them because it seems a little unnatural for them not to have seed but i think i will look into it. if i remember it took your buds a while to get used to it. Do you give them pellets as well as a little seed or are they on pellets alone now. |
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Post by skysmum on Nov 16, 2013 22:16:57 GMT
probably putting him in one of those cages with a separator, will not make him feel as lonely, yet you can control his intake of food I have a separator cage Kikkinu but he gets very stressed if i try and keep him away from the others  . |
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Post by stace on Nov 16, 2013 22:19:56 GMT
My vet recommends this kind of feeding of programme for many pet birds. You let them feed morning and late afternoon/evening, removing their seed in the middle of the day and overnight. In the day they can get all their other types of food- veggies or foraging foods. It reproduces their wild feeding habits.
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Post by ffiscool on Nov 16, 2013 22:24:55 GMT
I like that idea of them having both, with how you do it. what would you suggest on days I am gone all day? Would it muck up their routines as I leave at 5.30am and not back until 6pm. This is 2 days a week, sometimes it could be 3 day, but not often
Bailey does have veg, but not loads, his choice.
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Post by skysmum on Nov 16, 2013 22:32:08 GMT
My vet recommends this kind of feeding of programme for many pet birds. You let them feed morning and late afternoon/evening, removing their seed in the middle of the day and overnight. In the day they can get all their other types of food- veggies or foraging foods. It reproduces their wild feeding habits. This is what i was thinking stace, in the wild they have to take what they can get when they can get it and certainly don't have access to seed 24/7. |
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Post by birdguhl on Nov 16, 2013 22:34:13 GMT
Skysmum, I use Harrisons super fine - they are made from organic wholefood with minimal processing. It did take a few weeks to convert mine but they are happy on them. They also each get half a teaspoon of germinated seed everyday and fruit, veg & herbs everyday. Today I offered them a grass seed stick treat and - I am amazed - they weren't interested! Have a look at the first video on this: www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/education/harrisons-videos/ |
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Post by stace on Nov 16, 2013 22:53:05 GMT
My vet recommends this kind of feeding of programme for many pet birds. You let them feed morning and late afternoon/evening, removing their seed in the middle of the day and overnight. In the day they can get all their other types of food- veggies or foraging foods. It reproduces their wild feeding habits. This is what i was thinking stace, in the wild they have to take what they can get when they can get it and certainly don't have access to seed 24/7. I think he includes millet sprays as a foraging daytime food, although a lot of buds tend to gorge on this. I have a lot of vitamin and mineral supplements and an oily mixtures that my vet makes, which I mix up with Boo's seed to add additional nutrients. He gets the sensory benefits of dehusking the seeds, but gets more nutrition from them. I'm pretty strict on how much seed he gets. 2 or 3 teaspoons only each day. I don't have one of those continuous feeders, nor do I fill the bowl up and simply blow the husks off. |
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Post by skysmum on Nov 16, 2013 22:53:19 GMT
Skysmum, I use Harrisons super fine - they are made from organic wholefood with minimal processing. It did take a few weeks to convert mine but they are happy on them. They also each get half a teaspoon of germinated seed everyday and fruit, veg & herbs everyday. Today I offered them a grass seed stick treat and - I am amazed - they weren't interested! Have a look at the first video on this: www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/education/harrisons-videos/Thankyou Birdguhl, that was very interesting. Your buds certainly seem trouble free at the moment and are looking tip top, do you think it has helped little Berry with his PBFD at all, i was wondering if they may help poor Jo also as he is back to square one with his poor feathers . Where do you buy yours from. |
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Post by skysmum on Nov 16, 2013 23:03:46 GMT
This is what i was thinking stace, in the wild they have to take what they can get when they can get it and certainly don't have access to seed 24/7. I think he includes millet sprays as a foraging daytime food, although a lot of buds tend to gorge on this. I have a lot of vitamin and mineral supplements and an oily mixtures that my vet makes, which I mix up with Boo's seed to add additional nutrients. He gets the sensory benefits of dehusking the seeds, but gets more nutrition from them. I'm pretty strict on how much seed he gets. 2 or 3 teaspoons only each day. I don't have one of those continuous feeders, nor do I fill the bowl up and simply blow the husks off. Thanks stace, im going to kick this off tomorrow by changing the tube feeders to coop cups and will just put a little in each, blowing of the husk and when its gone for the day its gone, this is always how my old mum and dad did it when we were kids. Millet is a worry because they will just gorge but i could split this up and put little bits around the cages instead of all in one place. I may try them with pellets but at 12 and 8 years im not sure they will have them. |
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Post by birdguhl on Nov 16, 2013 23:06:39 GMT
Sorry to hear about Jo's feathers.
Re Berry, hard to say what he would have been like on normal diet but he is certainly happy and lively, if scruffy! He falls on the floor several times a day but picks himself up and carries on! (The budgie crash mat has helped I think - at least the noise is much less sore-sounding.) I am sure that their diet must help him as he is so vulnerable to infections etc.
I get the pellets from either Northern Parrots or Scarletts. The price works out the same when P&P is taken into account.
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Post by birdguhl on Nov 16, 2013 23:08:09 GMT
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Post by skysmum on Nov 16, 2013 23:32:39 GMT
Sorry to hear about Jo's feathers. Re Berry, hard to say what he would have been like on normal diet but he is certainly happy and lively, if scruffy! He falls on the floor several times a day but picks himself up and carries on! (The budgie crash mat has helped I think - at least the noise is much less sore-sounding.) I am sure that their diet must help him as he is so vulnerable to infections etc. I get the pellets from either Northern Parrots or Scarletts. The price works out the same when P&P is taken into account. Thankyou, im often buying bits from Northern Parrots so i will order some and give it a go, nothing ventured nothing gained . The Booster looks interesting too, do you use it. |
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, it was millet day today and he hogged the lot seeing off anyone who came near. Now seeing as they are only supposed to eat two teaspoons a day would it be wrong to take the seed away altogether once they have had their morning feed, putting it back in the evening. Everything is telling me to separate him from the others and control his diet but i cant bring myself to do that. I am sure the tumour is getting smaller since upping the veg but if he continues to gorge seed as he does it is counter productive.
KIKKINUS BUDDIES
. I haven't researched them as yet, and have no clue what they are made from etc. I find it hard to get my head around them because it seems a little unnatural for them not to have seed but i think i will look into it. if i remember it took your buds a while to get used to it. Do you give them pellets as well as a little seed or are they on pellets alone now.
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