Gizmo & Pebbles get new feed dishes

DexMom said:

I can't get this in the US. I'm very jealous!!

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coopedup said:

those look like they are well made, are they easy to clean? Liesl doesnt throw her food, but there is a nice pile on the cage floor to the right of her bowl of things she has deemed unworthy to eat.

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DexMom said:

I can't get this in the US. I'm very jealous!!

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camo said:

Recently Peppagirl posted about getting a new feed dish

http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/62262-new-food-dish.html

That weekend while cleaning Pebbles and Gizmo's cages, and the floors around, I decided I must get something similar (it always amazes me how far food can end up when you have 2 eclectus parrots).

I managed to find the Seedmate in the large size available from a closer pet shop for the price Kellville were charging for the small ($50), so I jumped on it and grabbed 2.

Food is most important to Pebbles, so she was initially unsure, but some almonds inside meant it must be safe. Gizmo was more cautious, and was sure there must be a secret door underneath

By dinner, Pebbles was inside throwing food around, and Gizmo was willing to go half way in.







It was good to watch Pebbles do her usual "no not that bit" as she tried to throw something out of the feed dish, only to have it hit the Perspex side and remain in the Seedmate.

I am one proud parront, I could imagine being inside a Perspex box wouldn't be the most natural feeling, so they are doing a great job to take to the idea so quickly. I am trailing them inside the cage for now.

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Taw5106 said:

Given it is a box, I think I would get frustrated with cleaning the internal corners, am I wrong?

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Taw5106 said:

Given that Venus is my lock pick, I'd have reservations of installing the box. Her food doors are her favorite to pick and she's successful at them. Did you have to remove the entire food door to install the box?

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camo said:

Well there have been a few feeds now, so I think I can give a bit of a review and list the good and bad so far.

Firstly overall, here is what is at the bottom of Pebbles cage after 4 feeds (pebbles is by far the worst offender for discarding food from the bowl)



And I just went to do my usual move the cage and vacuum and I couldn't find any food outside the cage, so that is a big tick in my book.

These are the things I would change, and they mostly relate to the fact that I am obviously not feeding seed (so the makers would probably say to an extent the Seedmate was designed for seed, but then they do have a picture of an eclectus feeding on the box).

The first negative is although it is well made, it has some flaws in design and material choice. Although they bent the top and bottom out of one piece, which they say was to help with cleaning (no corners for food to stick), the Perspex divider is glued in, and this is really the main area that food is likely to corner.

Cleaning is possible as the opening is large, so you can get a brush in, but it's just something that I think a seperate Perspex bowl would have been better.



With the need to remove and clean (again probably not as necessary after each meal, if it was just seed), I wish they had used a thicker Perspex for the roof and base (the side walls are thicker). It's a fairly large box when washing it, and you have to resist the urge to pick it up by the bottom lip when it has water in it (I could see this might result in a crack. Using the same thickness Perspex as the walls would probably have eliminate this risk.

The last negative is probably the standard mounting options. Ideally I would have mounted this externally (so as to maintain internal space). The problem I had with my cage is I couldn't seem to mount it externally with the door on, so I basically have an unsecured cage when I am cleaning the Seedmate. Also my cage has a bar designed to prevent Gizmo or Pebbles being able to lift the normal bowl when the door is closed. This means with the door off, they would have to play limbo to get into the feeder (I am sure they would have got used to that though). Having used it for a few days now, I think it doesn't really take away any used space, so the only downside will be I will need to reinstall the old bowls when I go away somewhere (relatives wouldn't like the idea of having to open the main door to feed, Gizmo has them fooled).

Reading back what I have just written it all sounds a bit negative, but the first point remains the most important, Little to no food outside the feeder, and this is a big one! Would I buy it again...yes, but if I could finder a cheaper source of Perspex, I would probably make it myself (I have the tools to do it so that makes it an easy decision for me).

As it stands it is doing the job well, and as long as I am careful when cleaning I am sure it will last, but I am going to be frustrated if I forget, and pick it up and it cracks. Peppagirl thanks again for making me aware of these!!

Cheers,

Cameron

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Taw5106 said:

Thanks for the feedback and I don't see it as a negative, it's honest experience shared. Being one that feeds no seed, I completely relate! Given it is a box, I think I would get frustrated with cleaning the internal corners, am I wrong? However, I see a plus in food not ending up everywhere. Buddy and Venus are huge offenders of tossing food everywhere, even on me!

Given that Venus is my lock pick, I'd have reservations of installing the box. Her food doors are her favorite to pick and she's successful at them. Did you have to remove the entire food door to install the box?


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