Eclectus - Free Feeding vs. Mealtimes + Foraging

[MVBrandt]

Hey all,

Deposit is down on baby male, will be bringing him home in about a month or a little more.

Need to know - strongly considering best course of action to be mealtime feeding + a few foraging toys during the day while we're "away." Plan would be for mealtime to occur with us as well, not in-cage. Number of reasons that are fairly obvious here, not least of which is avoidance of too much cage-obsession and the like.

Need to know any protips / inputs here. Also, if someone is super passionate about free feeding, feel free to share, but back it up scientifically (experienced in animal husbandry and a wide variety of animal training, to include dolphins, so going to need more than just "I feel it's best if they can have their full diet available all day").

Grazie in advance!

 

[Mango121913]

I feed Mango 3x a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am fortunate enough to live 5 minutes from work. So when I eat ,he eats. Sometimes, if i know I can't make it home, I will leave a couple tbsp of pellets. I typically don't leave pellets for him. I generally just feed them homemade beans, vegetables, and fruits.

Mango's generally a "flying stomach". He'll eat just about any time of the day, doesn't matter if he's full or not. He is not afraid to try something new. I also make food for about a month in advance and freeze it. I don't give him the same variety every month I kind of mix it up a little.if we happen to have lean beef, chicken or fish.I always try to wait till we eat and make him a little bit of what we're having as well.

I have heard ,recently, that it's not good to feed a bird that doesn't have an empty crop. I guess it can cause a bacterial infection with new food on top of the old.
Keep in mind, that a flighted parrot, will be generally probably eat more food because of the fact it burns more energy if it constantly flys through the house, as Mango does. He's always flying somewhere.

I only have him caged when we're not home. Or at bed time. He has recently been putting himself to bed if kept up later than usual.

Anyway welcome to the family! I hope that this helps some!

 

[labell]

Since you have some time before your boy comes home let me suggest doing some research at the website "Land of Vos" there are tons of great info there as far as what and how to feed eclectus.

Eclectus are pigs with wings and while they have a longer digestive tract they process their food pretty quickly. I still am amazed after 25 yrs of working with this species at the amount of food (fresh fruits and veggies) that these parrots can put away and still remain a healthy weight. Mine are also fully flighted and out for upwards of 6 hours a day. They will fly to me on command, not for treats but because I want them to. One thing I will tell you is a hungry eclectus can and will scream their heads off. Mine have a time frame for fresh breakfast to be served in the morning and they let me know if it is later than expected.

I think you will find that parrots and dolphins or should I say parrots and any mammals are going to be different. I have never believed keeping an animal hungry to train them is right though but that is my opinion. With eclectus it is even less necessary they love to eat and are very food motivated so all you have to do is have something they like and they don't have to be kept hungry to want it.

I will admit to not being big into trick training but I am always looking for interesting fun ways for my parrots to forage which I think is vitally important to their mental well-being.

 

[labell]

I have heard ,recently, that it's not good to feed a bird that doesn't have an empty crop. I guess it can cause a bacterial infection with new food on top of the old.

This has more to do with babies still being hand fed formula.