Feathers ruffling while sleeping, and how to know if eating enough?

[Jumpingtadpoles]

I'm laying on bed listening to Rico ruffle his feathers every few seconds. Is this normal? Should I be concerned? I don't remember my cockatiels doing this, but it was long ago, I knew nothing, and could have just not been aware.

I haven't gotten him to a vet. The woman who runs the rescue here on the island said if he is healthy, to not worry. But being a new mom EVERYTHING concerns me. He has never been to a vet. Ever.
Now my cat hasn't been to a vet in years, because she's healthy. But she has been too one. So I'm not normally a "run to the doctor" type person, unless warranted. But EVERYTHING makes me want to run there. She said the only vet she trusts is full clientele, and just to not worry. But I'm worrying. His beak is a little long, but I'm working on making him trim it down. Lots of cuttle being offered, and I'm teaching him to play with his toys. I'm glad to say he is chipping a couple toys down.
The other thing is I'm worried he's not eating **enough**. What does a macaw normally eat? He's been working on the same bowl of pellets, with one small handful added for color, he likes yellow and purple zupreem, in medium parrot mix. I think he's picked out the orange carrot looking slices, which is weird because he doesn't like carrot.
I know he *is* eating! because he offers me his food after every meal he eats, if I'm there.
I just figured I'd be flying through the food, and it's not the case. He's picking... A little here, a little there.
His fresh food changes every day. It's got a mash base.

This batch, which I froze some for next week, too, is mashed yams, oatmeal, and broccoli. I add other things every day, as well.
Yesterday was blueberries, apples, and a tuft of broccoli.
Today was bananas, beets and Cheerios.
Each day had a sprinkle of sprouts mixed in too. And a small chunk of cucumber (we have a cucumber farm, and they have just gotten big enough to pick this week!)
He has his seed mix always available, as well as zupreem pellets. It's medium large and extra large pellets mixed together.
I'm thinking I want to buy roudybush and Harrison's next pay check. Is there anywhere to get smaller sizes, to sample from anywhere online, for Canadians?

Sincerely,

Crazed bonded mommy of Rico.

 

[Kiwibird]

It's a sign you really love em' when your concerned 24/7. For the most part, ruffling feathers while sleeping is fine. Kiwi will do a full fluff (sounds like shuffling cards) every time the heater kicks on during the winter months, and some nights when he's (presumably?) dreaming he makes these little feather puff noises all night.

Some birds will chow down the second they get their dish, and some are more "mystery" eaters. I don't know that anyone has ever seen my dad's cockatoo eat more than a peanut before, but obviously he does when no ones looking because he's 40 y/o and perfectly healthy (or maybe he just photosynthesizes like a plant lol:09. He doesn't eat in front of anyone, but he will fling/play with his food in front of you. The best way to make sure your bird is eating enough is to regularly weigh them and keep a weight chart to monitor any serious fluctuations. We tend to like to give them WAY more than they will ever reasonably eat in a day, so it can be hard to tell that they've eaten a healthy portion just by looking at their dish. Especially with pellets and chop, as you won't see empty husks or noticeably chewed on chunks of fruit/veg. Parrots are fruit and seed eaters in nature, so he needs to have a lot of fruit/veg in his diet, a little seed/nuts and if he will accept the pellets, they won't hurt him to have that either. Not sure about whats available in Canada though.

As for the vet, you do really need to take him in for a wellness check just to be sure he's healthy if he's new to you. Birds can mask illness well, and some are unaffected carriers of illnesses he could pass to people or another bird you get in the future yet will never get sick himself. You can also ask the vet what a good weight for his species is, and what acceptable weight fluctuations so you can monitor him at home. I'm also not a "rush to the vet" type. All I can think about is taking my perfectly healthy bird in for a "checkup" or nail trim and having him exposed unnecessarily to some bird who has a incurable, communicable disease. Kind of like when you take a healthy kid to the pediatrician for a shot, and 2 days later they have the flu, or chicken pox or something else nasty they caught in the waiting room. Unless Kiwi is sick or seriously injured, we don't go to the vet. In 6 years, we've only been to the vet twice. Once the first week we got him for a wellness check (he did in fact have an infection that needed treatment) and once before we moved out of state for a health certificate. He is never exposed to other birds, and thus has a low likelihood of ever becoming ill. We clip and trim his nails at home, as well as have a first aid kit for treating minor injuries.

 

[CrazyEyes]

Bongo ruffles his feathers at night also and we hardly ever see him eat even though we know he does. he is on a pellet and fresh fruit diet with some almonds and pnuts thrown in for treats.

 

[NiRD]

Before I started keeping my own birds I worked with other birds. I learned how and why to take weights, and how to feel keels. I learned the difference between the feel of a keel at a healthy weight, I got to feel fat bird keels, and I got to feel really underweight bird keels (rescues that just came in).

I highly recommend new keepers learn to do this. Volunteer at a rescue for a bit. You'll learn some very valuable information about the bird(s) you keep or intend to keep.