jenphilly
Active member
- Oct 15, 2013
- 1,950
- 25
- Parrots
- BE2 (Ivory), B&G Macaw (Max), Budgie Group,
Granbirds- tiels; GCC (Monkey & Monster); Sun Conure (Loki); Bare Eyed Too (Folger); Evil Green Monster YNA (Kelly); B&G (Titan)
Hi everyone,
New to the forum and new to larger birds. We've had cockatiels in the home for about 6 years or so and green cheek conures for about 3. They are all my daughter's babies, but the conures were the ones who turned me into a bird fan.. hate to say, but still not a fan of the cockatiels, but sure its more the ones I live with then all of them! We just recently added a larger feathered family member, a Bare Eyed Cockatoo. We went over to Bird Paradise in Burlington for their Parrot Palooza Sunday the 13th to get food for the cockatiels and our birdsitter went with us too (we had just helped her adopt her first green cheek). On the drive over, my husband kept giving us the 'we don't need another bird', 'we have enough', blah blah blah talk.... the best part of the new addition, he was the one she called out to and he fell for her first
I was looking at toys for the conure and he walks up and tugs my shirt sleeve and says, 'I've got something to show you'.... I admit, I was expecting him to have found an Ectelus, which I had been thinking about. But, I walk into a side room with a bunch of cages (not their bird room), and then think he found a cage or playstand, but he walks me up to a cage which I kind scrunch my eyebrows at and say, 'its a bare eyed cockatoo' and give him a what the heck kinda look... I started laughing when he says, she looks really sweet.... that was how Ivory happened into our lives... we could not take her home that day, so we drove the hour and half again the next night to pick her up.
She is a real sweetheart, but like many rehomed birds, has some issues... she's definitely been caged bound (they said she screamed all the time, but has been pretty quiet for us, I joke our tiny pineapple green cheek is way way louder then she is on average, tho when Ivory squawks you definitely hear her!!). She initially would get a little nippy when she thought she was going back to her cage, but she's already learned that her cage is her safe spot and when we are home we will put her on top of her cage with toys and leave the door open, so she has quickly learned that going to her cage is not a punishment and will happily go in for a nap. But our big problem and main reason I am writing is about food habits... she went to the vet for a checkup on Friday and her smear had white blood cells and epithelial cells. The vet was a bit worried and we had blood work run which came back showing very low protein and lowside of normal for calcium. Her liver and kidney panels were normal, which was a huge relief, but the low protein and calcium does indicate what we already thought, she was on a poor diet, vet said seed diet would give those poor levels. She is on a premium organic blend with pellets and nutriberries and she loves pistachios, so that part we've got pretty well under control. But, the problem we have is that she apparently has not seen fresh fruits or veggies.... I've made up cornbread and pureed veggies to add in along with egg shells and she loves eating that, so at least she is getting a more balanced diet. I also tried out cooked bean mix and she loves that. But, I have yet to find a fruit or veggie that she will eagerly eat fresh. I still offer them everyday, both in a bowl and on a hanging skewer, keep hoping that seeing them everyday, she will eventually give something a try! The only thing she has eaten so far is sweet corn. We have tried chard, cucumbers, apples, bananas, grapes, mango, celery, tomato, green beans, carrots, peas and sure something else I am forgetting... She loves cashews, so I even purchased organic unsalted cashew butter and smeared some on veggies and fruit - no luck!
Anybody have a rehomed bird that spent their first years not eating fresh foods and found something they really love or turned them around? Cost is not an issue for us, I laughed that I spent $50 on foods for her to try and could have just tossed $48 out the window and gotten the same results I know patience is a major factor, just keep offering and I have started what I hope is not a really bad habit of making her a plate or bowl at dinnertime.... but even eating with the flock only has her picking at grain products like shredded wheat, but the fresh stuff is left untouched. She did eat some baked red potatoes last night, so happy she is at least trying something.
Any thoughts? She settled in like she has always been with us, she preens us and does the happy bird beak grind, she even has started rolling on her back and exposing her belly when we play and talk to her.
Thanks!!
Jen
New to the forum and new to larger birds. We've had cockatiels in the home for about 6 years or so and green cheek conures for about 3. They are all my daughter's babies, but the conures were the ones who turned me into a bird fan.. hate to say, but still not a fan of the cockatiels, but sure its more the ones I live with then all of them! We just recently added a larger feathered family member, a Bare Eyed Cockatoo. We went over to Bird Paradise in Burlington for their Parrot Palooza Sunday the 13th to get food for the cockatiels and our birdsitter went with us too (we had just helped her adopt her first green cheek). On the drive over, my husband kept giving us the 'we don't need another bird', 'we have enough', blah blah blah talk.... the best part of the new addition, he was the one she called out to and he fell for her first
I was looking at toys for the conure and he walks up and tugs my shirt sleeve and says, 'I've got something to show you'.... I admit, I was expecting him to have found an Ectelus, which I had been thinking about. But, I walk into a side room with a bunch of cages (not their bird room), and then think he found a cage or playstand, but he walks me up to a cage which I kind scrunch my eyebrows at and say, 'its a bare eyed cockatoo' and give him a what the heck kinda look... I started laughing when he says, she looks really sweet.... that was how Ivory happened into our lives... we could not take her home that day, so we drove the hour and half again the next night to pick her up. She is a real sweetheart, but like many rehomed birds, has some issues... she's definitely been caged bound (they said she screamed all the time, but has been pretty quiet for us, I joke our tiny pineapple green cheek is way way louder then she is on average, tho when Ivory squawks you definitely hear her!!). She initially would get a little nippy when she thought she was going back to her cage, but she's already learned that her cage is her safe spot and when we are home we will put her on top of her cage with toys and leave the door open, so she has quickly learned that going to her cage is not a punishment and will happily go in for a nap. But our big problem and main reason I am writing is about food habits... she went to the vet for a checkup on Friday and her smear had white blood cells and epithelial cells. The vet was a bit worried and we had blood work run which came back showing very low protein and lowside of normal for calcium. Her liver and kidney panels were normal, which was a huge relief, but the low protein and calcium does indicate what we already thought, she was on a poor diet, vet said seed diet would give those poor levels. She is on a premium organic blend with pellets and nutriberries and she loves pistachios, so that part we've got pretty well under control. But, the problem we have is that she apparently has not seen fresh fruits or veggies.... I've made up cornbread and pureed veggies to add in along with egg shells and she loves eating that, so at least she is getting a more balanced diet. I also tried out cooked bean mix and she loves that. But, I have yet to find a fruit or veggie that she will eagerly eat fresh. I still offer them everyday, both in a bowl and on a hanging skewer, keep hoping that seeing them everyday, she will eventually give something a try! The only thing she has eaten so far is sweet corn. We have tried chard, cucumbers, apples, bananas, grapes, mango, celery, tomato, green beans, carrots, peas and sure something else I am forgetting... She loves cashews, so I even purchased organic unsalted cashew butter and smeared some on veggies and fruit - no luck!
Anybody have a rehomed bird that spent their first years not eating fresh foods and found something they really love or turned them around? Cost is not an issue for us, I laughed that I spent $50 on foods for her to try and could have just tossed $48 out the window and gotten the same results
I know patience is a major factor, just keep offering and I have started what I hope is not a really bad habit of making her a plate or bowl at dinnertime.... but even eating with the flock only has her picking at grain products like shredded wheat, but the fresh stuff is left untouched. She did eat some baked red potatoes last night, so happy she is at least trying something. Any thoughts? She settled in like she has always been with us, she preens us and does the happy bird beak grind, she even has started rolling on her back and exposing her belly when we play and talk to her.
Thanks!!
Jen
