Question for caique owners

[labell]

Meegosh was fed macaw seed in his previous life and not much else. Since he has been here he gets his chop every morning which he loves and then his dry mix at night (small amount of seed, pellets and dried fruits and veggies).

My question is this little guy eats like crazy, twice a day when I put in the fresh chop and then later with the dry he eats (mostly with the fresh) so much that he looks like a baby bird that has just been fed. I mean his crop is packed with food, so much that it puffs out. It goes through him just fine he poops like a fiend as well.

So my question is does your caique eat like this as an adult? Or is it just that he was not offered this smorgasbord of food in his life and has to get used to the abundance of yummy things to eat.

 

[Irishj9]

Well, you will have to weigh him so that we can make an informed judgement, but in general, caiques eat a LOT.

If your baby is as active as mine, you can see them burning off the calories at a huge rate. Just make sure to keep the sugars down, and that he is getting LOADS of exercise.

If hes eating mainly veggies/pellets and a small amount of high quality seeds, you're on the right track.

8 of mine are caged these days because its hormone season. This morning each pair got a mix of 30% chopped mixed veg, 30% pellets, and the rest in wholegrain breakfast cereal mixed with chopped pear or apple. Then half an orange suspended from the flight roof as food/toys. I wont be home till about 5pm at which point all of this will be gone, except a lonely half orange skin. I tend to feed a little more than strictly necessary as it also minimises bickering.

Today being Wednesday, they got their calcium supplement added to their water.

They burn all this off and can zoom around the aviary like lovebirds.

I judge their diet the lazy way, by energy and feather quality. Chirpy and happy? Bright dazzling colours?, clean glossy feathers? You're doing ok.

Soentjie - Album on Imgur

 

[Pinkbirdy]

Mine are HUGE eaters too. Love everything I give them [maybe just the way they are] . Had their vet check about a month ago . Nothing is ever said about their weight Mine like "Irish " play all day too. That's what I love about Caiques they are the best eaters and know how to play Look out for the morning poop!

 

[ShaunaR]

Pixie eats alot as well. She really loves the high sugar fruits like apples and oranges which she is only supposed to get every 3-4 days according to our Vet. She will eat those at the exclusion of all else so I have to limit them. If I feed her ANY seeds she will only eat those and leave everything else including those yucky pellets lol! We have a dish of Harrison's pellets in the cage at all times, feed a mix of greens and other seasonal veggies daily in the am with berries and other fruit like melons in the evenings. I usually mix Quinoa, couscous, or brown rice with her veggies every second day. Often Pixie's appetite seems dependent on what other exciting stuff is going on in the house too. If I am eating at the same time it seems to encourage her, especially when it's a food she isn't as fond of like cucumbers or kale. She does seem to go through "phases" of preferring one thing over another such as right now she is on a berry kick and will eat those to the exclusion of all else. I personally find the diet of a parrot to be the most confusing thing about owning these monkeys!

 

[Ivara1]

My Caique eats a lot! He eats pellets and whatever fruits & vegetables I give him. He's very active and out of the cage a lot, so that might explain it. My Caique only eats the pellets he likes. Half of the pellets we give him might remain because he only likes one of the colours, haha.