Food question for bird owners

[cmounsey]

I have had birds since I was 10. My first bird was a budgie and he lived to be 10 years old. After that I had a cockatiel and it just kind of snowballed from there! I raised birds (finches, tiels, budgies and parrots) for about 6 years. Last year I got out of it for health reasons. Right now I have a meyers parrot hen that is 9 years old and a 2 month old blue and gold macaw baby that I am hand feeding for myself. I have read lots and lots on diet and no 2 people think alike!

As far as grit goes, I have always heard you should not offer grit because in some cases the birds would gorge on it and not be able to digest the grit. But, before all the grit controversy, I have offered it to many birds and never had a bird gorge on it. I think it may have happened a few times and therefore it is something that is cautioned against now.

AngelZoo, you might try offering fruits and veggies and such first thing in the morning. Remove the normal food and put in the stuff you want your bird to try. Also if you eat it in front of your bird and make yummy noises that might intice your bird too!

[Mich]

You can tell you are a bird person, just by listening to you.( well by what you write) I too began with a budgie, which developed into a great love of birds..........only not as great as the macaw.
I have had lots and lots of Finches, not only the ordinary Zebra which flies around up north wild, but the fancy ones, and have had great success in selective breeding. A personal problem ( not health ) saw me giving them all away to other breeders who I knew. I have missed them, and am going to begin again soon with the African Fires. I still have some Bengalese in one of the aviaries, with my small parrots. A few Cordons in another aviary, as well with some small parrots. I always followed the rules in giving grit in "D" cups, but found they did not eat it, but loved the baked egg shell, which is always there. Never lost a bird.
I too have hand raised many birds, including the Indian Ringnecks.
These are magic to hand raise. The tiels, they are cute and have hand raised many as pets, and given to my family's children.
I used to mix my own seed I bought in bulk, and they all had a variety of many fresh and dried food. You are right in saying not one bird person will feed the same thing to their birds, and in many good books the Author will say exactly what you said. It is nice to meet you.

[cmounsey]

I too have missed my birds. When I got out my hubby told me I could have any kind of bird I wanted. I asked for a hyacinth LOL. I had weaned a blue and gold a couple of years before and it was the sweetest thing. I have a friend that raises them and that is where my Hannah came from. I had kept the meyers parrot as she had divorced her hubby several years earlier and was handfed. She is very sweet to me, but as a breeder was not very nice at all! What kinds of birds do you have now?

connie

[Mich]

The small parrots I have are Bourkes Parrot ( Bourkii ). They are of the Neophema, but in a lot of bird books, the Bourkii should be of a breed of their own. Along with the rest of the Australian grass parrots these birds so easily blend into their surroundings. The Bourkes parrot is silent during the day, but at dawn and dusk, they "trill" quietly. They only feed at that time also. I love them. I have Normals,and Rosa's ( salmon pink with tinges of pale brown on their wings). . and some split Rosa's along with some split Creams.

In the coming Spring ( here is September ) I hope to obtain a full Cream male and female. Put the male with my Rosa female and hope to get a Pink and some Creams, along with split Rosa/Creams. The female Cream I will put with the Split Cream/Rosa male, and hope to get Creams and Pinks there also.

[cmounsey]

I am familiar with the Bourkes, I think they are pretty birds. Do you have a website or pictures of your birds you can post? I would love to see them!

[Mich]

Sorry, no I don't have any pic's of mine. I don't have a scanner. My daughter scanned my dog for me.

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by cmounsey
I am familiar with the Bourkes, I think they are pretty birds. Do you have a website or pictures of your birds you can post? I would love to see them!

We need to see pics of yours!!! What kind of birds do you have?

[cmounsey]

Here is the newest picture of my Hannah, she is 6 weeks old in this picture.



Hope this works!

[cmounsey]

Here is my Meyers parrot Miss P here she is at summer reading enjoying a walnut.....She is 9 years old this year.



Connie

[popcornbird]

Oooooooooooh HOW precious! You have a macaw?!? I've always wanted one of those! How old is Hannah now?

Connie's simply adorable also! Can they talk/do tricks? How sweet. You should start a new thread with loads of pics of them so we can get to know them better. Are Hannah and Connie your only fids?

[cmounsey]

Hannah is 2 months old now. I am still hand feeding 4 times a day. She really doesn't do much yet! I put her on the floor in the evenings and she will flap those little wings for a while and then she gets sooo tired!

Miss P is 9 years old. She doesn't talk and I don't figure that she will. She will lay on her back in my hand and loves to be rubbed on. I don't think that she is very impressed with Hannah LOL!

Connie