| Tony |
| | 01/20/10 at 03:03 AM | Reply with quote | #406 |
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Hi i just bought a blue indian ringneck parakeet he is 6 months old and he only eats sunflower seeds I try to mix pellets and fruits with the seeds but he throws everything else on the bottom of the cage and only eats the sunflower seeds is that bad for him and what can i do to change that?
Thank You |
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| Melissa in CT |
| | 01/23/10 at 01:35 PM | Reply with quote | #407 |
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| Tracy, I'm not sure what a proper diet consists of for a ringneck but am quite certain that just sunflower seeds only is not sufficient. For many parrots sunflower seeds are addictive and should be removed from the regular diet. Generally when changing the diet it is best to leave a little of the prior feed mixed in to enable them to aclimate to the new food. In your case that is clearly not working. You're going to have to exercise some tough love and make your bird go cold turkey. No matter haw many times your bird tosses the other stuff, wait a bit and put more in. When he is hungry enough and realizes his favorie food isn't going to appear he will eventually eat the new stuff. Toss or keep the sunflower seeds put of sight. Don't be afraid that your bird will hate you. He will acclimate faster than you may expect. |
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| Jeannine |
| | 01/23/10 at 02:54 PM | Reply with quote | #408 |
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Purchase a basic quality seed mix and remove all the small oily sunflower seeds. Allow him to have a few of the larger striped sunflower but see if he'll eat the other seeds in the dish. Add a few pellets too and try offering fresh vegetables, such as frozen or fresh peas and corn in a dish -- NEVER canned as are mushy and high in salt. Try the Kaytee Parakeet treat bars and millet spray. A few of the sunflower seeds are OK, but he'll need to be weaned off eating them to the exclusion of everything else. Never give the seeds of any fruits as they are toxic. |
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| birdlady1 |
| | 01/23/10 at 11:45 PM | Reply with quote | #409 |
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Stop feeding sunflower seeds if you want him to stop eating them. You're right. They're not the best thing in the world, though they're not the worst. Feed your bird the beans/rice and pellets ONLY in the morning. Nothing else. In the afternoon, dump that out and feed fresh veggies/fruit and pellets only. In the evening before you got to bed, give him some seed (maybe a sunflower or two at most) as that doesn't spoil overnight.
Birds do most of their eating first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. So that's when they're hungriest. I've watched poor eaters turn into great eaters with this routine. This is the routine they follow pretty much at The Gabriel Foundation.
For a while your bird may not eat until he's given the seed at night. But I'll bet my last dollar he'll come around in a few days.
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| Karen |
| | 01/24/10 at 05:34 AM | Reply with quote | #410 |
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There are several things wrong with sunflower seeds: they are fattening , addictive like chocolate is to us as they make the birds very hyper like caffeine does for us. These are things you could live with, however, they also carry a bacteria called E Coli and it can, in a stressful situation be very dangerous. Having worked with an avian veterinarian for almost 20 years I have seen the lab test on the seed and the birds that have become ill from eating it. Work on substituting other seeds and pellets adding a few sunflower seeds that you have microwaved. Start with a bunch of them and dwindle it down until there are no more. |
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| Robert |
| | 01/24/10 at 12:07 PM | Reply with quote | #411 |
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It's not the best idea nutritionally to feed a seed diet of only sunflower. You need to mix some sunflower seeds with either pellets or other seeds in his food bowl. Each day you take away a little sunflower and they eat more of the other things. It's unlikely with none or very little sunflower seeds your bird will starve himself. Good luck. |
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| Brenda |
| | 01/24/10 at 05:14 PM | Reply with quote | #412 |
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The good thing about this situation is that the bird is only 6 months old. He still has plenty of time to get used to various foods. Most likely, the sunflower seeds were the first thing he's ever eaten on his own. Which is fine. Sunflower seeds are fattening. But if the bird stays active and you pay a lot of attention to him, he should stay happy and healthy no matter what. However, it is better to try and incorporate other foods into his diet. So I would suggest not giving him pellets, but trying different foods frequently. Any kinds of fruits and vegetables except avocados. As the bird gets older, he will start enjoying different things. All you have to do is make sure he always has a good variety in front of him. Even if he throws it out, keep giving it to him. He's still a baby. Within the next year, you'll know what he likes and what he does not like. The key is to always keep an open mind and try new things. I hope my advice can help you. Thank you and good luck! |
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| Tony |
| | 01/24/10 at 09:14 PM | Reply with quote | #413 |
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Thanks guys but i think i was just a little bit too woried beacuse now he started eating everything its just the first couple of days when i got him he wasent confortable i think thank you |
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| Jimmy |
| | 02/11/10 at 04:14 AM | Reply with quote | #414 |
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Hi i got a 6 months old blue indian ringneck and at night time when i try to put the cover on top of the cage he acts wierd and rushes towards me and jumps on the side of the cage towards the cover and looks at me and the cover but the funny thing is that he never acts like that hes usually scared and barely comes to me even when i offer treats can someone tell me if he wants the cover on when he does that or he doesnt want it on? thank you |
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| birdlady1 |
| | 02/11/10 at 09:41 PM | Reply with quote | #415 |
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Don't cover your bird's cage. Apparently he's afraid of it. Besides, no one covers the birds in the wild..... |
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| sean mcewan |
| | 06/21/10 at 01:58 PM | Reply with quote | #416 |
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Hi Guys
Just a quick note of thanks, i've read the majority of threads and i am glad to say this fills me with confidence. I have been worried sick about my 2 irn's which i bought 3 weeks ago! the space between us has decreased a little before the screeching happens  After reading what everyone else has written i know i am not the only one !! my birds are difficult but have not been bitten yet, they know when the fall or fly off the cage, one flies back and the other climbs some stairs i made for him, they are so full of personality! remind me of the amazonian greens in some ways, cocky but fun
i have heard its better to split the 2 up, will give it a shot and let you know how i get on with them
Thanks
Sean
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