A Non-Foodie Amazon!?!?

So, I have a new foster, my first ever amazon. I must say I'm already smitten and can already tell it is going to be harder than usual to say good-bye to him when he's ready to move on.

Willie is a little over 20 year-old, blue front. He lived with his family, a husband and wife, since he was a baby. A few years ago the husband, who was Willie's person, passed away. Since then, Willie and his "sister", and blue and gold macaw name Ringo, have lived with just the wife. She is getting older and is finding it harder to get around, and has not really been able to handle the birds in a couple years due to her declining health. She still opened their cages every day, but we don't think she had the physical strength to hold the macaw anymore, and didn't have the emotional strength to hold the amazon after her husband passed away.

The two birds were in need of some major grooming when they came to us, and some upgrades to their cages and accessories. They needed some new perches, new toys, and a diet change. However, I do not think that they were neglected. I think the perches, diet, and stuff was merely a result of ignorance and old school thought. They are on a typical seed diet that was thought to be okay 20 years ago. Although they are familiar with eating fresh foods, so it wasn't completely horrible. The grooming issue was a result of the wife's failing health I believe. Like I said, I don't think she had the strength to really handle the big birds anymore, let alone try to get them into travel cages and get them to a vet in the past few years to have their nails and stuff done like they should have been. I do not doubt that she loved them. When they were picked up from her house, many tears where shed, but she said she knew it was the best for them.

Anyway, most of the immediate issues, such as having them seen by a vet, adding variety to their perches, etc have been addressed. The main problem with the amazon is that he is severely underweight. So far, everything the vet has checked for has come back okay, so he doesn't seem to be suffering from any major illness or disease.

I have found that he is not a big eater, however. From what I have seen everyone say about amazons, that is really unusual. He will nibble throughout the day, but he just doesn't seem very interested in food. I've tried offering him high quality seed. I went and bought crap seed (even though it killed me to even buy the stuff with the intention of feeding it to a bird), just because I figure that is probably along the lines of what he is used to being fed. I just ordered some in-between seed that should be here in a couple days. It seems to be a good quality seed, but it is full of sunflower seeds so it's not the best, but I'm hoping it will be more tempting than a mix without them. I've offered him pellets which he will not touch at all yet. I've given him chop which he will pick at a little. He likes grapes. I've done some other various veggies in bigger pieces like bell pepper, with various success. Success being used very loosely.

I've tried feeding him in his bowl. I've tried offering him everything by hand in his cage. I've tried letting him eat while holding him. I've tried eating with him. I've tried feeding him while he is on my shoulder. I just have not found any place or anything that he seems really enthusiastic about eating. He needs to put weight on, but I can't get him to do that if he won't eat more than a few bites here and there throughout the day, definitely not as much as a bird his size should be. Anyone have any suggestions.

I'm really glad there are people like you around to take birds in when they need a good home.

The Amazon's issue puzzles me. Maybe you could get a second opinion from another vet? Every healthy Amazon I've known has loved food in one form or another. Not to say it couldn't happen, but I'm wondering if the vet missed something.

Ladyhawk said:

I'm really glad there are people like you around to take birds in when they need a good home.

The Amazon's issue puzzles me. Maybe you could get a second opinion from another vet? Every healthy Amazon I've known has loved food in one form or another. Not to say it couldn't happen, but I'm wondering if the vet missed something.

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I don't know, from what we were told, he has always been thin, so I don't know if he is just the one in a million Amazon that isn't a big eater. He is also blind in one eye due to a cataract, so I don't know if that could be a factor, although in my experience I don't think it would be. My male ekkie is completely blind and he'll eat absolutely anything I hand him.

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Reckon it is an emotional thing, possibly still grieving. Get him over that and the food issue may resolve itself? Keep putting the good food in IMO, a little good stuff is far better than a load of cr$p. Thinking cap on re trying to pull this guy out of his depression. The other birds you have may help? Kindness and love always helps too.

plumsmum2005 said:

Reckon it is an emotional thing, possibly still grieving. Get him over that and the food issue may resolve itself? Keep putting the good food in IMO, a little good stuff is far better than a load of cr$p. Thinking cap on re trying to pull this guy out of his depression. The other birds you have may help? Kindness and love always helps too.

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I actually found the other birds to be the opposite of help. I tried putting him near my other birds thinking that maybe their company would help distract him if nothing else. I didn't let him directly interact with anyone, but I also didn't keep too strict of a quarantine since he was kept with only the blue and gold he lived with for the last 20 years. However, he actually started opening up much more when I put him in another room, away from all of the other birds. When he was by himself, he seemed more relaxed and content. Well, he wasn't by himself, he is still in an active part of the house as far as people are concerned, just not with the other birds.

It is uncommon for Amazons to curtail eating as a group.

What you are faced with happens when an Amazon (Likely Most Parrots) losses a beloved Human in addition with the remaining Human having ever more limiting abilities. We have seen this in the two Amazons that have come from like environments. I'm not going into the why, because at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter.

The best route was you're first choice! So, return the medium feed when it arrives! Target a high quality, wide selection seed, grain, nuts, freeze dried veggies and fruits with small pellets and pieces of pasta as part of the overall mix. Yes, at first much of it will be provided to the outside birds, etc... But with time, the selection eaten will expand and you will find you are provide the outside group with ever less. Also, move to small food bowls that you will switch out more often. Your attention to the food bowls will inspire the Amazon's interest.

The process is about three years, with growth in both interaction, trust and eating improving over that time.

Thank-you, for what you do!

SailBoat said:

It is uncommon for Amazons to curtail eating as a group.

What you are faced with happens when an Amazon (Likely Most Parrots) losses a beloved Human in addition with the remaining Human having ever more limiting abilities. We have seen this in the two Amazons that have come from like environments. I'm not going into the why, because at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter.

The best route was you're first choice! So, return the medium feed when it arrives! Target a high quality, wide selection seed, grain, nuts, freeze dried veggies and fruits with small pellets and pieces of pasta as part of the overall mix. Yes, at first much of it will be provided to the outside birds, etc... But with time, the selection eaten will expand and you will find you are provide the outside group with ever less. Also, move to small food bowls that you will switch out more often. Your attention to the food bowls will inspire the Amazon's interest.

The process is about three years, with growth in both interaction, trust and eating improving over that time.

Thank-you, for what you do!

Click to expand...

I was hoping to hear from you boats! When looking for the medium quality, as you put it, food mix, I tried to look for a mix that had a wide variety of food stuffs in it. I hope that if something, even something no so great such as the sunflower seeds grab his attention, he'll at least start paying more attention to the other ingredients as time goes on.

I'm gong to try your suggestion to switch out the bowls often, it does seem to make sense. I did notice yesterday when I gave him some chop, and then again when I put the dry mix back in his cage, that when I switched the bowls he at least went to investigate every time.

I did let him climb onto the back of the couch while watching tv last night, and he spent some time preening my hair. I'm hoping to take that as a sign that he is at least starting to settle in here and feel somewhat comfortable.

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OutlawedSpirit said:

SailBoat said:

It is uncommon for Amazons to curtail eating as a group.

What you are faced with happens when an Amazon (Likely Most Parrots) losses a beloved Human in addition with the remaining Human having ever more limiting abilities. We have seen this in the two Amazons that have come from like environments. I'm not going into the why, because at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter.

The best route was you're first choice! So, return the medium feed when it arrives! Target a high quality, wide selection seed, grain, nuts, freeze dried veggies and fruits with small pellets and pieces of pasta as part of the overall mix. Yes, at first much of it will be provided to the outside birds, etc... But with time, the selection eaten will expand and you will find you are provide the outside group with ever less. Also, move to small food bowls that you will switch out more often. Your attention to the food bowls will inspire the Amazon's interest.

The process is about three years, with growth in both interaction, trust and eating improving over that time.

Thank-you, for what you do!

Click to expand...

I was hoping to hear from you boats! When looking for the medium quality, as you put it, food mix, I tried to look for a mix that had a wide variety of food stuffs in it. I hope that if something, even something no so great such as the sunflower seeds grab his attention, he'll at least start paying more attention to the other ingredients as time goes on.

I'm gong to try your suggestion to switch out the bowls often, it does seem to make sense. I did notice yesterday when I gave him some chop, and then again when I put the dry mix back in his cage, that when I switched the bowls he at least went to investigate every time.

I did let him climb onto the back of the couch while watching tv last night, and he spent some time preening my hair. I'm hoping to take that as a sign that he is at least starting to settle in here and feel somewhat comfortable.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

The goal is high quality mix. This way, anything eaten is a solid benefit. The less expensive the food source the more junk filler that contains nothing of benefit! Also, as they feel healthier, their food intake increases.

We stumped onto switching out the bowls thing and smaller bowls with one of our seriously injured Amazons. Her mobility was very limited and a smaller bowl let her eat without needing to stand. At first we believed it was the ease of eating, but like you saw, it was the interest in what new was in the bowl.

Great to hear that your Amazon is coming to you and interacting! That's great!

SailBoat said:

The process is about three years, with growth in both interaction, trust and eating improving over that time.

Click to expand...

Interesting to hear this. Kiwi was, at one time, also a very poor/picky eater and on the scrawny side. He was fearful of fruit and veg at first, reacted as though we'd put something poisonous and radioactive in his dish. It did indeed take about 3 years (if not a bit longer, if memory serves me correctly) and a lot of effort to get him eating the way nature intended for an amazon to eat It was a rather frustrating process. It's still frustrating as I still have to go out of my way on a daily basis to ensure he eats an adequate variety and quantities of veggies and fruit. He eats his beans/grains mixes with no complaints. He loves junk food and never needed any encouragement to eat that I practically have to ward him off with a stick to keep him away from the unhealthy junk

I know it sounds wholly unrelated, but hows Willie doing with playing with toys? Is he an active bird in general? Are you also fostering the macaw he lived with for his whole life, I didn't think I read you are? He may miss his bird friend and owners. Parrots can suffer depression, with lack of appetite and low activity levels and generally being "down" being symptoms. Amazon should remain active, engaged, silly birds well into their 50's/60's until the effects of old age slow them down. Also, think in terms of children. When he's with your current flock, he's the new kid, he probably feels shy and unsure if he will be accepted by the others. To a parrot, being accepted into a new flock is something their very life depends on. I think that by drawing him out of his shell a bit, his appetite will pick up. As will getting him to play and burn calories. If he's hungry, he's going to eat. He's not going to become hungry moping all day. Inclusion and finding ways to engage him/get him moving will likely help a lot, both physically and mentally Getting him out of his cage and hanging out with you is a great start!

P.S. What kind of amazon is he?