RB2 Diet Concerns...

Once again I turn to my friends here at the forum for a little guidance and reassurance.

Mona my 5 month old RB2 is a happy, healthy addition and I am constantly Learning what the best things for her are. We have made the decision to try to get her on pellets rather than seeds. It has proven harder than I thought. We can get her to eat some pellets if soaked for a bit but our concern is that it is not enough and give her some seed mix which she seems to love the smaller seeds. However she will eat a few carrot sticks and a few snap peas, some misc. Veggies and millet on occasion. Still trying to work out which fruits work for her. Her weight is pretty consistent at 210-214.

Anyway, what I'm trying to ask here is, are any of you feeding pellets and or seeds or exclusively one or the other? Does our feeding strategy seem sufficient while we figure out what works. We she starve herself if the pellets are an only option?

Would love to hear your thoughts and learn some of your tactics...

Hi Bullbird, here is what I feed Chili to give you an idea (I had to write this up for her vet visit the other week)

[FONT=&quot]Breakfast[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]*TOPs[/FONT] (Totally Organic Pellets)
[FONT=&quot] Ingredients: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Rice, hulled millet, barley, alfalfa leaf, sunflower seed hulled, sesame seeds unhulled, quinoa whole, buckwheat hulled, dandelion leaf powder, carrot powder, spinach leaf powder, purple dulse, kelp, rose hips powder, rose hips crushed, orange peel powder, lemon peel powder, rosemary whole leaf, cayenne ground, crushed red chili peppers, nettle leaf.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
*Volkman Birdeez Buffet 15 min. Soak & Serve, served with green beans, peas, carrots, and corn [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ingredients: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Brown Rice, Pearl Barley, Red Lentils, Carrot Dices, Split Green Peas, Red & Green Diced Bell Peppers, Rolled Corn, Oat Groats, Banana Chips, Tree Nuts (Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios), Hulled Pumpkin, Fruit Medley (Sun-dried Diced Peaches, Nectarines, Pears, Apricots, Golden Raisins, Black Currants, Cranberries), Peanuts, Pineapple Dices, Apple Dices, Papaya Dices, Coconut Chips, Pasta, Dehydrated Green Peas.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Lunch[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fresh produce[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] This week: Green Zucchini, Kiwi, Apple, Strawberry, Broccoli, Jalapeno peppers, Sugar snap pea pods, Celery[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Dinner[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Chop mix (homemade)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Ingredients[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Sliced yellow zucchini, chopped mini peppers, grated (cooked) beets, grated butternut squash, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, steamed Brussel sprouts, brown rice (cooked), 15-bean mix (cooked)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Additional foods eaten:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Bountiful Harvest Blend (mysafebirdstore.com)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Ingredients: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Natural pellets, together with sweet corn, apples, Granola (made with Rolled Wheat, Brown Sugar, Canola Oil, Natural Coconut, Whey, Oat Flour, Roasted Almonds & Honey), Sunflower Kernels, Sesame Sticks (made with Unbleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Soybean Oil, Sesame Seed, Bulgar Wheat, Salt and Beet Powder and Turmeric for color.), Roasted Chic Peas, Filberts, Roasted Pistachios in Shell, Shelled Raw Pistachios, Natural Papaya, Yogurt Coated Raisins (yogurt made with Sugar, Palm Oil, Coconut, Brown Sugar, Whey, Carob, Lecithin & Pure Vanilla.), Apricots, Yogurt Coated Almonds, Carob Coated Almonds, Pepitas (Shelled Pumpkin Seed), Whole Star Anise Seed, Shelled Walnuts, Pine Nuts in Shell, Freeze Dried Garden Peas, Cubed Coconut, Organic Whole Oats, Roasted Cashews, Cranberries, Roasted Almonds, Natural Pineapple, Large Pumpkin Seed, Banana Chips, Golden & Red Grapes Carrots, Blueberries, Whole Turkish Dates and Figs, Sweet Potatoes, Cherries, Shelled Pecans, Freeze Dried Strawberries and Mangos, Goji Berries, Parsley, Peaches, Freeze-dried spinach, freeze dried Chives , Red & Green Sweet Peppers, freeze-dried corn, freeze dried honey, freeze-dried celery, dehydrated green beans, chamomile flowers, cilantro, dehydrated Green Cabbage, dehydrated basil, Shelled (non-roasted) Brazil Nuts, Flaked Natural Coconut, Roasted Corn, Roasted Soybeans, Cooked dehydrated Beans & Peas, Whole Cinnamon.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
Goldenfeast Carribean Blend (mysafebirdstore.com)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Ingredients: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Roasted Cashews, Cranberries, Natural Papaya, Roasted Almonds, Natural Pineapple, Large Pumpkin Seed, Banana Chips, Mangos, Golden & Red Grapes, Pepitas (Shelled Pumpkin Seed), Carrots, Apples, Filberts, assorted Cooked and Dehydrated Beans and Peas, Sweet Peppers, Roasted in Shell Pistachios, Blueberries, Pine Nuts, Whole Turkish Dates and Figs, Sweet Potatoes, Green Cabbage, Freeze Dried Peas, Roasted Chic Peas, Cherries, Shelled Walnuts, Shelled Filberts, Shelled Pecans, Freeze Dried Strawberries and Mangos, Goji Berries, Parsley and Peaches[/FONT]

getwozzy said:

Hi Bullbird, here is what I feed Chili to give you an idea (I had to write this up for her vet visit the other week)

[FONT=&quot]Breakfast[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]*TOPs[/FONT] (Totally Organic Pellets)
[FONT=&quot]Ingredients: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Rice, hulled millet, barley, alfalfa leaf, sunflower seed hulled, sesame seeds unhulled, quinoa whole, buckwheat hulled, dandelion leaf powder, carrot powder, spinach leaf powder, purple dulse, kelp, rose hips powder, rose hips crushed, orange peel powder, lemon peel powder, rosemary whole leaf, cayenne ground, crushed red chili peppers, nettle leaf.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
*Volkman Birdeez Buffet 15 min. Soak & Serve, served with green beans, peas, carrots, and corn [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ingredients: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Brown Rice, Pearl Barley, Red Lentils, Carrot Dices, Split Green Peas, Red & Green Diced Bell Peppers, Rolled Corn, Oat Groats, Banana Chips, Tree Nuts (Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios), Hulled Pumpkin, Fruit Medley (Sun-dried Diced Peaches, Nectarines, Pears, Apricots, Golden Raisins, Black Currants, Cranberries), Peanuts, Pineapple Dices, Apple Dices, Papaya Dices, Coconut Chips, Pasta, Dehydrated Green Peas.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Lunch[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Fresh produce[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This week: Green Zucchini, Kiwi, Apple, Strawberry, Broccoli, Jalapeno peppers, Sugar snap pea pods, Celery[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Dinner[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Chop mix (homemade)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ingredients[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Sliced yellow zucchini, chopped mini peppers, grated (cooked) beets, grated butternut squash, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, steamed Brussel sprouts, brown rice (cooked), 15-bean mix (cooked)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Additional foods eaten:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Bountiful Harvest Blend (mysafebirdstore.com)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ingredients: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Natural pellets, together with sweet corn, apples, Granola (made with Rolled Wheat, Brown Sugar, Canola Oil, Natural Coconut, Whey, Oat Flour, Roasted Almonds & Honey), Sunflower Kernels, Sesame Sticks (made with Unbleached Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Soybean Oil, Sesame Seed, Bulgar Wheat, Salt and Beet Powder and Turmeric for color.), Roasted Chic Peas, Filberts, Roasted Pistachios in Shell, Shelled Raw Pistachios, Natural Papaya, Yogurt Coated Raisins (yogurt made with Sugar, Palm Oil, Coconut, Brown Sugar, Whey, Carob, Lecithin & Pure Vanilla.), Apricots, Yogurt Coated Almonds, Carob Coated Almonds, Pepitas (Shelled Pumpkin Seed), Whole Star Anise Seed, Shelled Walnuts, Pine Nuts in Shell, Freeze Dried Garden Peas, Cubed Coconut, Organic Whole Oats, Roasted Cashews, Cranberries, Roasted Almonds, Natural Pineapple, Large Pumpkin Seed, Banana Chips, Golden & Red Grapes Carrots, Blueberries, Whole Turkish Dates and Figs, Sweet Potatoes, Cherries, Shelled Pecans, Freeze Dried Strawberries and Mangos, Goji Berries, Parsley, Peaches, Freeze-dried spinach, freeze dried Chives , Red & Green Sweet Peppers, freeze-dried corn, freeze dried honey, freeze-dried celery, dehydrated green beans, chamomile flowers, cilantro, dehydrated Green Cabbage, dehydrated basil, Shelled (non-roasted) Brazil Nuts, Flaked Natural Coconut, Roasted Corn, Roasted Soybeans, Cooked dehydrated Beans & Peas, Whole Cinnamon.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
Goldenfeast Carribean Blend (mysafebirdstore.com)[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ingredients: [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Roasted Cashews, Cranberries, Natural Papaya, Roasted Almonds, Natural Pineapple, Large Pumpkin Seed, Banana Chips, Mangos, Golden & Red Grapes, Pepitas (Shelled Pumpkin Seed), Carrots, Apples, Filberts, assorted Cooked and Dehydrated Beans and Peas, Sweet Peppers, Roasted in Shell Pistachios, Blueberries, Pine Nuts, Whole Turkish Dates and Figs, Sweet Potatoes, Green Cabbage, Freeze Dried Peas, Roasted Chic Peas, Cherries, Shelled Walnuts, Shelled Filberts, Shelled Pecans, Freeze Dried Strawberries and Mangos, Goji Berries, Parsley and Peaches[/FONT]

Click to expand...

AWESOME! thanks. so do you leave food in chilis enclosure all day or feed at certain times? I feel like I feed at certain times she might be a little more eager to eat the foods I offer her.

Also, what is Chilis adult weight? The vet said Mona will end up around 250-270g.

The mixes listed under "additional foods" have been mixed into one container, and so I put some in a bowl with the pellets in her cage in the morning so she has access to that bowl all day, and I take it out at bedtime.

The other meals get taken out after a couple hours because you don't want them going bad.

The second half of her breakfast (volkman s&s w/ veggies) I give to her mid morning... So here's what a typical feed schedule for her is:

8am dry food (seed mix/pellets)
10am warm breakfast
2pm lunch -fresh produce
6/7pm dinner -chop mix
8pm bedtime

I've discovered smaller meals throughout the day gets her to eat more of what is offered.

Chili is 17 months old and weighs 260g and has been that weight for the last year.

You can also offer mashed sweet potato, warm but be careful it's not too warm or you could burn her crop.

If you want to have her try new foods, serve them in the morning or afternoon when they're usually the hungriest.