Portion Question

Vilatus

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Jul 17, 2017
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One Quaker, Nico
Hi everybody!

So my CAV gave me advice on my budgie's diet and how I can introduce more foods. He's finally started eating his nutriberries but I've realized I don't know how much I should be giving him!!

He's currently getting one a day. He's a little chunky so he needs to lose weight right now, but normally how many should he get?

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Tami2

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Aug 18, 2017
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Levi - 6 yr old CAG

DOH-4/2/2016
I give nutriberries as a treat, not regular food.

Is your Budgie on any pellets?
 
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Vilatus

Vilatus

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Jul 17, 2017
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One Quaker, Nico
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I give nutriberries as a treat, not regular food.



Is your Budgie on any pellets?
No. He's eating seed only right now unfortunately, the nutriberries are part of an effort to get him to eat more foods, and eventually pellets.

Sorry, I should have included that, was a bit tired when I posted.

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bug_n_flock

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Jan 2, 2018
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Isolated Holler in the Appalachian Wilderness
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B&G Macaw, Galah, 5 cockatiels, 50 billion and a half budgies. We breed and do rescue. Too many to list each individual's name and age etc, but they are each individuals and loved dearly.
Is Stanley the one in your profile pic? If so... "he" is in fact a she. ;)


Do you put all of the new foods in his dish, clipped to the cage bars, in additional dishes, on the floor of the cage? When you introduce the foods, do you model eating them for him and/or eat at the same time as him? Something worth keeping in mind: your food will *always* taste better than the stuff in his dish. Even if it is literally the same thing. Birds are silly like that. :)


Posted from an uncoorperative phone please excuse typos
 
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Vilatus

Vilatus

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Jul 17, 2017
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One Quaker, Nico
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Is Stanley the one in your profile pic? If so... "he" is in fact a she. ;)


Do you put all of the new foods in his dish, clipped to the cage bars, in additional dishes, on the floor of the cage? When you introduce the foods, do you model eating them for him and/or eat at the same time as him? Something worth keeping in mind: your food will *always* taste better than the stuff in his dish. Even if it is literally the same thing. Birds are silly like that. :)


Posted from an uncoorperative phone please excuse typos

Yes, he is. I'm aware, when I got him he looked female and the name/pronouns just stuck!

Yep, I've done the works. I had an in depth discussion with my vet and at this point the only thing I can really do is just keep shoving things in his face... preferably when he's hungry. So far I've gotten him to eat nutriberries and some avicakes, which is a huge leap for him considering he would turn his nose at everything before. Still working on veggies and pellets...

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bug_n_flock

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Jan 2, 2018
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Isolated Holler in the Appalachian Wilderness
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B&G Macaw, Galah, 5 cockatiels, 50 billion and a half budgies. We breed and do rescue. Too many to list each individual's name and age etc, but they are each individuals and loved dearly.
:red:Don't give up hope!


My Alex(tiel) ate seed only for YEARS(other than junk food, of course). In his maturity he now will at least try most things. But, he is a total chonk borb now, and really should go on a diet.



What do you offer besides the cakes and berries? Try cycling thru what you offer? I'm sure you do already tho. Some absoulte dro-dead favorites with my budgies(and I use these to trick them eating more variety and healthier things) : cooked sweet potato, cooked brown rice, raw kale chopped fine, cooked noodles(especially with bird safe tomato sauce), crackers of basically any kind, millet(of course), and I cut fresh grasses, herbs, edible weeds and their seeds from our clearing wich are a big hit. Once you find something he likes, just run with it and use it to try and introduce more new things. I'm sure you know all that already.
t


At this point 18 of the budgies mostly only eat fesh cooked foods . :D good luck. With 1 it is so much harder to encourage them to try new things.


Again, forgive my even more uncooraperative phone please. I think it is time to put it down nd let it take a break. I need a new phone.
 
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Vilatus

Vilatus

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2017
497
399
Michigan
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One Quaker, Nico
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  • Thread starter
  • #7
:red:Don't give up hope!


My Alex(tiel) ate seed only for YEARS(other than junk food, of course). In his maturity he now will at least try most things. But, he is a total chonk borb now, and really should go on a diet.



What do you offer besides the cakes and berries? Try cycling thru what you offer? I'm sure you do already tho. Some absoulte dro-dead favorites with my budgies(and I use these to trick them eating more variety and healthier things) : cooked sweet potato, cooked brown rice, raw kale chopped fine, cooked noodles(especially with bird safe tomato sauce), crackers of basically any kind, millet(of course), and I cut fresh grasses, herbs, edible weeds and their seeds from our clearing wich are a big hit. Once you find something he likes, just run with it and use it to try and introduce more new things. I'm sure you know all that already.
t


At this point 18 of the budgies mostly only eat fesh cooked foods . :D good luck. With 1 it is so much harder to encourage them to try new things.


Again, forgive my even more uncooraperative phone please. I think it is time to put it down nd let it take a break. I need a new phone.

Stanley is in the same boat! The vet assistant gasped when she weighed him lmao

I've mostly been trying dill and curly parsley as recommended by the vet. I even tried putting it over his food bowl so he would have to at least touch it to get to his food. (He looks at veggies with the most disgust I've ever seen on an animal with no lips) His solution was to not eat for a day. I have yet to try most of the veggies you recommended, so I'll definitely do those! Crackers are acceptable sometimes but he turns them away at others. I will crack this bird's will and make him eat better!!! Its a war though, lmao

I'm jealous! It really is, and unfortunately I no longer have any other birds to encourage him.

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