Mealy Amazon Eats All Day!

MealyZon

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Hello, I’m new here and I need some advice. I recently purchased a 3 yr old female Mealy Amazon named Georgia. I have searched the internet for a Mealy for a few months & finally found one near me. I’m recently retired & I’m so excited to have found my dream parrot!! What I’m not clear on is about feeding her. She is currently given pellets for the morning & fresh chopped veggies for the afternoon. My question is, am I overfeeding her on veggies? I’ve been giving her all she wants in the afternoon & she spends a lot of time eating on her manzanita tree. Albeit, she does eat slowly. Since I’ve had her for 7 days, I noticed she’s gaining weight & I know amazons can tend to become overweight. When I got her she weighed 619 grams & 7 days later she weighs 694 grams! She won’t let me touch her to feel her keel bone or chest, so I don’t know if she was underweight to begin with... but I’m feeding her the veggies (plus additional ones like peas & sweet potato) & pellets in the mornings that she was given in the store. Should I let her eat all the veggies she wants in the afternoon? I only give a small portion of sweet potatoes bcuz they’re starchy, but the vitamin A is good for her.
Any input is appreciated!:)
 
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SailBoat

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Please take the time to read the sticky threads (highlighted in light blue) at the Top of the Amazon Sub-Forum. Both threads are very important for Amazon Owners and should be monitory reading! Understanding Amazon Body Language is critical as Amazons EXPECT that you know their body language!

I Love Amazons -... is a truly great, but huge Thread that provides a wide cross-section of knowledge regarding life with Amazons. Page One, lists all the individual segments within that Thread. With regard to your question, look for the segment that defines a healthy diet for an Amazon.

The likelihood that the Veggie segment of what you are feeding is adding weight is questionable a best. Now, if you are including 'fruits' under the title of Veggies, yes, you may need to back-off on their percentage.

Please remember that when you in fact take your Parrots weight can greatly effect the accuracy of the number you are getting. Weight should be taken 'once' each day, first thing in the morning, after the (commonly large) morning poop and before the morning meal is provided. This assures a near empty Amazon and a solid base for weight comparison. It is important to write the weight down and keep a log of it. With time, you will note variation depending on time of year and general activity.

IMHO, if a new arrival elects to eat, that's great as most new arrivals more commonly do not!!! I would recommend that you not get overly excited about your Amazon gaining weight at this point. The combination of a new home, a likely major improvement in diet and a general life is good experience -- let the good times roll at this point. Now, as we get near 90 to 120 days, let's look closer at her diet. FYI: Veggies are heavy with water as a percentage, so watch for a watery poop.

Pellets are a great source for a cross-section of minerals, Vitamins, etc, that maybe missing in your Amazon's base chemistry. With in the reading recommended above, you will find that Amazons enjoy a wider base of dry foods.
 
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texsize

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Welcome fellow Amazon patron and retiree.

I also recently retired (end of may) and now can devote more time to my Fids.

And you live in So.Cal. like me so it's nice to meet you.

other than agreeing with Sailboat I got nothing to ad on the food issue.

wes
 

saxguy64

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Hello, and welcome! Fantastic advise above! May I ask what pellets you're feeding her? So many brands out there, some great, some horrible. Some are loved by many birds because they're the equivalent of french fries and candy for us. Birdie junk food. Where they definitely have preferences, in the beginning sometimes we consider the best pellets to be the one they will eat at all. You can work on transitioning later since everything in life is new to her right now. Also consider her previous situation regarding the weight gain. My YNA was in a refuge for over a year. Well cared for, but not the same as being in a home environment. While there, she was in the 565-575 range. Not too long after I got her, she gained what I thought to be a lot, and it was. Vet checkup, she's wonderfully healthy. He said maybe a tiny bit overweight, but nothing major. It was also winter, and she was clearly extra fluffy at that point. She stabilized at 650, and been within a few grams of that for over a year now. Again, consistent weigh ins are a vital piece of the information to keep track of.

So, if you haven't done so yet, I highly recommend a good, full exam with your avian professional to get baseline information. Then you have something for comparison, and ideally, more specific recommendations for diet based on findings in the blood work if anything is off.

BTW, do you have pictures of Georgia that you would like to share? (hint, hint) :)

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

Scott

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RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Welcome to you and Georgia! Wonderful advice above. I too consider veggies as "free" foods that are unlikely to cause excess weight gain. As Sailboat suggested, weighing protocol critical and most meaningful over time. A baseline visit with certified avian vet is priceless.

Close interaction with Georgia will uncover potential issues such as feel of keel and ability to inspect for lumps/bumps, subtle feather picking, etc.

A recent purchase suggests you are both still acclimating though Georgia is resistant to touch. This thread may help develop a closer bond and build trust as prerequisite for more sensitive handling: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
 

wrench13

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Welcome and be welcomed. We have a few Mealy 'zon folks on here - not many , like 2 or 3. Very cool Amazons, known for their gentle natures, well, gentle for an Amazon!
 
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MealyZon

MealyZon

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Mealy Amazon-Georgia & Senegal-Kramer
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You all made me feel very welcome, thank you!
SailBoat, I will go check out the Amazon sub forum you mentioned & read those 2 threads... & anything else that says “Amazon.” Thank you! What you said about what could impact weight gain is so true. I’ll weigh her in the mornings after that first big “dropping”. It just makes good sense. I’ve been giving her chopped veggies, but yes, included in the chop are some cherry tomatoes, cucumber, apple, blueberries (along with chopped carrots, broccoli, zucchini). Is that enough variation in for 1 day? I know can rotate in a whole bunch of other veggies. The other thing you mentioned is the moisture in the fruit. And yes again, sometimes the droppings (which are always solid) seem to have a lot of “liquid” with them.
SailBoat your were spot on! Thank you.
Saxguy, the pellets are “Zupreem“ Fruit Blend Flavor. I hope this isn’t equivalent to Fruit Loops... oh geez. She’s definitely getting a work up from our Avian & Exotic Vet.
A nod to Flboy & texsize! Going off to take & send a photo of Georgia.
 
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MealyZon

MealyZon

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Here’s a requested photo of my Mealy Amazon... look closely at her chest where the feathers seem twisted & chewed on. Is this the precursor to feather picking?? Aughhhhh!!!! I’ll put that topic in another forum.

Mealy Zon - Mealy Amazon Parrot Forum's Gallery
 
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wrench13

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Aren't Mealy Amazons all green, no head color except green? 'Boats? Inquiring minds want to know.

I would leave the tomoatoes out for sure - they contain toxins we people can take. Pretty sure they are not good for parrots.
 

wrench13

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Ah Ha! You have a Northern Mealy Amazon. The Southern ones are all green. The Northies have that blue forehead patch.
 

Ira7

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Welcome!

The typical range for Mealys is 540 to 700 grams, but this reference indicates some individuals can get much larger:

https://www.beautyofbirds.com/mealyparrots.html


I wouldn’t worry too much about weight gain yet, because you’ve got her on a different diet than she’s used to. Some weight change should be expected. I wouldn’t fill her bowl for SECONDS during a single meal, but two meals a day of the bowl just half or 2/3rds full with the fresh stuff isn’t too much.

Have you been giving her any showers yet? A few times a week does wonders for the plumage.

I’m retired too, so I have all day to “cook” for my parrot. I don’t use a chop for his fresh stuff. I give him one or two items at a time twice a day in his fresh bowl...for example, dinner can just be a steamed beet, breakfast maybe carrots and zucchini. This way, he doesn’t get the same thing for several days and doesn’t get bored. (I have a small refrigerator just for his stuff!) They also like things in different SIZES, so even with a chop mix, give her a variety of small and large chunks. Like baby carrots. Throw them in whole.

Mine won’t touch pellets, and he just gets Nutriberries for dry food. I use sunflower, pistachio and shelled peanuts for training treats, albeit I’ve been lazy with the training lately. I’m only interested in speech training, since Yellow Naped are famous talkers and this guy chats up a storm.

Good luck, and don’t be a stranger here!
 
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SailBoat

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The concern with Fruits is not the water contain, but the natural sugar contain! As my good friend Wrench stated Mealy's tend to be the gentle giants of the Amazon family. BUT, get 700+ grams of Mealy charged with sugar and add a chemical charge of hormonal rage and all bets are off!!! With a well balanced diet on the Veggie side a few slices of fruit adds to the joy of eating and it doesn't cause a serious natural sugar (high) rush, just a happy Amazon.

Pellets: IMHO, Zupreem, Fruit Blend Flavor is a bit higher is sugar and salt than I would recommend. My biggest concern is the added coloring. At some point, your Amazon will elect to drive you crazy, nuts by selecting only a single color that day and your Amazon will provide you a morning surprise that is heavily color shifted to that color. Dark brown, Black, and Red 'or' a yellow shifted Green segment stool will have near all us regulars sitting at the door step of our Avian Professional first thing in the morning with stool sample in baggy in a state of fear as those colors are commonly associated with blood in the stool! Generally, even the most confirmed provider of colored pellets will switch to non-colored pellets after that happens to them.

Your Mealy's feathers are fairly common shape if your Amazon is in a standard Amazon cage size, in need of a good misting (gently from above!!!), a few more weeks to developing a comfort with a new home and a really good couple of molts... The vast majority of Amazons tend to stop over preening when coupled with above.

Yup, they come in both variations. BUT! New Mealy owners have a huge surprise coming as the flash feathers of the Wings are amazing in their Display Coloration!

Enjoy the readings!

FYI: Understanding Amazon Body Language should be read until you accept it like a first language! I'm also semi-retired and a life long Amazon Snob and I still read that Thread a couple of times a year!!!
 
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macawpower58

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I'm so confused. On my other forum, you said you had a 1 year old male for 8 days, and were returning it to get this 3 year old female. I thought the 1 year old had tattered chest feathers, and now you say this 3 year old also does?

You also said you were picking up this female today? And returning the 1 year old to the store on the way as it wasn't friendly enough.

So confused.......
 

Ira7

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The concern with Fruits is not the water contain, but the natural sugar contain! As my good friend Wrench stated Mealy's tend to be the gentle giants of the Amazon family. BUT, get 700+ grams of Mealy charged with sugar and add a chemical charge of hormonal rage and all bets are off!!! With a well balanced diet on the Veggie side a few slices of fruit adds to the joy of eating and it doesn't cause a serious natural sugar (high) rush, just a happy Amazon.

Pellets: IMHO, Zupreem, Fruit Blend Flavor is a bit higher is sugar and salt than I would recommend. My biggest concern is the added coloring. At some point, your Amazon will elect to drive you crazy, nuts by selecting only a single color that day and your Amazon will provide you a morning surprise that is heavily color shifted to that color. Dark brown, Black, and Red 'or' a yellow shifted Green segment stool will have near all us regulars sitting at the door step of our Avian Professional first thing in the morning with stool sample in baggy in a state of fear as those colors are commonly associated with blood in the stool! Generally, even the most confirmed provider of colored pellets will switch to non-colored pellets after that happens to them.

Your Mealy's feathers are fairly common shape if your Amazon is in a standard Amazon cage size, in need of a good misting (gently from above!!!), a few more weeks to developing a comfort with a new home and a really good couple of molts... The vast majority of Amazons tend to stop over preening when coupled with above.

Yup, they come in both variations. BUT! New Mealy owners have a huge surprise coming as the flash feathers of the Wings are amazing in their Display Coloration!

Enjoy the readings!

FYI: Understanding Amazon Body Language should be read until you accept it like a first language! I'm also semi-retired and a life long Amazon Snob and I still read that Thread a couple of times a year!!!

I cut back enormously on Archie’s fruit. He only gets it around 3 times a week.

Otherwise, he’s 85% veg (I refuse to use the term “veggie”) and 15% Nutriberries of various types. No straight seed.

One or two of the Nutriberries types has more fruit than the others, so do you think they’re considered heavy in sugar compared to most fresh fruit?

The only thing he’ll pull out of a seed mix are the sunflower seeds, and it’s a total waste of money and bad for him. Thank God he eats all his vegetables.
 

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