Opinions on Zilla's Diet

I have worked very hard to get her to this point and feel I have done a good job of getting her to eat a healthy diet, but any suggestions for an even healthier one would be appreciated...

At this point about 70% of her diet is fresh/frozen/cooked veggies, fruits, berries, brown rice, wild rice, whole grain pasta, and a 15 bean mix.

About 20% is a seed mix, and 10% is treats, nuts, and small bites of my foods that I know are safe.

I'm going to incorporate golden obles into toys and for treats, but I seriously doubt she is ever going to eat enough pellets to worry about which ones I choose. I think she likes the obles because she thinks they are cheerios!

She now eats off her own plate (saucer) that I put on the shelf/door of her cage and I can have my plate all to myself. She has even learned she doesn't have to have everything I have on my plate as long as she has "yummy stuff" on her plate. I make sure I have 1 or 2 of the same things she has, then give her a couple other choices on her plate that I don't have on mine. Sometimes I even get the look of "look what I got Mom, you don't have any of this yummy stuff"

Amanda, I honestly think Zilla's diet I exceptionally great! Kudos to you for converting her to such a varied diet, AND getting her to eat it, too.

Honestly, the one thing I always worry about with zons are the vitamin A foods, since they are prone to diet related vitamin A deficiency disorders. And especially where your bird has breathing problems. (Vitamin A helps them with the secretions that lubricate their air sacs. Without it their air sacs get hard and leathery, or so it was explained to me by my vet.)

As long as they eat a little bit of vitamin A foods every day, don't over eat, and aren't complete seed junkies, you are GOLDEN as far as diet is concerned.

Sweet potato is the one vitamin A food all of my birds will suck down 'til it's all gone. Carrots are hit and miss at my place... (read: sometimes eaten, sometimes used as projectiles.)

She is just starting to eat baked sweet potato and squash on her own plate. Usually I have to feed her a bit of those off my plate, but she does eat them. She loves red/orange/yellow bell peppers, and ALL other peppers I have given her.

Carrots she will eat cooked, but not raw, and only if I am eating them.

I have started "hiding" grated sweet potato and carrots in her pasta & bean mix, and her birdie bread, so I think she is getting enough.

She has only had a couple breathing "episodes" over the last couple weeks, and they seem to have been brought on by her playing and being too active for too long.

She hasn't gained or lost weight since I've had her, so I don't think she is over eating. She doesn't eat all the seed I give her every day, and there are some of the bigger seeds she just won't touch. I think she throws more seed than she eats.

Hey! Sounds like Zilla's on about the same diet as Kiwi (and he's a pretty healthy boy). I think the type of diet you're feeding her is awesome! Parrots shouldn't (IMO) get too much of any one food, so the variety she's getting is great And what a good girl for accepting her healthy new diet. We had to fight ours tooth and nail to eat fruits and veg...

Kiwibird said:

Hey! Sounds like Zilla's on about the same diet as Kiwi (and he's a pretty healthy boy). I think the type of diet you're feeding her is awesome! Parrots shouldn't (IMO) get too much of any one food, so the variety she's getting is great And what a good girl for accepting her healthy new diet. We had to fight ours tooth and nail to eat fruits and veg...

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I think it was easier for me to get her to eat the fresh stuff because she was used to eating off her previous owners plate. She ate whatever he ate with no care for her health or safety. I fought her for the first month to keep her out of my plate, she is NOT allowed to just help herself to whatever I have. I gave her food off my plate, but didn't let her just dive in on her own. She still runs from anything leafy and green (like romaine, kale, or spinach) Literally runs to the other side of her cage and "eyeballs" me and the offending leafy stuff, so I chop it and mix it in with her other fresh foods so I know she gets at least a bite or two now and then.

I would put her plate on her cage for her and sit down in my chair next to her cage and she would leave her plate and climb over onto my arm and want food off my plate. I would put her back and give her a bite off my plate (usually by putting it on her plate) She has finally learned to stay on her cage and eat off her own plate! She watches me like a hawk to see what I am eating and if she doesn't have something I am eating she will give me that look like "why don't I have any of that Mom???" and make her super cute "begging" noises. (those are hard to resist I tell ya') :54: