I rescued a Skinny bird. what to feed?

Brenna_

New member
Apr 23, 2012
7
0
Northern Indiana
Parrots
Rose Breasted Cockatoo (Petey)
I met a awesome adult RB2 today, we bonded right away and I just couldn't leave him since I have been looking for a replacement since my loss.

Anyway, This guy is cute as a button, really sweet, hasn't been handled in a while and is UNDERWEIGHT !

The lady had him on Higgins Cockatiel food , he is skinny, breast bone is sticking out. What is the best Bird food for a Rose Breasted Cockatoo?

I will also be feeding him, eggs, veggies, fruit, and anything I can get him to eat. I no RB2's are prone to Fatty Tumors so I will watch his nut intake.

Thanks in advance.
Brenna
 

QuackQuack

New member
Oct 20, 2011
385
0
Midwest USA
Parrots
KITTY: Pineapple Green Cheek Conure (2 year old)
BODE: Nanday Conure (5 years old)
KIWI & BLUE: English Budgerigars (RIP after 10 years)
Skinny birds gain weight the same way as fat birds hehe - seeds, seeds, nuts, seeds!
 

MySafeBirdStore

New member
Apr 16, 2012
48
0
He needs to be on a parrot diet, but I am not one to recommend seed. However, if that is what he was used to, you may have to give into a diet that has some seed and wean him onto a better diet.

Have you had him checked to make sure there is nothing else going on internally?

Bless you for giving him a forever home :)
 

goalerjones

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2011
1,390
30
Parrots
Hahn's macaw, RIP George, Jenday Conure
Starbucks carmel frappuccinos seem to put weight on people...

oh, and on a serious note I do recommend a medical exam to see if he is sick with something rather than being underfed.
 
Last edited:

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
IF he's on seeds right now, let him eat seeds, but use parrot seed mix instead. Then start introducing fruits and veggies. Plus all the cooking you want to do for him. Wait for a bit until he's more used to you. Then place a bowl of pellets in the morning as your feeding fruits and veggies. Keep the seeds in there as well for a few days. IF he start picking at the pellets and starts to eat them, remove the seeds and don't put any back in period. Leave Pellets in his dish 24/7. IF he didn't touch them yet, remove the seeds during the day and feed only pellets along with fruits and veggies. Then in the evening time you can feed him some seeds but cut down on the amount. I did this with Java my under weight U2. He's gained weight and is in MUCH better health now. I also have done the mixing, but this method works pretty good.
 

Featheredsamurai

New member
Aug 24, 2011
4,172
19
California
Parrots
African Greg
2 cockatiels
I was in the same place, When I got my Galah she was 50grams underweight and her breast was a V shape. I felt horrible when I realized she was very underweight, Her keel was sticking out so far :(

do not stuff him with seeds unless that's the only thing he will eat, you need to be careful about galahs who are underweight because they are more sensitive to fatty foods. Also make sure he is seen by a vet. Your avian vet will be able to help you make a feeding plan that is best suited for your Galah.

Here's a list of what I fed my bird to help her gain weight


-A vet only Avi cake, it has high protein and no molasses so it's softer. It also has pellets so it may help transfer your bird to pellets.

-Dark leafy greens, such as kale, broccoli, and spinach

-orange veggies, like carrots, butternut squash, and cooked sweet potato. Carrots should be fed daily while the others should be limited to a few times a week because they are very fatty.

-I also give her almonds broken into bite sized pieces as treats when training her. These have healthy fats that are good for birds but shouldn't be fed everyday.


The biggest thing that helped her gain weight was when I finally got her to eat pellets. I gave her a mixture of Zupreem natural diet(not a actual pellet), Roudybush pellets, and Lafaber's parrot sized pellets. Often birds are underweight because they lack proper nutrition. Once she was completely on pellets she started to gain weight and in 2 months she went from 250grams to 270grams. Last week I changed her to Totally organics and she is liking it. Both this brand and Lafaber's crumble easy and she loves that. Harrison's high potency would also be good for him. I tried giving this to my Galah but she hated how hard it was, but you might have better luck.
 

Featheredsamurai

New member
Aug 24, 2011
4,172
19
California
Parrots
African Greg
2 cockatiels
Don't loose faith with him, it took me about 5 months to get Rosie completely off seeds and on pellets she has transformed into a energetic happy bird. Just make sure to take him to the vet as soon as possible. My mom insisted I was making a big deal out of it and told me if she was underweight I just needed to fatten her up. When I got her to the vet I was told I had managed to save her from the beginning of organ failure, because it sounds like your bird might be in the same place as mine was(and is recovering from) I cannot stress enough that you need to take him.

Can you tell us what his droppings look like? And if he has feather dust? Also include a photo of him if you can.
 

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