Putting on weight

I've had my little Illigers macaw for a little over 2 months now. Since getting a digital scale, he's weighed consistently around 227 grams. From what I can gather on the internet, this seems a bit low.

Average weight is given at 265 grams, tho not much information given about range of weight.

His dies consists of:

- Chop. He gets this in the morning and is left for him until my son removes it around lunchtime

- Birdie bread. Got recipe from this site somewhere. Made with veggie baby food and chopped veggies with millet thrown in. I give this to him first thing in the morning with the chop

- Macaw mix. Again, he gets this pretty early. Its a seed free macaw mix with peanuts, almonds, pees, dried fruit, etc. He pretty much just eats the peanuts, almonds, and dried fruit pieces. This is available to him all day.

- Nuts and pellets. My son gives him almost spears, whole almonds, pine nuts, and harrison's pellets around 10 - noon. He really don't touch the pine nuts or the pellets, but one can hope...

Veggies - At dinnertime I cook up frozen veggies (corn, beans, pees, and carrots). He devours these as long as I am faux eating them with him. If I put them in his dish, he doesn't want them. If I am eating them, he HAS to have them.

Fruits - I randomly feed him blueberries, blackberries, mango, watermelon, figs, etc, depending on what I have available. blueberries are his favorite.

yet, with all this, he weight is stuck at 227 grams.....should I be alarmed?

Should I be giving him the things that aren't necessarily so good from him but he loves so that he will put on weight (i.e. extra peanuts)?

Its definitely not a matter of having enough food available, I'm throwing away 50% of the macaw mix, all of the pellets, even some fruit and veggies (tho not nearly as much of these)

Is his keel bone protruding? Does he look overly thin? If not, then I wouldn't worry one bit. Some birds are just smaller and lighter than others, even within the same species.

And his diet sound phenomenal!

JerseyWendy said:

Is his keel bone protruding? Does he look overly thin? If not, then I wouldn't worry one bit. Some birds are just smaller and lighter than others, even within the same species.

And his diet sound phenomenal!

Click to expand...

I am assuming you check for keel bone protruding by feel? If you can feel it its not good?

As for looking thin, when I took him in for wing clip and nail clip, the very knowledgeable store owner told me he looked a little chubby...(go figure).

sounds like I may be fretting over nothing....

Here is a pretty good read on assessing body condition based on keel bone: Assessing a Body Condition in Pet Birds

Weezerj said:

JerseyWendy said:

Is his keel bone protruding? Does he look overly thin? If not, then I wouldn't worry one bit. Some birds are just smaller and lighter than others, even within the same species.

And his diet sound phenomenal!

Click to expand...

I am assuming you check for keel bone protruding by feel? If you can feel it its not good?

As for looking thin, when I took him in for wing clip and nail clip, the very knowledgeable store owner told me he looked a little chubby...(go figure).

sounds like I may be fretting over nothing....

Click to expand...

you should be able to feel the keel but you would also be able to feel the meat on each side of the keel bone. When I had my senegal she was petit for a senegal, she never got past 120g Normal is 120-170g. Personally a lighter bird is a more healthy bird as long as he is healthy and receiving a well balance diet.

JerseyWendy said:

Is his keel bone protruding? Does he look overly thin? If not, then I wouldn't worry one bit. Some birds are just smaller and lighter than others, even within the same species.

And his diet sound phenomenal!

Click to expand...

So true, I used to think Rio was so small. but she was petit for a senegal, and on the lower end of the scale. But she ate really well and she was healthy. I would weigh her and inspect her keel from time to time.

If you want him to start eating some pellets, which would probably be good for him...you need to remove the stuff he likes more then pellets. For example...if there are almonds there, he will choose almonds every time. Same with peanuts. You mentioned he picks out the peanuts and almond...is like candy to them. Just like a child if given the choice will choose candy every time.

I would think if you were able to make the harrisons a larger portion of his main meals, and use peanuts/almonds as treats. As well as feeding him the fresh fruit and veg, it would be better.

but as others have said, he could just naturally be a smaller bird

Thanks. I can feel an edge of the keel....is not sticking way out but I can definitely feel it.

He didn't any chop today and not much birdie bread. He always eats all his almonds (spears and whole in shell). He also ate a good amount of veggies and some fruit.

Should I go ahead and give him more almonds to try to put a little weight on him or am I just encouraging him to eat no chop?

Thanks for all your help, you guys/gals are great!

Weezerj said:

Thanks. I can feel an edge of the keel....is not sticking way out but I can definitely feel it.

He didn't any chop today and not much birdie bread. He always eats all his almonds (spears and whole in shell). He also ate a good amount of veggies and some fruit.

Should I go ahead and give him more almonds to try to put a little weight on him or am I just encouraging him to eat no chop?

Thanks for all your help, you guys/gals are great!

Click to expand...

your goal should be a varied diet... chop, pellets, some seeds, or even sprout some seed. I can feel the keel of my parrotlet, but she is by no means skinny. She is healthy, flying, eating, and playing.

231 grams today....

Baxter is weighing in at 241g today. Yesterday he was 237g. He was at the vet last week (because I was being a complete worry wart and wanted him to be seen for his unusual wing tic - LOL). When she felt his keel bone she commented that his weight was good.

So, maybe you and I both have more petite Illiger's? I'm going with the premise that as long as Baxter's weight stays relatively consistent, he is doing good.