Diet?

[Max.zilla]

So Ive only had Max for a week now, when I got him his previous owners gave me a bag of seed for food, I think thats all they fed him, no pellets. Im now mixing his seed with pellets to try and transition him to pellets. Ive read various info on Amazons diets and some of it seems to clash, so Im still unsure what to feed him (currently hes on a seed and pellet mix, and I give him bits of fruits of veg.)

So my questions are...
Should he be eating seed as well as pellets, if so then how much seed?
How often should I give him fruit, veg, and nuts?
And Ive read about grit/bird gravel, does he need it? How much and how often? I read crushed eggshells can be a subsitute, is that true?

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure hes getting the best diet.

 

[henpecked]

Variety is best. If you feed pellets, change them up , different brands what ever. I free feed pellets 24/7 . IMO daily maintenance pellets should make up at least 50% of their diet. You'd like to keep the crude fat <7%. 40% veggies,sprouts,etc, 10% fruits, fast carbs. Nuts and seeds ?? depends , instead of sunflower seeds i use hemp and milk thistle, maybe a TBS per week, Almonds,pecans, walnuts,are more of a treat. They don't need any grit, egg shells should be baked in the oven, raw shell can injure the crop( i give them oyster shells, strung on their toys, for calcium).

 

[ziggybird]

Hi! Congrats on your new amazon!

Pellets are better for your bird than seeds are, so it's good that you are transitioning. Especially since some amazons tend to have some weight issues, and seeds are very high in fat.

That being said my parents still feed my amazon seeds, despite me trying to convince them to stop!

Fresh fruits and veggies should be offered everyday. Ziggy LOVES corn, green beans, and grapes. Give him a variety and try to get him to try news things too.

Ziggy also pretty much eats what we eat. Pasta, toast, scrambled eggs, potatoes, chicken, etc. Some of this is alright (especially lean meat, whole grain toast, etc). Just try to stay away from super processed or fatty foods. Still trying to tell that one to my parents!

But mostly stick with fruits and veggies

I don't know about grit. We've never really given any to our birds and they seem to be just fine without it. Also they're going on 30, so we must be doing something right!

 

[SandyBee]

I free feed pellets, fresh veggies and fruit everyday.
I feed a small amount of seed, no sunflower and no peanut mix.
Also Bosley gets a little of we eat such as meats, chicken, fish, rice, oatmeal.
I also feed a little scrambled or hard boiled egg about once a week.
Grit is not required or recommended.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Grit is not required and will not be needed by your bird at all. Grit is needed for birds who have a gizzard, parrots do not have a gizzard.

 

[Max.zilla]

Thanks everyone!
Ive already found out that he likes banana and lettuce. Ive mixed his food so its mostly pellets, and put the seed at the bottom so he has to dig through the pellets/hopefully eat them. Guess 8ll know later when 8 clean his bowl if he likes the pellets.
The seed his prev owners gave me has a lot of sunflower seeds, I try to pick as many out as I can, but still leave a few.

Thanks for the info on the grit. I bought some just in case, but I suppose I can return it. It has oyster shells in it though, so should I keep it for that? Give it to him every other week or once a week?
What about cuttlebone? Ive seen it in stores and have read I should have it; does Max need it?

 

[SandyBee]

From what I've been told is if they are eating pellets no extra calcium is needed. Both our birds won't touch cuttlebone, I try to support extra calcium through fresh food like eggs, broccoli and salmon.

 

[MonicaMc]

I think grit is more freely fed in Australia than in other countries. It's great for it's mineral and calcium content, but if you have a bird already on a healthy diet, it's not required at all. In fact, if you feed too much, it can cause more harm than good, but that can be said for just about anything.


Instead of feeding dry seeds, you might try feeding a sprout mix instead. This will increase the nutrient content of the seeds and may help getting him onto a healthier diet.


For some other ideas to get him switched, I've put together a thread that may be of help.
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/23367-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

 

[Max.zilla]

Thank you.

Ill try offering him some eggs and other foods for his calcium until hes fully on pellets. I saw him eating them so I guess theyre not too bad.

 

[MonicaMc]

He's relatively young, so he should do quite well with a diet change! And if he's already willing to try new foods, that's fantastic!!!

 

[Clueless]

My amazons were on a seed only diet when they moved in. They went to pellets fairly easily but one wanted Roudybush - one wanted ZuPreem. About 6 to 8 months later, I gave them each a few of the other birds pellets. . . . . thinking maybe I could get them on the same pellet and make my life easier. Nope. WHAM, they both changed their minds about the one they liked best. I caved and now they just each have a bowl of each.

We like variety - why shouldn't they?

I don't have a cuttle bone for my birds. I thought I read (or heard) somewhere that there was an issue with the calcium/phosphorus ratio . . . . . didn't know what that meant but figured why risk it since they were eating their pellets okay.