Free Feeding V.S. Meal Times

[jiannotto9492]

Do you guy free feed or have set meal times?

As of right now I free feed pellets and do meal times for chop.

However I want to encourage eating more of the chop than pellets so I was wondering if doing meal times and then have stuff in the cage for Curry to forage is a better option.

 

[LeaKP]

I give separate meals but always have his crunchy pellets around for Nigel to munch on. He prefers his fresh food, so I'm really fortunate there.

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

I do meals for my Ekkies. They get chop in the morning, and a few nutriberries and occasionally other goodies, like a couple pieces of dried fruit or a pumpkin seed for their night night bowls. They don't get pellets at all, so I can't be of much help there. I didn't even have them in the house until I got my latest foster. I do know, though, that if I gave them a bowl of pellets along with their chop, my female would go for the pellets first. I'm not sure about my male, he sure loves his chop. She does too, but then again, she loves food in general. I will also add that I do some foraging with my female, she has puzzle toys and stuff, but I don't with my male, just due to his blindness. If I give her an extra treat in a foraging toy, he just gets a treat by hand.

 

[Kiwibird]

Kiwi gets his 'fresh foods' (chop, beans+grains mix, fresh produce etc...) in the morning and evenings for an hour or so before dishes are removed (due to potential spoilage). I have found with him as an individual, this encourages him to eat the appropriate foods and not be terribly picky about what he gets either as he hasn't filled up on seed or processed pellets during the day and is actually hungry for his meal. He does get limited quantities of seeds and nuts in his foraging toys (I think they are fine in moderation and part of a parrots natural diet) and often gets nibbles of bird friendly human food and/or training treats during the day too.

 

[chris-md]

I'm a 9-5er and am generally out of the house 11 hours a day. I leave the bird alone in the morning. His bedtime is 11pm, so I don't want to disturb him when I wake up at 7am. He needs his sleep! So he gets a free feeding of goldenobles III in the morning, and a clearly defined fruit/veg dinner when we get home.

 

[Anansi]

Like OutlawedSpirit and April, I have 2 scheduled main feedings per day rather than free feeding. One in the morning, and one in the evening. Both very hearty meals. Some days I'll also throw in some foraging activities as well, which serves the dual purpose of entertaining them and stimulating their minds.

Between meals, I'll give them training sessions where they can also get some nuts and such.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Yeah...

I offer Harrison's all day (removed at night to allay a mouse issue), and fresh treats at meal-ish times.

Serrano chiles are the choice treat at The Rickeybird's house... also the only way of getting the flighted monster back into the cage...! I think I am the poster-child of pathetic behavior management but happy-in-spite-of-etc.

Rbird has been on Harrison's (all day) plus chop-ish-stuff-meals most of his life.

 

[GaleriaGila]

P.S.
I *LOVE* "Curry" as an Indian Ringneck's name!

 

[jiannotto9492]

P.S.
I *LOVE* "Curry" as an Indian Ringneck's name!

Thanks I owe that one to my girlfriend!

 

[Scott]

I free feed, so they always have access to food. However, when given chop the dry food (pellets/seed mix) disappears to encourage better nutrition. When the chop is removed, the dry food is returned for the evening.

 

[Dinosrawr]

I don't free fed per se, as I monitor the amount my birds get. I don't limit it, but I certainly don't leave an excess in their bowls. Reason being is they'll just toss it out and around for fun. Plus I can always monitor how much they've eaten over the day by eyeballing it. In the AM they get their chop, at dinner time it's replaced with pellets.