GW Thinks Pellets are Death Sentence!

[Rickk]

Hello everyone,,, I have not posted ever on a site, so excuse me if this is redundant. Also, I am sure I could find this somewhere, but I like asking when its fresh on the mind...... I have a 1 year old BG Macaw female named Luna. She is my first. I got her from a breeder in Chicago. I was lied to about her weining stage, and how she was with people. I have worked really hard over the last year and now she is beautiful, kind, and loving to all. She comes with me to work being that I own my own business, I have and do spend a lot of time with her. It took me a long time to get her off of syring, and onto spoon, now for the last 2 months, she is off spoon. The issue:

1. I have bought every pellet on the market and she refuses to eat any of them. The only way she will eat it is if I get home from work, have it in a powder form, mix it with a little warm water, and serve it to her in a paste type form. She eats it all, and is maintaining her weight with pellets at night, and macaw mix seeds, nuts, ect. during the day. I want her to incorporate pellets with her diet, but having 3 kids to care for at night, I wish she would eat normal during the day so that she didn't count on me to still be warming up food and grinding food at night. I also am a huge animal lover and don't like seeing her hungry, ie... slowing moving up and down with her feathers all spiked up as if she hasn't ate in a year.... hahaha. you all know this look.

Please give me any suggestions on how to get her off warm water powder pellets to regular eating habits. By the way, she turns her beak up at most fruits, and veggies. All she likes is peanuts, and seeds. She is maintaining her weight due to what I mash up and put into her pellet grinding and warm water mash i make at night. After a year now, I am ready for a fully weaned macaw, and yes I understand that all macaws are different, but she is 1 year this month and you know that a BG Macaw should be fully weaned by this point. Thanks for reading and Thank you in advance for your help.

If your just going to make fun of me for having this problem, please don't comment, I am new at this and want the best for my bird, as I am sure we all wasn't experts in the beginning.

 

[Laurasea]

Welcome Rikk! No one will make fun of you. This sounds like do much work and I feel for you. I don't have experience with this to offer help, I wish I did. We have many knowledgeable members though, and when in if them finds this post I know they will offer help. I do have experience sneaking in pellets to other foods though, I soaked them in a but of water and mix in cooked oatmeal, in scrambled eggs, in quinoa ect... A lot if parrots seem to take to warm sweet potato, and hot peppers. Since she is such family can you all eat at the table with the foods you want her to eat and see if a flock meal helps her mimic and try new things, or steal from your plates,? I don't know if you could find videos of macaws eating that you could try watching with her while offering those foods I don't know if this is a stupid idea or not just trying to think outside the box. My non macaw parrots like to watch other parrot videos I swear this is true! Anyway we have macaw people her and they will give you good advice! Welcome!!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Ahhhhhhhhhh, the PELLET WARSZSZSZS!

I had the same issue. This worked for me...

Harrison's Bird Foods
I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff, like fruits and vegetables! My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.

 

[Laurasea]

I'm sorry Luna isn't weaning like she should, and that the breeder passed her off as weaned. I'm just giving your thread a bump here so the Mac owners will see and offer their help. You can always post pictures we like pictures. An easy way to post a pic is look at the bottom of the text box and click go advanced button, then click the paper clip and upload from your phone or computer pictures. I can't wait to learn more about Luna and what will help her wean so you can stop all that extra work.

 

[Laurasea]

Rikk is a new member and first time poster. First anyone have advice for him?

 

[ChristaNL]

I don't think I should, he has had his bird almost longer than I have mine!


Hi Rickk,
yup...stubburn maccawlady - good luck with that one
They are so adorable if they want to, but there is some steel under all the velvet.


I would definitely stay away from peanuts (to many things go wrong with those, aspergillus-spores etc.etc.) - have you tried macademia(nuts) yet?
Mine is a 10 y. old rehomer/ rescue, has been here for roughly nine months now ... (LOL how time flies!) and had never seen one / judging from the reactions I got.
They are the greatest nuts when it comes to being packed with nutrition, not just calories.
(sunflowerseeds are almost all calories, no usefull nourishment - just like peanuts)

Every parrot is a stickler to tradition - so if the evening means warm food ... it should be that way (in their heads anyway).

Does she really lose weight if you do not give her an evening-snack?
(Is she on a scale every day at the same time?)


You could actually transition her a bit by puree-ing in some/ a lot of (cooked) veggies.
That way she will get used to the taste (and actually get them in her system) - and if she refuses because of the veggie-flavour ...problem solved... no more soppy-warm evening-snacks.


either way: you win.

One thing I've learned: enjoy your victories, no matter how small

It will not solve your time-problem short-term (sorry), but this one will be with you when your kids have kids of their own, so take your time!


You've picked a large parrot, which means it will be 'a baby' for a few more years, and puberty will be another challenge (but you can do that! It's just a few years) and then you will have an adult bird for life (no more soggy pellets unless you want to).
In the wild they will nag their parrent for food untill they are about 2 years old, so be prepared for some "feed me???" for some time to come.

(Of course she is old enough to feed herself, so if you decide "no, get your own" she can deal with that by now.)


so: the nagging is natural / biological, but she can do it (just take advantage of this time to stuf her with veggies).

 

[Rickk]

I wanted to thank all of your help. I will keep trying, and in all reality, its not that hard, just wanted to be able to have options in the evening if needed. I like spoiling her as we all do, so again, thank you so much!!!

 

[Spirbuaw1]

I love Harrison’s, my 2 macaws and ekkie on on the high pot coarse and power treats I do like the rowdy bush hot treat 2 and I go the extra mile with nongmo, organic fresh, when I got my ekkie 2 years ago I had a heck of a time getting him switched to the Harrison’s, with time and patience and trying diff things he got it,,,,ps I love how shiny and healthy the Harrison’s make their feathers look when I take them into Sparkys to get beaks and nails trimmed you can visibly tell how much better my birds feathers look compared to other customers,,,,I SWEAR BY HARRISONS ������������

 

[Scott]

Welcome Rickk! You have entered a safe zone of respect for parronts!

I suspect your macaw is enjoying the last vestiges of formula feeding in the form of warm ground pellets. Definitely time consuming and frustrating!

I too use Harrison's and found their conversion protocol excellent: Diet Conversion: Medium to Large Bird | Harrison's Bird Foods

This is an excellent opportunity to encourage eating fresh vegetables and fruits. Several methods here: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html
One of my favorites is making twin bowls of fresh food, aka "chop." One for you, one for the bird. Begin eating pieces, exuding great pleasure by bobbing your head, making "Mmmm" sounds. They tend to be flock-eaters, and you are part of the flock!

Terry's "chop" recipe is excellent and can be adapted to your needs: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/49831-chop-day-recipe.html