How to slow down a fast eater? Or tips to make food last longer!

[Rosalindagg]

My tiel Nibbles has been eating his pellets way too fast! He finishes a full tablespoon within a half hour! Then later he tried to eat my other tiels food. I usually give him 1/2 tablespoon of pellets in the afternoon and he gets veggies in the morning. What could I do to slow his eating down? And I dont want to give half his food in the morning and half in the afternoon cause I get home around 5. Any tips?

 

[clark_conure]

My advice, don't worry about it.

I'm sure about 60% or more of the food is ending up in the bottom of the cage.

Just put in a little more than you expect and the birds will sort it out.

I just leave multiple cups around with multiple selections.

Also half a tablespoon isn't a lot when you know it is going on the floor or the floor of the cage.

 

[wrench13]

Put some marbles in with his food, make him work for them.

 

[Free as a bird]

My tiel Nibbles has been eating his pellets way too fast! He finishes a full tablespoon within a half hour! Then later he tried to eat my other tiels food. I usually give him 1/2 tablespoon of pellets in the afternoon and he gets veggies in the morning. What could I do to slow his eating down? And I dont want to give half his food in the morning and half in the afternoon cause I get home around 5. Any tips?

Ahahah again I read the title of the thread and looked at the three culprits in the avatar and I just crack up laughing 😂. Those three look cheeky

But to your issue, do you weigh them?
I bought a different brand of mix once and my tiels were eating like pigs but actually loosing weight. I thought maybe that brand had less nutrition so they had to eat more. So I went back to the other brand.
But track their weight, if their eating more and loosing weight then something is wrong, it may even be sick, one of my tiels recently died and it's started eating heaps but loosing weight.
And if it just gets pellets, which is processed seed, then it's probably making up for the nutrition missing from eating real seed

 

[Greenhouseparrots]

Foraging and puzzle toys are your best bet! With foraging I put some foot toys or just objects in the food bowl so they have to move them out of the way to get to the pellets. Start off with one or two and slowly increase the amount because they won't get it the first time. Hay can also be a good foraging toy, but again use just a little bit at first until they get the idea. I also have a couple of puzzle toys for mine which they love and are easy to use but still a challenge for them. I also started using a slow eating dog food bowl which makes them have to move around a bit to get to all of the food so that could work too.

 

[Jcas]

Are you sure you’re feeding him enough? I’m no Cockatiel expert, but I leave food available for my birds 24/7 and they self-regulate just fine. Does your bird have food available throughout the day? If he’s only getting veggies in the morning and pellets in the afternoon then of course he’s hungry by the next day. Maybe I’m missing something and if so I apologize, but it sounds to me like your bird might just need more to eat.

 

[chris-md]

Agree with all the above.

If they are healthy, you shouldn’t be concern with how fast they eat.

If there is more to the story that we don’t know and you know for certain they must to be slowed down, then foraging is definitely the proscribed way to slow them down. Which can take many forms.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Put some marbles in with his food, make him work for them.

What a great idea! I wonder if it would work for my dad who eats way too fast!