New to site but need help!

[trouble13]

I have an umbrella cockatoo. She is 15 years old. She has always eaten seed. The bird would kill for peanuts and sunflower seeds. Due to the infestation of pantry moths yet again, I tryed to switch her to Nutri-Berries. she also gets people food. She eats just about anything I eat. I made the switch two months ago. She would grab the berrie as soon as I put her bowl in. She still wanted her seed but she was eatting the berries along with her normal people food. Last night I put her berries in her bowl she took one out and dropped it. This is nothing new if she is mad at me. She has the temper of a two year old child. This morning she had not eatten the berries. She has to have toast every morning so I made her toast. She didn't take it from me so I left it in her bowl. I left at 7a.m. for work I go home around 5p.m. She told me her usual "Hello and Your a bad bird" She is acting fine but she did not eat the Berries or the toast. I have offered her everything from crackers to ham to pear. She nibbled a corner off a cracker. I am worried!!!! Should I give her back her seed and just deal with the moths. Or just ride it out a day more and see if she eats tomarrow. Or get her to the vet!!! If anyone has a suggestion please tell me. She is my heart and I don't like to think she is hungry. Thanks

 

[Birdboy]

Nutriberries and people food shouldnt be her diet. Try some good pellets and fruit & veg. I do not suggest giving her those foods as they are very fatty, you giving her too much may make over weight and even get fatty liver disease.
Hope this helped

 

[trouble13]

Thanks for you response. The people I gat her from told me she could eat anything but dairy products and pitted fruit so thats what I have always fed her. I was reluctant to change her food at all. I chose nutra-berrie over pellet because she always tosses the pellet and small seed all over the floor. I think if she hasn't eaten by tomarrw I'll take her to the vet. Thanks again.

 

[MikeyTN]

Need some info from you! How long have you had her? What brand seed mix are you giving her that have the seed moth? It might be wise for you to change the brand of seeds to a better brand that's tightly sealed and store it in a tightly sealed container once opened. Kill any moth you see flying around. Depending on how long you've had her, when I first got Java, he's always been on seed mix. So I kept him on seed mix the very first month he was here. Then on the second month I started offering him pellets in another bowl. During the same time I yank the seeds during the day and fed fruits and veggies, I left the pellet bowl. Then I feed seeds during the evening time in a small amount. During the whole time I observe to see if he's eating the pellets. Once he starts to eat the pellets I stop feeding the seeds completely. NO nuts or anything seeds for treats period. So he's got his pellet bowl all day and fruits and veggies during the day. After several month of monitoring him eating the pellets, I then start to give him a few nuts a day as a treat. After awhile later I start to offer him other stuffs like eggs and other stuffs we cook. Haven't had any issues as we've had him for over a year and a half. You MUST be persistent when you feed, they can be brats if you don't, especially Cockatoos I've noticed. My other Cockatoo did the same thing and my partner didn't want to waste the seeds while I wasn't home to see what was going on and come home to find the seed and pellet mix. She threw out all the pellets and went for the seeds, then she stopped eating the pellets completely. I had to start the process all over again. I used the left over seeds as treats for other birds while she's back on track. Just be sure to give her some time after being on the new food before trying to offer any seeds as treats, just a bit, not a bowl!!!

I've read some people just give it to them and say they will eat it once they're hungry enough, I disagree with that method! After changing foods for so many birds through out the years I find some that will starve themselves if they must, like my Dixie the Cockatoo that I've mentioned that regressed back onto seeds. She was a tough cookie to change over. She would throw ALL pellets away regardless. We've tried just leaving it and after 3 days of refusing to eat, I'm back with my old methods and it worked completely. Just be patient!

 

[trouble13]

Rachael was 4 days old when I got her. I had never had a big bird so I let the Avery ween her and I would visit her as much as possible. I have bought several kind of seed bubecause she loves peanuts I stuck with Kaytee. They seem to have a lot of wht se likes. We would get the moths and I would have to do the moth trap and just swat them. It would be fine for a while the we would get them again. I feel like she is just mad because of the change because she is still playing and talking. She knows my husband is afraid of her so she tries to bully him every time he gets to close to me or her cage. I had him walk by her cage and she tried to get him as usual. she is not acting sick it just worries me because I am so attached to her the thought of something being wrong just hurts my heart.

 

[MikeyTN]

So you've had her for years....she's got you wrapped around her claws....They know they've got you trained so you MUST be persistent in changing or you'll never be able to. Java's previous owner had the same exact issue trying to switch him over. What they couldn't do in 10 years(I think), I did it in one week. Just follow the suggestion I've given you and don't let her tell you otherwise. Are you buying the plastic bag seeds or the paper bag seeds? Paper bag seeds would contain moth more likely then the plastic bag seeds. Perhaps try a different brand for the time being. It doesn't have to be anything extravagant as it would be only temporary.

 

[weco]

Because there are different requirements for pet feeds than human foods in the U.S., almost any seed mix can harbor moth eggs...the best thing to do is look at the packaging date, buying that that's 6 months or less old & when you get home, re-package the seed mix into freezer bags & store them in your freezer.....what we usually get in North American seed mixes are Indian meal moths, flour moths or seed moths.....

Once you have a seed moth infestation, in addition to the flying moths, look carefully around where you keep the seed mix package/container & I'm pretty sure you will find caterpillar like larvae crawling around...also look at walls & the corners running to ceilings...they like to go high to build their tents/webs.....

If you use a vacuum to collect them, be sure to take the bag to the outside trash...DO NOT LEAVE IT IN THE HOUSE...or dump the canister outside.....do the same with infested seed packages.....

The larvae can eat through sealed seed mix bags, however, if you can find seed mix in hermetically sealed packages (vacuum packed) you may have eggs in the package, but not larvae or hatched moths.....

 

[trouble13]

You read this situation correct. When I go to the bathroom she screams "where you go" if i eat anything she wants her share. She is rotten. If I had know how hard it is to raise a two year old forever I may not have bought her. Now even with the falts I love her more the life itself and would never give her up. I will try your idea. I have been buying paper bags and never gave that a thought. thanks again.

 

[trouble13]

Thanks weco that is great info I hadn't thought of dates.

 

[trouble13]

I want to thank everyone for your input. I have an update. this morning she still wouldn't eat anything nor had any water. I again tried to get her to eat anything to no avail. I left for work at 7 and when I returned to the house she had cleaned her bowl of all the Nutra-Berries and several crackers. she had drank water. I am sooooooooo! happy. She is now running around he cage with a Berry in her mouth and is happy as a clam. I guess maybe she could have been playing me to get peanuts. I think she may have scratched her mouth on a wood play toy she has been working an destroying the last week. but the important thing is SHE ATE!

 

[MikeyTN]

That's great news to hear!!!! Sounds like she's been playing you for a fool, that's happened to me before too. Like this past summer I had to handfeed an extra 4 month on one of the babies past the weaning stage. He eats when I'm not around and begs when he sees me. My partner caught him eating away while I was not around. So I was a total fool being played by him...lol....the best actors I have award it to cockatoos though, they're just plain sneaky little smarty pants....lol

 

[AnnR]

I am dealing with a major moth infestation. I keep my seed in the freezer but this makes no difference. I vacuum them up a few times a day. It is just plain disgusting. I am going to dump the store bought seed out for the wild birds, clean everything inside (again) and only feed my girl table food for a while. If this doesn't work . . . she might be up for sale!