Dragonqueen0912
New member
- Apr 20, 2024
- 2
- 3
- Parrots
- Midna, Black Lory
I just took my bird (a black lory) to the vet and he said that an all nectar powder diet is actually not very healthy for them because of the high sugar and they donāt get as much exercise in captivity as they do in the wild.
Iāve been feeding her Blessings Lory Nectar since I got her 4 years ago, I feed her fruits and veggies too but sheās picky about them and doesnāt eat them as much and when she does she mostly tears them apart rather than eating it. So, we got an xray and everything looks fine but her heart does look more clogged* than it did 3 years ago in her first X-ray. She actually gets lots of exercise, and has a ton of space to fly around in.
He said he had talked to some of the best avian vets in the states and asked about lorikeet diet, and he suggested I use Roudybush Maintenance small pellets or Harrisonās pellets and mash it up like her powder and provide water with it, as well as a little bit of her normal lory powder a day. He said there werenāt really many studies on lorikeets in general and their best diet in captivity, and that this may be the best for her health. I just know thereās issues with feeding pellets and Iāve been doing research but itās difficult to get a complete answer, as there are pros and cons for both sides. Clearly, with slight issues to her heart already at 4 years old isnāt good so Itās worth a try, but I immediately bought the pellets and Iām concerned now that I did some research about lories eating pellets and people say itās bad for them. What would be the best for a lorikeet diet? Are there any studies Iām not finding? Thank you so much!!
*Not the word he said but I canāt remember what he described it as exactly
Iāve been feeding her Blessings Lory Nectar since I got her 4 years ago, I feed her fruits and veggies too but sheās picky about them and doesnāt eat them as much and when she does she mostly tears them apart rather than eating it. So, we got an xray and everything looks fine but her heart does look more clogged* than it did 3 years ago in her first X-ray. She actually gets lots of exercise, and has a ton of space to fly around in.
He said he had talked to some of the best avian vets in the states and asked about lorikeet diet, and he suggested I use Roudybush Maintenance small pellets or Harrisonās pellets and mash it up like her powder and provide water with it, as well as a little bit of her normal lory powder a day. He said there werenāt really many studies on lorikeets in general and their best diet in captivity, and that this may be the best for her health. I just know thereās issues with feeding pellets and Iāve been doing research but itās difficult to get a complete answer, as there are pros and cons for both sides. Clearly, with slight issues to her heart already at 4 years old isnāt good so Itās worth a try, but I immediately bought the pellets and Iām concerned now that I did some research about lories eating pellets and people say itās bad for them. What would be the best for a lorikeet diet? Are there any studies Iām not finding? Thank you so much!!
*Not the word he said but I canāt remember what he described it as exactly
He also eats LOTS of green leafy veg, things like bok choy and broccolini are his favourites, and he doesn't get a whole lot of fruit since as you say they just don't need THAT much sugar. Personally I'm not crazy about pellets for lorikeets as they really are geared more towards a liquid diet with their physiology, but I guess if you were to grind them into a powder as you have mentioned, it's tantamount to feeding a dry nectar powder anyway. 
