diverruss
Baby Bird
Joined: July 2005
Posts: 12
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Post by diverruss on Jul 19, 2005 17:37:25 GMT -7
I'm very new to this forum so, hello everyone. I'm also very new to keeping my african gray. The breeder told me she is about a year old. I have only had her for one week and She's still very nervous of people, and growls if I get to near to her, but she is getting better by the day. She only seems to eat parrot seed mix, and peanuts in the shells, so I have two questions (at the moment!) that I would like your advice on: 1. How can I get her to eat fruit or veg? (She does'nt seem interested) 2. Should I let her out of her cage now? (I dont want her to be caged bound) or leave it till she is a little more tame. I'm probably more nervous then she is! I just want her to be happy, and would be greatful for any advice.
Thanks Russ.
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Post by spookyhurst on Jul 19, 2005 20:41:22 GMT -7
You could try feeding her a mash diet. I know of 2 kinds. I'll look for the links to them and post them back here in a few minutes. *reappears* Okay, this first one is called "Sally Blanchard's Famous Glop Recipe" and is at the bottom of the page: www.companionparrot.com/articles/ahealthy.htmlThe other one is called "Nutritional Psittacine Diet (Mash Diet) by Alicia McWatters." The chart part way down the page will give you the amounts for a single parrot: www.naturallyhealthypet.com/mash.htmWhen I get my grey, I'm going to try to get it to eat one of these diets instead of pellets. Here's another option, if you don't mind a lot of food going to waste: www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/feeding.htmlYou can also do a search for parrot recipes, and find all sorts of stuff to cook up for your bird. There are also sites that give tips on getting finnicky eaters to eat fruits and veggies. |
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Post by spookyhurst on Jul 19, 2005 20:59:20 GMT -7
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Post by Jane on Jul 20, 2005 0:21:12 GMT -7
If she is getting better by the day and you have only had her for a week that is very good news. Just keep being with her as much as you can and talk to her, she will settle down in time.
Because she is still nervous and it would seem she has only been fed a limited diet it may be difficult to get her onto new food at first but keep offering her different things. I can tell you that there are one or two people on this forum who have had success hanging fruit and vegetables up in the cage. One person even tried this with pellets and had success. Also, try warm soft food such as mashed banana, sweet potato, vegetable baby food etc. You can even try offering food to her in your fingers, I know she is growling at the moment but keep trying. Greys will often eat food from your fingers that they won't eat from the dish.
You can open the door to see if she will come out of the cage but bear in mind that if she comes out you have to be able to get her back in if necessary. It might be a good idea to let her settle a bit longer first. Also, don't be nervous around her because she will pick this up.
Jane
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diverruss
Baby Bird
Joined: July 2005
Posts: 12
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Post by diverruss on Jul 20, 2005 11:32:33 GMT -7
Thanks for the advice. I'll try some of those ideas. I have to say though, today was the best she's been. Did'nt growl when I cleaned out her cage this afternoon, and I think she has eaten some of the carrot tops that I threaded through the cage bars. She's definately eating more then she was. Generally she seems a little more laid back today. I just hope it's an ongoing trend. Thanks very much for all the help.
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