Post by Jane on Sept 2, 2005 14:01:24 GMT -7
African Greys in captivity have a reputation for being fussy eaters. African Greys in the wild eat a huge variety of different seeds, berries, nuts, vegetation (leaves, flowers and roots), and the fruits of the oil palm. These are very high in fat and available all year round but Greys in the wild use up a lot more energy than those in captivity so they can tolerate it. They also eat insects and grubs that they come across, and forage both in the trees and on the ground. They are omnivores and will eat whatever is available.
In captivity they don’t have to forage so they will pick out their favourites from what they are given. You can recreate a certain amount of foraging by placing the food you particularly want them to eat on top of their basic mix.
African Greys often take time before they will try new foods so keep offering it to them even if they don’t eat it to start with. Try different methods of presenting food such as vegetables– cut up into different sizes and shapes, grated, mashed, cooked or raw, hot or cold – as they will sometimes be rejected in one form but eaten in another. They can also be hung up in the cage using a birdy kebob which is simply a skewer for threading food onto, or hidden inside toys. The use of lemon juice and cayenne pepper can help if sprinkled on as parrots can tolerate and enjoy much tarter and spicier tastes than we can and these are often preferred to sweetness. Greys will often want what you are eating so eat at the same time and make a big fuss of it. They will often prefer to take food directly from your fingers rather than eating it from their bowls; you can also try warm pureed fruit or vegetable baby food or porridge as even adult birds retain their enjoyment of being spoon fed. If they are having scrambled egg try adding some chopped vegetables or rice. Tofu can be mashed into other soft foods such as banana or egg; it is virtually tasteless and a very similar texture.
Jane
In captivity they don’t have to forage so they will pick out their favourites from what they are given. You can recreate a certain amount of foraging by placing the food you particularly want them to eat on top of their basic mix.
African Greys often take time before they will try new foods so keep offering it to them even if they don’t eat it to start with. Try different methods of presenting food such as vegetables– cut up into different sizes and shapes, grated, mashed, cooked or raw, hot or cold – as they will sometimes be rejected in one form but eaten in another. They can also be hung up in the cage using a birdy kebob which is simply a skewer for threading food onto, or hidden inside toys. The use of lemon juice and cayenne pepper can help if sprinkled on as parrots can tolerate and enjoy much tarter and spicier tastes than we can and these are often preferred to sweetness. Greys will often want what you are eating so eat at the same time and make a big fuss of it. They will often prefer to take food directly from your fingers rather than eating it from their bowls; you can also try warm pureed fruit or vegetable baby food or porridge as even adult birds retain their enjoyment of being spoon fed. If they are having scrambled egg try adding some chopped vegetables or rice. Tofu can be mashed into other soft foods such as banana or egg; it is virtually tasteless and a very similar texture.
Jane