by KC Cameron » Mon Dec 02, 2013 11:05 pm
I eat different amounts on different days. Sometimes it is due to activity, sometime I have no idea . . . it is my belief that this is the same with most animals.
Allowing a parrot to eat anytime it wants will insure it is never very hungry, and can, with some birds, lead to weight issues and hormone issues. It will also make some less "eager to please" for training. I have also found mixing goodies in the pellet diet makes treats less enticing too. If you plan not to train your bird, I'm sure they appreciate the change in the monotonous diet - but those goodies are gold when training.
I have found that feeding them twice a day for 20 minutes works well for me and my U2 and GW. I am not sure how good it is for smaller birds. During training they get treats - and with me 2 hours a day of training is not unusual at all. Sometime I don't take the bowl out in 20 minutes, but I know how much they eat now, so it makes little difference since I only put in a limited amount.
I train them before feeding them, but not necessarily immediately before. This is so they are hungry, thus more motivated to train, but if they don't want to train, they aren't immediately rewarded with a meal.
The first meal is pellets (currently Harrisons), and the second is whatever we are eating for dinner plus a few pellets. We eat a lot of veggies (tonight 6 types of veggies and two fruits) so that is what they get.
Anyway, it is hard to tell if your parrot friend is losing or gaining weight, especially if they are small, so a scale is necessary. I wouldn't allow them to lose more than 10% w/o consulting an avian vet. Parrots do not act sick unless they are in bad shape. This is because as a prey animal, the sick, weak and young are hunted first.
With my GW and U2, due to their size, I can keep track of them by feeling their craw and breast bone. There craw tells me how much food is left, and their breast bone tells me if they are near their target weight. Still, a scale is necessary.
As an overweight human, I have found that a reduction in my diet does not mean weight loss. My body adjusts to the few calories by being more efficient. I am eating 1/3 of what I was eating a year ago with no weight loss. I figure it is that way with birds - to a degree. Birds have much higher metabolisms, so they need a lot more food for their weight. Still it is my experience, that they become more efficient in burning the calories when they come off a "graze as you want buffet" to a lighter fare. My experience is limited, and any advise you take should be taken with a grain of salt.