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New to this and have a question!

Postby abril1111 » Tue Feb 21, 2017 12:31 pm

So my green wing macaw has fruit every morning for breakfast, he enjoys fruit a lot but he wastes it. He takes 2 little bites if that and then drops it and goes for more.
Is this normal? I am afraid he's not getting enough to eat he has Borna virus so I need to make sure he gets plenty of food in him.
abril1111
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Types of Birds Owned: One Macaw
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Re: New to this and have a question!

Postby liz » Tue Feb 21, 2017 2:10 pm

:lol: Welcome to the forum.

In the wild just think of how many animals get to eat because the parrot took two bites and dropped it.
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Re: New to this and have a question!

Postby liz » Tue Feb 21, 2017 2:16 pm

Welcome to the forum.


It is normal for the parrot to drop food after a few bites. In the wild that is how ground feeders get food. What isn't normal is when they start throwing it at you. It has happened to me. (Myrtle has a temper.)

:? Sorry about the double post. My finger slipped.
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Re: New to this and have a question!

Postby Pajarita » Wed Feb 22, 2017 10:58 am

Welcome to the forum and I am soooo soooo sorry your bird has Bornavirus! It must be heartbreaking to have a bird with this terrible disease! My heart goes out to you, my dear.

Yes, as Liz mentioned, this is normal and part of their ecological niche functions (seed dissemination and feeding of ground species that live under the canopy). I assume that he is under medical care and takes medicines daily but I would also suggest you design a special diet for him (I would never recommend feeding pellets to a bird with this disease!) and add herbal supplements to it to aid digestion, boost immune system and ameliorate the neurological deficiencies this disease brings. Also, I hope you are aware of the importance of a super strict solar light schedule for chronically sick birds...
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Re: New to this and have a question!

Postby abril1111 » Mon Mar 06, 2017 8:42 pm

the vet told me that there is nothing I can really do to help him with the disease he either makes it and lives a long time or will not make it and die soon. They never told me anything about solar light.. they just told me there is experimental medicines out there that may help him. And he was given to me with a fruity pellet diet, I slowly introduced him to a seed diet as well at continuing the pellet diet since he likes it so much. he seems a lot happier then he was at the adoption place but they hide illness so much its hard to tell without bringing him to the vet everyday to check. he is losing weight really fast and now is barley eating unless its nuts! ( which I hate giving so much since they are not the healthiest for him.) The vet just keeps telling me he is fine specially for him to have the illness he has.. but it just worries me a lot I'm almost thinking of bringing him to another vet to get someone else's opinion since they keep saying he's fine and nothing else I can do to help him.
Last edited by abril1111 on Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
abril1111
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Re: New to this and have a question!

Postby stevesjk » Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:40 am

The vast majority of these avian vets dont actually own birds themselves yet we who have hands on experience of daily life living with birds have to take advice from them. Id much prefer to speak with people who own birds than somebody who has just studied them on paper.

Regards your bird's diet its important to remember that fruits and vegetables are far more important than pellets and seeds
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Re: New to this and have a question!

Postby abril1111 » Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:38 am

I try to give him as much fruits as he will let me, I think the place he was at before was just giving him pellets and that's why he doesn't eat a lot of fruit.. he will not eat any veggies.. I have tried all different kinds all different ways and he gets really mad at me when I give him any. once again the vet said he doesn't need veggies but needs fruit in his diet and keep trying different ways to give him fruit. its hard to find people that know a lot about macaws or birds close to them. its a shame that I cant rely on a vet that says they are certified in all different species of birds..
abril1111
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Types of Birds Owned: One Macaw
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Re: New to this and have a question!

Postby Bird woman » Wed Mar 08, 2017 2:22 pm

Does your macaw like toast? I have dealt with several birds being converted over to a healthy diet and have to be very creative. I took in a macaw last year that was only fed nuts and seeds and garbage for 40 years , had no idea what a vegetable or fruit were. I make him purée veggie, peanut butter and banana or apple sandwiches. I also will make him whole wheat spaghetti with sauce made out of puréed veggies and tomatos. He is a carb freak as most birds tend to be so I've learned to hide the fruit and veggies. Tell me what his favorite foods are and I can tell you how you might make it into a healthier substitute. I make carrot , kale , sweet potato chips for mine in the oven also. They are more inclined to eat what your eating. :) BW
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Re: New to this and have a question!

Postby abril1111 » Thu Mar 09, 2017 11:53 am

he loves people food, everything but veggies! lol he always wants my food so I always make a deal if he eats a portion of his food he can get some of my food.
he likes..
bagels/bread
rice
cereal
crackers
cheese
all meats
cookies..
granola
oatmeal
raisons
Loves Pistachios
he likes all nuts/seeds
I mean he really likes all people food besides veggies.. he might pick at broccoli or cauliflower but that's it... wait I lied he loves potatoes a lot. I try to limit him with it because he will beg for more every time.( not good in large quantity for me then not for him..) he loves baked, roasted, fried, mashed ,you name it he loves anything potato.
abril1111
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 10
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: One Macaw
Flight: No

Re: New to this and have a question!

Postby Bird woman » Thu Mar 09, 2017 1:25 pm

Boy he's really into that fat boy food. :shock: where to start :roll: first off I hope your not letting him indulge in all this or there will be maijor health problems in his future guaranteed! Mashed potatoes can be substituted with mashed cauliflower, or mashed sweet potato , red brown or black rice should be giving instead of white rice as that has arsenic in it. Oatmeal can be a wonderful vessel for hiding puréed veggies and fruit in. I would go get organic squeeze tubes of baby food veggies and fruit and when you have oatmeal put some in his own bowl and mix in some of the baby food thus supplying veggies and fruit and oats. Cut out the cheese and meat as they are not good , a little piece white meat or cheese once in a while but still not good. There's a bread called good seed that I make toast sandwiches stuffed with puréed pumpkin ,apple and nut butter out of and give for treats. The reason I tell you to get the baby food is that it's organic , pretty waste free and easy to use small amounts to try to get your bird to eat good stuff and hide in other foods. Look in your grocery stores organic food section and see if you can find veggie chips {unsalted} I get kale , beet , carrot and sweet potato ones. Try blueberry instead of the rasians and dried unsweetened cranberrys . Limit dried fruit , let me know how some of these things work and make sure those pastashios are unsalted too. Good luck BW
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