Food Bowl Dumping! What to do...

[galeriagila]

Much ado about nothing???? I'd like your opinion, please. Who else can I turn to?

There has been an ongoing contest between poor me and my mischievous companion regarding his apparent enjoyment of dumping his food bowls. He does it about once a month... why? Who knows!? I have never before caught him in the act, but thanks to my smart-phone, I finally did, or at least partly!! He prefers to do the dumping when I'm not around. I already knew that a precursor of dumping involved throwing all the food out, but then what?

When I noticed he was busily throwing food out of the bowl, I went into stealth mode, leaned against the wall facing the TV while pointing the cam in his direction. After a while, he apparently decided the coast was clear enough.

Here are two short videos of the RB climbing up UNDER the bowl, head-butting it until it it's loose, with the rim above the holder... then he climbs higher until he can get his beak on the rim and then jiggles and lifts it, then repeats the head-butt, repeats jiggles. He didn't complete the dump... I think he was still too discouraged because of my nearness... also, I SWEAR he knows when I'm videoing him. Anyway, I had to go downstairs... a few minutes later, I heard the bowl clang to the bottom of the cage.





So, first he dumps the food to make the bowl lighter, then he uses head-butts and jiggles to get it loose and let it fall.

Doesn't that sound dangerous???? He could get a foot caught! Or worse! I think I'm going to get a stainless steel dowel and pass it through the bars horizontally over the bowl so he can't do that. Other ideas? Or stop worrying (he's been doing it for 30 years)?

What do y'all think????

[liz]

They all like to watch things hit the floor. Feed him small amounts more often so he will eat it all and not throw it on the floor. I have used two bowls. The first one I attach to the cage. The second one fits in the first one and not as easy to pick up.

[Pajarita]

Well, the throwing food to the floor is a natural behavior and part of all parrots ecological niches and, as I am all about allowing and even encouraging natural behaviors, this is something that I allow without a single comment to them. I don't have that many birds in cages but the ones that do have either the kind of bowl that locks by turning it on the base (like this one: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=28631) or the kind of cage that has a little locking bar on top of the bowl that prevents them from lifting it all the way.

You might want to use natural branches instead of the dowel perch that is now in there, they are not only better for their feet (I did notice the sweetfeet perches in there ) they love to peel the bark and chew on them, as well as give him a couple of foraging and chewy toys (they will, if nothing else, distract him from using his bowl as entertainment).

[galeriagila]

Thanks, that helps!

That'll be easy to use some safe wood limbs to keep the bowl in place.

If that doesn't work I can get one of those fancy ones!

And smaller meals will be less easy to provide since I'm home most of the day now... didn't even THINK of that!

And on top of it all, just consider it a healthy parrot pastime! I do enjoy how proud he is after he successfully dumps one. Goes to a high perch and fluffs his head-feathers up and out like a little Bart Simpson.

I remember now about their ecological niche of dumping foods, too.

Altighty then. Thanks again.

Thank you again.

[Bird woman]

I think it's been 30 years of getting your attention and fun and good luck changing it. When all my birds are done eating my macaw throws every bowl on the floor cause he knows I'm going to come running when they start hitting the floor , then he flys to meet me half way and slaps me on the head on his way by. This has been going on ever since I built the birds there huge house. It makes a he'll of a mess as there are 7 bird dishes , but I can think of worse things he could be doing for intertainment so we just play his way. LOL Bird woman

[liz]

I thought Myrtle was the only bird that did head and fly attacks. She even grabs a hand full of hair as she goes. She can hover like a humming bird. One time she did this and slapped me in the face with her wings just for fun.

I do not use food bowl. Instead I use plates. I watched Rambo throwing things out of a bowl to get to the bottom that he wanted. Plates have stopped that.

My little Love Bird, Tweetle Dee, used to rearrange his cage. It may be hard to believe but he would move a saucer from one end to the other like a weight lifter. He had plenty of toys and played with them but really did not care for the way I set up his cage. No matter how I did it he had to change it.

[Bird woman]

Huey knows better than to grab any hair or he would crash and burn. LOL. They have a good 45 foot of flight space inside so he can get going pretty darn fast. We have always played that game as I have never caged him and he's a good boy and doesn't do much wrong except wear his heart on his sleeve where my newest mollucan is concerned. She's such a b---h to him and goats him on, but things are settling down a bit now I'm keeping nighty night time to between11 and 12 hours so hormones are in check as well as bumping up the greens and very little carbs. I took somebody's advice and don't fill the bowls quite so full and not letting them out until after breakfast so Huey can't dump everyone's bowls . Talk later. Bird woman

[galeriagila]

Suddenly, the Rickeybird doesn't seem like quite such a menace!!!!! I have never been "wing-whipped".

Myrtle sounds like she's part ninja.

Y'all have your hands full!!!

I love these stories.

BirdWoman, your bird palace sounds amaaaaaaazing.

[Bird woman]

Getting more amazing everyday, I can't do enough for the kids except move to the tropics where they could be birds all the time and don't think I'm not considering it. My dad has property in Maui and is trying to get me to consider moving over there with him. Wolf is going to post some of the pictures of the gang for me as I'm pretty computer stupid , but learning.) everyday is a new learning experience for me as my flock always has me in training. Bird woman

[Pajarita]

I hear you on the move, Birdwoman! I always said I was never going to move back to my country but I am and the main reason why is that the climate is milder there and I would be able to build a nice, large aviary connected to the house for the birds without having to worry about the neighbors complaining or the city coming to bother me!