George update

[Eric&Rebecca]

So George is going great! I will get pictures up ASAP!!!!

We have taught him to step up! He is doing this on cue every single time now. He won't eat actual pellets but like the Harrison's mash wet, is it ok to feed him this???

he is only young and I don't want to overload him- so he gets a little of that once per with veggies and some seeds. he's letting us pet him which is amazing!

he has started chirping and moving around the cage more- hasn't liked his misting very much since his initial shower which he loved but we getting there. He was a bit grubby from diving in egg food at the breeders. he had cleaned him up best he could but those who know eggfood know how sticky it is!!! he has preened most of it out now and the rest we removed with warm water. some residual greasy oily stuff remains but a marked improvement... A light daily misting will continue!

Strange behaviour has included sitting on the top of his cage and flapping his wings fully like he is flying but just stays where he is. He can fly because he flies around the room and very occasionally to us. What is this?!

[marie83]

Aw he sounds such a cutie.
Dw about the stationary wing flapping, quite a few of my birds have done it, Harlie more than most

[Eric&Rebecca]

Oh that's alright I was like 'What is he doing?!"

Do you think he will be ok to have moist Harrison's mash? It won't overload him because he only little! I just feel that he needs to start pellets or at least the taste as soon as possible. He really seems to like eggfood consistency foods, probably because he's young. Although he eats seeds, fruits and veggies and fully weaned I'm worried it will regress his weaning if it give him sloppy mash. He's been fully weaned for well over 14 days and has picked up seeds himself from about 2 weeks!

Any opinions? I do have some eggfood so I could mix it with the Harrison's mash and increase it like seeds pellet ratio method?

Or perhaps mix in some super fine pellets once he taking that. Although he's a healthy little one, I think he would benefit from the nutrition if its safe to do so because he is eating LOADS!

P.S I know people have worries about Harrison's but my avian vet says he's never encountered a problem in the whole time he's used it, which is when it came about! He's been practicing that long and its the only pellet that comes in mash form in the UK.

[marie83]

It is funny to see tiels flapping whilst trying to hold on tight with their feet. It does help strengthen their muscles and also their grip so I think in Harlies case it was helping her build some strength without the added pressure of having to think about turning and landing.

As for the mash I don't see why not, at least until he gets up to maturity when it might encourage his hormones. I think its a good idea even as an adult to practice giving small amounts via spoon and syringe occasionally anyway so they stay used to it incase you ever need to give meds. I wouldn't go overboard giving the mash though and gradually phase in the pellets. You can also soften the pellets when you mix it in with the mash but they dont mash very well at all when soaked for short periods of time.

As for the harrisons it suits mine rather well, it will never be as good as a natural fresh diet but for now its the best I can do. I give Harlie a higher percentage of seeds in the diet though as I've heard the pelleted diets aren't as well suited to 'tiels as other parrot species. I did try to get them eating TOPS too but it crumbles really easily and I had a high level of waste using it, I do still like it as a food as its cold pressed and has a bigger variety of ingredients, it also mashes really well.

[cml]

Strange behaviour has included sitting on the top of his cage and flapping his wings fully like he is flying but just stays where he is. He can fly because he flies around the room and very occasionally to us. What is this?!

Leroy does this as well, only he does it hanging upside down in his cage like a bat. I wouldnt worry at all !

[Eric&Rebecca]

He keeps having little moments where he opens his wings either in heart shape or completely open and does a little dance while doing those little chirps. I'm suprised because this is quite male already! Then he'll sit and contact call Edmund those are not as loud as Edmund but clear. Could it be because Edmund is so loud that he feels intimidated a bit?

He's plenty active though! He jumps and the cage is big enough for him to fly to certain perches. He's been playing with his toys. His most recent trick is to jump from one side of the water bowl to the other side of the cage in one big leap. He likes playing with water too.

Edmund won't eat Harrison's unless its super fine and only when it's with TOPS. He really likes the consistency of the TOPS for some reason. I think because he likes to shred and chew things, like his bee pollen, mineral perch so eating the TOPs is exciting for him. Although he has started picking at them recently, the vet said to try it for the chick so they were ready in the freezer and I thought i'd try him. Seems to like it a bit because they super fine (the canary size). Our vet does recommend eggfood as a general supplement during growing, weaning, moulting and egg laying. Also he said that certain medications can be mixed with it and during illness it helps to keep them hydrated and fed at the same time. Like when we have soup when we sick. I use the superior EMP eggfood.

Marie83: I'm of the same opinon and so is my vet. He said providing they will eat some pellets that's fine. For tiels is not completely essential for them to be entirely on pellets and fresh fruits like say a conure or something. Obviously an all seed diet never good. Luckily Edmund and George were raised on seeds and veggies before they came to us so its not a problem because we substitute the rest with veggies. I've seen cockatiels raised on all seed diets live till 27, I would never have an all seed diet for my cockatiels but it can't have as much of an effect as it does on other birds. I think with tiels its key to give them plenty of out of cage time (if they'll take it), because Edmund does and he's super fit and healthy. He has been working with Parrots and Birds for over 25 years and he said that with cockatiels the ones who live the longest are those that have a mixture of of seed, pellets and veg/fruit diets and plenty of exercise and the eggfood when they moulting, growing laying,etc

[spiral71]

He keeps having little moments where he opens his wings either in heart shape or completely open and does a little dance while doing those little chirps. I'm suprised because this is quite male already! Then he'll sit and contact call Edmund those are not as loud as Edmund but clear. Could it be because Edmund is so loud that he feels intimidated a bit?

He's plenty active though! He jumps and the cage is big enough for him to fly to certain perches. He's been playing with his toys. His most recent trick is to jump from one side of the water bowl to the other side of the cage in one big leap. He likes playing with water too.

Edmund won't eat Harrison's unless its super fine and only when it's with TOPS. He really likes the consistency of the TOPS for some reason. I think because he likes to shred and chew things, like his bee pollen, mineral perch so eating the TOPs is exciting for him. Although he has started picking at them recently, the vet said to try it for the chick so they were ready in the freezer and I thought i'd try him. Seems to like it a bit because they super fine (the canary size). Our vet does recommend eggfood as a general supplement during growing, weaning, moulting and egg laying. Also he said that certain medications can be mixed with it and during illness it helps to keep them hydrated and fed at the same time. Like when we have soup when we sick. I use the superior EMP eggfood.

Marie83: I'm of the same opinon and so is my vet. He said providing they will eat some pellets that's fine. For tiels is not completely essential for them to be entirely on pellets and fresh fruits like say a conure or something. Obviously an all seed diet never good. Luckily Edmund and George were raised on seeds and veggies before they came to us so its not a problem because we substitute the rest with veggies. I've seen cockatiels raised on all seed diets live till 27, I would never have an all seed diet for my cockatiels but it can't have as much of an effect as it does on other birds. I think with tiels its key to give them plenty of out of cage time (if they'll take it), because Edmund does and he's super fit and healthy. He has been working with Parrots and Birds for over 25 years and he said that with cockatiels the ones who live the longest are those that have a mixture of of seed, pellets and veg/fruit diets and plenty of exercise and the eggfood when they moulting, growing laying,etc

my bird is also doing the wing flaping thing to strenth herself without flying because shes molting

[Eric&Rebecca]

Awww George too young for his first molt yet but Edmund has done that before.

[Eric&Rebecca]

Hey guys,

Picutres in Parrot Tales thread of George