Paradox: either training OR foraging?

[Dbeguy]

Readers of Michael's blog will know that to ensure that a parrot has the motivation to train it is best to offer them treats BEFORE they eat their meal either morning or evening.
Foraging keeps birds happy it appears especially when the owner(s) work full-time out of the home. I would imagine that foraging extends a parrots eating for an uncertain length of time during the day. It seems that they may not be hungry in the evening.

Has anyone found this to be a problem? Does anyone do daily training AND gives their birds foraging toys?

[Pajarita]

Sorry, I can't help you. I don't train or use foraging toys.

[GlassOnion]

Both! I do both, but I do lots more foraging. I train with sunflower seeds first thing in the morning, and around dinner time when they're hungry. I noticed that mine are always eager to work around 5ish because they've now bored and out of things to eat/do in their cage. Well, not necessarily out of food as I stock lots of food through foraging devices, but they're lazy and bored at that point.

[marie83]

I was doing both and will again at some point. Their daily diet got divided into 4 portions, breakfast, foraging, training/treats and dinner. Quite hard to do with such small birds as they only have tiny amounts anyway but it is do-able with planning and careful food management. I imagine it is easier to do with larger birds. The thing with what I was doing is you need to know exactly how much food keeps them at a steady and healthy weight, how to divide the food up to keep motivation high and when to offer meals, do your training and offer the foraging toys.

[Dbeguy]

Both! I do both, but I do lots more foraging. I train with sunflower seeds first thing in the morning, and around dinner time when they're hungry.

I guess it's a matter of finding the right balance according to a parrot's personality. I guess it's a process if they're not motivated to train shift more food away from foraging. if they're finished too soon and sit around bored increase the foraging opportunities.

I guess weigh them to make sure that they're not turning into butterballs.