weight

[Wolf]

Just bought a new electronic digital scale so that I could weigh my birds. I still need to build a perch to fit it, but the birds that I weighed on iy did very well at just standing on its large flat surface.
My birds are all healthy and active. Paquita and Kookooloo were both a bit heavier than the average weight for their species, which is good, although I have always thought that Kookooloo was a little underweight. Kiki. on the other hand, the one that I was concerned that she was overweight weighed in at 31 grams lighter than the average. Considering that the average weight is 155 grams, 31 grams is a lot. I weighed her twice to be sure that It was right. I guess I will give her an extra almond for dinner for a while.
Goes to show that you can't really tell by looking.

[Tman007]

Wolf I did the same thing two weeks ago, I have been keeping track and writing it down on a log. Both of mine are about 5grams lower than the average. And I thought that Amos looked a little heavy. So your right you just can't tell. Since mine are small parrots I have one of Michaels pocket perches and it works great for getting them to sit on it.

[Wolf]

While, Michael's, pocket perch may be cool, I don't buy it if I can make it.

[Pajarita]

You can't really go exactly by the weights posted everywhere. They are a great point of reference but not exact. For one thing, they are like people, some are bigger, some are smaller; for another, those were weights used when parrots were not flown (and were fatter from inaction) and, when you fly them, they are always leaner (all my birds weigh a bit less than average) and last but not least, when you keep them at a solar schedule, their weights vary according to the season (as they do in nature): they bulk up at the beginning of spring (preparing for breeding) and in the fall (preparing for the resting season -winter- when food will not be as plentiful) and loose the extra weight and sometimes a bit more during the summer and the winter so variations are normal and healthy, actually. The purpose of weighing them once a month is to make sure no sudden loss of weight is taking place - a symptom of disease.

Just as an FYI, they are beginning to bulk up right now that molt is almost over.

[Wolf]

I do understand all that which you said and that was why I got the scale, to allow me to establish a reference point. The thing is that I have been estimating the weight of various animals for most of my life, so although I didn't think that I would be able to estimate the weights of my birds, I did think that I should be able to tell if the were over or under weight. Fooled me big time, which was my whole point.

[Pajarita]

Yes, birds weights are hard to judge and it's not only because they are little, it's also because their bones are hollow and, usually, their plumage weights more than their bodies - fascinating animals!

[Wolf]

Indeed !