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Food ratios for a Mealy Amazon

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Food ratios for a Mealy Amazon

Postby Roonil Wazlib » Sat Nov 15, 2014 1:01 am

So, I'm hoping to welcome one of these guys into our home next year. Before we bring him/her home, I'll be taking him/her to the avian vet to get checked up on, so I'll be asking this there as well, but would like to know ahead of time.
What ratios of food are best for Mealy Amazons?
I know fruit, Veg, Whole Grain, and Pellets are needed for their diet, but how much should my Mealy be taking in each day. More Veg and fruit, or whole grain? Or 50/50 kind of thing? I'll be using nuts for training and treats, so he/she won't be getting that in the normal diet - but we will be training most days.
This is a rough plan I've made:

For Breakfasts:
Cooked Whole Grains & 2 or 3 Vegetables “Gloop.”
Cooked Whole Grains & 2 or 3 Vegetables “Chunks”
Pellets & 2 or 3 Fruit
Cooked Whole Grains & 2 or 3Fruit

Snacks: Dried, cooked or raw Fruit and/or Veg.

For Dinners:
Pellets or seeds, 1 or 2 Fruit and 1 or 2 Vegetables.
Pellets or seeds & 3 Fruit.
Pellets or seeds & 3 Vegetables.

I'm not sure if it would be best for the whole grains to be the night time meal or what, I went with morning, because breakfast is the most important meal and it will give him/her energy to get through the day?

We won't be getting the bird until about this time next year, but I'm just planing a head. Want to get all my facts straight, and I'm sick of reading: "Give them some Diary" "Don't give them any Diary." "They need meat, so its good for them." "Meat will kill your bird." "Pellets are a must." "Don't give them pellets or seeds" Etc... :shock: so frustrating!

Thanks guys :violin:
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Roonil Wazlib
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Re: Food ratios for a Mealy Amazon

Postby Wolf » Sat Nov 15, 2014 6:29 am

This is an area that you will find more conflicting information in than just about anywhere else, you would think that your vet would be a good place to get the right information, but the truth is that they only briefly touch on nutrition.
Your feeding plan should really be very simple, Gloop and a fresh fruit and vegetable for breakfast and a seed mix for dinner. And that is about it. When I make my gloop, I have been starting with a cup of beans, uncooked, dry measure, cook them, cook a cup of various whole grains and add to the beans,and then add a cup of mixed vegetables, the heat from the beans and whole grains will heat them enough. Mix all together and let cool to room temperature. Divide into portions and freeze all but a days supply, you feed this for breakfast and when you feed their seed mix at night pull the next mornings portion of gloop from the freezer to thaw overnight.
As for when you get your bird, spend the first month, at least with bonding with the bird, there will be plenty of time for training later on.
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Re: Food ratios for a Mealy Amazon

Postby Roonil Wazlib » Sat Nov 15, 2014 2:25 pm

oh yeah, I won't worry about training for a little while - he'll only be a baby - how old do you recommend before we begin simple training? such as clicker? and target?

Thank you for your information on the food :) Helped a lot! :)
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Roonil Wazlib
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
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Location: Australia, NSW
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Eclectus
Flight: Yes

Re: Food ratios for a Mealy Amazon

Postby Pajarita » Sat Nov 15, 2014 3:10 pm

I use less protein and more veggies in my gloop (comes out to 50% grains and beans and 50% veggies) but it's basically the same as Wolf: gloop with raw produce for breakfast and a lower protein seed mix (I don't use any parrot mixes or pellets) for dinner.

You need to start trick training when the bird is an older juvenile, almost an adult. Training a baby or a young juvenile will backfire in the long term because, as Michael says, young animals just want to play - and this is all they should be doing at that stage in their life because it's necessary for social and mental development. This doesn't mean that a baby should be left on its own, though... in a way, you will be training it all along only you don't use sessions, you just do it as you go along - you will be asking him to step up and he will because he will want to be with you ALL THE TIME, he'll learn to step down when you ask him to and put his food down, he will learn the command for 'Gentle' or whatever word you end up using to stop its hard 'beaking' you hard as well as the meaning of words like 'No', 'Good boy or good girl', 'Yummy Yummy', 'Mommy', 'Daddy', etc. He will also be getting used to routines, schedules, a good diet, etc. So, it's not as if they spend their 'childhood' not learning, they are actually learning all the time only what they learn are skills for playing, socializing, good nutrition, etc -just the way a toddler should not be sent to school but still learns A LOT during those early formative years.
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Re: Food ratios for a Mealy Amazon

Postby Wolf » Sat Nov 15, 2014 4:04 pm

Thanks for that Pajarita, I will increase the veggies in mine so that I end up with a lower protein mix. Cool.
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
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Re: Food ratios for a Mealy Amazon

Postby DanaandPod » Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:23 pm

fifty fifty. got it here too.
Piccolo and Pod
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