Budiges- Do you keep food available at all times or....

[xforeverloved]

Do you keep seeds available at all time for your birds or do you have set feeding times?

[Wolf]

I have regular feeding times for my birds. I feed them gloop for breakfast along with enough fresh raw veggies for the day and sometimes some fruit, and for dinner I give them a seed mix. However due to the high metabolism of budgies I also sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of seeds on whatever amount of gloop they have not eaten after about three hours. I have 2 budgies.

[Pajarita]

I just feed them plenty of gloop for all day picking and seeds for dinner. I use their high metabolism to make them eat all the veggies in the gloop because, when I first put it down, all they eat are the grains and pulses but, when they get hungry again later, they go for the veggies.

[Wolf]

Good point ! Thank you.

[xforeverloved]

Can someone explain what gloop is?

[Wolf]

Gloop is a cooked food consisting of white beans and/ or lentils, cooked whole grains and vegetables.

[xforeverloved]

I see if this something birds seem to enjoy?

[Wolf]

Like most foods it takes some time for them to figure out that it is indeed food. We know that all species of parrots, and budgies are parrots, need to eat vegetables and whole grains in addition to seeds in order to remain healthy. So how quickly the birds accepts this as food is somewhat dependent upon what it has been being fed. My birds seem to like it and it is very good for them.

[Pajarita]

My birds all love gloop from the budgies to the cockatoos - sheesh!, even the passerines (canaries, finches, cardinals) do! And I've never had a problem switching them in a matter of days. There was only one bird that refused to eat it and would wait all day long for her seed dinner: Piquito, the quaker. I kept her in her quarantine cage long after her quarantine was over because I use this time to switch them so I know that, when I let them out, they will be eating what they are supposed to. But, two weeks went by after the usual four of quarantine and she was still not eating it so I let her out (I hate to see animals in cages) and, lo and behold!, she started eating it as soon as she was free! She was just depressed from been caged all the time and was eating just enough to keep body and soul together, the poor thing! As a matter of fact, she likes it so much that she always steals some from the big bowl where I bring it into the birdroom before I have a chance to serve it on the paper plates I use

[xforeverloved]

So I did some research on gloop variations - and I'm very excited to start making some of these! Seems like a much healthier option! I bought some lentils, and brown rice as the base. Those seemed to be the most common. Correct? Thinking I will add diff fruits/veggies in as she starts to try stuff.

Now the question is, how should I go about switching her? I have horses, and the way I switch them is I mix the old food in with the new food. Over time I add less of the old food, and more of the new until it just the new food left. Should I mix the seed in as well and do that type of thing or go cold turkey so to speak haha!

Thanks so much guys!