Feeding Routine for Tiel & Incoming Too

[Grey_Moon]

Here's how I do my sprouts.

Pour in as much seed mix as you want to serve, cover with water and leave for 12 hours.
Rinse, drain and serve.

That's it that's all!

By that time most of the things you're trying to serve will have tiny white tails/nubs---thats what you want.

I don't do longer sprouts for a few reasons.

1) The longer the tails get the less nutrition they have---they're at their peak when they first sprout tiny tails
2) As the sprouts get longer they get more bitter.
3) A lot of parrots are put off by the tails poking them, the smaller the tails they seemed to just think its plumped seed so will eat it readily.
4) Less bacterial contamination risk because they're not sitting around as long.

[Elizebird]

My 'too came home last night and is a fresh food pro. I made him a big breakfast of the cucumber, lettuce, and apple, and I only had to fake eat a lettuce strip for a few seconds before he was interested. I left him chowing through the fresh food, but I also put some seed to the side of it for his snack. When I came home I found no trace of fresh food ANYWHERE (well, a small peice of lettuce at the bottom of the cage), but a bowl of half-eaten seed, and the majority of the leftovers were sunflower seeds. I don't think I've seen a bird pick lettuce of sunflower seeds before! lol. Also some dried bananas at the bottom of the cage...

I made him a dinner of soak n' feed Roudybush Orchard Harvest, heating up the water a little before hand to make the feed just a little warm and more appetizing, and fed it to all three of mine. It was not very successful, even my tiel that loves oatmeal ignored it.

Also my family vet did a house visit while I was gone, and is going to call me tomorrow about my feeding program. Apparently she wants me to feed a pellet-only diet (starting with the Zupreem fruity blend that's parakeet size ). I was confused...she also apparently said no fruit, too sugary, and no dried fruit mix. Fresh foods should be very limited as well...even vegetables. She did approve of the Roudybush and some Nutriberry stuff. Didn't like the monkey nuts I was given at the bird store either.

[Eurycerus]

I made him a dinner of soak n' feed Roudybush Orchard Harvest, heating up the water a little before hand to make the feed just a little warm and more appetizing

I personally think warm food is a bad idea. It induces hormonal behavior and is not natural at all. I would go with room temperature or cold.

Also my family vet did a house visit while I was gone, and is going to call me tomorrow about my feeding program. Apparently she wants me to feed a pellet-only diet (starting with the Zupreem fruity blend that's parakeet size ). I was confused...she also apparently said no fruit, too sugary, and no dried fruit mix. Fresh foods should be very limited as well...even vegetables.

It sounds like your vet might be a bit misguided. You have to figure out what works for your parrot, but limiting fresh foods is ridiculous. Honestly all of their food should be fresh but that's difficult to figure out the right quantities to ensure they are being fed properly (Grey Moon does it and it's awesome though). I would ignore her regarding the lack of fresh foods. Also using any pellet that has food colouring, and artifical flavors is silly so make sure whatever pellet you choose to check the ingredient list. I use Harrisons. You could try to limit the type of vegetables and fruit based on sugar content, but again it depends on the parrot and what works best. You can just nod your head yes and do what you're going to do. Perhaps she's trying to peddle what she sells, or honestly thinks that's best. I am quite certain based on what I've read and experienced that half fresh veggies and fruits is optimum.

[marie83]

Unless there is a medical reason that needs controlled nutrition please ignore your vets advice, birds need the enzymes which are completely lacking in processed pellets, also the vitamins and minerals are better quality as they are not man made.
Personally if my vet told me to stop feeding fresh for no reason I would be seriously asking questions and probably changing vets.
I would however concentrate on feeding vegetables more than fruits and make the fruits you feed organic berries which are high in natural antioxidants and vitamins and other high nutrient fruits. Sprouted seeds and pulses are also excellent for nutritional purposes.

[Grey_Moon]

Ugh.

Well---you're learning what I learned about vets a long time ago.
Basically, you use them to get medication and to diagnose conditions.

Otherwise---99% percent of what a vet says you ignore.
They are taught n trained (brainwashed) by 'conventional' experts (i.e whatever food company is the biggest or pays to fund their nutrition classes---no, really---Kaytee/Harrisons etc sponsors their classes and therefore their dogma/food gets taught as fact---and as we know pellet makers are in to make money).

Don't listen to the vet. Please. For the health of your too---cram him full of as much balanced fresh food as you can. Pellets or anything like them are a multivitamin supplement at best.

As was said (gee I've got a fan thanks Eurycerus) I feed fresh food. My girl has been eating fresh food with no artificial anything for 6 months and her bloodwork is fine, this month is a bit of an exception and she's eating 50% Harrisons bread/pellets as a hold-over due to her recent diagnosis with atherosclerosis---but I will be transitioning her onto a fresh sprout diet (China Prairie if you're interested).

Jacko eats a combination of fruits/veggies, some nuts, herbs and natural supplements, and then her sprouts/bird bread etc. I have noticed a positive change in her beak, nails and her feathers (being a malnourished rescue they were consistently brown---a few new feathers are so grey that they're purple/blue in the sunlight).

On a daily basis her diet is:

Breakfast: sprouts/birdie bread (she will be getting the herbal supplements that come with the China Prairie diet)
Supper: veggie/fruit mash (ratio of 1+ orange veggie, 2+ leafy greens, 2+ veggies, 2+ fruits)
with:
1/4 tsp bee pollen & whole flax seed
1/4 tsp Avi-Immune
1/16th Avi-Greens (wheat/alfalfa & barley grass, plus spirulina & chlorella).

Pellets and most commercial mixes are inadequate lies tbh, too many preservatives and nutrition-poor inflammatory ingredients.
Just my two cents.

[Snoopy_the cockatiel]

My cockatiel won't eat anything other than millet.She is such an adamant bird.I am tired of feeding her something healthy.Good to hear about others food schedule.

[marie83]

My cockatiel won't eat anything other than millet.She is such an adamant bird.I am tired of feeding her something healthy.Good to hear about others food schedule.

My 'tiel is the same, don't give up no matter how long it takes. Its taken me around 5 years to get her to take a small nibble and even then she won't always, she would literally sooner starve than eat fresh foods.

Try presenting it differently- birdy kebabs, cut small, cut large, mixed in with other things, raw, cooked and try eating it in front of her. Also reduce the amount of millet she gets so she is a bit hungrier but if you do this keep a close eye on her weight and weigh her daily before she has eaten.

[hoovopolis]

My cockatiel won't eat anything other than millet.She is such an adamant bird.I am tired of feeding her something healthy.Good to hear about others food schedule.

Little bowser is pretty happy with his millet most of the time, as well, and is super picky. I like to put millet in his veggie tray to encourage him to eat new things as he will eventually get a bite of something other than the millet and hopefully develop a liking to it.

two veggies i recommend are broccoli (i buy the slaw so its already sliced fine) and shredded baby spinach. Those he will eat on the regular and devours a dish full in a day sometimes. hope this helps for your little guy!

[Elizebird]

My cockatiel won't eat anything other than millet.She is such an adamant bird.I am tired of feeding her something healthy.Good to hear about others food schedule.

Snoopy, sorry to hear about your tiel. :c Keep trying, I found that broccoli is a big hit with tiels as well (it is similar to millet with the heads like little seedlings!) My tiel is a little odd, as well, she is very desperate to please and will start scarfing down food to get your attention and approval.

two veggies i recommend are broccoli (i buy the slaw so its already sliced fine) and shredded baby spinach. Those he will eat on the regular and devours a dish full in a day sometimes. hope this helps for your little guy!

Be careful about the spinach, since I'm pretty sure it was posted somewhere that it had to much oxalic acid to be healthy. Or something along those lines.

[Snoopy_the cockatiel]

Thanks Guys for your advice.I will list whatever I have tried so far - I kept some fruits as small pieces in her plate and oats too.She just sees the plate,search for millet and go back.She rather starve herself than eating it.Then I tried hanging some vegetables in her cage along with toys..No use Sometimes I cut the fruits in small pieces and eat before her.Sometimes she gets anxious and come to the plate.She keep her tongue over a piece and just return.But I am quite successful in making her to eat corn and cabbage.As her beak is very little and she makes everything as small granules to swallow,I am unable to analyze whether she is taking it or playing with it.I tried keeping her hungry for 2 to 3 hours to introduce her to the new food.But my tiel just calls me with her lovely chirp if she is not finding any millet in her plate.It just melts me and I offer her some millet

And she has a habit to come eagerly to me and eat with me in my plate while I am having my regular meals.As millet is her food,sometimes she shows less attention during training.Other than the diet issue,she is a very lovely and friendly bird.I just love my snoopy so much !!