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How Big is Fat for a Male Citron Crest?

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How Big is Fat for a Male Citron Crest?

Postby Cockatude » Thu Aug 22, 2019 8:55 pm

A vet told me my citron-crested cockatoo was fat, and he said to stop giving him seed. He weighed 550 grams.

After the exam, I realized he had considerable flubber up around the drumsticks. I was disturbed, because I had thought he looked healthy.

He has been on human food for a long time now, and he doesn't seem to have much flab. He's 475 grams. He doesn't appreciate the new diet all that much, but it's important.

Does anyone have a good, solid idea of the normal weight range for this species? I believe the vet thought 375 was a good goal. He's 28.
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Re: How Big is Fat for a Male Citron Crest?

Postby Pajarita » Fri Aug 23, 2019 9:17 am

Welcome to the forum! I am afraid that human food is not really good for parrots, either. Parrots need parrot food and, although seeds and nuts are OK for them, they cannot be free-fed -which is the most common mistake that people make.

I don't concentrate so much on the actual weight and more on the 'physical shape' the bird is in because birds are like people... one can talk about average weight but it really means nothing because muscle weighs more than fat so a bird can be at what is considered a good weight and still be unhealthy. I make sure they get a good fresh food diet, exercise and enrichement (because a bored bird will eat just to pass the time) and all of mine do great.

My 29 year old cockatoo (as well as all my birds) eats gloop and raw produce for breakfast and a measured amount of nuts and some seeds for dinner. He lives cage-free and has plenty of wood, cardboard and knotted rope for him to chew (more this time of the year as the days are getting shorter). He gets a multivitamin/mineral supplement twice a week and liver tonics and cleansers every day mixed in his food and water (and I would strongly suggest you do the same for yours because at his age and with obesity, it's a given he has been eating the wrong diet so it's extremely likely that he has liver malfunction already -did the vet do a bile acids test on him? If not, he should have).
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Re: How Big is Fat for a Male Citron Crest?

Postby liz » Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:17 am

I was told if there is a crease between breast sides then the bird is fat.
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Re: How Big is Fat for a Male Citron Crest?

Postby Pajarita » Sat Aug 24, 2019 9:33 am

Yes, if the keel bone is 'embedded' between two 'mounds' of flesh, the bird is actually not just fat but morbidly obese BUT not all birds gain weight the same way -same as not all people gain weight the same way, some people get thick thighs, some a big booty or a big bell or a big back, etc. so everything needs to be taken into consideration because there are birds that get deposits of fat in the form of fatty tumors - usually around the abdomen and legs but also in the wings (xanthomas).
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Re: How Big is Fat for a Male Citron Crest?

Postby Cockatude » Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:13 am

Thanks for the replies.

The food he gets now is mostly vegetables, nuts, and a certain amount of whole grain bread and cheese. He's not eating Ben & Jerry's.

Actually, I did offer him a little last night.
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Re: How Big is Fat for a Male Citron Crest?

Postby Pajarita » Sun Sep 01, 2019 9:19 am

Well, human bread is bad for them (WAAAAYYY too high in iron which ends up stored in the liver and causes them hemochromatosis, a fatal disease that has no cure in birds) and cheese or ice cream are both no-nos (cheese has bad cholesterol and salt, and ice cream has bad cholesterol and sugar). Parrots should never consume any animal protein, they are herbivores and do not have the digestive mechanisms to deal with animal protein (and no, insects are not considered animal protein because their meat has no bad cholesterol or fat).

I know that it's hard to do 'tough love' with them but it's like having a child... If it was up to them, they would live on candy and french fries but good parents don't allow it. Besides, cockaatoos are such great eaters and there are soooo many good things one can offer them instead of animal protein... there is really no need at all for it.
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Re: How Big is Fat for a Male Citron Crest?

Postby GreenWinger » Mon Sep 02, 2019 7:13 pm

I NEED HELP PLEASE PLEASE

I know how to handfeed birds I have a few but my green wing 5 months old cries after every feeding. At 4 months his schedule was

120cc am 120ccaft 120ccpm

5mlmths

90cc am skip aft 90cc pm...he’s always still flicking his wing and small cry after he eats? Is this normal for weening birds
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Re: How Big is Fat for a Male Citron Crest?

Postby Pajarita » Tue Sep 03, 2019 8:52 am

See my reply to your other post.
Pajarita
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