I'm trying to figure out how much is a serving for Pooder. I am still trying to get him to eat fresh fruit and veggies and it seems that I'm wasting everything I'm offering him. However, I am stubborn so he should be wearing down soon. Anywho...when he does start eating the fresh veggies and fruit, how much is a serving?

Also, do I just offer fresh fruits and veggies a couple of times a day?

Tari

With Quincy, I give him veggies, and quinoa or pasta for breakfast, maybe a little fruit for lunch and then veggies, pasta etc again at dinner. He has pellets in his cage all day.

There always seem to be a lot of waste, even if I cut very very small slices of something he still doesn't eat it all

With fresh foods, I keep the servings small, because the food can't sit their for long periods of time. I usually give about 2 tablespoons per bird and still have lots of waste. With fruits and veggies, I just cut up small amounts and spread them around.

Yep, we waste a lot of fresh food here, too. I think that is a "bird thing."

I'd suggest that you limit the fruits to a couple time a week - not daily. The reason I say that is because fruits are high is sugar and fungi flourish in a "sugary" environment...both Drs. Benner and Orcutt asked me about the amount of fruit I gave to Cutty and suggested I limit it.

I realize that might have been a suggestion directed specifically to Cutty and not ALL QPs...so I hope the other forum members jump in with their thoughts. Nico LOVES nothing better than a slice of apple, so I do give him that EVERY day, but limit other fruits to two or three times a week.

Quincy's vet has suggested he has a little bit of dark fruit every day such as cherries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Because of his ongoing tummy troubles she felt the antioxidants found in dark fruit would be beneficial to him. Every bird is different though.

I also offer small amounts proble about three times a dat plus some days i give a treat

I hope I'm not feeding my bird too much fruit! He usually has 2 or 3 grapes a day. Every now and then a slice of banana. He usually eats it when I give it to him, but occasionally he'll say "Tweety want food" then drop it when I give it to him. Is that funny to birds?

So far he doesn't seem to like strawberries or apples. Everybody else's QPs seem to like apples. Am I supposed to be taking the skin off?

I haven't tried many veggies yet. Just some carrots (shredded) which he didn't like at all. I'm going to try some spinach tomorrow. I usually have fresh in the house to make salad with anyway, just didn't know he might like that. Are there any other veggies that he might like? I love broccoli, but can't imagine a bird eating that. And if they do, do I serve it cooked or fresh?

Broccoli is great for birds!!! Fresh or cooked, whichever your bird prefers. Carrots can be cooked as well. Carefully on the amount of spinach you give your bird (no more than twice a week) as spinach can impeed the intake of Calcium.

Mashed potatoes and corn are a big hit here. As is kale, cooked yams, and peas.

cooked carrot is a big hit in our household as is mashed potato and sweet potato.

Kermit prefers broccoli and cauliflower raw though.

Kermit isn't a big apple eater either and as for strawberrie will only eat them if they are cut into 4s. Not haves or 3rds, 4s (yes I know very picky and very spoiled!!)

Also try plain wheat cereals. Here in Australia we call them wheet bix and they are just plain wheet flakes with no sugar, salt or preservatives. They are really good for birds my vet said and Kermit just loves them and they are easy to preper as you just pour them out of the box.

We have had Gryphon 1.5 weeks and he is just over 3 months old (hatch date July 12, 2006).

Currently we keep a cup of seed/pellet mix and a cup of just pellets. The weekends he gets a millet spray.
Every morning I put out an apple slice, a small floret of broccoli and one cauliflower.
He nibbles the apple, but very little. He eats the broccoli, and prefers the stem to the crown. But he DEVOURS cauliflower. All of it.

After reading the Diet and Health forums and recipes, I think I should be feeding him more... ?

Any input is GREATLY appreciated!

Max loves raw cauliflower and broccoli. He also likes cooked lima beans. I would like some feedback on how much millet do we give them and how much seed. Max has 3 bowls. One has pellets w/one nutriberry, his water bowl, and a fresh food bowl. I give him a about a 1/4 piece of millet when I get home from work daily. Is this too much? Just has Max for 2 months and this is really a learning experience. I appreciate all suggestions

Before I leave for work each morning Romeo gets a healthy portion (I use a square gladware top as a dish) of cooked brown rice and barley/zuchinni/yellow squash/brussel sprouts and carrots. By the time I am leaving he has eaten a good portion and the rest of it is strewn about the room! After work is apple time - he loves them! Then again before bed we do some more veggies. He also loves beans (black and red both cooked) and don't even get me started on raw green beans - he would go to the ends of the earth to get a green bean. I try to mix up what he eats and it has been fun trying new things and seeing his reaction. - Amy

So, in the morning you cook all those veggies? I'm fascinated by this - I'd love to know if you cook each morning, or make this up once a week or so. I'm always sooooooo tired (I have some serious health issues just now) and I feel like I'm neglecting everything, including my birds - so I'm curious how you manage to feed them so well I don't eat that well myself!

Lee

Easy, I cook the rice and barley on the weekends and store in a gladware container and use it all week. The veggies are all raw so all I have to do is cut them up as I need them, he hasn't really liked anything that I give him that is cooked. Other than the Thai coconut chicken soup that I made for myself once it was really spicy and he tried it and liked it. Normally he doesn't eat what I eat (good for HIM!) but this time since I made it from scratch and knew exactly what was in it I didn't feel bad about giving him some. Trust me this bird eats much better than I do! Oh and eggs I guess that is the one thing he does like cooked, either scrambled if I have the time or just hard boiled. - Amy

I make up a big batch of brown rice, rice pasta/whole wheat pasta, bean and veggie mix (sweet potato, corn, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, kale etc.) every few weeks and freeze it in perfect portion sizes for Casey. Then each night at dinner I just thaw one and serve. It's super easy (after the initial cooking!) and Casey loves it. They say you can freeze it in ice cube trays, but I think it's tricky to get out of there so I just freeze blobs on a plate and then pack them all into containers when they are frozen.

And the best part about it is if you make enough, you can have some too!

In the morning Casey gets some cracked brown rice with veggies and some fruit (sometimes the fruit isn't everyday). And of course some treats, like alomonds, pumpkin seeds and healthy "people food" throughout the day.

Happy Cooking!

Some day I will be disciplined enough to get up and eat before I leave for work...I feel like I've forgotten to how to cook. I guess I never tell too much about myself but I was suddenly single after 18 years and we raised six daughters...so...I hae no idea how to cook for "just me" (though my 19 year old lives with me still)...so, I'm learning all over again how to manage my time and stuff. even thinking of WHAT I want to eat is a real challenge.
(I think I drifted off topic here, huh?)

Lee

I cook up a batch of rice, pasta, beans, and frozen veggies then put it in two serving bunches (serving for each bird), in a freezer ziplock. Put them in the freezer, i pull them out the night before , zap em for 20 seconds and sreve in teh morning. Only way i can do it, i'm not a morning person, so always in a hurry. The girls usually share dinner

Cosmo LOVES raw broccoli, and cooked cauli..amongst other things, also, yams, sweet potatoes, and fish! LOVES fish..she's weird, i know.