Fat birdie!!! PLEASE HELP ME

Gemstone · Post by **Gemstone** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:47 pm

Just needing a little advice, Amazon has gained a bit, and people have commented he is getting fat isnt he, i cant see it.

What can i do to help him lose a little weight maybe i have recent photos of him in the photo forum but i still dont think he is fat as such.

I give him a bowl of seed once a week and sometimes that will last him for 2 weeks, he gets his own bowl at night with veges and noodles in it or something along those lines nothing too bad for him, like if i have spag on toast he gets a bit a spag in his food bowl. (he eats when we eat sometimes with his own bowl or our plates depending on what we are having, if we having fatty loads of butter food, he gets something else in his bowl and he is happy with this)

He gets fruit during the day if there like mango, pears, apples, oranges, kiwifruit and other fruits. He also have a peanut hider that he only gets peanuts if he can figure out how to get them out (which isnt very often)

He isnt locked in a cage all day if anything he walks around alot, he gets sunshine and freash air everyday, he has a steam shower every morning when i get up and sometimes will climb down into the bottom of the shower for a full wetting shower. He plays with all his toys and runs around the house.

He seems healthy and happy, and loves annoying his mummy (but hey dont they all) he goes pretty much every where with me. so lots of outside walks etc (his wings are clipped and only wants off to go toilet). He has friendly chats with the aviary birds and the IRN next door while sitting on the deck (im sitting outside with him incase of cats).

What am i missing. am i doing something wrong to make him a fat birdie i dont want people to be calling my baby fat. He turned one next month on the 23 september.

Please help i love my boy to bits, here is a picture of him that i just took, and teh 2nd one i took the other day.

Post by **Datsun and Family** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 6:19 pm

I used to feed Dats everything I ate and saw nothing wrong with it, he still ate well but was spoilt.. his blood tests told a different story, and at only 3 years old he had a stressed Liver. None of this is relating to his epilepsy but still scares me, he could have easily become very sick. He now only gets birdie food which for him is Harrisons and friut and veges with very occassional treats of corners of my toat etc.. We sometimes forget how much of our food they get and eat compared to their body size...what would happen if we ate junk food bigger than our head??!!

Just my experience that I have had to learn the hard way and poor Dats has had to endure the hardships from.

You are not a bad Mum, he is a beautiful and happy boy, I would invest in some digital scales and weigh him regularly.

Gemstone · Post by **Gemstone** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 7:13 pm

Thank Chamon, that makes me feel better:)

What should he weigh so i can keep an eye on it.

When i say he gets a bowl, its not full, it is like a tea spoon, just to clarify.

Thanks again.

Post by **Datsun and Family** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:29 pm

Datsun weighs in at anywhere between 110 and 120grams

Gemstone · Post by **Gemstone** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:43 pm

Cool thanks for that, we will look into getting some scales.

Post by **Lauren** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 11:01 pm

Sometimes they can look fat but its just a whole lot of fluffy feathers before a moult. It sounds like Amazons getting a good diet. But I agree with Chamon. Get some scales and weigh them often so you know when hes 'stacking on the pounds'. :wink:

We do tend to over feed them because we love them.

Something the vet told me.. Wild birds have to find their own food and wouldn't eat that much as they will forage around on the ground just to find something tiny to eat. Where pets are given food and are often overweight because they are just not built to eat that much. This goes for all pet animals. Plus pet birds don't get the exercise that wild birds do. Just some thoughts.

But it sounds like your doing a good job. Just monitor the weight and maybe a health check with the vet. :wink:

Gemstone · Post by **Gemstone** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:36 am

Thank you also Lauren, when we have money its scales for us lol and a vet check

Mikaela · Post by **Mikaela** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:45 am

Your baby is a bit chubby but thats ok... hes healthy!

My Baby has always had a problem with being too thin so I know it concerns you but I think he looks great!

He reminds me of Datsun as a baby... anyone else? Datsun is MUCH bigger than Baby, as is Lou.

Post by **kyria** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:48 am

He's just beefing up ready to grow into a big boy ! well thats the excuse I think ya should use :wink:

On the serious side, cut the pasta, its not necessary and you will probably find things ease up just doing that alone. Mine love ! pasta too, but I believe it prob has the same affect on them that it has on us, mass carb bloat. :shock:

so pasta is out for mine, also not too many nuts and rarely sunflower seeds (all very fatty)

I don't really see him as being too fat by the pictures, but then its hard to tell from pictures.

You are such a good mum being concerned, *hugs*

Gemstone · Post by **Gemstone** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:51 pm

Awwww thanks.

Sunflower seeds he only gets for tricks i go though his parrot mix and remove all the sunflower seeds one by one lol, Amazon hates this and trys to fight me on my choice to do this, as for peanuts they are only a treat too and only if he can find them and get them out of the hider thing.

Thanks for that about the pasta i will try that and not give him the pasta will be hard its one of his favourites, but anything is worth a try lol.

Thanks all this is good information

Post by **Lauren** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 12:04 am

I do that too when I get a seed mix. It takes me hours to pick them all out! When are they going to make a parrot mix with no sunflowers? :roll:

Gemstone · Post by **Gemstone** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:17 pm

I agree with your Lauren, we are meant to be goign to order our own mix but then there is no point as we have avairies and they have sunflower in there mix iso i gues its sit down and pick out for me lol.

nil · Post by **nil** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:59 am

i think your bird is ok and very cute
all seeds have a lot of fat,but it isnt bad
cannabis seed has the most fat from all
if your birds live outside in winter needs more fat
vegetables and fruits are the more light food
maybe the chicken is the problem lol

scale the bird for sure

Post by **Lauren** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:05 am

did you say cannabis? I didn't know they could eat those? :shock:

nil · Post by **nil** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:08 am

i dont know how its name,but is the cannabis seed.
canaries ,budgeringars and other small birds feeding with it, in combination with millet.
you dont know it?

Post by **Lauren** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:15 am

Umm, you mean the drug 'marijuana' cannabis? Is that safe.. for birds? Not that I would give any to my birds but that is very interesting!

Sorry Gemstone, just want to know we are talking about the same thing here. :shock:

nil · Post by **nil** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:32 am

lol yes but drug has only the flowers (marihuana) of cannabis not the seeds.
it is absolutely safe.
in europe the seed mixes for birds contains cannabis seeds and sell cannabis seeds even at super markets.
it is forbitten in your country?

Post by **kyria** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:06 pm

I think it would be like any seed. The seed contains the proteins and genetic makeup to form the plant, there would be no constituents in the seed until it becomes the plant. ?? just my thoughts from my study (cert. III in herbs assenstial oils)

Post by **Lauren** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 4:25 pm

I had no idea. Thanx for clearing that up! I'm quite sure they don't sell the seeds at supermarkets here, otherwise everybody would be propagating them and as far as I know its illegal except in South Australia where you can have a few plants for personal use.

Gemstone · Post by **Gemstone** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:15 pm

Ok update on Amazon.

He is fine nothing wrong with his diet but he is going to go onto pallets instead of seed, as he gets, meat, veges and fruit so he is good, a good weight and is happy all over.

Thanks all

Post by **Lauren** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:18 pm

Thats fantastic news! Might of just been the 'fluff'. Sometimes before a moult Jibby looks fat but its actually all feathers. Glad to hear Amazon is healthy.

Gemstone · Post by **Gemstone** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:19 pm

Thanks Lauren, yea im glad it was nothing aswell

freaky · Post by **freaky** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:57 pm

only just spotted this.

Nil are you talking about hemp seed? its the cannabis seed, in the uk(and most other places world wide) its used as fish bait, pet food and a few other uses. its iradiated before being sold so its "dead" for want of a better word. you might find the odd one that will start to grow, but it wont normally get past the seedling stage before it dies.

nil · Post by **nil** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:05 pm

otherwise only in holland can find :lol:

seeds in trade. :wink:

Fah · Post by **Fah** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 5:55 pm

oki dokie.. before people get excited

Cannabis sativa (seed) is what they put in bird seed mix... think like birds... its a type of cannibis... if your going to smoke C. Sativa... good luck

Its main role in the world is not its drug use

Its strain is highly used for the production of rope / alternative clothing. (seeds from this strain are quite high in protein)

Cannabis indica is the stuff you get high on. Different strain... and contains the active thing that makes life go round for some in this world called "psychoactive tetrahydrocannibinol".

I wouldnt worry about any drug component within C. Sativa... its grown purely for its fiberous capacity... as it lacks what dope fiends want

Also... irradiated or not.. they often come from non reproductive plants (here in australia anyway) that have been cultivated for high seed output and lacking longevity. But I am not up to speed with all that. Heck.. we have seeds able to be bought for tomatoes that dont produce viable seeds. Just produce dead seeds in the fruit.

Amazonite · Post by **Amazonite** » Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:06 pm

Well Amazon isnt on the pallets he dont like them so i have taken all sunflower seeds out and he gets those as a treat but he is still eating well, veges, meat and fruit. He weighs a good weight for him and is a happy birdie.