IndianRingNeck.com

OK

I want to get my bird on a good diet. I have read what's been written but I want to just make sure Im doing the right thing

This is our local supermarket product. Im anti buying dog food in supermarkets unless Im desperate - Im wondering if the foods for birds have the same nasties as dog food

http://www.trill.com.au/

I bought (Im not home right now so Im just guessing...)

Small parrot food -they didnt have any others - are IRNs still considered small parrots?

Honey bar for parrots

Millet

Shell grit (do I mix this with food or put it in a seperate container?)

Cuttlefish (do they need this?)

Seed square (like a bell...but square :p)

Should I get this stuff instead of the trill mix?
http://petalia.com.au/Templates/ProdSub ... N=89827436

or in addition



And as for health...should I grab some of this?
http://petalia.com.au/templates/prodSub ... up_no=6907

I bought a selection of wooden hanging toys for the cage- I wont over crowd it but I was thinking of getting a holey roller and a birdie kong - are IRNs interested in that sort of mental exercise? (I was a dog trainer for 10 years lol...I will be clicker training my bird)

and here - do I want cockateil mix or parrot mix?
http://petalia.com.au/templates/prodsub ... up_no=6903

We are in a high bird population area - should i get some of this to have at home?
http://petalia.com.au/Templates/ProdSub ... edications

Also - I like this :p
http://www.ozpetshop.com.au/product_inf ... ts_id/1387

Now should I get this later on?
http://www.ozpetshop.com.au/product_inf ... ts_id/1384
http://www.ozpetshop.com.au/product_inf ... ts_id/1381

They should have a diet rich in vegies and fruit. Pellets as a staple. I’ve only just converted my 2 onto pellets as seed doesn’t have the goodness they need like pellets. Vetafarm would be one of the best in my opinion. Find a good parrot mix.

http://www.vetafarm.com.au/avian_vets.asp?state=vic

Pellets can be expensive but its worth seeing them looking and feeling healthier. (I’ve run out of pellets at the moment, so were back onto seed till I can afford to get some more pellets but they are getting 90% vegies till then!)

I wouldn’t give them sunflower seeds as these are fatty and not very healthy for them. I'd only buy honey treats or any other treat as an occasional treat. Remember vegies, vegies, vegies are about 80% of their diet! (No Avocado, Onion or anything with Caffiene including chocolate as these will kill your bird.) There is a 'sticky' in this section about what to feed and what not.

As for lice/worming.. if you take your bird to an avian certified vet say for its yearly check up, these wont be needed. Birds only usually get worms or lice if they’ve been around other birds or wild birds infected. But I’ve still got some here at home which I’ve used a couple of times just to make sure of anything. I stress too easily.

I don’t believe shell grit is needed, they don’t eat it, some people line the bottom of the cage with it but just use newspaper. Its easier to clean. Calcium/concrete perches are great for trimming nails and beaks and provide some calcium and iodine. I just picked one up from a birdshop in Mornington. They are good for toys and perches.

The toys and snack rack looks and sounds great. They do like a challenge! Also to chew and destroy things. So toys need to be supplied often.

Change the water daily, or whenever its made a 'birdie soup' with it. Which might end up being a couple of times a day! A decent size water tray is good for a bath.. depending if your bird likes to have a bath.

Erm.. I might of forgotten some things but I’m sure others will help.

I suggest reading posts on here to learn more. It’s great your researching.

I just attended a talk given by my avain vet about bird diet. He recommend pellets and veggies (80/20) for the nonbreeding captive bird, because they are lower in fat. true that in the wild bird to eat seed, but they also have to forage for it all day and therefore expend alot of energy. A captive bird on a high fat (calorie) diet is often stimulated to breed because in the wild breeding season falls when food is plentiful, and this can lead to behavioral problems (like in my case over-bonding) in the captive bird. i hope that makes sense.

there is also alot of good advice on this forum about pellets vs seed so look around alittle

To add to my previous post-sorry I am at work and have limited time for personal internet
I get the parrot/conure size pellets for my IRN-usually a size up for the cockatiel. Check your ingredients (I am not familiar with your brands), for the most part the only thing different in the pellets is the size so you can always try mixing things up.

I really like the foraging toy-if you’re going to give them goodies (like millet) make sure that they work for them!!!!! I always give my girl her veggies/fruit in some sort of foraging toy-if she is busy she isn’t getting into trouble especially while I am at work. If you don’t want to spend the money on a bunch of toys, homemade ones work too and tend to be less expensive.
I would avoid the happy hut, because like the fatty food it can promote breeding behavior, and if I don’t need one in the far north of Alaska, you shouldn’t need one in Australia:wink: . If you want to spend the money on the bird bath you can, but you can probably find something around the house for cheaper.
Hope I helped