Food Questions???

[Stickvilla]

I am having trouble researching and finding out the diet/food for Shamrock....and I would apreciate some advise/recomendations/input ....on what I am feeding now and how it could possibly be improved/changed...

I have been giving him

Dry mix...the Small hookbill mix (by sunseed... safflower blend, no sunflower seed) I give the tiels and add some tiel fruit veggie blend to ... and add some of the small mazauri maintenance pellets to..

Breakfast.. fruit.. this morning small wedge of organic navel orange and some chopped green apple and cantalope.... yesterday was mango, passion fruit and banana..

Lunch... soaked organic seed mix or sprouts... and sometimes in a seperate dish a veggie also...planning of giving him a section of a small butternut squash with the seeds for lunch today with sprouts on the side....

Supper.. my cooked mix food base (my version of Kitchen sink, 4-6 cooked grains, 6-9 beans[no lima] and peas,collards, carrot and pepper) with whatever veggies handy (broccilo, squash, corn ect) chopped larger for him .. the same mix I feed the tiels..

He is eating all of this well.. except for the seed/pellet mix.. he will sling the smaller seeds out of bowl.. but will pick out and eat the small pellets the same size

He is underweight at present.. but has gained a little in the past 2 1/2 weeks..... and I do not want to start any bad habits here.

I have not been able to find any reference to how much vitamin A he needs. or what will be too much and toxic .....
how often is is save to feed the citrus/orange to him....

I would like to know if what I have been feeding is the correct /right diet for him.....
and if anyone has any recomendations for a seed mix/size for him...

I finally got his play stand earlier this week.. covered with dust and the price tag still on it and ledgable.. probably has not been used since the original owner died over a year ago..
Shammy recognized it.. and did happy dance..
scrubbed it and disenfected.. and now he is using it during day... for 1/4 of day let him go between cage and stand as he wants, at times he will climb to floor and track me down.. for attention.....
he always goes back to cage to poop... LOL ...
or gives me warning when on shoulder.. by ear nibble and dance.. to let me know he needs to go...

I am getting the loan of a cage this weekend to temp house him in.. and I have a strong avian disenfectant to clean the cage with...Pet Focus...the same I used to clean the playstand with...and the tiel cages...
but worried about his reaction to another cage...

I will have the loan of the cage until I can afford to purchase one for him..

[kyria]

Sounds like a really good well rounded diet. There are "no no" foods, like avacado and apple seed etc. you probably know about those.

You are right in saying, inside birds need extra vitamins, especially A. You can get drops for birds from the pet food store or some supermarkets to put into the water, to help with that.

My fids adore cantaloup and rock mellon, especially the seed taken and cleaned of pulp and dried out, I use them as treats for training.

Other than that it sounds like you are doing just fine.

[Lauren]

Yum! Sounds like Shamrock is eating quite well! Very healthy. I'm sure you know of all the bad foods. I dont think I have anything to add. Just keep trying different fruits and vegies.

When you get the cage.. maybe just leave the cage next to his old one and let him choose. If Shamrock doesnt take to the new cage straight away, just leave it next to him. He'll eventually get curious and explore. Jibbys had a few different cages and Ive had no problems.

Well done on the good diet!