concerns over my ringneck's diet and weight

david v. jakupko · Post by **david v. jakupko** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 11:07 pm

I have a beautiful green ringneck, names Suka. He's about 14 months old. The last two times I took him to the vet, his weight was 108 gms. The vet felt his chest and mentioned to me that Suka was alittle on the thin side. He asked about how active Suka is and I told him very. He also asked about his diet and I told him that daily Suka has both Harrison's and Zupreem food and that he also eats fresh fruit and veggies and only the healthy and organic people food that we eat. The vet told me that I should cut down on the fresh stuff since there isn't so much nutrition in that and that I should concentrate on feeding him the Harrisons. I also give Suka small amounts of seeds a could of times a week. He appears to be healthy and happy but I'm concerned that he's missing something. Considering that he's eating Harrison's and Zupreem, am I short changing him but not giving him more seeds and is that what he needs to boost up his weight. I'm going to check his weight next week. Thank you in advance for any advice.

Post by **ringneck** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 12:34 am

Hello,

Ringnecks are not huge eaters like lovebirds or parakeets. I find that my ringnecks eat small amounts throughout the day rather then larger meals.

If your ringneck is on the thin side, I would give him a diet of seeds, pellets, and fruits/veggies. This should help fatten him up.

Ringnecks love sun flower seeds, yams, mashed potatoes, or apples. As much as pellets seem to be the new bird trend, I would feed them to your ringneck in moderation. Too much can cause liver disease.

Stay with a fresh mixture of seeds and fruits. Add pellets every few days. Remember, ringnecks are seed and fruit eaters. Pellets are processed and unnatural to their digestive system.

Hope this helps,

I.C.

david v. jakupko · Post by **david v. jakupko** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:53 pm

Thank you for the information and the advice. My bird, Suka, is a fan of fresh fruit, loves a seed mix and eats both Harrisons and Zupreem. I think I said this all before. I will more closely monitor his eating specifics and I'll get him weighed soon. What you say is logical. Thank you, again.

David

Greg Sujecki · Post by **Greg Sujecki** » Sat Jul 02, 2005 5:05 am

l heard that potato's aren't good for parrot's for they have toxin's in them.People say that it can harm a bird or is that just a myth going around,just wondering(bad information on the net :?:

)

doremon · Post by **doremon** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:57 pm

Hi David,

I do think 108 g is a bit light for an 18-month old ringneck. Mine was about 9 months and he is currently 122g. When I first got him home at 8 weeks old, he was 120g. He then put on weight during the next 3 months. The heaviest was 140g. And then, in the past 2 months, he lost weight and ended up with 122g. I was very worried and took him to a vet who can at least touch his chest and see whether he is sick as I do not know how thin is considered 'boney'. Anyway, turns out that he is alright.

You might need to check his weight more often to see whether there is any major changes. But I think fruits and veges are good for him and we shouldn't deprive him to that. He should also have a good mixture of seeds and pellets.

Regards
Doremon

david v. jakupko · Post by **david v. jakupko** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 7:16 pm

Dear Doremon,

Thank you for the info on the weight of your IRN. I'm gonna take Suka to the vet tomorrow to get him weighed. It seems as though he has gained some weight lately with the addition of some more seeds for him to choose from.

David