How much do you feed your bird?

[Mazman]

Ive asked pet owners and pet shops this before, but ill ask again in here.
I have an alexandrine, now he is not that fussed what he eats and i will give him fresh apple/carrots/corn/pattato/etc etc along with the usuall parrot mix in a bowl.

What i wanna know is, the parrot mix in a bowl ( as well as fresh water), i would fill that up in the morning and leave it in his cage the whole day, he will come to it and eat when he feels like it/or when hungry.
Now, i started thinking about if that is ok?

Should i feed him only certain times, like once for morning, once for lunch and once for dinner? or is it ok to leave the bowl in his cage all day so he can eat as he pleases?

Why im asking this is, i do not want my bird to be unhealthy, in other words, fat...
In saying that, i heard from others that they eat only how much they can and never overdo it, so cant get fat, i dont know how true this is?

so:
1). Do you guys fill up the food bowl and leave it in the cage all day for him to eat as he pleases?
2). Or feed it say 3 times a day with a specific amount each time?


cheers,
Danny

[tielfan]

Do you know the natural feeding pattern of alexandrines? That can be an important factor in the decision on how often to offer food. Many rain forest birds do most of their eating twice a day, in the morning and evening, and many owners prefer to feed these birds twice a day to mimic their natural pattern. Other species forage all day long, and other feeding patterns are possible. I provide food all day long for my cockatiels - they're all-day foragers in the wild. But I only provide perishable items (like sprouts) for part of the day.

[ndeben]

I put a good seed/pellet mix in one feeder and leave all day, this is made up of dehydrated veggies mixed with seed. Volkmans Parrotlet and Good Stuff by Avian Antics. In the morning I offer fresh fruits and veggies and sprouts for 30 minutes and remove. (this is before work routine) when I get home I offer fresh again and leave for 1-2 hours, then throw away. I replace water 2x a day, unless I have birdie soup, then more times.

[catschair]

I also leave pellets, seed and water at all times, with an evening "treat" of vegetables, fruit, rice and/or beans. Since I often leave before daybreak in the winter, I don't give a fresh meal then, although I suspect I would if my schedule was different. My birds live in an outside aviary, so they get plenty of exercise and their active hours are dependent on the time of year. I have not had any problems with obesity.

[oONightFireOo]

I am with several other people here in the sense that I leave pellets, water, and sometimes an assortment of seeds (depending on which birdy) out all day long so that they can eat whenever they would like. I change their water bowls at LEAST twice a day (when I get up, and before going to bed) - but will also change them depending on their needs. Sometimes my IRN (LeMonJello) enjoys dunking ALL of his food in his bowl... other times he picks out certain objects from his food... which makes it fun... water is a new color every day... not a mix of colors or brown... but always a color in the Crayon Box... but anywho....

And then I will supplement their diet with fresh fruits, veggies, grains, and other treats at dinner. I mainly do this because of the fact that the BEG more then any animal I've ever owned. If David and I are eating... and they don't get something... you should hear the fuss!

But on the weekends, I'll also make them some special waffles and other random treats... but I do make sure they have food and water all day long - and generally reserve the fruits and veggies for breakfast and dinner depending on their wants and needs. And of course... there is always the "whenever needed" treats!

They also get flying time and play time all throughout the day. Rosie doesn't get any fatty nuts because she LOVES food and is prone to obesity - so we keep a close eye on her... but we haven't had any issues with any of our fids in regards to feeding... so just test the water and see what works best for your fid's needs...as long as they get all of their proper nutrition...

Those are my two cents (=^D
~Kevin

[Mazman]

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.

Yea i always give him fruits/vegie's/treats by hand, he will get them usually morning/lunch/dinner, and i leave the bowl of seeds/parrot mix in the cage all day.
I didnt mention water as i replace that heaps of times, often 4 times a day, sometimes more.

I was mainly worried about the bowl being in the cage all day and he will pig out! and never thought that maybe there is a limit that we should give.
Just like if you were to give a kid say a 2kg container full of icecream, im sure he will try to eat it all lol.

[tielfan]

You can always buy a scale that weighs in grams and check your bird's weight regularly, like once a week. If he's gaining weight you'll know it. This is an excellent early-alert system for detecting illnesses too, since weight loss is often the only symptom of a problem. It's normal to have minor fluctuations from day to day, but it's easy to identify the overall trend.

[amanda143]

My grasskeets I feed once a day (seed) because they are foragers, however I will put fresh stuff in there a couple times a week. They really only like to eat birdbread, eggfood and seeds. The love birds I feed twice a day. Usually seed/pellets in the morning and fresh food in the evening (whatever veggies we are having for dinner usually or birdbread/eggfood). They are strange because they will not eat fruit but will eat veggies. Weirdos. :D

[Oviraptor]

Interesting points all around!

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but my cockatiel wastes ALOT of his pellets-he only eats the red ones and throws away the others.

I was thinking about putting a lesser amount in his cup and giving him food 2 times a day for 30 minutes. WOuld this cut back on the waste? I also offer him fruit and veggie each day.

[amanda143]

You are right Oviraptor, many birds will waste excess food, I know I have less mess when I feed them less. No throwing seeds everywhere. hehe I scold my fiance when he fills their cup up. I tell him to just put enough to fill the bottom because they eat twice a day, there is no use wasting food by letting them play with it.