Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!husc6!encore!cloud9!mm
From: mm@cloud9.Stratus.COM (Mike Mahler)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Cockatoo feeding problems
Message-ID: <6488@cloud9.Stratus.COM>
Date: 19 Jul 89 14:36:19 GMT
References: <6468@cloud9.Stratus.COM> <20519@cup.portal.com> <1283@intercon.UUCP>
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc., Marlboro, MA
Lines: 62

In article <1283@intercon.UUCP>, kdb@intercon.uu.net (Kurt Baumann) writes:
> In article <6468@cloud9.Stratus.COM>, mm@cloud9.Stratus.COM (Mike Mahler) writes:
> > In article <20519@cup.portal.com>, Chris_Del_Grande@cup.portal.com writes:
> > > 
> > > 	I have an 18 month old non-domestic male Umbrella Cockatoo that will
> > > not eat fruits and/or vegetables, which apparently they are supposed to con-
> >         Has your umbrella been fed sunflowers seeds?  It's a young bird
> >     and it just might no be used to eating fruits and veggies.  Remove
> >     ALL it's seed for 1 day leaving only banana and cantelope (personal
> >     preferences).  If it doesn't respond in 1 day (ie: doesn't eat ANY)
> >     then switch back to seed for a day (never leave it without food for
> >     a day) and mix it with the same but fresh fruit.  If nothing happens,
>
> a few things here.  First, sun flower seeds are BAD for your bird.  They
> have a tremendous amount of fat in them.  Birds can die from heart problems
> caused by eating sun flower seeds.  Second, we had to move one of our other
> Cockatoo's off of seeds and onto pellets (I recommend these as they provide
> all of the vitamins etc. that your bird needs).  
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    Sorry, but I very much disagree with this point (though I don't
    disagree that you might have experience with avian diets) and
    might even be hitting on an avian religious issue.

     I'd like to expand on the sunflower seed issue.  EVERY bird
     requires a balance of mixed seed along with fruits and
     vegetables.  Yes, sunflowers are high in fat but are
     unfortunaley very tastey to birds and also unfortunately
     overfed by begginners and store owners because sunflower is
     a cheap filler.  HOWEVER, you should not totally eliminate
     it from the diet just as you should not eliminate other
     parts of the birds diet.  Moderation is the key and you are
     the holder of the birds food key, as it were.

     When my Nape was past a year old, I started him on Purina
     and he ate it immediately HOWEVER I didn't make it his sole
     food and don't reccommend anyone else do either.  I know
     that pellets are the hip thing right now (not messy, easy to
     use) but IMHO (and a couple vet friends) avian dieticians
     know VERY little about parrot nutrition since it is very
     complex and very foreign to them (ask a dog owner/breeder
     what diet is best and see how many answers you get).
     Certainly NO ONE is sure what vitamins parrots NEED and you
     will NEVER be able to provide every vitamin with one food
     (or one vitamin supplement).  Additionally, if you feed your
     parrots pellets this does not alleviate the need to provide
     vegetables and fruits AS WELL AS calcium (cuttle) and the
     yearly provision of grit).  You should only try to duplicate
     the birds natural diet as best you can which means variety
     as well as rationing.  Pellets are nice and every bird
     should be acclimated to them (about 2 tblspns per day MIXED
     with seed.  The seed should be the majority of the feed not
     the pellet) for times when you are away for longer than a
     day and for general nutrition since they provide good bulk
     which is why people often give their birds dry dog food (and
     why it's in most seed mixes).

    I'll followup tonight with a posting about proper parrot diet
     and seed mixes (if I find time).

    Michael