by GreenWing » Mon Jun 17, 2019 1:39 pm
Hi WanderingWarbler, welcome to the forum! Please don't feel offended by the advice given. The advice was well intended and some of us are especially interested (and passionate) regarding avian nutrition. When it comes to psittacine nutrition there's a lot of trial and error, as well as debate. If you post a recipe for birdie bread, for instance, there's input about what ingredient would be better to supplement. I think such input is extremely helpful. It's how we learn and discern regarding psittacine nutrition.
Avian vets only know so much regarding parrot nutrition; meaning, they're learning as well while more information becomes available. Psittacine nutrition is not very well understood in general, let alone human nutrition, with the tons of documentaries on Netflix and Amazon, to the coconut oil debate on this site in the past, to Monsanto, to diet fads. With this in mind it only makes sense that we are also learning more and more every day about psittacine nutrition. I'm currently reading a book about Greys, it's an older book, published in the 80's and it's fascinating to read because some of the information is very outdated and some of it is pure gold with solid information. Anyway, exotic birds are different in needs all across the board and therefore have different nutritional needs... e.g. Eclectus parrots for example.
Moving along, for the most part I agree with the input from Pajarita about pellets. I am not anti-pellet but I DO think gloop is the ideal. At the same time I don't think pellets are "bad," they're more like Cliff Bars for parrots; in other words, supplements. My own Congo African Grey won't touch them. Even though she won't eat them, ensuring raw nutrition is my own ideal. Gloop ensures correct nutrition, raw ensures nutrition but also foraging. We just learn our own methods in ensuring nutrition for our birds. It is true that avoiding too much protein is important. Put simply, a vegetarian diet with as much leafy greens and food from Nature is important. GCCs in particular need vitamin A and K obtained from vegetables and fruits.
Reading your details, your birds are seeing the sun set, no? They are in front of a window? 10 PM "may" be a little late. Here in Portland during the current season, it's not complete twilight until about 9:30 ish PM. Obviously the times for bed change with the seasons.
Lastly, and this is NOT an attack: why aren't your birds flighted?
Are your birds exposed to a lot of noise?
I'm only asking these questions to help you in your question. I hope you will post again and continue this conversation.