Ditto is lucky he's so darn cute....

[Z28Taxman]

Because he can be such a little twit sometimes. For the last 2 weeks he's decided it's fun to chew all his avi-cakes and nutriberries into crumbs. Usually during the day when I'm not here. Then he'll forage in the crumbs and nibble.

Usually there are a few whole bits left when I get home from work to change it out for the day. FOr the last few days there were fewer crumbs and more whole bits. So I figure he's getting it out of his system, right? WRONG! I got home tonight at 6 and refilled his food and by 8pm he had reduced it all to crumbs again. So to prove that he actually can eat like a civilized bird I took a nutriberry to the couch and he ate it out of my hand. And he did eat the whole thing leaving just a little dust.>:

[light487]

Maybe he's in the need of some new chew toys?

[thebubbleking]

Nah he is just being ditto bird showing his slave he can do what he want when he wants however he wants!

[Z28Taxman]

Nah he is just being ditto bird showing his slave he can do what he want when he wants however he wants!

We have a winner!

[Z28Taxman]

Well, knock on wood, so far tonight he's being civilized. No extra crumbs. But he's done that before, he'll eat civilized, then when he's full, it's crumb time. He did it a couple of months ago too and he quit suddenly as he started.

It's annoying because I can't tell how much he's actually eating since the crumbs take up more space the the stuff does whole. I know he's eating though because there's plenty of poops and he's all wound up. Oh well, whatever keeps him entertained I guess, since I gave all his favorite string toys a haircut.>:

[Z28Taxman]

Well last night was better. He ate like a civilized birdy most of the evening. Eating everything and making very few crumbs. Then around 8pm he must have been full and made crumbs again.

So today I tried a different trick. I emptied all the crumbs and put 8 nutriberries in the bowl (just enough to cover the bottom) before I went out to drop my car off at the dealership for some work and get groceries. Came home and there weren't many crumbs and half the berries were gone. Went to visit my parents and came home and he was down to 2 berries (plus the 2 el paso ones I tried to sneak in there monday that he refuses to even chew to bits) and less than 2 berries worth of crumbs.

Now I know he does this all the time if I put in too much more than what he eats. Abundance of food=playtime for birdy. But he usually doesn't waste that much.

[Z28Taxman]

Well after a few months of making a mess, and plenty of crumbs, he's back to eating normal again.

As it cooled off and, more importantly, became less humid, he's stopped making so many crumbs.

Las week the dewpoints finally dropped below 70 degrees and he made fewer crumbs while still eating plenty. over the weekend the dewpoints dropped into the 50's and he made very few crumbs. And as if to proove to daddy that he's eating civilized again, he brought a nutriberry to the couch and ate it from my hand and ate almost all of it. He even methodically chewed the larger bits (they're parrot sized veggie berries so they have some big pieces in them) until he ate all of them. Some of those big bits he chewed on for several minutes to enjoy the whole thing!

I came home today and the food bowl looked almost as full as it was when I left so of course I wondered if he ate at all. Well after taking out all the whole bits, there were only enough crumbs to cover the bottom of the bowl. After dumping those and putting the rest back in the berries only covered the bottom of the bowl too. The little bugger has rediscovered his ability to arrange the leftovers in the bowl so it looks full, even though it's almost empty. :rotfl:rotfl:rotfl

[linda040899]

What a little smarty!!!! I can't imagine what he'd come up with......given enough time!!!!

Never a dull moment at your house! :rotfl :rotfl :rotfl :rotfl

[Z28Taxman]

What a little smarty!!!! I can't imagine what he'd come up with......given enough time!!!!

Never a dull moment at your house! :rotfl :rotfl :rotfl :rotfl

He is sneaky. He's been doing that for years, I just haven't seen it lately because he's been making so many crumbs.

Good thing he doesn't bother trying the big front door on the cage. I came home today and the latch was open but the door was closed. :omg:

Unless he closed it after he went back in.... Not likely though, if I'm not in the house he won't stay out long. If I leave the room when he's out (don't do that often), he'll fly around trying to find me. If he can't find me he goes to the cage and waits until I come into view. Then, zoom, right to my shoulder. :happy:

[linda040899]

Unless he closed it after he went back in.... Not likely though, if I'm not in the house he won't stay out long. If I leave the room when he's out (don't do that often), he'll fly around trying to find me. If he can't find me he goes to the cage and waits until I come into view. Then, zoom, right to my shoulder. :happy:
Alex, BFA, is the one who follows me all over the house. She's a social butterfly when she wants to be but her preference is sitting on my shoulder just as close as she can get! As far as Amazons go, she's about as good natured one as I've ever seen. Rio, my OF Green male Peachie would follow me if I allowed him to be out all the time. However, he's not safe with all the larger parrots out, as well.

[Z28Taxman]

Alex, BFA, is the one who follows me all over the house. She's a social butterfly when she wants to be but her preference is sitting on my shoulder just as close as she can get! As far as Amazons go, she's about as good natured one as I've ever seen. Rio, my OF Green male Peachie would follow me if I allowed him to be out all the time. However, he's not safe with all the larger parrots out, as well.

Ditto doesn't follow me. He chases me like he's a jet fighter. :rofl:

He'd be glued to my shoulder (or in my shirt) 24/7 if I'd let him.

[michael]

As it cooled off and, more importantly, became less humid, he's stopped making so many crumbs.

Las week the dewpoints finally dropped below 70 degrees and he made fewer crumbs while still eating plenty. over the weekend the dewpoints dropped into the 50's and he made very few crumbs...........

What do you know! Ditto's the first ever one of a kind feathered barometer! .............:D

[Z28Taxman]

What do you know! Ditto's the first ever one of a kind feathered barometer! .............:D

More like a combination thermometer/hygrometer. :lol

[ppat324]

I just found this thread and you guys have me laughing. Ditto chasing you like a jet fighter. Birds acting like barometers and all the rest of this thread.....You human slaves are so funny!!! Wait, I am a human slave also. And yes my Lovies make me laugh and sing to them and do tricks for them also....ppat

[apaulick]

Ditto doesn't follow me. He chases me like he's a jet fighter. :rofl:

He'd be glued to my shoulder (or in my shirt) 24/7 if I'd let him.

sounds like my green cheek conure, tweety, when he's out he chases me down. I cant even get to the bathroom without him following me. his mate suni does the same with my fiance. I can't get any of my flock to eat the avi cakes. ive tried entire pieces and crumbling it, but they refuse to eat it.

[Z28Taxman]

sounds like my green cheek conure, tweety, when he's out he chases me down. I cant even get to the bathroom without him following me. his mate suni does the same with my fiance. I can't get any of my flock to eat the avi cakes. ive tried entire pieces and crumbling it, but they refuse to eat it.

I usually go to the bathroom before he comes out but if I have to sneak off I try to get him to play with the toys on his playgymn then when he's distracted sneak away. It's not easy and usually fails. He can fly faster than I can walk/run. :whistle:

Checked the food dish this morning before I went to work and it again appeared full. removed all the large bits (he likes to take bites out of every piece so finding whole nutriberries is rare) dumped the few crumbs in there and put them all back. Nutriberries only covered the bottom again.

Good thing I learned years ago not to just look at the bowl and say, "Yep, looks full" and move on. :rotfl

[Mary in Florida]

Well after a few months of making a mess, and plenty of crumbs, he's back to eating normal again.

As it cooled off and, more importantly, became less humid, he's stopped making so many crumbs.

Las week the dewpoints finally dropped below 70 degrees and he made fewer crumbs while still eating plenty. over the weekend the dewpoints dropped into the 50's and he made very few crumbs. And as if to proove to daddy that he's eating civilized again, he brought a nutriberry to the couch and ate it from my hand and ate almost all of it. He even methodically chewed the larger bits (they're parrot sized veggie berries so they have some big pieces in them) until he ate all of them. Some of those big bits he chewed on for several minutes to enjoy the whole thing!

I came home today and the food bowl looked almost as full as it was when I left so of course I wondered if he ate at all. Well after taking out all the whole bits, there were only enough crumbs to cover the bottom of the bowl. After dumping those and putting the rest back in the berries only covered the bottom of the bowl too. The little bugger has rediscovered his ability to arrange the leftovers in the bowl so it looks full, even though it's almost empty. :rotfl:rotfl:rotfl


LOL, well, if he could figure out how to hide his poops, or rearrange them so you couldn't tell what his uh....output...was, he'd really have you confused as to how he was getting all that energy....

Here's our scenario- three birds= a lot of spread out crumbs and seed hulls, especially when said birds make it a point to eat out of each others' food dishes, so it's hard to tell who's disappearing what. I see lots of energy, seed hulls, crumbs and lots of poops that can be identified by which bird was sitting where it landed, but maybe those food dishes shouldn't be filled so much. Less flinging, maybe?

[Z28Taxman]

LOL, well, if he could figure out how to hide his poops, or rearrange them so you couldn't tell what his uh....output...was, he'd really have you confused as to how he was getting all that energy....

Here's our scenario- three birds= a lot of spread out crumbs and seed hulls, especially when said birds make it a point to eat out of each others' food dishes, so it's hard to tell who's disappearing what. I see lots of energy, seed hulls, crumbs and lots of poops that can be identified by which bird was sitting where it landed, but maybe those food dishes shouldn't be filled so much. Less flinging, maybe?

Well the 4 still fresh poops that were on the bottom of the cage were a dead giveaway. Fortunately he can't get under the grate to hide those. :lol

He does however like to take his food to a perch to eat it and drops seeds down into the poops so you can't tell if he's pooping seeds or not. Gotta be sneaky to find clean ones.

[kikibird]

Hmmm...so glad I read this. I've noticed a difference in eating patterns in the last say week or so with my lovies. I've been utterly perplexed. They are eating, just different amounts from different food types.

Can you believe NOBIRDY will eat any avi-cakes or nutriberry treats in the past week :omg: At first I was freaked and thought maybe all had become ill. Now, they all decide they like celery in their veggie mix. :shrug: The used to wouldn't touch it! Maybe I should try some bell pepper again. They used to not like that, which was contrary to everyone else I read about!

The weather has finally dropped below 100 and as low as upper 60s at night. And, we've had some rain FINALLY and humidity has been up. I'm sure it does make a difference. It does with dogs and cats.

I'd love to put Lucy and Ditto in the same room and see who would be louder, crazier and more spastic!

[Z28Taxman]

Hmmm...so glad I read this. I've noticed a difference in eating patterns in the last say week or so with my lovies. I've been utterly perplexed. They are eating, just different amounts from different food types.

Can you believe NOBIRDY will eat any avi-cakes or nutriberry treats in the past week :omg: At first I was freaked and thought maybe all had become ill. Now, they all decide they like celery in their veggie mix. :shrug: The used to wouldn't touch it! Maybe I should try some bell pepper again. They used to not like that, which was contrary to everyone else I read about!

The weather has finally dropped below 100 and as low as upper 60s at night. And, we've had some rain FINALLY and humidity has been up. I'm sure it does make a difference. It does with dogs and cats.

I'd love to put Lucy and Ditto in the same room and see who would be louder, crazier and more spastic!

Ditto changes his diet all the time. One week his favorite will be avi-cakes and he'll just nibble on the nutriberries. then suddenly the veggie nutriberries are the best things in the world. Other times it's the sunny orchard ones.

Sometimes he'll go a week or more without me seeing him touch his pellets, other times he snacks on them from time to time, and then he'll go on a pellet binge (and poop dark brown as a result and scare the daylights out of me). :rotfl

Fortunately he's not normally that loud except when I get home from work or when I get him wound up for a scream fest!

[kikibird]

(and poop dark brown as a result and scare the daylights out of me). :rotfl

Glad I'm not the only freaked out parront. I've only had lovies for 14 months. And until 5 months ago, only 2 hens that I hand fed and hand raised. Once the boys came to the hood :omg: everything changed! Alot! And now we're changing again with this eating thing. I've not dealt with that yet, but now I'll know if they do it more and more often it's not that uncommon! Although, I have read about the dietary preferences changing, I just didn't expect it would be so drastic. But it sounds exactly as you are saying.

[apaulick]

I gave my gccs and tiels (they share a cage) some avi cakes in their treat dish yesterday and the only one to go near it was tweety. I thought he was eating it, but I was wrong cuz a few minutes later I heard them hit the bottom. lol even the pieces I crumbled he tossed out. he will eat peppers but not thr avi cakes.

[michael]

I gave my gccs and tiels (they share a cage) some avi cakes in their treat dish yesterday and the only one to go near it was tweety. I thought he was eating it, but I was wrong cuz a few minutes later I heard them hit the bottom. lol even the pieces I crumbled he tossed out. he will eat peppers but not thr avi cakes.

I'd have no issue had my birds prefered plain peppers over avicakes, or for that matter even nutirberries. Tried as I could, neither ever welcomed fresh or cooked peppers that well. Cooked green peppers kinda, but never any raw. So it goes, Goofy at first liked the El Paso nutriberries, but he now prefers the garden veggie berries. B.B. doesn't like nutriberries or avicakes, and like Tweety, he will promptly toss them as far as he can. In retaliation towards his efforts, I finally decided to replace such culinary projectiles with something a bit more crumbly like birdybread. Needless to say, in his attempts to rid his treat bowl of the offensive matter, he somehow ended up liking it. .........:whistle:

[Z28Taxman]

I'd have no issue had my birds prefered plain peppers over avicakes, or for that matter even nutirberries. Tried as I could, neither ever welcomed fresh or cooked peppers that well. Cooked green peppers kinda, but never any raw. So it goes, Goofy at first liked the El Paso nutriberries, but he now prefers the garden veggie berries. B.B. doesn't like nutriberries or avicakes, and like Tweety, he will promptly toss them as far as he can. In retaliation towards his efforts, I finally decided to replace such culinary projectiles with something a bit more crumbly like birdybread. Needless to say, in his attempts to rid his treat bowl of the offensive matter, he somehow ended up liking it. .........:whistle:

Ditto used to love the el-paso's too. But now he flings them out and prefers the garden veggie and sunny orchard. Maybe he's been talking to goofy.

[michael]

Ditto used to love the el-paso's too. But now he flings them out and prefers the garden veggie and sunny orchard. Maybe he's been talking to goofy.

Well, somethings going on for sure. Either its all just a coincidence, or their conspiring to totally manipulate us! .....Sunny orchard eh? Might be time to switch out the garden veggie for the sunny orchard just to see if it screws up their program! .......:evil:

[Z28Taxman]

Well my little hygrometer is still working like a charm (if you can call it charming). After 2 weeks of dewpoints in the mid 50's to low 60's and him eating normally (wasting almost nothing), the dewpoint yesterday rose to 71 (thanks Issac) and he made more crumbs. I got home tonight and it's 77 in here with a dewpoint of 76 (feels like I"m living in a florida swamp). Look in the food dish and what do I see, a bowl full of crumbs. I guess he doesn't like soggy nutriberries (can't say I blame him).

[michael]

Since the rise in humidy, both my boys have been at each other tails (squabbling). Regardless of what I offer in foods, except seeds, neither have much of an appetite either. .. We also have a little breeding behavior goin on too. Guess its time to remove happy huts, and keep the feets covered. .... Soggy nutriberries are no fun. .........:cry:

[Z28Taxman]

Since the rise in humidy, both my boys have been at each other tails (squabbling). Regardless of what I offer in foods, except seeds, neither have much of an appetite either. .. We also have a little breeding behavior goin on too. Guess its time to remove happy huts, and keep the feets covered. .... Soggy nutriberries are no fun. .........:cry:

Ditto had a few squabbles with his toys, but when it gets this humid he mostly puffs up and snoozes. Soggy feathers are no fun either. I swear he fluffed up, shook and water flew off him (ok not quite that bad). :rotfl

He's a happy camper now though. I cranked up the AC and the humidity is much more tolerable in here now.

[Bernadette N]

Beaker snips his brocolini at the end of the stalk and makes all the leafy bits fall to the bottom of his cage. He also snips his millet spray at the place they meet the cage clip, and then chews the stick bit, not the millet seeds and when he drops it on the floor of his cage, always looks at it in a confused manner. Lovable weirdos, lovies ;-)