lovie loves me best question about quantity of food daily

[rizzie5022]

Hi I have posted in here before and you all have been very helpful, I have a few questions, I have a Peach faced LB who recently has seemed to have plucked some feather out ( I posted in the health section).

I have toys in Tinks cage but she doesnt seem to play with them, occasionally she will but most of the time she doesnt, she chirps and swings and sleeps. When she is finished eating she does the typewriter pace and chirps to be let out, When I let her out she will climb on my shoulder and cuddle for as long as I let her, it can be hours.


She loves to eat. I give her a mix of foods (she will not eat fresh veggies or fruit) I have a Petite Hookbill Legume Blend by Goldenfeast and she gets a scoop in am and pm I measured and a scoop is aprox 1 oz. I also make a blend of the Abba 1300 cockatiel seed and something called Small Fruit to Nutz, that I give her 1 scoop in am and pm in a different bowl. so she gets 2 oz in am and 2 oz in pm. When I get up in the am and home in pm she will start carrying on like she is starving chirping and hopping around the cage. When I give her food she will eat for a while, she does not eat everything she picks out what she likes and leaves the rest in the bowls. Is this a good amount to feed one love bird? She is such a tiny thing I cant imagine she would need more but I thought I would put it out there.

Lin and Tink

[starwynde]

Hi Lin. To the best of my knowledge, lovebird are foragers, as in, they don't eat scheduled "meals" like you and I. As you noticed, lovebirds eat little bits at a time; they have a crop, which hold the seed they ingest and pre-digests it. As the food in the crop makes it's way through the digestive tract, more food is needed to fill the crop again. Leaving Tink with no food all day and all night is akin to you only eating once a day. Considering all the flapping, playing, chirping and clowning around lovebirds do, they actually require a decent amount of nutrients to maintain. We eat three meals a day, plus snacks when we get hungry. Tink has that same requirement.

Instead of feeding at specific times, you'll need to have food available at all times for Tink to munch on. I've been up at 3 in the morning getting my husband out the door and have found my lovie indulging when I would have expected him sleeping. That said, he is very much like Tink as he's not a fan of most fruits and vegetables, preferring to either leave the fresh stuff alone, or tossing the dried fruits from his seed mix onto the floor of his cage. I've had to get creative and found that broccoli tops are the only vegetable so far Gem will eat, although carrot seems to be acceptable now too, but only if I hold it for him. There is a recipe for birdie cornbread on the forum here (sorry, I can't find it at the moment, but I know it's here somewhere) that seems to get rave reviews from many members. It might be something to try.

As for the amount to feed, it's going to vary. Keep in mind that a lot of the volume of seed is husk and inedible. I start with about 1/4 cup in Gem's dish on morning 1, and that evening, shake/blow off the husks into the trash. The next morning, I do the same thing, and usually by the end of the 2nd or third day, it's time to refill the dish. I also have separate dishes for treat foods and millet strung up in the cage, so he's not limited to one area to feed (remember, they naturally have to forage for their food). I also change out the entire dish if he's pooped in it, regardless of when I filled it. The same if he somehow gets it wet (mold is not your friend; I keep water far away from food).

Hope this helps a little...

[rizzie5022]

Hi thanks I should clarify I leave the food in the bowl and she can eat all day and I top if off at night and in the morning I toss everything out and start over. I was just describing when and how much I give her to eat. I have two food bowls one with each of the foods I mentioned before. I do see a lot of food that is left behind because she "picks" through her bowls with her beak looking for the items she likes. My bird is a very neat eater,she does not toss her food out of her bowl. I am thinking she gets enough food because there is always food left. To see her carry on when she sees us in the am or evening might be hunger or just excited. However if we are sitting in the room with her and 6:30 comes around she starts to chirp and hop on her bowls. I can not seem to find an amount of food suggested anywhere that is why I asked.

She is offered fruits and veggies in the mixes, she does like occasionally dried veggies ( I buy them dried ) she wont eat anything from my hand but if my hubby is eating crackers she hops over to him and will take tiny bits from him. I had a bit of luck with carrots also but she prefers dried over fresh. I tried pellets and had them mixed in food, I picked them out and put them back for a week and they were never touched. I finally tossed them out.

[starwynde]

If she has constant access to food, but is picky and therefore runs out of what she wants to eat, another option would be to make a custom seed mix based on what she likes as well as what is a dietary requirement (this I have no expertise on... but there a few members that do for sure.) And it does sound like Tink is happy to see you in the morning and evening. Lovebirds are social, and as Tink is a single bird, she considers you her mate, even though you don't share her cage lol. Gem, my lovie goes bonkers in the morning when I take the cover off his cage and do his feed and water... he bounces, bobs, and screams at me and refuses to stop until he gets to hop up on my hand for a head scratch. Once that is done, it's back into the cage for breakfast and I can go take care of my other animals.

It sounds like you've got a good relationship with Tink and are just working out the minor details, aka how picky is your toddler. That's the best comparison I can think of. There is no magic type or amount of food appropriate for a toddler or a lovebird. All you can do is ensure their needs are met.

[rizzie5022]

It sounds like we have the same bird lol! We laugh all of the time at how crazy she gets then as soon as she is on our hand she is just mush and quiet as a church mouse. When she is on my shoulder and I call her name she answers with a chirp.

I think I am on the right path with the food I was trying to mix different types to give her more choices. She does not like bigger food. She is getting lots of fruit and veggie pieces along with seeds.

I think she is starting her second molt as well.