Well Ditto seems to be in warm weather mode now...

[Z28Taxman]

Since the weather warmed up last week he's changed his eating habits back to summer time mode.

He eats much less during the day, 2-4 grams rather than the 6 to 8, and more in the evenings. 4 to 6 grams instead of 3.

It was 70 yesterday and almost 80 today and the temperature has been 75 in here today and 77 yesterday.

His weight is good, and is slowly going up. He did apparently regurtitate and rub his head in it again today. He's got a bit on top of his head right above and between the eyes. It was dry by the time I got home so he probably did it when he woke up from his afternoon nap which is when he normally does it.

But he's acting perfectly normal, he had a snooze while I brushed my teeth and as soon as I opened the refrigerator to get his veggies I he chirped, rang his bell and moved to his perch and stared at me to let him out.

He was in a hurry to get the food dish in the cage, he hopped on it for the weigh in (42-43 today) and then flew back to the cage, when I didn't bring the food in he came back, ate a bite and went back to the cage. Ok Ditto, I'll bring it in...:whistle:

One good thing, even though he ate only 2 or 3 grams, he didn't waste anything, I can't remember the last time there were more whole bits than crumbs in the bowl. And nothing but poop in the tray under the grate! :happy::happy:

[Maxie]

Happy to hear little Ditto is doing well :)

I hate reading the posts about sick little lovies...it's so heartbreaking.

Keep the good posts coming :)

[Z28Taxman]

He does his absolute best to drive me nuts.

After only eating 3 grams at most during the day yesterday, he ate good last night (about 6 grams or so). then chewed the rest to crumbs like he's been doing for a few years now and was back to 43 at 10pm.

This morning he crawled out of bed just before I left, ate some pellets, then started on avi-cakes. I know he stopped when I left because it was still dark out and he always goes back to bed when I leave for work.

Came home today and he was sitting on his perch under his light. Look at the dish and it looked like it hasn't been touched. >: He barely ate 2 grams out of it and didn't chew it to crumbs. there was a fresh poop under it so he was there before I came home.

Of course it doesn't help that it's been cool, damp and cloudy all day. Perfect day to lounge around and do nothing and eat little.

Then he started eating like I've been starving him. There was also a nice dent in the pellets.

He ate the whole time while I went out for a smoke, then changed clothes and brushed my teeth. As soon as the veggies came out he started his let me out dance. After freshening up the avi-cakes he hopped on the scale and it bounced between 40 and 41 the settled on 40. >:>:

Since he went back in the cage 15 minutes ago he's been eating like he hasn't had food in a week and pooped twice. In fact he's now practically standing on his head in the dish.

He is doing his best to drive me absolutely nuts! Or he wants to go visit the vet again and have the girls go crazy over him. :whistle:

Well he didn't stop eating until 9pm when it was time to come out to watch tv. He ate 5 grams between 5:30 and 9pm and another two on the couch while we watched tv. And when he was getting skritches he turned his head so he could get scratched under his chin and I could feel a nice full crop. Little piggy!

[akki]

Then he started eating like I've been starving him.

Don't you just want to call and report yourself to the animal protection services? :rotfl My birds do that too - and it drives me nuts! They would sometimes eat their pellets as if it's the most disgusting, insulting food ever, but if they get nutriberries, they stand on their heads in their bowls and eat without breathing!

[Z28Taxman]

Don't you just want to call and report yourself to the animal protection services? :rotfl My birds do that too - and it drives me nuts! They would sometimes eat their pellets as if it's the most disgusting, insulting food ever, but if they get nutriberries, they stand on their heads in their bowls and eat without breathing!

He didn't even want to stop when his light shut off. He kept eating for a few minutes in the dark. :rotfl

[linda040899]

He didn't even want to stop when his light shut off. He kept eating for a few minutes in the dark. :rotfl
Gotta make dad feel guilty, you know! :lol

[Z28Taxman]

Gotta make dad feel guilty, you know! :lol

I think he's just turning into an owl. Eat in the dark after the light shuts off and wake up before me and eat breakfast in the dark.

[linda040899]

In the wild, birds are up, looking for food and eating just shortly before sunrise. Ditto's instincts are working well! :)

[Z28Taxman]

In the wild, birds are up, looking for food and eating just shortly before sunrise. Ditto's instincts are working well! :)

Yep. Except when he's up at 5am in January when the sun won't be up for another 3 hours.

Today I came home and did the normal routine. Peek in the window and... Where is he... Can't see him.... Up pops a little white face from the food dish.:rofl: He stared at the window and back to eating.

I looked in the dish and there were a lot of crumbs in there and he apparently had a food flinging contest because there were a few nutriberries tossed around the cage.

He then settled in on his toy in the corner for a snooze like he usually does when I get home.

Then as soon as his veggie bowl was clean he jumped over and started yelling for his dinner.

He ate either 2 or 5 grams, I can't remember what the food dish weighed this morning. But his weight is the same as it was yesterday and he obviously spent more time at the dish today since there were acutally a bunch of crumbs in there.

He again couldn't wait for dinner and tried to crawl in the nutriberry bag then onto the dish to eat them as I put them in. :rofl::rofl:

[akki]

Gotta make dad feel guilty, you know! :lol

They are masters in that! :D

[Z28Taxman]

They are masters in that! :D

Yes they are. Always good for extra skritches!

He ate 4 grams from 5:30 to 7. Took a 10 minute nap and went right back at it. :happy:

[akki]

In the wild, birds are up, looking for food and eating just shortly before sunrise. Ditto's instincts are working well! :)

I cover them round 10 pm, but I am an owl myself. So I heard Juju go eat at 2 am! Does this count as shortly after dark or shortly before sunrise? :rotfl

Just kidding :D Ned was hungry, I heard him peep shortly afterwards :)

[Z28Taxman]

He's definitely switched to summer time eating. He's still eating 3-5 grams during the day instead of 6-8 but pigging out all evening.

And his weight is up to 43 grams on empty and he was 45 last night after dinner! :happy:

[akki]

Well done Ditto! He is in the normal range now!

[Z28Taxman]

Well done Ditto! He is in the normal range now!

Not yet, his normal weight is 48-50 grams but he's getting there.

He really doesn't like dark, cloudy and rainy Mondays. He ate almost nothing today until I got home. I tried to sneak up on him by coming home at 3 but no dice. He was nibbling on some food when I peeked in on him.

[Z28Taxman]

Well, it got cold again, well colder than last week. Today it's only 50 and he ate almost 6 grams, as opposed to the 1-3 grams he ate when it was warm outside.

He is however pigging out at night, eating between 5 and 8 grams from 5pm to 10:45.

[Z28Taxman]

He thinks he's sneaky. This morning I uncovered his cage at 7:30 and he was snuggled up in his happy hut (I had the day off). When I left the room his head was sticking out the front waiting for me and everytime I went in the room he ducked back in.

I left to take the car to the shop for new tires and came back for a few minutes around 9:45. He was still in his hut looking for all the world like he was sound asleep, but his swing was swinging like crazy so he must have heard me come home and zip over into the hut. :rofl::rofl:

[Z28Taxman]

It's amazing how much his eating habits change with the weather. Instead of eating 6-8 grams during the day he's now just nibbling a gram for breakfast. Then pigging out at night.

When it's 70 in here he eats 6-8 grams. Bump that temperature up to 72 and it's more like 4 or 5. When it's 74-76 2 at most. Today it was 78 when I got home and he ate 1.

It's not unusual when it's warm for me not to have to fill the dish at 5pm (when he's not chewing everything to crumbs that is).

Until I refill the dish for dinner then it's eat from 5 to 10:45pm.

His weight hasn't returned to the 48-50 grams it was but he's hanging right around 42-44.

Last night he decided to fly a few laps around the room and he's decided playing on the kitchen counter is fun while I'm filling his food dish. He chases an avicake around on the counter to keep himself occupied. :rofl::rofl:

[linda040899]

He eats less when it's warm because he doesn't need the excess to help keep his body warm. Believe it or not, I've seen finches kept outside in 40F temps as long as they are kept out of the wind/elements and they have plenty of food available 24/7. In the aviary I visited, dim lighting was kept on at night so they could see to go get food if they needed it.

[Z28Taxman]

He eats less when it's warm because he doesn't need the excess to help keep his body warm. Believe it or not, I've seen finches kept outside in 40F temps as long as they are kept out of the wind/elements and they have plenty of food available 24/7. In the aviary I visited, dim lighting was kept on at night so they could see to go get food if they needed it.

Yep. And just like in the wild he eats less during the middle of the day when it's warmest (when the wild birds would be hiding in the trees to keep out of the hot sun) then pigs out in the evening.

[Z28Taxman]

Well the weather this weekend was nasty. Temps in the upper 80's and humidity you could almost drink it.

Linda, I'll keep the snow up here if you keep the Florida swamp weather down there ok? :rofl:

He wakes up early in the morning eats a bit, then goes back to bed until I uncover him. Saturday and sunday he snoozed from around 10:30am until 3 before he started moving around, Nibbled and played a bit. He only ate 2 grams during the day on Saturday then ate good after 4pm. He pretty much ate from 4 until 10:30.

Yesterday the same. He weighed 41 grams at 5pm then ate himself up to 44 grams by 10. He went nuts last night actually. After eating from 4:30 until 8pm, he acted like he had a pot of coffee and was dancing up a storm and making enough happy lovie noise to wake the dead and started flinging food around the cage and chasing after it! :rofl:

During tv time he took all the food out of the dish and piled it on my shoulder and ate what fell back into the bowl while standing on the pile. :rotfl:rotfl:rotfl

When his light shut off he wouldn't go to bed right away, he kept right on eating. Once he finally went to bed he didn't go to sleep, he snuggled in his happy hut grinding his beak until after midnight.

This morning when I came down at 5:30 he was already eating. I swear he's part owl.

Tonight when I got home from work he was still 44 grams and ate 3 during the day. and I suspect he'll be facedown in the food dish until bedtime like he's been since it's warmed up.

TV time is funny, he'll eat for awhile, hop up to my hand for a few scritches then go back to eat and hop back and forth. :happy:

[Maxie]

Awwww....sweet little Ditto :).