Linda L. would like to know:
Is the size of the Tropican Lifetime Parrot granules much bigger than the Tropican Lifetime Cockatiel granules?
Hard to tell from pictures
Dear Linda,
The Cockatiel size granule is 2 mm, the Parrot size granule is 4 mm.
The stick-sized pellet is about 3/4″ x ¼”.
Trish G asks:
Both are regularly seen by an Avian Diplomate Vet and are in great health, and they eat Harrisons, organic veggies (from the freezer section) and I hide sunflower seeds and pistachios all over their cage for them to hunt, which they do enthusiastically.
We take them camping and sailing with us (my husband is both patient and tolerant!).
Lucy usually lays eggs 1-2 times a year, fall and spring, and I let her sit on them at night for about 3 weeks because I found if I pull them she keeps laying more.
For the last month she’s been biting me quite hard (blood!) when I try to return her to her cage and random other times, and I’m not able to identify why.
Sherry L. comments:
Yes, my birds are fed ‘chop’ (Arlo the grey, calls it ‘bobbity’) This is a new term for what I have done for 28+ years.
Chop is chopped veg, grains, and sometimes, a tiny bit of seed sprinkled on top or a bit of walnut, or something.
I used to cut the vegetables larger because Arlo was pretty accepting of lots of things, and I didn’t have a food processor.
I also (now) feed Arlo a pelleted diet, along with the chop.
She also gets a small amount of fruit, and sometimes about an inch square of chicken breast (baked) or some steamed scallop (yum).
RON A. asks
What do you recommend as the best brand of seed mix and the best pellets for my Eclectus female (red)?
Why is it so important to understand the differences between bird species?
I’m not ashamed to say we get more deliveries from Amazon (like most Americans) then we care to talk about.
This week a new Amazon driver “Patrick” handed off an envelope then said “I’ve never been here before – this place looks cool.”
Jerri M. asks
We live in NC and as you are probably aware, Hurricane Matthew has created some problems.
We were evacuated in a raft, with our Eclectus Parrot.
Since we have returned home, she is acting stressed and exhibiting behaviors that I have not witnessed before this.
There is so much conflicting information on pellets and eclectus parrots (the potential to overload on vitamins).
I have been giving them about 10 [pellets] a couple times a week.
I wanted to know your thoughts on this.
I do try to feed them a very balanced diet but I know we can’t cover everything.
Thanks for your help.
Susan G.
Once again, although well-intentioned, people are breaking down your choices into the macro of species (Quora question).
One answer started with
Image above – Female Eclectus r. vosmaeri at North Carolina Zoo, no other subspecies combines a purple abdomen and clear yellow undertail coverts.
Hi Mitch,
I just read your piece on eclectus, and I have a question.
If the elongated digestive tract is urban myth, then why does my bird develop the eclectus toe-tapping and wing-flipping if he has been given regular pellets and/or too many vitamins?
What would cause this?
Thanks,
Barbara
Let’s start with the toe tapping wings flapping things.
