Last Updated on by Catherine Tobsing
Hello Mitch and Cat,
Thank you for being our weekly bird-advice therapists!
You have featured our Senegal Parrot, Creature, in your Birds with Jobs photos so he says hello and wants you to know that he is famous and magnificent and the KING.
That being said, he won’t eat the expensive “human quality” mix I have bought for him through your website– pecans, dried bananas, and bits of apricot all get tossed onto the floor of the cage or any floor he can get it onto — what else should we try?
He has had the mixture for many months and he has never warmed up to it at all.
He should not be eating only Nutriberries– too much fat! so please make a suggestion for me.
I think the mix was called Tropimix.
PS He loves all the toys and this little bird is so freaken’ smart– he pushes one of his hanging toys until it is swinging and then puts his head down in its trajectory and lets the toy scratch the back of his head.
I mean …seriously… do I have a genius bird here or what?? Thank you for your wisdom about birds. You are a great help to David and me and Creature.
Catherine Tobsing wrote:
Dear Mariella
Glad your Senegal is enjoying his notoriety.
Sorry to hear that he is not embracing the Hagen Tropimix Large Parrot mix you ordered for him. I took a look and in March 2022 you ordered a bag of it and a bag of Hagen Lifetime Parrot Sticks, then 6 months later in September, you ordered 4 bags of the Tropimix.
Was he eating it from the first bag, but then lost interest after your second order of it?
What is he eating now? You mention Nutriberries.
Is that his main diet now? You mention fat as being high on them. Well, I have taken a look at the nutritional charts on each food and fat is not high in Nutriberries.
- Lafebers Classis Parrot Nutriberries: Fat 8%
- Hagen Tropimix Large Parrot Mix: Fat 8 1/2%
- Hagen Tropican Lifetime Sticks: Fat 7%
If your bird likes Nutriberries there is no need to hold them back.
Classic Nutriberries are 16.5% pellets so they are a great meal item.
Feathered factoid: Per Ted Lafeber, 2nd generation veterinarian and owner of Lafebers “Any pet bird can live a healthy life eating nothing but Nutriberries.”
All packaged bird foods should be supplemented with some fresh veggies and fruit daily regardless if all seeds, seeds, and pellets, or all pellets.
To use up the uneaten bird food that you currently have now, you could try to bake some into cornbread and offer a chunk to him daily.
Best of luck,
Catherine
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