Screaming (still)

[Azale]

So the screaming has become more frequent. I think its cause he is hungry... but I can offer him ANYTHING and he won't take ANYTHING but millet. Which concerns me GREATLY, cause I am trying to ween him off the excessive amounts of milllet his breeder was feeding him. Any suggestions to fix this?

[candi33]

My suggestion is get a different food (I personally am partial to pellets). Then you offer the millet twice a day, for say.... 15 mins. As much as he wants. After the 15-20 mins, take it out and replace with the new food. Do this in the morning and at night. This way he doesn't have constant access to the millet, but is still being offered it so he isn't starving himself (which can actually happen with birds)

It's not a good breeder that weans onto millet like that, I'm sorry your having this problem....

I also feed my p'lets about 3 different foods that are in their cage at all times (2 pellet kinds and 1 seed/nut mix). This way they get variety and don't have to eat the same thing everyday. They always eat the seeds, so I limit the amount of the seed/nut mix I put in. But they will switch between the pellets all the time. Preferring a different one almost every day. Make sure your offering lots of fresh veggies and fruits too.

Millet is like candy, so it's going to take awhile to get your little guy onto something else. You can try soaking the pellets in 100% fruit juice. Sometimes that works. Their sweet so they like the taste. You shoudn't leave soaked pellets in for more than 4 hours tho. The bacteria growth on them after 4 hours will make them sick. It's preferrable to leave for maybe 1-2 hrs, but not always feesible.

[Azale]

Though only concern to this method is that if he has access to millet, he will eat every last crumb of it... so as much as he wants will be the whole 15-20mins worth, which i don't think would be really healthy for him.
I'm not sure, maybe i'll give it a try. Thanks for the suggestion!

[Azale]

Does anyone think he is too young to have the millet taken away?

[Pado]

Sorry to hear you are having this problem - I wish I could help -

Hopefully someone with experience with this will see your post.

What other kinds of foods do you have available to him?

[Azale]

I have a bowl of pellets, a small dish of budgie seed mix, and I always have fresh veggies for him, sometimes rice, or scrambled eggs, and rice cakes (he loves these).

He isn't afraid to nibble here and there on a few of the foods, but I know his diet should be mainly pellets and right now its kind of upside down with the pellets/everything else being a little treat to him, and the millet before more of his main diet :eek:

[Pado]

Excuse the long post but I though it might help for you to see what I feed mine: And some info I received when I got my Parrotlet.

Here is some info I received from my vet when I first rescued my P’let. Its from the below web-site:
***************
http://www.proaviculture.com/parrotlets.htm
Parrotlets need seed in their diets. The extra fat and energy provided is essential to their high-energy nature. A good small hook-bill mix should be available at all times, and daily soft foods are essential - cooked grains, chopped veggies, leafy greens, sprouted grains, whole-grain breads, fruits, etc. are all highly recommended. Spray millet is a favorite, and provides essential vitamins and protein. New birds should always have spray millet available while settling in to new surroundings, as it is the one thing they are sure to eat, even when nervous.
Pellets may be fed if desired, but not as more than 20% of the diet. Pellets are NOT recommended for the color mutation varieties, as the potential stress on liver and kidneys may be too much for their more compromised systems.
***************
I feed a Small Hook-bill seed mix – I believe its KayTee it has a lovebird and some other small Parrot on the package. I prefer this because it doesn’t have too many sunflower seeds [most of the Cockatiel mixes add too many] But it does have Safflower seed – which is a favorite.

I feed Harrison’s fine also – mine likes it.

Some other of his favorites are:
Oatmeal – cooked and Plain
Wheat toast -
Broccoli –
Carrot – Tops also
Corn – [My vet said not too much corn as its mostly a filler food and not highly nutritious}
Peas – [snap – sugar – green beans etc]
Peanuts – [and Peanut butter but as a treat only and in small amounts]
Apples [no seeds they can be poisonous]
Banana
Kiwi
Orange
And whatever us humans are having for Dinner that day.

Other stuff also but the above are mostly his favorites so far.

He did not like all this food when I first got him but I never stopped offering it to him and always by hand – I didn’t leave it in his cage because he would ignore it – but I was persistent in hand feeding it to him when he was on me or with me and over time he came to like it.

Again sorry for the long winded post :eek: but as I said - I thought it would be helpful for you to see what some others eat –

Only other advice I can offer is don’t stop offering all the different foods especially when he is young – he should come around but if you stop offering [even if it seems a waste] when he gets older it will be much much harder.

But until someone more knowledgeable posts I wouldn’t completely take away his millet since that for sure you know he is eating - after all he is still just a baby.

Try offering some Safflower seed to him – it seems to be another favorite and it might start him trying something other than millet.

Good Luck !!

[memmey]

I think you gave good advise.

[ArtS]

Pado is feeling long winded tonight! Great post Pado!

Regards,

Art S.

PS. If you want a quiet parrotlet, get a female. The boys are noisy buggers!

[Azale]

Hmm, so funny how you hear different things from different people. I will definately follow the advise, thanks for the post :) Long-winded is always good!

[Sally]

When I got my Chipper girl, she only wanted seed. I never took out her seed. It is important they keep eating. I just added more and more. Took TIME, but she now eats very good food!!! She always has her seeds with safflowers, millet, pellets there as well as the fresh foods and baked good I make for her.

If it were me, I would leave her food and add the other foods also for now.

Keep offering the other foods. Pellets are not that big of a deal if they eat good food. Chipper doesn't eat pellets often, but I add some to her foods I make.

I hope she starts to eat better. I was so upset that Chipper wouldn't eat good foods, but she sure does now.

[Sally]

How interesting. I didn't know boys were more loud. I guess I am happy I have a girl. No talking, but REALLY QUIET.:)

[musicjan]

I left you a response on another thread (sorry, I can't remember which one). Hope you can look for it. As a first step, I would suggest getting him some really good seed. The 2 I feed are Volkman AS Parrotlet and Goldenfeast Small Hookbill Mix. The Goldenfeast has 40 (!!) difference seeds and fruits, veggies, etc. in it. He just might find something in there that he's like. I think I would start by mixing a little millet in with these to entice him to eat them. I don't think parakeet seed in general has enough nutrients for these active little guys.

[musicjan]

I didn't know boys were louder either. YIKES, that explains Bitsy. He is LOUD sometimes!

[candi33]

I'll tell you the reasoning behind my advice.

You take out the millet to get them to try the other stuff when they get a bit hungry.

However, birds will starve if they don't feel like eating what your offering. That is why you put in the millet TWICE a day, for 15 mins each time. Gives him enough time to get a good meal in, so he's not starving and will maintain his weight. It's just not available all the time so he chooses it over other foods he may consider if it weren't there.

Also, and this is very important. You give the millet in the morning (first thing when he gets up) and in the evening (about an hour before bed) because these are the times that birds in the wild eat. During the rest of the day they normally will pick thru their food, just grazing essentially. They eat 2 big meals, when they wake up and right before bed.

I've heard of lots of ppl having success with this. I've also heard of lots of ppl having success with making a mix of the preferred food, with the food you want them to eat more of. And slowly replacing more and more of the preferred food with the one you want them to eat.

Ex/ If they prefer seed, you start with 80% seed, 20% pellets (if you want them to start eating that). The next week, you do like, 60% seed 40% pellets. Next week you do 40% seed, 60% pellet then 20% seed and 80% pellet and then all pellet with seed as a treat occasionally (for hard core seed eaters)

You have to find what works for you personally, and what works best for the bird. The first method I told you about, the point of it is that, yes, the bird will spend the entire 15 mins with their head stuck in the bowl, and then you remove it. They get their fill. It's what they would do first thing in the morning anyhow, just not a voraciously. It's just that then they can't have their head in there all day...