Parrotlet Exercise?

[Max and Maya]

So my Max is getting a little fat... the vet said he was overweight at 27g, he's up to 20-30ish grams now, kinda stable there. He has clipped wings, so just letting him fly to loose weight isn't an option. They have a diet of mostly veggies and pellets and some nutriberry treats during the day. They get a small amount of seeds throughout the day.
I was wondering if anyone has any exercises they have gotten their parrotlets to do?
And if anyone has parrotlets around this weight with no problems?
Thanks

[RockyandhisFriends]

I would not consider 27g being over weight. Most of my parrotlets are between 25g and 30g. When my birds have babies, the babies usually reach the 25g to 30g by 5-6 weeks of age.

I would say that 27g is the norm for a parrotlet.

Phil

[Max and Maya]

ah good! Not sure why the vet said he was overweight then :( maybe it was because of the age at the time? I dunno. I'm still interested in knowing if anyone has parrotlet exercises lol.

[aircube]

mmm, i thought 28-32 grams was exactley what adults are supposed to weigh :confused:

Exercise? Yep, let him fly and or walk around in your house everyday.

[aircube]

I have heard of parrotlets liking hamster wheels, but be careful which ones, his claws might get stuck

[Jinx n Noodle]

I had a parakeet that was overweight and I got a bigger cage for her and that worked wonders.... in fact, it was the HQ flight cage.

[Bodie]

How could a parrotlet be overweight? They burn off every thing they eat because they are aways moving except with napping!

Bodie is semi flighted now and weighs between 28-30 grams depending on the time of day.:)

He loses about 2 grams at night so he is ready for breakfast upon rising.

[kiwismom]

Honestly, there aren't many P'lets that are overweight... unless he's a major "cage potato". Kiwi's 28 g and he's perfect!!

[aircube]

Lets see some pics of the little guy!!!!!!

[Max and Maya]

he's very active, but i was just going off of what the vet said the last visit. I do have a large cage area and they play all day on my desk while I work.

[aeriadne]

Aly, do you know if your vet specializes in avian medicine...? Sometimes that makes all the difference. Parrotlets are relatively new as pets in the US (since the '90s, I believe) and that as well as their smaller size compared to more commonly kept birds unfortunately makes them a bit of a stranger to "mainstream" veterinary care. I think it can be even more so with a more "generalized" vet as opposed to an avian one. If this vet felt your little guy was overweight at 27g, that worries me a bit! and maybe there is another near you more familiar with a variety of bird species and what their specific health needs and norms are? I have to second Bodie and kiwismom - I think of these guys as the hummingbirds of the parrot world!

[aeriadne]

And a quick PS in terms of exercise in general: I know this is probably Brisbane-specific, but I have to share! I've discovered that Bris LOVES playing a chasing game with a wadded up ball of paper towel - I hold it a bit of a distance away, and he runs full-force at it, peeping "birdie-birdie-birdie-beepbeepbeepbeepbeep" all the way. ;) He chews it a little and then we repeat. Silly, adorable thing. ;)

[kiwismom]

My Kiwi does the same thing with Kleenex or crinkled paper. That would be a really good exercise!

[Max and Maya]

Yes our vet is an avian specialist. The paper thing sounds promising. Both my parrotlets pretty much love destroying paper towels no matter what form its in. Newspaper balls they are scared of but they love destroying flat pieces. Such strange little personalities :)
Thanks for the help.

[Daystorm]

Huh, well maybe the smaller stature of the bird threw the vet off? These guys are "chunky" little birds. My vet said Zack is healthy at 30g, and his weigh-ins have always been between 27-30g. Perhaps you should suggest a good book to your vet?

[aircube]

Hah, i just measured Fiji and the scale says 38 grams!!! he looks like a skinny little guy. perhaps I need a new scale....

[Daystorm]

naw, his crop may have been full at the time, I'm sure all that stuff weighs them down a bit (considering how much they eat!) until it gets digested!