Oatmeal

[nar1122]

Is it okay to feed the parrotlets Oatmeal?

Can I use a flavored one? Or do I use plain?

:):)

[AndreaFahy]

We use the old fashion oats. They even like them dry! I try to stay away from excessive ingredients - check your packaged/flavored oatmeal, I am curious as to what the ingredients are.

[Sally]

I use Bob's Old Fashioned oats. Just plain, not fast cooking. They cook quickly though. Chipper loves them. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/Sally11/41059eyes_closed_eat_300.jpg

[nar1122]

I will just buy a big container of Quaker Oatmeal.
:):)

Is it very healthy? Or is it just a snack

[AndreaFahy]

Our guys get oats mixed into their dailly meal - it is a mix of soaked and cooked grains & beans with produce and other stuff added to it.

[Paula0442]

For a P'let, I don't think that I would use the flavored but my Too got one spoonful of cooked maple and brown sugar everyday for breakfast. As you can see, he wasn't forced to eat it. LOL

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/Paula0442/Pets/th100_2251.jpg

[nar1122]

LOL.
I was pretty sure myself, that the flavored wasn't safe, I just wanted to make sure.

:):)

Great photo!

[AndreaFahy]

I am sure that it isn't unsafe, I just don't like excessive ingredients for myself or the pets

[catfish]

I think if we ate like our birds, we would all be so much more healthy...

[AndreaFahy]

LOL I think that is why I started eating better

[catfish]

what's sad is that only other bird people would uderstand that.

[AndreaFahy]

Yea, like I have a fridge with:

vegetables, fruit, cooked grains & beans
lots of eggs (from my chickens)
hummus that I made from garbonzo beans I have for my birds
meat for my cats....

and not much more than that *L*

[catfish]

My fridge has.... hmmm. Lots of diet soda (thats my big indulgence), fresh vegetables and fruits, eggs, sometimes milk, and sometimes chicken.

My freezer has more fruits and vegetables, some TV dinners to take with me to work, and frozen fish.

Most of my diet is based around grain.... whole wheat bread, oats, and pasta.

Most of what I eat I can give to the fids along with the hermit crabs. They like chicken and carrots (the crabs).

[AndreaFahy]

oh boy! Are they land hermit crabs or salt water?

[catfish]

land hermit crabs! love them to pieces

I bought one and it has quadrupled in size since I first got him. Antonio is always easy to find... he's my only purple pincher that prefers babalonia shells over the turbo shells, and he will NOT switch out of them unless he is way to big...stubborn little guy. For a pet that I thought would be cheap and easy to have (spending initially $20), they've turned into an expensive hobby. I've probably spent like $400+ on them over a year.

[AndreaFahy]

Wow - are you on Nick's Pet Galore forum? I'd love to see pics and learn a little bit more, I think it is very interesting.

[catfish]

No, i'm part of hermitcrabassociation.com... but to be honest I don't post on there much anymore.... it became very political for a time... plus I don't have any questions about their care overall.
Occasionally I will post there . . .

[AndreaFahy]

oh well - some pics somewhere would be neat to see of your set up - do have have some posted already?

[catfish]

Here is the current set up... the cage was being cleaned so excuse the small keeper on top and cleaning cloth.

I have day and night heat lamps... a bubble pool, swimming pool, lots of hiding and climbing toys. There used to be a fountain but I couldn't maintain it well enough for it to be safe, so I broke it down into a pool and climbing rock.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/miyakko/th_crab.jpg (http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/miyakko/crab.jpg)


Picture of a young Antonio
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/miyakko/th_climb2.jpg (http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/miyakko/climb2.jpg)

Here are a couple pics of some of my other crabs

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/miyakko/th_E.jpg (http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/miyakko/E.jpg)
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/miyakko/th_luminosity.jpg (http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j28/miyakko/luminosity.jpg)

[Kathy]

Question -
Can cooked oatmeal be stored in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days? I read that somewhere, but want to make sure first of all.

[AndreaFahy]

I make a big pot myself and store it in the fridge

[Kathy]

Thanks, Andrea! Up to how many days can they be in the fridge?

[AndreaFahy]

umm, mine lasts maybe a week -- ?? not sure. I guess till it's gross *L*

[BUUZBEE]

with the flavored, you going to add a LOT of added ingredients. Way too much sugar and salt. Stick with good old fashioned oats, and they will love it, but remember, everything in moderation or you'll end up with fat birds! LOL

[nar1122]

Can birds really get, like "very" overweight?
:confused::confused:
:)

[AndreaFahy]

They absolutely can. And sadly a lot of parrots are overweight. If parrots are kept appropriately - good balanced diet, large cages/aviaries, fully flighted, etc - it usually isn't an issue. But sadly again, many people do not keep their parrots properly :(

[BUUZBEE]

They absolutely can. And sadly a lot of parrots are overweight. If parrots are kept appropriately - good balanced diet, large cages/aviaries, fully flighted, etc - it usually isn't an issue. But sadly again, many people do not keep their parrots properly :(

LOL, tell that to my fat english budgies!!! both of them are the fattest and laziest in the aviary... 52g so not TOO bad for english, but still the laziest!

[AndreaFahy]

What is average for an English budgie?

I have yet to see an overweight parrotlet - 32 grams is ideal, much less is usually due to breeding practices - much over I just haven't seen!

[BUUZBEE]

budgies range from 30-50g; normals 50 for english

[Sally]

Chipper usually weighs about 32 grams. She eats all the time and always weighs about the same. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/Sally11/scale300.jpg

[musicjan]

I wish I had a scale. At his "new bird - well bird" checkup when I got him, he weighed 29 grams. I haven't weighed him since. The vet told me that would be his final weight - he was about 2 1/2 months at the time. Was she accurate that he probably would not put on more weight?

[AndreaFahy]

Here is one:

http://www.bonsaibirds.com/htm/scales.htm

At that age, it probably is his full weight. When being raised, they reach their full weight - lose a bit to fledge and then gain it back once they have been flying for a little while and once they are eating all on their own.

[BUUZBEE]

Go to target or walmart etc. you can get a kitchen scale for $19-25. Just get one you can re-set to zero after you add the bowl/basket (whatever you put him in) A scale with a perch is a nice bonus, but not at all necessary with a hand tamed bird. Once they know the scale cant hurt them, they will hop into the bowl with no problem. With all my 50+ birds over the years, i've never used a t-stand scale.

[Sally]

I think I got my scale at www.windycityparrot.com (http://www.windycityparrot.com). The one I had for kitchen stuff was not accurate. I keep a very accurate track of how much Chipper and Trudy weigh. I write it down in a notebook. The perch is so easy for the birds also. So natural, she loves to sit on it. http://www.windycityparrot.com/page/Windycityparrot/CTGY/healthhttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/Sally11/scale300.jpg

[AndreaFahy]

Go to target or walmart etc. you can get a kitchen scale for $19-25. Just get one you can re-set to zero after you add the bowl/basket (whatever you put him in) A scale with a perch is a nice bonus, but not at all necessary with a hand tamed bird. Once they know the scale cant hurt them, they will hop into the bowl with no problem. With all my 50+ birds over the years, i've never used a t-stand scale.

I guess they are gram scales Buuzbee?

[AndreaFahy]

I think I got my scale at www.windycityparrot.com (http://www.windycityparrot.com). The one I had for kitchen stuff was not accurate. I keep a very accurate track of how much Chipper and Trudy weigh. I write it down in a notebook. The perch is so easy for the birds also. So natural, she loves to sit on it. http://www.windycityparrot.com/page/Windycityparrot/CTGY/health

I agree Sally, I don't find the kitchen scales to be accurate enough. A gram or two can be cause for concern at times.

Some of our birds will fly to the scale and wait for attention or treats :)

[Sally]

Yes, even my little doggie has an accurate digital baby scale.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/Sally11/babyscale.jpg

[BUUZBEE]

its digital and does grams and oz's. and yes, it is accurate! I have over 40 birds, it HAS to be accurate. I like it because i can measure the weights of the babies and the adult birds. Well trained birds wont mind if there isnt a t-stand, and besides, that easy enough to make one without spending almost $100 on one.

[AndreaFahy]

Sally, I have been trying to figure out an affordable gram scale for my larger birds that are over 3,000 grams - that baby scale might be perfect! I never thought to look into that. Can it do grams by chance (kg)?

[Sally]

I don't think it would work, but some other baby scale might. You can look at some on Target.com. Here is mine.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-1/qid=1188089398/ref=sr_1_1/602-6053757-6399012?ie=UTF8&asin=B000HVC1GS