The Green Cow - DIET

Pig, Cow...he's a big green eating machine! Seriously, Eclectus LOVE to eat.

When Viggo first came he toe tapped and wing flipped. This is like a clench and release of the feet and a constant flipping of the wings. It was out of his control. Being a new parrot owner I didn't know what to do aside from read and call up friends with Eclectus for diet help. If you are considering a pet Eclectus read EVERYTHING and then read more, diet especially!

I had done a TON of reading prior to getting Viggo, I'd joined chat groups and had listened to owners talk about diet, what works, what doesn't, how some owners are against pellets all together, and some enjoy sharing their food (pizza crust ect) as a snack with their Eclectus. Just like the book "What to Expect When You Are Expecting" you cannot always go by the book or what works for others.

Eclectus parrots have the longest digestive tract of parrots, thus food stays in their systems and get absorbed more so than other parrots.

Despite diet changes Viggo was still toe tapping and wing flipping. This tapping and flipping made it hard for him to perch and very obviously scared him. He was just a baby when he came to live with us. It obviously scared him, new home, and these terrible issues beyond his control.

Being a mom I had journaled a little when my youngest daughter would get rashes. She has sensitive skin, but food was the trigger which I later found out after making notes, and looking back and then having her tested. The journal was excellent to help pin point the trigger. So I decided for my new baby bird I would do the same. I'm glad I did, it helped Viggo, myself and our vet.

I would start with very basic foods and after a few days if all was going well I would introduce a new food and feed for another few days before introducing new foods. If he showed signs of tapping or flipping we went back to basics and what he was fine on and cut out the food we thought might be a trigger. If having introduced it more then once with the same response from Viggo I would red flag the food in the journal and put it on the 'Foods to Avoid' list. I learned anything for people, cereals, bread, bits of pizza crust would cause tapping and flipping. It seemed anything with vitamins and minerals made for people he could not tolerate. I also learned the same about pellets. To this day the only pellet he can handle in small doses is Harrison's Lifetime. I vary this pellet for change between the course and fine, and sometimes I'll buy the super fine to sprinkle on organic bird bread I make for him.

I kept the journal for a few years and learned of many more triggers. My green boy was super sensitive. I learned it was easier to keep it simple to be safe.

Journaling led us on a path that works for Viggo. It's also brought healthier eating to my family and myself as I tend to snack on the fruits and veggies as I prepare his meals.

Now Viggo's daily meals consist of fresh sprouts everyday as well as fruits and veggies. I don't cook most of his veggies. I like feeding raw when I can. Sometimes I'll cook yams or sweet potatos and mash them with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or cinnamon. I also cook spaghetti squash. Everything cooked is always cooled and tested for hot spots.

Here's a look at a breakfast dish:

This is not an everyday breakfast. I always vary his meals. On this day he was given a variety of fruits (strawberries, pineapple, papaya, mixed berries-raspberry, blueberries and blackberries in with his Red River Cereal) and veggies (carrots, red bell pepper, broccoli, green pepper) I also fed about a teaspoon of scrambled egg. Nothing was added to the egg.

I know I said human foods like cereals caused Viggo to toe tap and then I list Red River Cereal. This is the ONLY cereal I have found that Viggo can eat without reaction.

I also, but in moderation feed Viggo meat (chicken & salmon). He doesn't like bones (drumsticks). I have offered them as I heard they are a great source of nutrients for birds as they clean the marrow out of the bone. Viggo has never shown an interest yet still I will offer once in a while a cooked drumstick, rinsed after the meat is removed. I know I have developed new tastes for foods with age and have cut out others so I always offer even if he passes on it.

Generally Viggo is not picky. Sprouts, fruits, veggies, almonds, pine nuts, budgie seed, Harrison's, these are his main foods. Treats fed occassionally are egg, meat, a small amount of plain yogurt on fruit, bird bread. The Harrison's he does not get daily, I feed Harrison's instead of seed every few days through spring and summer and even then not much. I feed a tad more through the winter months when he can't go outside.

Since my brat is active and fully flighted I feed a bit more than a bird that is clipped would eat. He eats twice a day, morning and night, and gets snacks during the day which is usually a slice of apple or kale put into a foraging toy. Generally it's about a cup of food in his dish per meal. Seed I give at bedtime before I cover his cage and it's either an almond or a teaspoon of seed. Anything dropped from his dish is cleaned up off the paper on the bottom of his cage. I started putting paper over the bars when I watched Viggo trying to reach food through the bars on the bottom of the cage with his foot. Now he eats whatever drops and it's easier to clean the bars and in much less time. No scrubbing. <--- great little helpful tip, that is if your bird doesn't shred paper.

Another snapshot of a dish of food.

This dish shows his fresh sprouts, romaine lettuce, broccoli, red pepper, strawberries, carrots and jalapenos. Mmmm I can tell you I munched lots making this dish. All my faves. Our sprout recipe comes from a friend who taught me a lot when it came to feeding an Eclectus. She has multiple Eclectus parrots and has had years of experience through her flock to learn about good over all diet.

Sprouts are a morning food. I don't feed them with dinner. Additionally in the warmer summer months if Viggo has leftovers in his dish after a few hours (rare if ever) I remove the dish to avoid fruit flies or spoiled food.

This is a bird safe food list:

Cooked grains - can also be sprouted

• Millet
• Quinoa
• Amaranth
• Whole Oats
• Hulless Barley
• Spelt or Kamut
• Brown Rice
• Wild Rice
• Buckwheat

Cooked legumes - or sprouted with 1/4" tails

• Adzuki
• Mung
• Sprouting Peas
• Lentils
• 13 Bean Soup minus Spice Packet - must be soaked for 8-12 hours over-night then properly cooked - CANNOT be sprouted

Vegetables - Fed fresh, lightly steamed, or even frozen (thawed) out of the frozen section in grocery store

• Pumpkin
• Carrots
• Acorn or Butternut Squash
• Red or Green Pepper
• Kale
• Dandelion Greens
• Mustard Greens
• Collard Greens
• Turnip Greens
• Broccoli
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Romaine or other dark leafy lettuce
• Jicama
• Peas
• Zucchini
• Green Beans
• Tomatoes
• Cabbage
• Chinese Cabbage
• Bokchoy
• Carrot Tops
• Okra
• Spaghetti Squash
• Cauliflower
• Radish
• Brussel Sprouts
• Escarole
• Endive
• Corn
• Beet Root

Fruits

• Papaya (Viggo loves the peppery seeds)
• Mango
• Any type of berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc)
• Pomegranate (freeze the seeds and feed frozen for less of a mess)
• Kiwi
• Oranges
• Melons
• Nectarines
• Cherries
• Apricot
• Grapefruit
• Banana
• Pears
• Apples
• Figs
• Pineapple
• Lemons
• Limes

Do not feed pits or seeds of cherries, peaches, mango ect.

Other Foods

• Whole Wheat Pasta (I have tried organic and if fed in very small amounts Viggo is ok)
• Whole Grain Breads (I make my own so I know what goes in)
• Bird Bread (again I make my own)
• Cooked Eggs
• Sprouted Seeds
  
  Avoid the following foods[/color]
  -Avocados
  
  -Dairy Products(Except Yogurt)
  
  -Fruit Rinds
  
  -Rhubarb
  
  -Raw Meats
  
  -Onions
  
  -Garlic
  
  -Chocolate
  
  -Salty/Sugary Foods
  
  -Alcohol
  
  -Fruit Pits
  
  -Peanuts
  
  -Uncooked Rice
  
  -Uncooked Beans
  
  -Seeds of: Pears, Oranges, Papaya, Grapefruit, Grapes, Apples & some Melons
  
  -Mayonnaise products
  
  -Caffeine
  
  
  And here's an imcomplete list of seeds you could feed: safflower seed, white millet, oat groats, buckwheat, canary grass seed, sunflower seeds, hemp seed (human grade), whole wheat, rolled barley, pumpkin seeds, shelled peanuts, almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, red millet, nyger

Diet is a pretty big deal in this house for Viggo. As this blog grows I will add recipes we love, a list of the stuff in the sprout mix as well as how to sprout. It's super simple.

One big reason I call Viggo my brat is because he is a lot like having a 3rd child. Between his talking, singing, getting into things, screaming for attention, he also flings food! The worst is mushy banana on the wall. Somedays I find it 8ft from his cage!!!! <---this I will show in a picture one day.

What works for Viggo would likely work for any Eclectus, some are more tolerant than others however. Some have peanut allergies. Viggo is in perfect feather and has never plucked. Plucking can be caused by many things, one  of which is diet. As diet is important for our over all well being so can be said for our feathered friends or 'fids' as some call them. Fid = Feathered Kid.