What is the proper amount of seeds to feed my African Grey every day?

Question

Of course I am also feeding him his fresh fruits and veggies every day as well. I'm wondering what the reccommended amount of seeds is for him daily though. 1/2 a cup? 1 cup?

Answer 1

I don't feed mine the commercial seed mix any at all really. If you are feeding pellets, you are giving him a balanced seed diet. Pellets are partially made from seed.
Seed is not really a huge percentage of a Grey's diet in the wild. The reason most people tend to feed seed is because when the boats containing the first wild-caught birds first arrived here, they were being fed seed. Of course they do eat some seed, but on the boats, seed is dry and doesn't spoil. It was an economical and convenient way to feed the birds during shipping.
The seeds I feed my birds are the healthy ones: Flax, hemp and rape seed. These 3 are the winners in the seed world.
My Greys don't even like sunflower seed...a standard part of your run of the mill seed mix.
For more information, please see these links:

http://www.holisticbirds.com/Hbn02/febmar/pages/phyto2.htm

http://www.bharatbhasha.com/pets.php/46815

Please lean heavily on fresh or frozen vegetables (heavy on the dark orange and dark green), rice, pasta, beans, yams or sweet potatoes, nuts, and occasionally you can give them scrambled eggs, yogurt, a piece of chicken, and cheese as a treat.
Fruit is good a few times a week. Easy on the grapes..apple is good, as well as cranberry...
think about purchasing some flax seed oil from a health food store and a few drops on his veggies helps a lot.
An additional calcium supplement and a vitamin supplement is extrmemly helpful: "Pro-Vita" or "Blair's Super Preen" nutritional supplement sprinkled onto their veggies will really make a difference.
The number one reason for companion parrot fatalitites is malnutrition.
The bigger variety you offer to your birds, that is, the wider array of veggies they get, the more healthy they will be. I puchase frozen mixed veggie bags (no sauce) and mix them all together so that when my Greys are fed, they are offered about 20 different veggies. I blend in the healthy seed, cooked rice, add a bean glop mix from boiled beans, put in some nuts, and it's "Tails Up"! I don't hear a thing for a half an hour...they're too busy eating.
There are hundreds of recipes on the web you can find that will assist you in keeping your guy in great shape, but you really have to know what to feed to keep them in good condition. Keep reading and and researching.
I hope I've helped.

Answer 2

Seed mix should be a very small part of the diet. Mine gets about 2 tablespoons a day. She has Zupreem natural and fruit blend pellets all the time. Plus, I try to give her fresh foods as often as possible. Check out the yahoo group africangreyparrotclub for more info.

Answer 3

1/2 cup or less along with fresh fruits and veggies and a mash u can make of cooked rice barley splitpeas lenteils and some times beans a all seed deit can be bad for a birds

Answer 4

I have found that every bird is different. I have an Indian Ring Neck and I just got a big bowl for food and also for water. Fill them!! Unless you want to train. Then feed little amounts. When you train you want your bird a little Hungary, that way he will do things for treats. (check out birdtricks.com) Just make sure there is always fresh food and water daily.

Answer 5

Seeds should only be fed to your CAG as primarily a treat. Birds eat up to about 1/3 of their weight everyday, and majority of it should be fruits and veggies. I would only suggest a couple tablespoons a day!

Answer 6

You shouldn't feed your grey seeds. They have no nutritional value. You should feed him/her pellets. Zupreem, Harrisons Roudy Bush....It should be approximently 75% of your birds diet. Then pretty much the rest dark green veggies, a few fruits, and nuts. Don't forget you can also feed your grey meat, pasta, cornbread, mashed potatoes. They LOVE to eat what you eat. Just no avocado, no caffeine, no chocolate and no apple seeds.

Answer 7

I would use a large feed cup with at least 1 cup of seed in it
in case he wants extra some days

Answer 8

A veggie is a plant or part of a herb used as food

Answer 9

Both are good for you, each fruit/vegetable has different vitamins. And so as more variety, as better. Vegetables have generally less sugar than fruits.

Answer 10

yeah, read the bag's directions. I feed my senegal about 1/4 cup of Kaytee's Safflower parrot mix every day (she probably only eats about 1/2 of that. but her nanday conure friend often raids her dish while they are out playing togwether ^^)