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Post by ruben on Mar 11, 2012 16:43:36 GMT 10
Hi everyone!
I recently rescued a pair of red rumps from our local pet shop. After months in a hamster size cage they are overweight with long beaks and toenails with the plumage in pretty bad shape. I would like to know what I can do to reduce their weight. Can they be put on the same diet as my Bourke's? With less sunflower cause I read that sunflower contains a lot of fat. It seems to be the only food they want at the moment. What is the best mix to feed them? And what breeding tips do you have for me?
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Post by avinet on Mar 11, 2012 21:31:30 GMT 10
If they are overweight then the best way to bring them into condition is to give them a good quality budgie seed mix with lots of vegies and fruit - the more fresh food they eat and the less seed the lower their fat intake will be. Also put them into a large aviary so they get plenty of flight exercise.
Since their diet has almost certainly been poor up to now a multivitamin supplement in their water is advisable - give it daily for 2 weeks, then gradually reduce it down to twice weekly for a few months until they look in good condition.
If their claws and beak are badly overgrown they may need trimming - however they may come good with the proper size natural branch perches - about 3 to 5 cm diameter for Red-rumps, and maybe a mineral block and cuttlebone for them to chew on - they may well come good without trimming. If you have not learnt how to trim a beak then DON'T. Get someone experienced to do it. If you make a mistake there will be a lot of blood lost! Claws are not as bad but always take off a little at a time, and preferably let them wear down naturally if possible.
cheers,
Mike
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Gerard
Bronze Member
Hototo
Posts: 165
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Post by Gerard on Mar 19, 2012 22:01:30 GMT 10
Hi Ruben, how are those Red Rumps going? I agree with Mike regarding the perches. Use a hardwood natural perch of at least 30mm diameter. This will stretch out the birds feet slightly and cause the bird to grab the perch with its claws, not just their toes. You will find that they will wear down their claws pretty quickly.
Regarding the beak, I recommend you find a person experienced with Psephotus parrots or an avian vet as many of this genus tend to have naturally fairly long upper mandibles. Having said that, if their claws are badly overgrown it may be the same for the beak.
Once settled, you should have a pair of happy, healthy, nosy and arrogant (in a nice way) birds. Avigrain make a good budgie mix and provide plenty of fresh vegies. The water bowl should be large enough for the birds to walk into. They love their baths. I use a shallow Corning Ware dish that holds 250ml of water that is about 20cm long. For more info check out the converting Hooded to Pellets thread. Don't worry about the pellet stuff too much, but there is lots of info in this thread relevant to these birds.
Good Luck
Gerard.
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Post by ruben on Mar 27, 2012 5:50:54 GMT 10
hi guysk thanx for the tips
Looks like the pair has settled in and is getting the excercise they need.Toenails is back in shape and evidance that the cuttlefish bone is in use is there. New problem has arise though. The male seems fairly aggressive towards the female and it may appear also that he is bullying her at the feeding bowls. I think maybe that he learned that in the smaal cage which also had 1 small feeding bowl. As a result I have put in more feeding bowls (which also means more food) inside but it still seems as if the female is reluctant to feed when the male is feeding. He would jump to her bowl and start feeding and in the proses chase her away. Will it be a good idea just to seperate them for a while, leaving the female in the flight cage and moving just the male? I'm afraid that it migth feul his obsession to control the foodpoints, otherwise I feel that this might be a miss matched pair??
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Gerard
Bronze Member
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Posts: 165
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Post by Gerard on Mar 27, 2012 19:58:55 GMT 10
Ruben, Psephotus parrots are aggressive birds and the cocks can be extremely spiteful, especially to their own kind. Apart from feeding, is there any other signs of aggression being shown towards the hen by the cock? A compatible pair will feed together quite happily.
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Post by ruben on Mar 27, 2012 20:16:57 GMT 10
hi Gerard
No normally they would sit on the same perch within a couple of inches of each other. I have never seen them interact with each other. It is possible that there may be other signs which I'm not aware cause I'm away during the day. My other conclusion is that since it's not breeding season it may also have an effect on their behaviour?
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Gerard
Bronze Member
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Posts: 165
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Post by Gerard on Apr 1, 2012 7:23:29 GMT 10
I don't think that not being breeding season would have too much to do with it. If anything, the cock should be less aggressive than in the breeding season. There could be a variety of reasons for their behaviour. One maybe the change of environment. Another could be the change of diet. For the next few weeks try putting in extra food dishes, then slowly start reducing them to the normal amount. Another thing to try is to begin training them. It will give the birds something else to think about. If they are adult birds then this will not be easy. I know as I am going through the training stage with adult birds that were aviary birds before I got them. It has taken me nearly 2 months just to get one of my birds to knowingly make contact with my hand of his own choosing. And be careful with the cage doors...they're a cunning lot these Psephotus Grass Parrots. As soon as you open the door they're casing the exits.  |
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Post by Greybeard on Dec 27, 2012 10:59:12 GMT 10
Hi Ruben, how are your red rumps doing?
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