Ask Lafeber

Is my bird eating enough?

I am currently using your new pellet berries for my young (4 month old) cockatiel. He has refused any pellets, but loves the regular nutiberries and avicakes. At first I was thrilled to see how enthusiastically he ate the pelletberries, and had to refill his bowl twice a day. He seemed to be eating 10/15 berries daily. But on close examination, there is a lot of ‘stuff’ left in the bowl. Could he be eating the dates and fruit, and skipping the pellets? How would I know if he is eating half a pellet or none? Any advice? Tish Rickards ( a long long time Lafeber customer)

Hi Letitia,

Your baby may very well be eating his favorite bits and leaving the rest. At this age, this is OK because we do believe in abundance weaning and at 4 months old, he is still learning about eating. I would also offer him some dark leafy greens, chopped veggies and fruits, although he may not care much for the fruit. Some 100% whole multi grain bread or cooked brown rice is also good for him. In a few months, you can start reducing what you give him at a time, and not replenish it until he eats everything in his bowl. Your goal is for him to eat most of each berry or cake without wasting too much. The Nutri-Berries, Avi-Cakes and Pellet-Berries are all formulated with complete nutrition the same as a pellet, but they contain whole ingredients and provide the foraging exercise they don’t get from pellets. So there is no need for him to eat plain pellets if he doesn’t want them. Eventually his daily count will be reduced and he will be eating better. But again for now, let him explore and try different foods.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda