[cmiller217]

does anyone else have problems with their birds not swallowing the fruit that they eat... some will just bite it all apart, sling most of the bites around the cage and room, some of the bites will be sucked on and chewed till its mush, but hardly ever are the bites actually swallowed... anyone know if they are still getting nutrients like this, I figured there would be at least some from the juices that would have to be swallowed when grinding it down before dropping or throwing it... just wondering if anyone else has noticed this with any of their fids... <><

 

[jodeg]

Good question! Libby, my Conure, loves fruit, and it does seem to all be gone when I remove the dish, BUT there's lots that has fallen through the grate to the cage floor. I see her chewing on all the pieces. I guess I assumed she was also swallowing it, or at least some of it. She must get some of the fibers and lots of juice, I'd think. Her poops get more runny on the days she gets fruit, so SOMETHING must be happening!

Does anyone know for sure?

 

[Jenny]

I know what you mean - I think it's because the fruit is so soft?

 

[The Brute Squad]

Mine don't mess around with fruit they just devour it! Not much left of strawberries or grapes. They make apples disappear.

 

[Abby]

Haha, that's funny. It sounds like they're playing with their food! I'm suspecting your birds will still get some nutrients. They have to be at least swallowing some of it right?

 

[catalinadee]

Our red-fronted kakariki Chewee does most of those things haha. Sometimes he will actually eat the food, sometimes he will bite it and throw it every where and sometimes it will be like extremely mushed up and then he will eat it haha XD!

 

[MiniFlock]

A little bit off the subject, but I only recently noticed that there's one part of unshelled peanuts that KRYKKYT doesn't like -- the actual PEANUT!!!!

She utterly loves the shell part to death, though. I'm not certain whether she eats it or just enjoys shredding it like other birds do with wicker and that sort of thing...

- mf

 

[catalinadee]

She may just like shredding it haha. I've got a toy specially made for shredding. That and paper haha :lol: try giving her some scrunched up news paper or something, she'd love that if she likes taking the shell of those

 

[MiniFlock]

She may just like shredding it haha. I've got a toy specially made for shredding. That and paper haha :lol: try giving her some scrunched up news paper or something, she'd love that if she likes taking the shell of those

I'm just glad I realized what was up before I went out and bought her an enormous bag of unsalted, unshelled peanuts! The ones that come mixed in with other seeds and stuff should be more than enough to keep her happy if she's just gonna fiddle about with the dang things!!!!

- mf

 

[catalinadee]

Hehe! I buy my kakariki a parakeet mix with very little sunflower seeds in because I don't want them getting tubby, but they will scratch at the food until there is one and then they wont eat the rest for a while because they will act all miserable without their sunflower seeds :lol: