I was reading this short article <below> about foraging and it recommends feeding twice a day and removing food after 20-30 minutes.

I don't think I could do that. My birds don't even start eating until later in the morning. <side note> I read an article recently that said Macaws are late morning eaters by nature as compared to some other species that want to eat as soon as the sun is up. I would be so worried that I fed at the wrong time and they would be going hungry if I removed food so quickly.

Any thoughts about this?

FORAGING

In the wild, it is common for birds to spend the morning foraging for food. They move from place to place seeking, probing, tearing, and discovering edible foods. In other words, they work for their meal. They must also be on the lookout for predators during their food searches. To minimize exposure to danger, many birds have evolved a food-holdingsac called a crop. This allows them to ingest large amounts of food in a short time and move on to a safe haven to digest it. The day is left for other activities, but the food search begins again in the afternoon.

All parrots and passerines (mynahs, canaries, and finches) have crops. Other groups of birds, such as penguins and gulls, do not have crops.

Pet birds, on the other hand, usually have food provided for them all day long. Foraging and twice-daily feeding behaviors are eliminated. What can result is boredom, lack of natural curiosity, and "fussy" feeding behaviors.

To help ensure a pet bird's emotional and physical well-being, an attempt should be made to modify the environment to stimulate natural feeding behaviors. It may require time for birds to adjust to new routines and toys, but persistence pays off!

The list below provides some ideas on how to eliminate feeding boredome and stimulate interest. These are only some suggestions - creativity and imagination can supply the rest.


Hang vegetables and fruits on a rod-type feeder. Birds must hold the feeder to keep it from moving while they eat.
Weave foods into the bars of the cage. The bird must climb to the spot and "unweave" them.

Provide cooked chiclen leg bones to larger parrots. It will require considerable effort to strip the meat and crack the bone to reach the rich marrow.

Stuff food in the "nooks and crannies" of pine cones. This encourages food-seeking and probing behaviors. Treats will reward the bird for its effort.

Commercially prepared or homemade food-toy combinations can combine nuts, dried fruits, and vegetables. This combines playtime with food-gathering activities.

Put your bird on twice-daily feedings. Remove food after 20 or 30 minutes. This stimulates active feeding twice a day and provides the thrill of anticipation.

They mention chicken bones here. I always thought chicken bones were dangerous to ingest in dogs because they can splinter. Wouldnt that go the same for macaws? I can see the marrow being good but I dont imagine macaws find chickens in the wild and chew the bones. I only say that because they talk about "in the wild" Other than that, I like the notes on foraging. I put almonds inside of unwaxed paper cups, fold it up and stuff it inside the orbit toys. Buddy is always the first to get it out!

Karen, my macaw (Cooper) looks for his breakfast first thing in the morning. He will eat for a few minutes then and then a little again later in the morning. Then he plays until around 3 or 4 in the afternoon when he goes back to his food bowl. I think the only way I would consider pulling any of my birds' bowls after 20 or 30 minutes was if I had sufficient other foods for them to discover in foraging toys.

I give Cooper cooked chicken bones all the time.

I would never remove Ollie's pellets from her cage. My baby can eat whenever she wants! She'll eat for about 5 minutes in the morning, but really chows down in the evening. Right before I cover her at night she'll eat for about 30 minutes.

Leigh, a lot of people feed chicken bones. Ollie has had a couple, and loves them.

Now that you mention this, this is what mine do. A little nibble first thing, then it seems they like to really EAT later in the morning.

i agree with this. artemis eats all throughout the day. maybe taking the fresh foods away after 20-30 minutes, but i would at least want pellet or something dry in there all day.

Interesting about the bones. I guess I dont give it a second thought because we only eat boneless meat. Bones gross me out.

While I do leave dry food in their cages all day, I don't feel it's necessary to have food available at ALL times. Food management is used when free flying parrots, and to my knowledge it is not a problem.

The natural feeding pattern depends on the species of the bird. Many rain-forest birds have no particular difficulty finding food, so they eat in the morning and late afternoon and take it easy in between. Birds that have to work harder to find food are more likely to forage all day long.

Body type can be a reflection of the bird's foraging needs. Stocky birds with relatively short wings (like Amazons) are built like that because they don't have to go very far to find everything they need. Birds with slender bodies, long wings, and long tails (like cockatiels and grass keets) are built for long-distance flight to help them as they search for food and water.

Macaws are rain-forest birds built for long-distance flight. If you know the reason they have to travel long distances in the wild, it might tell you something about the suitability of a twice-a-day feeding pattern.

I believe foraging is really important. I make the budgies forage all the time. Sometimes I will put a clean sheet of toilet paper over their food dish, or cover the seed cup with small wooden beads or round pom pom balls. I make a treat that is in a hanging toy and I always hide millet in their toys. It helps keep them occupied.