Re: What dry food do you feed your Ekkies... I don't think it's so much the pellets or seeds themselves but how large is the percentage they constitute of their diet although, of course, the more natural the better so anything artificial should be out. Ekkies need lower protein, lower nutrients and higher fiber than any other companion bird (with the possible exception of some finch varieties) and pellets and commercial seed mixes are usually completely off when it comes to this delicate balance. Most owners that have had ekkies for a few years or who have ekkies younger than eight or ten years old would tell you that theirs are doing well on them but, as time goes by, the issues start to appear so it's better to start them off on a healthy diet from day one. They are all good eaters so this is usually not a problem even tough it might take a while to get them off.
Romeo eats seeds for dinner but I mix the seeds myself always aiming at lower protein and the portion is so small (less than 1/8 of a measure cup) that I sometimes feel sorry for him because he does love them so! But he is a bird that was normal until he was about eight years old and, by the time he came to me, at 13, he was all plucked, screaming non-stop and very aggressive. He now doesn't scream, shows no aggression at all and, although he hasn't quite stopped plucking (and might never do), he does have some new feathers he is allowing to grow out (this bird was completely charcoal grey with only a green head!) and has not barbered for a while. And I am convinced the improvement has mostly to do with his better diet even though he is not yet as good an eater as any of my other birds (including Nina, my hardest nut to crack). He is also very, very resourceful when it comes to getting the forbidden seeds so that has also delayed the process... he even managed to get into the canary hens flight cage to steal theirs so I had to put locks in all the canary cages doors and feeders. |