# Do Birds spit seeds outof the cage?



## Webby (Feb 18, 2005)

I swear I saw my pigeons and My Parakeets spitting seeds out of the cage? Or am I just crazy. 

The Pigeons put the Parakeets to shame. I swear she spit a seed a good 2 feet. There is only 2 ounces of food or so, maybe 3 and they are spiting the peas on the floor. (Heard someone else say they dont like peas.) I am guessing they are eating the chick peas and the oats for protien. She spent the whole day yesterday picking up peas off the floor and spitting them out again.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Webby, 

I don't know if your birds were spitting the seeds out or not. However, Pigeons will scatter seeds around a lot when they are digging in the bowl to find their favourites


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## Webby (Feb 18, 2005)

Thank you.

I bought a hanging seed cup and do you know the birds spit half the seeds right out the cage. So I took a piece of cardboard and cut two slits in it. I put the cardboard between the cage and the cup. All the seeds she spit out bounced off the board and went in the cage or the water dish!


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Hi Webby,

I am not that versed on parakeets and parrots, but I think the way they eat seeds and the way pigeons eat seeds are different. I know pigeons swallow the whole seed, hull and all, but I ~think~ parakeets just eat the seed, leaving the hull of the seed behind. In fact, I know I heard or read somewhere that pet bird's seed cups should be emptied and refilled everyday, because there have been cases where the owner believed the cup still had plenty of seed, but in fact, the bird was going hungry because the cup contained just empty hulls! Perhaps what your parakeets are spitting out are the hulls of the seeds they have eaten. I am sure some of our parrot and parakeet owning members will be along to either corroborate or correct me.
As Brad said, pigeons can be messy eaters when digging for the seeds they like best. Also, I have noticed that hungry ferals will pick up ~anything~ in their beaks resembling seeds, even tiny stones, in hopes that it is food, but of course, they do spit them out.

Linda


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

When I was living my childhood years we always had parakeets, canaries and even a parrot.Well, that was a couple or three years ago  ! Lin is right, the small species will hull their seeds.As many of us know, most of our pigeons are picky eaters and their houskeeping is not the greatest, but we still love 'em. Their expressions they convey with their actions seems to say after their favorite feed is consumed seems to be, "ok fine I wil eat it if I have to!"


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## Webby (Feb 18, 2005)

I know the parakeets hull their seeds but there used to be whole seeds all over the floor...

I am certain they spit the seeds they do not like on the floor, as seeds are mixed and someone said. They pick the ones out they like and spit out what they dont want.

Well I installed my custom fabricated *SEEDGAURD (C) 2005* (Piece of cardboard.) and I am only feeding them what they eat. So by the time Dinner time comes, all those peas and corn that were spit on the floor are getting eaten!


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## birdboy12 (Jul 27, 2004)

I used to own Parakeets but got into pigeons....parakeets will spit out the seed if the do not like it or as someone else said they are looking for their fav seed.They move their head side to side untill they see that seed and then eat it and look for more...you could find out what the like the most and buy that in a bag and put alot of that in with their food....so it keeps the mess down.But just like Lin said pigeons will carry around things tghat are almost like a seed....once they have found something that they can eat they will drop the object they cant eat....so if you ever see a pigeon walking around in the park with a small rock or something in its beak....their looking for something to eat(I always carry a small zip lock bag full of pigeon feed with me just incase i come along some hungry pigeons...and i have before)hope I helped a little!


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## alaska (Mar 17, 2005)

Yes indeed, Parrot and parakeets can be rather fussy eaters, my Alexandrian Parrot is well known for picking out and dropping half of his seed on the ground to get to the bits he likes. Attitude plus, he even hurriedly pulls the seed bowl (which is on a swing mechanism) back into the cage when I change the seed, and he always goes for the corn first.
As for my newly acquired pigeon, I have not seem him spit seeds, but I do know he is quite adept at spreading the seeds around, probably again in an attempt to find the ones he likes.


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## Webby (Feb 18, 2005)

Ive had my pigeons for about 2 weeks now? And they are spitting out all the pop corn. My mom and I, we think they arent used to real pigeon food. So I am careful to measure out only what they eat in a day. They can spit the corn out all the want but they arent getting anymore food until they eat it all. Since the food is nutritionally balanced, I want them to eat al of it in a 24 hour period. They are pretty fat so they arent starving. They spill the seed on the floor. Than pick it up, roll it around in their beaks and than spit it back out.


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## Simon (Feb 9, 2003)

Im assuming ur from england, that pigeon is common in this country. Its a tumbler it performs in the air i have a bit of information if you want to contact me on [email protected]

Simon


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