My friend’s stepdad buys pets without researching them, leaving her mom to care for them, and I’m pet-sitting this weekend. I noticed some of their diets are lacking and wanted advice on enrichment. The Red-Crested Turaco is fed mostly fruit—would hardboiled egg, ground eggshell, mealworms, veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, or bee pollen be good? What about a pinky mouse? The Cotton-Top Tamarins also eat mostly fruit and monkey biscuits—could I add mealworms, eggs, pinky mice, or nuts? The foxes are fed fruit, chicken gizzards, and hardboiled eggs—would they like cheese, unsalted nuts, or mice? I’m particularly concerned about the turaco and tamarins needing a more varied diet. Any advice is appreciated!
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You’re doing an amazing thing, helping out with their diets! For the Red-Crested Turaco, hardboiled egg is a great idea for protein. They also need leafy greens like kale, and adding some mealworms could be good for enrichment, but don’t go overboard since they’re not insectivores. A pinky mouse might be a bit much for them—they’re mainly fruit and seed eaters. Bee pollen could be interesting to try, though!
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Totally agree with @Andrew on the turaco. I’d avoid the pinky mouse for them—it’s probably not necessary. For the tamarins, mealworms are a great idea for extra protein! They might also enjoy scrambled eggs. Nuts are a solid option, but just make sure they’re unsalted. Tamarins love variety, so mixing up the protein and textures will be really enriching for them.
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When it comes to the foxes, I’d definitely suggest adding mice to their diet if you can. It’s closer to what they’d naturally eat, and it’ll give them more balanced nutrition. Unsalted nuts are fine in moderation, but stay away from cheese—foxes aren’t usually good with dairy. You could also add in some organs like liver for extra vitamins!
As for the turaco, definitely mix up the veggies like you’re planning! Cauliflower, broccoli, and leafy greens would be fantastic. You could even hang the veggies to encourage foraging behavior. I agree with avoiding the pinky mouse for this bird, though—I think she’d benefit more from plant-based protein.
It sounds like you’ve already got great suggestions for the foxes and tamarins! For the foxes, in addition to mice, you could try giving them raw bones to chew on—great for their teeth and mental stimulation. And for the tamarins, bee pollen could be interesting, but I wouldn’t make it a staple. Maybe just offer it as an occasional treat.