Alexandrine that will only eat corn.......

[Tinkerbellbird]

Hi everyone just wondering if you might be able to offer me some advice......
I bought a 3 month Alexandrine about 5 weeks ago.....he was just weened when I got him home & was cracking seed and eating corn......as soon as I bought him home he regressed and refused to eat seed or corn and just screamed so I put him back on his formula for a couple of weeks till he settled then weaned him off it..........

He started eating seed very very slowly & he started back on corn..........now a few weeks down the track he refuses to eat seed & screams non stop till I relent and give him corn...I have tried every fruit & vegetable to tempt him but it's corn or nothing..........I'm at my wits end with him & really concerned that he won't eat anything but corn....
Wouls really appreciate your thoughts......

 

[MikeyTN]

Just offer him a variety along with his corn for now until he's been weaned for awhile then try different stuffs. Java's previous momma couldn't get him to eat pellets and a lot of fruits and veggies he wouldn't touch for 7 years. He's eating them all now after 2 months with me. You let them feel comfortable with whatever they're used to first for awhile before trying to change, especially ones that regress like yours is doing. ALL of our bird's diet have been changed since we've had them. It's a process you have to go through. Good luck!!!

 

[Tinkerbellbird]

Thanks Mikey.

 

[MikeyTN]

Also try to make some birdie mesh with chopped up fruits and veggies together in a food processor. Some birds love it!!!! My ekkies hated it....lol....There's certain stuffs my ekkies will not eat, as long as it's in the bowl or in the mesh, they won't touch it. It's like they know it's in there. So we tried different stuffs until we found something they actually will eat mixed together.

 

[kobe629]

Yeah it's tough. My Alex use to only eat seeds and some fruits and veggies. What I did wean him off seed was feed him veggies in the morning and pellets in the other bowl and left the pellets accessible all day. Then later in the day I would mix seed and pellets and after a week or so I would put less see and more pellets then eventually he is eating pellets. But he will only eat the colored pellets.

 

[Luna]

Hi, It is a very slow process, months or years, to change a parrots habits. All the parrots we keep in our homes are omniverus and can utilize most of the foods we do. For the three Alex's that live with me are forced to live in cages with pellets and water always available. They as well as the other larger parrots are given a small amount of what ever I am eating. Step back and view human food consumption when young we only eat what tases good, as long as your bird has a healthy food option a little corn starvation will not hurt it. I've never had a parrot scream more than a few times so the only thing I can say is I find empathy the best tool in living with parrots. D.D.

 

[roxynoodle]

I think I would let him eat his corn for now. After all he's a new baby, just being weaned. But, offer the other foods as well, and I bet he will start trying them eventually.

I would also eat in front of him and offer him healthy foods from your plate.

Just coming off formula a warm mash of veggies and fruits might be just the thing to tempt him to eat.

You can also try cutting them into very small pieces.

 

[Ash]

One of my Alex's use to be like that.
He eats anything now.
And If I want him to try something new I would eat it in front of him, or I will get my other Alex to eat it (she eats anything you give her).
That really got him interested in new foods.

 

[Pedro]

Top Ten Tasty Treats that Birds Love!

Persistence & variety especially when feeding a young Alex or any young bird for that matter.

Below is a pic of some of what i feed my birds.

 

[Mare Miller]

Pedro, I've got to say, you are a master of supreme cuisine, for parrots! You have some lucky parrots! I've toned down my list of ingredients, only because a lot of it was going to waste and organic veggies are so expensive. Don't get me wrong, I still try with Amigo but will try only two or three different veggies at a time. I have found that he has different preferences in different seasons. He used to LOVE corn! Grapes...couldn't get enough of. Won't touch them at the moment and hasn't all through winter. Spring and summer are on the horizon and I'm pretty sure he'll be on board with those foods at that time.

 

[mandolynn]

What was he weaned onto? I agree that you should slowly mix other food with the corn, that way he might get a taste and think, mmmm this isn't bad. Maybe it's the color too, you could try yellow pellets. You should have pellets in their own dish in the cage at all times anyway. I got many parrots to eat pellets by only offering them seed or other favorite food at mealtimes, they eventually got curious. Corn is hard to digest and is starchy, so it can be a little hard on parrots' digestive system if they are eating tons of it. That's my only worry but, you'll probably have go slowly so he doesn't stress more.
Id also like to say that while there is tons of debate and grey areas in avian nutrition, we do know that most human food has too much salt, preservatives, sugar, and other substances. Most humans who simply eat because it tastes good are overweight, have heart problems, diabetes, cancer etc. Its not healthy for any animal to eat this way. Parrots' bodies don't know what to do with all the additives, fat and lack of nutrients of human food. Please feed them bird friendly versions of your food.
Once he's settled in, he should start to expand his diet, but you may want to consult with a vet if it continues too long. He is a baby so he is more vulnerable to illness, and eating only corn could cause him issues. Good luck! :53: