Amazon trying to switch food

[Crazybutcalm]

hi I saw one of your reply’s on so robes question about switching food over and saw you had said you have a Amazon. And I’m having the same issue as the person I got her from has only been feeding her safflower seeds. I tried the pellets and she won’t even touch them, she will move them out of the way just to get her seed witch I was able to change but it’s still not seed I want her eating as it’s a mixed seed and I know amazon s are known to get fatty if not on a proper diet. She’s 23 years old very fiesty. I’m her first male owner as she has always been with women and only women have been able to handle her so it’s a plus for me lol. But back on subject over tried fresh fruit veggies everything I can think of and she won’t even touch those, she will just let them sit there. I’ve made her go at least a day or two with no seed what so ever to try and get her to at least get hungry enough to try it but at no avail so I give in and give her the seed. So do you have any suggestions on how I can get her to at least try it? Thank you in advance

 

[LaManuka]

hi I saw one of your reply’s on so robes question about switching food over and saw you had said you have a Amazon. And I’m having the same issue as the person I got her from has only been feeding her safflower seeds. I tried the pellets and she won’t even touch them, she will move them out of the way just to get her seed witch I was able to change but it’s still not seed I want her eating as it’s a mixed seed and I know amazon s are known to get fatty if not on a proper diet. She’s 23 years old very fiesty. I’m her first male owner as she has always been with women and only women have been able to handle her so it’s a plus for me lol. But back on subject over tried fresh fruit veggies everything I can think of and she won’t even touch those, she will just let them sit there. I’ve made her go at least a day or two with no seed what so ever to try and get her to at least get hungry enough to try it but at no avail so I give in and give her the seed. So do you have any suggestions on how I can get her to at least try it? Thank you in advance

Welcome to the forums to you and your feisty Amazon - what is her name btw? And thank you for trying to improve her diet, but as you're discovering, some birds really would rather go hungry than transition to new foods, so they should be introduced very carefully. What is the rest of your flock eating? Can your Amazon see them eat and perhaps they may help to set an example? Although at 23 years old she is probably rather set in her dietary ways! I don't have an Amazon so I hope someone who does have one will contribute soon, but It once took me about 8 weeks to transition an older and very stubborn cockatiel from a purely seed diet onto pellets, having tried every trick in the book and NOTHING worked! Finally what did work was when I thought to grind her pellets almost into a powder with a mortar and pestle and sprinkle that over her seeds, so she couldn't avoid ingesting some and getting accustomed to the taste. And voila!! As I gradually ground the pellets less finely and left larger and larger over the course of about a week she started eating them like she had done so all her life! A few other parronts here have tried the same method and it has worked for them too, so perhaps you could try the same principle with your Amazon, though you will need to monitor her very closely to make sure she doesn't starve herself. If you've only just adopted her it may also help to get her wellness checked by an avian vet, they may also have some tips and tricks to help you transition her diet too. Just in case you don't already have a specialist that you see, I'll link up a list of avian vets for you here ...

Avian Vet Resources

After a suggestion by a member, @Abu Colo, the Mod Team decided to create a list of veterinarians around the world who see birds. This was something we had discussed a few years ago, but the task seemed so large that we didn't get very far. However, the need is there and we decided that the time...

www.parrotforums.com

And I found a good article about avian diets, written by a highly respected Australian avian vet, it has a few hints about how to transition diet too ...

Diets for Healthy Birds

Seeds are not an appropriate or natural diet for birds and will not give your pet bird a full lifespan with good health. A good diet boosts the immune system and helps the bird ward off illness.

veterinarypartner.vin.com

I wish you the best of luck!

 

[Gypsy LittleFoot]

hi I saw one of your reply’s on so robes question about switching food over and saw you had said you have a Amazon. And I’m having the same issue as the person I got her from has only been feeding her safflower seeds. I tried the pellets and she won’t even touch them, she will move them out of the way just to get her seed witch I was able to change but it’s still not seed I want her eating as it’s a mixed seed and I know amazon s are known to get fatty if not on a proper diet. She’s 23 years old very fiesty. I’m her first male owner as she has always been with women and only women have been able to handle her so it’s a plus for me lol. But back on subject over tried fresh fruit veggies everything I can think of and she won’t even touch those, she will just let them sit there. I’ve made her go at least a day or two with no seed what so ever to try and get her to at least get hungry enough to try it but at no avail so I give in and give her the seed. So do you have any suggestions on how I can get her to at least try it? Thank you in advance

Good morning..An Amazon will starve itself before giving in to something it's uncertain about. I happen to have a YN Amazon rescue, and trying to change from previous diet of crackers, peanuts and booze. Pellets were off the menu until I crushed them into powdery mixture, and added to things she loves in very small amounts. 2months, and she finally tried the mixture! What I did was scramble an egg, added spinach, mix well. Place peppers (seeds and all) into food processor to puree, then add scrambled mixture and blend as well. Take out a small serving, sprinkle a very small amt of pellets (TOPS or BIRDTRICKS have NO preservatives or added sugar), mix with spoon or fork, and you can even add a few dried oats in her bowl to absorb any excess liquids that contain great nutrients. First time, I didn't add powder pellets, so I could eat with her lol. They want what they can't have. I'm now on day 3 of adding pellet mix, and she's starting to get bored with it, so I add peas in, and tiny amount of apple or banana. Occasionally I will slip a couple slivers of almond in, to entice her/him to forage. I hide treats wrapped in paper throughout cage, tucked in toys within her reach as well. They LOVE to chew, so I strategically place raw carrots, cucumbers, as well. But the very first veg I got Gypsy to try, was peas. Morning meal consists of the healthy stuff...evening I add seed so she won't go hungry during this process. Most importantly,never give up! Tons of patience and perseverance. Good luck!