Foraging for dummies

[MissMac]

Missy's idea of foraging is chewing thru a plastic bag...

 

[foxgloveparrot]

Um...not what I expected when I clicked on this but ok!
Jasper's idea of foraging is biting me enough that I look away from my food and then stealing it

 

[MissMac]

Um...not what I expected when I clicked on this but ok!
Jasper's idea of foraging is biting me enough that I look away from my food and then stealing it

Yeah I think Missy skipped the part on Foraging 101, on how to find the food.... she's been watching me too much and knows where to find it... I swear if she could chomp a hole in a can she would....
That said... I made a snuffle mat for foraging an because it has holes in it the food can go right thru to the underneath... Missy now rolls the mat coz the food is left on the ground.

 

[Squeeing_Onion]

Yeah I think Missy skipped the part on Foraging 101, on how to find the food.... she's been watching me too much and knows where to find it... I swear if she could chomp a hole in a can she would....
That said... I made a snuffle mat for foraging an because it has holes in it the food can go right thru to the underneath... Missy now rolls the mat coz the food is left on the ground.

This makes a lot of sense; if I am remembering right, Missy was hand-reared, versus aviary reared? If so, she had no parrot parents teaching her such things. She's learning her behavior from you, so it makes sense she'll want to copy everything she observes. If she sees you open a can, and then eat the yummy stuff inside, she figures she should be able to.

I avoid eating a few certain foods in sight of my parrots for this reason, out of caution. Ones that would be dangerous for them if they ever got even so much as a nibble (like my guilty treats of avacado and cucumber, Mmmmmm, yum!) Parrot see, parrot do.

My IRN Echo has been so easy to teach new foods and toys to, because he's directly observing what I do with things. I taught him how to pull a grape off the vine -- he wanted it SO bad, but he had only ever priorly been given grapes already plucked for him, so I washed a whole bundle off.

He just didn't know what to do with it. He was so excited -- so many grapes! His ultra favorite rare treat! He poked it with his beak and showed signs of confusion/frustration. Then he watched me very pointedly pluck a grape off. I got the birdy "OMG WHAT" face/pose. I did this three or four times, then he finally got brave and waddled over, and put quite the fuss over clumsily yanking one off himself.

Now, he just walks up and gracefully yoinks one off.

I used the same method to introduce him to new forage toys. I waited until I had his attention and he was curious about what I was doing, then played with it for a bit, expressing my enjoyment of the activity, then gave him space to try.

 

[MissMac]

This makes a lot of sense; if I am remembering right, Missy was hand-reared, versus aviary reared? If so, she had no parrot parents teaching her such things. She's learning her behavior from you, so it makes sense she'll want to copy everything she observes. If she sees you open a can, and then eat the yummy stuff inside, she figures she should be able to.

I avoid eating a few certain foods in sight of my parrots for this reason, out of caution. Ones that would be dangerous for them if they ever got even so much as a nibble (like my guilty treats of avacado and cucumber, Mmmmmm, yum!) Parrot see, parrot do.

My IRN Echo has been so easy to teach new foods and toys to, because he's directly observing what I do with things. I taught him how to pull a grape off the vine -- he wanted it SO bad, but he had only ever priorly been given grapes already plucked for him, so I washed a whole bundle off.

He just didn't know what to do with it. He was so excited -- so many grapes! His ultra favorite rare treat! He poked it with his beak and showed signs of confusion/frustration. Then he watched me very pointedly pluck a grape off. I got the birdy "OMG WHAT" face/pose. I did this three or four times, then he finally got brave and waddled over, and put quite the fuss over clumsily yanking one off himself.

Now, he just walks up and gracefully yoinks one off.

I used the same method to introduce him to new forage toys. I waited until I had his attention and he was curious about what I was doing, then played with it for a bit, expressing my enjoyment of the activity, then gave him space to try.

Yes she has now learned. Not thru me but thru Gracie. She still isn't a big toy player like Gracie is. I'm not sure if I should make her a new toy and then mouth it or?? whatever it is birds do when "playing" with their toys.

 

[HeatherG]

I have increased my birds’ eating of veggies by changing the way I present them. It seems like little birds are more interested in veggies if they are “open” or the bird can see the seeds inside. So I usually cut grapes, cherry tomatoes, tiny peppers in half or quarters and deliver to the bird seed-side up.

 

[MissMac]

I have increased my birds’ eating of veggies by changing the way I present them. It seems like little birds are more interested in veggies if they are “open” or the bird can see the seeds inside. So I usually cut grapes, cherry tomatoes, tiny peppers in half or quarters and deliver to the bird seed-side up.

Yes seeds, to my birds, are more of interest to them than the actual fruit or veggie.

 

[Squeeing_Onion]

Yes she has now learned. Not thru me but thru Gracie. She still isn't a big toy player like Gracie is. I'm not sure if I should make her a new toy and then mouth it or?? whatever it is birds do when "playing" with their toys.

I 'pretend' to mouth things without them actually touching my mouth -- the bacteria in our saliva can get them sick just like a cat or dog's can.

The only way I get Bongo to eat any veggies is by mincing all hers up super tiny without it becoming Goop-of-Grossness (so named because of my birds' reaction to the spectacular failures of my first few batches of smoothies chop. Let's just say they were not fans XD.... GG no re!). I then add a sprinkle of quinoa and her usual organic seed mix. She ends up eating at least some of the veggies in her hunt for seeds.

One trick I've learned is to throw Bongo's chop portion in the magic bullet (mini blender) with a few pieces of bell pepper. The pepper gets just goopy enough and makes the whole thing sticky, so she can't pick and choose bits to throw out her dish, it all sticks together.

She is finally, FINALLY, beginning to eat the pieces of veggies themselves, in no small part due to watching her new neighbor, Echo, gleefully devour any of his with much gusto.

It's amazing how fast they learn from each other.

 

[HeatherG]

How about actually eating some of it? That’s how I convinced Willow that his new pellets were really food.

 

[HeatherG]

Yes she has now learned. Not thru me but thru Gracie. She still isn't a big toy player like Gracie is. I'm not sure if I should make her a new toy and then mouth it or?? whatever it is birds do when "playing" with their toys.

I have juggled and handled a ball before presenting it to Willow. Then he seemed less scared of it and I praised him after he beaked the ball. Now he will pick it up and throw it a bit.

 

[Squeeing_Onion]

How about actually eating some of it? That’s how I convinced Willow that his new pellets were really food.

You know, I did have to do that with Bongo to get her to try TOPS pellets it took me around six months to get her to even TRY them. She knows if you fake-eat food! Clever little rascal.

 

[MissMac]

I 'pretend' to mouth things without them actually touching my mouth -- the bacteria in our saliva can get them sick just like a cat or dog's can.

The only way I get Bongo to eat any veggies is by mincing all hers up super tiny without it becoming Goop-of-Grossness (so named because of my birds' reaction to the spectacular failures of my first few batches of smoothies chop. Let's just say they were not fans XD.... GG no re!). I then add a sprinkle of quinoa and her usual organic seed mix. She ends up eating at least some of the veggies in her hunt for seeds.

One trick I've learned is to throw Bongo's chop portion in the magic bullet (mini blender) with a few pieces of bell pepper. The pepper gets just goopy enough and makes the whole thing sticky, so she can't pick and choose bits to throw out her dish, it all sticks together.

She is finally, FINALLY, beginning to eat the pieces of veggies themselves, in no small part due to watching her new neighbor, Echo, gleefully devour any of his with much gusto.

It's amazing how fast they learn from each other.

Of course I wouldn't put it in my mouth. Sounds like you mix up a batch of chop daily for them. I think my girls prefer it fresh but oh what a job.
Both my girls eat veggies. Gracie needed to learn from Missy and because she fights Missy all the way when it comes to food and eating (even tho they have two bowls of everything...this, by the way, is a worry for me - their fighting) she needed to find out what this strange green stuff was that Missy was eating. It was broccoli.
Seeds are clearly their fav. I give the the head of the inside of a pepper (hey I got to have some of it) and they love to go pepper picking for seeds. I will also give them bits of whatever is going in my salad. They lurve soaked/sprouted seeds the best tho. Oh and egg.... not that I kind of like the sort of cannibalism of it all.

 

[HeatherG]

I’m wondering why you WOULDNT be willing to consume the chop to show your bird it’s yummy? It’s just food. Unless you put wax worms or meal worms in it. And birdseed is not real yummy. But vegetables are vegetables…

My uncle feeds his dog spoiled food and can’t get over that I feed good food to my birds. On a practical note, vet bills are expensive and I would not feed my bird something not food-safe (I.e. fresh).

Unless you just mean you don’t put your bird’s food in your mouth because you don’t want to swap germs? That is reasonable.

 

[Squiggles:D]

I just asked Squigs and he said he loooves 'foraging' through my hair to find anything shiny (aka jewelry)