Getting my featherheads to eat veggies

[nemoluna]

There's a lot of information out there about what is good and not good for parrots as far as food goes. I understand that a variety is important but so far all my guys will eat is seed :/

I offer them different veggies and pellets throughout the day but they couldn't care less. Some people have suggested taking away the seed so they will be forced to eat the healthier stuff but I've also heard that's not a good idea.

Looking for advice to get Loki and Lyze eating healthy foods!

 

[Birdman666]

My Panama wouldn't touch the good stuff when I got him, but he went nuts for pasta. So I CHOPPED IT UP REAL FINE, and mixed it in with the Pasta. Tricked him into eating it.

Next time I chopped it up less fine. He still ate it.

Now, he gets pretty large chunks in his treat cup, and he recognizes that as food. So he eats it. (I also put it in the bird bread. Shhh... don't tell them it's good for them. They think I'm giving them treats!)

 

[nemoluna]

Good idea! I haven't tried pasta yet and I am looking at bird bread recipes to try. Thanks

 

[Birdman666]

good idea! I haven't tried pasta yet and i am looking at bird bread recipes to try. Thanks :d

i used the little shell pasta, then shoved some veggies inside it.

Works every time!!!

 

[Weezerj]

good idea! I haven't tried pasta yet and i am looking at bird bread recipes to try. Thanks :d

i used the little shell pasta, then shoved some veggies inside it.

Works every time!!!

I have had good results with mixing finely chopped veggies with couscous and quinoa. He loves the couscous and eats the veggies that cling to it.

I also take this mix in and stuff it in sweet peppers or jalepenos and he really likes this as well.

Squash and sweet potato can be fed in chucks.

 

[rosembers]

With the bird breads (I use Harrison's) you can put some seeds in the mix before baking so your birds inevitably taste and ingest some of the bread as they forage and pick out the seeds. That will help them acquire a taste for the bread, which is mostly made of ground up pellets. Eventually you can start adding actual pellets into the bread mix. Diet Conversion: Small Bird | Harrison's Bird Foods

As far as fresh fruits/veggies, I've found that blending bird safe fruits/veggies into a birdie smoothie has been the most successful for me. But you can try various sizes and shapes and eventually, they'll come around to eating it.

This will not be very successful if your birds have seeds around though. I would recommend putting pellets in their bowl and very little seeds while you start to transition them. Good luck!

 

[JosephNAsenath]

I might have to try the pasta trick myself , I just finally got them to eat more than just seed sticks and Millets, they're finally eating from their bowl that I mix in pellets.
Id say most pet store bought birds are the hardest to switch, I'm no expert on stores but I'd say them places feed what's cheap and quickest. I swear sometimes I think they want to slash the budgies life in half by just sticking seeds in there to make double profit if ya know what I mean.

 

[Psittaciformes]

You can also mix it in with oatmeal if your birds are into that
Or with bananas.
I suppose you could also try to mix it in with the seeds, then gradually use less seeds and/or larger piece of veggies.

 

[nemoluna]

Thanks everyone! Great advice from all we bought the ingredients to make some birdie bread tomorrow.

 

[Bananerz]

When Bananas was out of her cage is only offer her fresh veggies, chopped onto tiny bits. Then kept seed in her cage. She just learned it was easier what was right next to her opposed to all the way in her cage.

 

[Jukster56]

My parrot eats just seeds to ,but he likes natural tea , oranges and nuts , but i dont give him nuts every day because it isint realy healthy lik sunflower seeds

 

[ThoseTwoKeets]

There's a lot of information out there about what is good and not good for parrots as far as food goes. I understand that a variety is important but so far all my guys will eat is seed :/

I offer them different veggies and pellets throughout the day but they couldn't care less. Some people have suggested taking away the seed so they will be forced to eat the healthier stuff but I've also heard that's not a good idea.

Looking for advice to get Loki and Lyze eating healthy foods!

Try to grate up some carrots. Mika and Bogi adore finely grated carrots, and Mika is the pickiest parakeet I've ever seen. Also, try mixing a few seeds into the carrot mush. Mika loves it, pigs out on it. Also, so far every parakeet I've had has loved grass.
Don't starve them by taking away food, just present it to them in an intriguing way.
I hope all goes well for you!

 

[Kalel]

The pasta trick sounds like a great idea! Never thought of that! My guy sometimes has no interest in certain veggies so I grab a chunk and eat it myself and he almost always perks up with interest and tries to pry my mouth open sometimes to get some of the stuff that I'm "not sharing". I have gotten him to eat many things that way.

 

[nemoluna]

Thank you everyone! We made some birdie bread that is really popular with both of my boys and I managed to get them eating some Roudybush maintenance pellets, which I'd rather have them eating than seeds, which they now get as treats when they're good birdies... Or they look cute because they know Mom is a push over