Hello again.

[Grithnir]

I was writing because I have been trying really hard to get Amos, my little birdie to eat fruits and vegetables. And thanks to someone here that my roommate read a comment of, he has adopted a puppy. Urg! It has no problems with the bird or guinea pigs but I am not a dog trainer and my roommate is still rather drowsy from his visit to the hospital and new medication.

Anyways, I have bought the skewer device to put fruit and vegetables on but Amos is petrified of it and now is hanging out most of the day on his little playground I bought him. We were in a bit of a tiff this morning when I moved it to clean it and he jumped onto the floor and furniture many times until I just had to put him in his cage until everything was clean.

He eats fruits and veggies out of my hand but if I give them to him he tosses them and is almost addicted to these pellets we have for him and will spend all day eating them without a care about fruits and veggies. I don't know what else to do about it, besides keep introducing new fruits to him and see where that goes. We know he likes apples. And I know I can't give him an avacado, but the first thing I read about Senegals was that they needed a good portion of their diet to be fruits and veggies and I can't get him off those pellets, and now Cheerios that I use to reward him for good behavior.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[BirdMa]

JMO Try taking all food out of the cage at night. First thing in the morning offer him a bowl of the veggies he should be good and hungry. I would blend a few pellots in with the veggies. He will eventually see this as food. I wouldn't offer him his regular food for a couple of hours. This is the only way my parrotlet would eat veggies. Now as far as fruit goes he thinks its the worst thing in the world. He wants to throw it everywhere instead of eating it.lol

 

[Auggie's Dad]

What kind of pellets does he eat?

It is good to get them eating fruits and veggies, but if it is a good pelleted food I wouldn't worry to much.

Various people give different proportions for what their diet should be (ie 70% pellet 30% fresh), but I've never known these to be based on anything but personal opinion or a whim.

Auggie is a bit of a pellet addict too. He doesn't get anywhere close to that 70-30 mark. But he's on good pellets, so I don't worry much.

I do put in a small metal bowl of fruit/veggie/oats and some other random stuff every morning when I leave. At first he just tossed it around, but I kept putting it in every day. Eventually he started eating most of it.

Birds need time to get used to a new food. Be consistent with a schedule of when the fresh foods are offered.

Of course don't hesitate to let him share in whatever you're eating (as long as it's safe), but his diet of fruits and veggies should be regularly scheduled and consistent. This will help him realize that it is a safe food to eat.

 

[Spiritbird]

Hi to Amos dad. You should experiment some with different fruits and vegies. Most parrots like grapes, especially the black ones. Other suggestions are melons and pypaya. I have been feeding my Timneh Rosie a mix of cornbread and baby fruits and vegies (mush). She loves it warmed and I discovered she prefers her drinking water to be warm. Oh, berries are very good too and what a mess they make. There is speculation that parrots will flick the foods they eat to spread the seeds as they would do in the wild. Keep on trying. AD is correct - parrots do not take to new foods quickly. Keep up with the pellets. I like Harrisons. good luck

 

[Grithnir]

To answer the question, Amos has been eating fruit shaped pellets that are colored with some sugar. The parrot lady that is an expert said it is not harmful with the amount of sugar in it, but I have heard it is better to switch to a bland pellet formula. She sells everything in bulk and so far he just really likes these pellets. I am going to try the bowl of fruit idea maybe warm tomorrow. He is already out of his cage playing on his playpin. He is pretty sure about not staying in that cage except to sleep.

 

[Spiritbird]

I forgot to suggest that when you eat your meal have the bird with you. If he sees you eat what you want him to eat he will be more interested. When I take a bite of vegies. birdie does also.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

Food doesn't need to be bland (and shouldn't be) to be healthy.

Auggie gets Zupreeme which is fruit shaped and colorful. But the sugar is not a good sign.

 

[antoinette]

Short and sweet
Mishka refused to eat veggies, no matter how many different ways I tried.
Dinner times I offered her a small piece of veggie, she refused day after day.
I sat nearby, and said one for you one for me
I eat one then offered her one. Took a while but eventually. I was successful.
SB made a good point, try offering many different types of fruit and veggies.
As AD mentioned. if it is a good pelleted food you no need to worry.
Preserve and don't give up, as fruit and veggies are good for them.
Keep us posted
Good luck