Help for introducing new toys and foods

[jaxx16]

Any ideas on introducing new toys and food?

I have been setting up a play area for Babe. I dont think she ever had toys to play with, except for the one rope toy that was in her cage when we got her. I dont want her to be a perch potato.

Also having a tough time getting her to try new foods. At present we give her: Browns Tropical Carnival Gourmet mix, Zupreem Natural pellets, and Zupreem Nutblend pellets, ehen shes in her cage. When shes out of her cage, which is quite a bit, we try to give her fruits and veggies. They only things we have been successful at her eating is Pasta, cheese in small quantities, peas, apples, eggs as long as they have cheese on them, red baron's pizza crust, mashed potatoes, and sometimes broccoli.

Fails have been: bananas, oatmeal, pineapple, bell pepper, cantelope, kiwi, black berries, raspberries, and mixed veggies (lima beans, carrots, corn, green beans).

Thoughts? Ideas?

 

[GaleriaGila]

I think that just setting the table up and then placing her there will tell you what to do next. Maybe she'll just be intrigued and explore! If not, you may have to prompt or put preferred foods here and there to get her to move around.
As far as food, I believe in Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. He loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, mybavian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old dietz0 out for two 15-minute periods a dy. That would sustain him but leave him hungry. He was eating pellets in a couple of days.
Good luck!

 

[SailBoat]

We have a new stuff table that we place any new items, including toys on. It sits near our DYH Amazon cage so that he can see what is on the table. Commonly, an item will sit on that table for at least a week before it comes any closer or is used.

On occasion, he will fly over to the table and pull something, commonly a toy, off the table and drops it on the floor. If is on the floor, its his! From there he will either hide it (long story) or take it to his toy tent.

Foods are the easier part of this. New stuff shows up on his plate or if it is really questionable on one or both of our plates. Commonly, he stops at his plate and bills around a bit than walks over and checks out our plates. If he shows interest in the new thing, we will pull the plate back just a bit. Yes, its right out of the two year old Human baby playbook, but it works. Well most of the time.

Stuff showing-up, surprise! Can result in an out and out rejection. Most all Parrots love games, especially those games that they Win. So, we involve any number of games that will assure that the Parrot Wins and mix in a new thing. FYI: It was on the table for at least at week.

 

[mh434]

I try to get Sammy to eat his Harrison's, but he's not happy about it. Far and away, his favorite is Hagen "Gourmet" fruit/seed mix - he clamors for the stuff! I only give him a little each day, as I'd prefer him to eat the Harrison's as much as possible, but the little guy wears me down, sometimes!

He also LOVES chicken (and beef, and pork, and turkey, but chicken's his fave), bones and all. It seems a little disturbing (a tad cannibalistic, maybe?) to watch him chow down on a chicken leg, but he sure loves it (so, too, do our Conures, CAG, and Lovies). I suspect it must not be bad for them!

Whenever I try to introduce a new food to him, I let him see me eating it (or, at least, appearing to) first. I wander around the room, making "mmmmm!" sounds, and he starts to get agitated. Often, if I give him some of whatever it is, he'll go after it immediately. Plus, I know that if he tries it & drops it immediately, he simply doesn't like it, and probably will never eat it.

I tried that technique with cheese - inadvertently, and unfortunately! Even though the kitchen is well out of his view, I suppose he can smell the cheese when I get it out of the fridge...and he goes crazy, pacing & calling for me! While it's very high-quality, imported Dutch cheese, I'm sure it can't be good for him in any real quantity (he'd eat a pound at a sitting, if I'd let him!). I usually only let him have a small piece (about the size of 2-3 kernels of corn), but he's in Heaven! Of course, all the OTHER birds have to have some, too (they ALL pace & squawk when there's cheese in the offing!). There are only two times of the day when all the birds are quiet - when they're asleep (and it's fully dark), and when they each have a little sliver of cheese.