HELP! New BFA never ate real food!

[Crawls823]

We just got a BFA a week ago. It will only eat seeds and peanuts. We have not tried to pick her up. Baby steps for me and her (lily). I have fed her peanuts as a treat through the cage 1st and now with the door open. She refuses to take bananas or carrots or broccoli or anything food wise though. I've tried feeding her it by hand and putting in her food bowl. Taking a bite and then offering her some. Nothing. She looks at me like I'm crazy. How can I get her to eat better food than just seed? We have never had a bird. Trying to give her space to acclimate to our busy household. She gets out of her cage on her own and goes back in. Suggestions would be great. Thanks.

 

[Crawls823]

Also, we were told she is 6 years old and hasn't been held or bothered with for months.

 

[SandyBee]

Hi and Congrats on your new friend.
It just takes time, keep offering things. Try a variety of things, a popular favorite is cooked squash or beet, popcorn, different type of nuts etc.

The first order of business is creating trust and bond, from there you can expand her diet. Little pieces of chicken and fish is usually gobbled up quite quickly. Once she trusts you she will be ready to experiment more. Cheese is a big hit too, use sparingly as it should not be a regular part of diet and is quite fattening. Eat with her as well, meal time is a flock activity and a bonding time.

 

[Kiwibird]

Congrats on your new addition. Our BFA also came to us not eating fruit and veg. There are several methods to get them to eat the appropriate diet, but the first thing you should try is leading by example. Try standing by her cage, eating the target food yourself and making a really big deal out of how delicious/fun it is. If the bird shows interest (which she most likely will), then offer her some and praise her when she tries it (even if it's just a nibble). Try a variety of things too, as they do have preferences and she may not like apples but loves grapes or something.

Fruits and veg that are almost universally loved are sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, grapes and berries. Others are much more subjective and preferences by the individual bird.

 

[Constantine]

i never had any issue with the diet of my BFA... he s actually chasing me around in the house to eat from my dish, once he realises that i am eating myself...

 

[SoCalWendy]

The best way to get her to eat other things is to offer them when she is the most hungry, which is usually first thing in the morning. So what I would do is cut up some fruits and veggies in small bite size pieces, you can add lentils, pasta, ect. Take all other food sources out of her cage and only offer her the better food for the first couple of hrs. Just see what she does. She may pick through it, or completely ignore it all together. It won't her hurt her to miss a meal or two. After a couple of hours take it out and throw it away. Try again in the evening.

 

[Cambear]

Apparently corn and pomegranate is like, bird crack. I've heard a lot of people say that oatmeal is a good one too.

Good luck!

 

[Crawls823]

Wow thank you all so much. I will definitely try these suggestions. I feel so lost and I just want her to know we wouldn't hurt her.

 

[MonicaMc]

I've put together a thread for tips on converting parrots over to a healthier diet. You may want to try several suggestions!


http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

 

[MikeyTN]

Since you just got him a week ago I would let him be for the time being. Then after he's adjusted to you and your home. Then start making changes. First thing in the morning feed fresh fruits and veggies plus leave a bowl of pellets available all day. Then during evening time offer a table spoon of seeds. Keep doing that until he starts to eat the pellets then stop feeding seeds period. It just takes adjustment period to make changes, don't ever do it cold turkey. Good luck!

 

[Taw5106]

Hi there and congrats. I'm doing the same as you with Buddy. He's been with us for 12 days now. He loves popcorn, that was the first I gave him when we made popcorn on his first night for movies. We make it homemade. Buddy hasn't taken to a lot of the foods I've offered him. I haven't given him seed since he's been here and I keep rotating foods for him. He likes pear, red delicious apple, edamame, and bell pepper. This morning I gave him two snow peas and two carrots. Last week he wouldn't touch the carrot, he's munching it right now so keep rotating new foods I think he'll adjust. Congrats!

 

[ImmunoGoblin]

Or make food into a toy - we hang a skewer from the top of the cage every morning that has slices of sweet potato, brussel sprout, greens, peppers, carrots - whatever vegetables we feel like cutting up. At first he was mostly just interested in the sweet potatoes but over time he has really enjoyed checking out the different textures and flavors. Good luck!

 

[Friday13]

Your new friend should be in a state of shock now. I have experienced cases where my new Zons stopped eating for up to a week! (I was worried sick that time) However once they get used to you and their new environment, their gluttony nature will surface again and they will chase you to get food off your plate during mealtimes. Patience is the key.

Cheers!

 

[pacoparrot]

I have a similar problem with my bird Paco. He came to me eating mostly seeds and peanuts and it has been hard to break the habit. I have gotten him to eat fruits and veggies and even cook foods and pellets. But the seeds and nuts are still part of his diet at this point.

 

[treckel]

Patience it can take years!