How do I get my bird to eat fresh veggies?

[joliny718]

Hello everyone,
I tried giving my Booby fresh vegetables and he won't eat them. He will eat the veggies in his food mix (I am feeding him Zupreem food). He will eat fresh fruit but the fresh vegetables he doesn't bother even taking.

Since he flew onto our balcony Im not sure what he was used to eating. Can someone suggest a way to get him started on eating fresh vegetables? Any help would be appreciated Thanks

 

[Piasa]

Offer the same veggies daily if you can, so he can get used to seeing them. If you like those veg, you eat them around him so he knows it's food worthy of eating. (If you don't like them, don't eat them around him -- they can tell! LOL).
You can also offer only vegetables first thing in the morning when he is really hungry, and then offer the food he is used to an hour or so later.

 

[Laurasea]

Getting them use to trying different textures and shapes helps. The more they will try stuff the better they get at trying stuff. So I offer little bits of stuff by hand all the time. A piece if Apple, of popcorn, one piece of cereal ( dangerous if fed a bunch because all the added vitamins, safe as one single treat) if i eat anything that is parrot safe they get a bite, a pice if pasta, scrambled egg, oatmeal, yogurt .... they start learning from you, that lots of things are food, and yes I offer a veggies this way to.

Now for veggies, I find parrot foot holding size chunks works for me. I offer in casserole dishes spread out on top of the cage and let them discover and explore.

You can also lightly cook some vegetables chop up add to fresh warm rice lije a human dish, often will try this warm food. Rice quickly grows nasty even in fridge, do its best to offer fresh made only. Or use warm pasta with warm vegg added.

Peppers, hot chili peppers too have lots if vitamin A and are well liked by our south American parrots.

Sometimes you have to offer veggies over and over before they try them .

 

[clark_conure]

I just tell my birds they can't have them and try (and fail) to keep them away as I eat them. Gotta say, works like a charm.

this to this.

 

[Scott]

Birds are flock-eaters and you can capitalize on that as member of the flock. Prepare 2 identical bowls of fresh veggies/fruits and offer one to Booby. Begin to eat from yours, bobbing your head, making "mmmmm" sounds of delight. Repetition is important, it can take years for a parrot to try a particular item and enjoy. More ideas here: http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

 

[Stitchthestitch]

I do what Scott says, I make up a birdie safe sharing plate. Seeing as albie always want what I'm having.

If he still lacks interest play the "not for you" game, that seems to magically take them from hating sonething to loving it, because your telling them no they cant have it. The way to do it is to stop them from getting what ever your eating several times before "giving up"

 

[T00tsyd]

When I first had Syd he would only eat seeds. It was a nightmare. I tried everything. After several weeks of me despairing of ever getting him to change I put his dish in his cage with little hope and walked away. Instinct told me to watch so I looked through a crack in the door and lo and behold he looked carefully to see if I was gone and tucked in. I was amazed.
I decided that I had pressured him so much and kept watching him while he tossed his veggies out at me that he had waited until I was not looking. From then on I ignored him and he ate everything I offered. The so and so!

 

[roadrunner413]

I just tell my birds they can't have them and try (and fail) to keep them away as I eat them. Gotta say, works like a charm.

this to this.

It's TRUE trough. For our Kiwi, banana in his dish = poison; banana a human is eating = must eat now. What's weird is he doesn't seem to really enjoy bananas like his other favorite foods. Just has an insatiable need to eat whatever we are eating!

 

[fiddlejen]

Hello everyone,
I tried giving my Booby fresh vegetables and he won't eat them. He will eat the veggies in his food mix (I am feeding him Zupreem food). He will eat fresh fruit but the fresh vegetables he doesn't bother even taking.

Since he flew onto our balcony Im not sure what he was used to eating. Can someone suggest a way to get him started on eating fresh vegetables? Any help would be appreciated Thanks

Could just be a random quirk, but, my own Sunny has a marked preference for foods that are Sun-colored like herself (ie, orange). The only fruits she really likes are Oranges, papaya-bits and mango-bits. She does, now, love a variety of vegetables, but her favorite is Orange bell-peppers. I use a peeler to peel the slices, and clip them to her cage. (Oh that's another trick, turn the veggies into chew toys.) So, if you haven't already, and just in case it's a general Sun-Conure trait (rather than just my Own Sunny's preference), you Might try offering her some orange-colored veggies.

But really the best advice has already been given. Let him see you enjoying the veggies, and then allow him to steal them from you or etc.