How To Get Angel To Eat Her Fresh Food??

[AngelAndMe]

I've been feeding my eclectus apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, sweet peppers, and more, but she refuses to eat it. They're not mixed. She goes strait for the sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and the occasional peanuts. How can I get her to eat her fresh foods? Is there a specific food they absolutely love?

 

[labell]

The only choice I give mine throughout most of the day is fresh fruits and veggies, beans, brown rice. Their seed is pulled in the morning when I serve the fresh, they get something else fresh added in the afternoon depending on what I have on hand, it's important to give them a big variety. The Volkman seed for eclectus is not put back into their cages until around 6:30 pm or later and then they go to bed at 9:30 pm so I really don't give them a long time to eat the seed. If it was left with them all the time of course they will fill up on that.
Eclectus have great appetites for their size, just keep it varied and you can try cutting stuff into different sizes. Some things mine like in bigger chucks while other stuff they will only eat if I cut it really small and mix it well with all the other stuff.

 

[witchbaby]

It helps if you eat fresh foods in front of them. Let them "steal" some off your plate. It's always more appealing when it belongs to someone else, ya know.

 

[maillet]

Any Eclectus I have ever seen adores Pomegranate Seeds which fortunately enough do happen to be in season. If mine ever would not eat I would buy some pomagranit juice and lightly sprinkle it over rest of food to give similar flavour and that will help.

Most birds will go right for seeds and nuts instinctively as those have the fat for the times there is not any food. Trick is you give those for snacks or between meals, or rewards for tricks and force them to eat only fresh foods during the actual mealtime.

As suggested above, also eat the food in front of parrot happily. Make a big deal and excited about the food. Birds are only about as intelligent as a young toddler, if they see someone else enjoying something naturally they will want it. Plus that way, you'll end up eating better since our birds often eat better than we people do many a time!

Another common practice is have bird at counter while you are prepairing and cutting up the fresh food. Smaller pieces is always good for a newer bird, so they do not risk as much with trying a piece. Eat it while you are chopping it, eat a couple offer one, bird refuses then eat it like bird is missing out. Best times are shortly after waking up.

 

[Scott]

Segregating fresh foods and veggies from seeds/pellets is crucial, as others have posted.

My female Vosmaeri Eclectus loves endamame pods, peas, lima beans, kidney beans, yams, sweet potato, apple, melon seeds, corn, banana, various melons, pineapple, etc. Twice per week a few pieces of whole grain bread is enjoyed, and once a week a piece of low-fat string cheese. Other foods are offered such as orange, grapes, and carrot that are consistently tossed out of the cup.

 

[AngelAndMe]

Okay thanks, I'll start pulling it out during the day and just leave the fresh food. We'll see how that goes.