How to get my young budgie into BATHING and eating FRUITS/VEGGIES.

[Fatima I]

HI,
I have a young budgie. maybe 2 months or so old.
I got him about 2 months ago. He JUST NOW started playing with his toys and he exists his cage and chills sometimes and then goes back in. He is a cool little fellow and i'm so proud and fond of him.

The only thing is that he wont bathe or eat veggies or fruit...
I do make him mashed veggies or fruit sometimes in his seed mix but i feel like he just skips it and only eats the seeds off the surface or around it. lol
And bathing.. he wont go near any water i provide for him. I tried misting him but he DID NOT like it. Probably still a little frightened of us.
But i know it is VERY good for him to bathe and is healthy for him. i heard they also LOVE water. I'm worried for him. Don't all budgies bathe? Is it cuz he is young? Does he just not know he should or how?

Any insight, help, or advise would be much appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Keet_Krazy]

What ways have you offered veggies? Try chopped into tiny pieces, try large chunks, try whole leaves of greens hanging, etc. Sometimes it takes alot of trial and error, just keep being persistent!
And what ways have you tried bathing? Wet leaves are hugely popular at my house.

 

[Fatima I]

What ways have you offered veggies? Try chopped into tiny pieces, try large chunks, try whole leaves of greens hanging, etc. Sometimes it takes alot of trial and error, just keep being persistent!
And what ways have you tried bathing? Wet leaves are hugely popular at my house.

i have done chunks and chops. Nothing. he just eats around them. Now i just blend or mash veggies or fruits and mix or sprinkle his seed mix on top or in it. I'm not sure how much he is eating but his little face gets all full of the fruit/veggie mush; it's so cute. i tried hanging cilantro and he nibbled once and left it. Never to be touched again. But i'll keep trying.

 

[Myakell]

Definitely keep trying. They're like toddlers. If you know your bird prefers leaves (like cilantro), keep trying that first. You could even bury a little seed under cilantro in a tray: even if he doesn't eat the veggies, it's still a fun foraging exercise.

Personally, with my rescue I've been only giving him 3/4 tsp seed twice a day, and leaving veggies in the cage during the day if he gets hungry. He's started nibbling, so we're getting somewhere! (1.5 tsp per day is for a big English budgie; my vet says budgies need anywhere between 1-2 tsp depending on size)

Also depends on the bird: my mum's budgies love fruit and anything sweet; my boy Charlie only likes things with crunch. Doesn't care about taste.
Persistence is key. Could take months. They're curious animals, they'll try it eventually. But it's gonna be frustrating in the meantime. The mash is a great idea; he'll be getting something at least.

 

[Birdfriendly]

HI,
I have a young budgie. maybe 2 months or so old.
I got him about 2 months ago. He JUST NOW started playing with his toys and he exists his cage and chills sometimes and then goes back in. He is a cool little fellow and i'm so proud and fond of him.

The only thing is that he wont bathe or eat veggies or fruit...
I do make him mashed veggies or fruit sometimes in his seed mix but i feel like he just skips it and only eats the seeds off the surface or around it. lol
And bathing.. he wont go near any water i provide for him. I tried misting him but he DID NOT like it. Probably still a little frightened of us.
But i know it is VERY good for him to bathe and is healthy for him. i heard they also LOVE water. I'm worried for him. Don't all budgies bathe? Is it cuz he is young? Does he just not know he should or how?

Any insight, help, or advise would be much appreciated.

Thank you

I was given a one year old 'seed-only' budgie 2 months ago. Byrdie accepted boiled egg a month ago but wouldn't try anything else. I continue to offer foods, but they are ignored.

Today I sat outside his cage with his door open. I ate raspberries in front of him, then I would offer him a bite. He ignored my efforts so I gave his part to my dog. After the dog got 3 berries, Byrdie tasted it and slung his head as if it tasted bad.

But before they were all gone, he tasted again. I put 1/2 of one in his favorite stainless bowl where his egg goes. I pressed a dozen seeds into the raspberry so he'd accidentally get a taste while retrieving the seed. He tasted it 3 or 4 more times. I'm elated!

Now I know to use my dog Mirage to get Byrdie try new foods! Since Byrdie is a solo bird, he frequently visits his little stainless bowl to look at himself. I take advantage of those frequent visits by leaving small pieces of fruits, berries, and veggies in there with his egg. I don't put much in the bowl, just one blueberry or one small tip end of corn on the cob, because I've learned from my dog training, a treat is more valuable when there isn't much and when you hand it to them.

I even put a live potted basil plant in the bird cage hoping it would be nibbled on, but it never was. But I won't quit offering various foods prepared in different sizes.

Byrdie also ate a half dozen sprouted seeds today as well. It was the first time he was offered those because I just now an experimenting on how to sprout them.

I read online to put them in a jar, rinse then continue to rinse and drain twice a day. It smells sour when I rinse, I'm not sure if I'm doing it wrong or if that's normal?

Oh, mine won't bathe either. He hates being misted so I stopped. I continue to have a Tupperware of fresh clean water for him in case one day he decides to hop in.

Pam

 

[DonnaBudgie]

HI,
I have a young budgie. maybe 2 months or so old.
I got him about 2 months ago. He JUST NOW started playing with his toys and he exists his cage and chills sometimes and then goes back in. He is a cool little fellow and i'm so proud and fond of him.

The only thing is that he wont bathe or eat veggies or fruit...
I do make him mashed veggies or fruit sometimes in his seed mix but i feel like he just skips it and only eats the seeds off the surface or around it. lol
And bathing.. he wont go near any water i provide for him. I tried misting him but he DID NOT like it. Probably still a little frightened of us.
But i know it is VERY good for him to bathe and is healthy for him. i heard they also LOVE water. I'm worried for him. Don't all budgies bathe? Is it cuz he is young? Does he just not know he should or how?

Any insight, help, or advise would be much appreciated.

Thank you

I would put a wide shollow dish of water about one inch deep on top of his cage (assuming the top is flat) every day and eventually he will explore it, first by taking a few sips, then by stepping into the water and getting his feet wet, and eventually he will crouch down and flap around. It will take time but give him water every day even if he ignores it.
Bathing is supposed to be fun not forced. Dont spray him if he doesnt like it. Lots of birds like being sprayed, but lots of birds don't. My eight budgies love bathing, some more than others, but none being sprayed.

 

[LeaKP]

So much good advice here. My budgie, many years ago, would bathe when I put lettuce leaves in a dish with a bit of water. She loved it.

 

[Birdfriendly]

I would put a wide shollow dish of water about one inch deep on top of his cage (assuming the top is flat) every day andI would put a wide shollow dish of water about one inch deep on top of his cage (assuming the top is flat) every day and eventually he will explore it, first by taking a few sips, then by stepping into the water and getting his feet wet, and eventually he will crouch down and flap around. It will take time but give him water every day even if he ignores it.
Bathing is supposed to be fun not forced. Dont spray him if he doesnt like it. Lots of birds like being sprayed, but lots of birds don't. My eight budgies love bathing, some more than others, but none being sprayed.

DonnaBudgie: I read what you suggested to someone else:

I would put a wide shollow dish of water about one inch deep on top of his cage (assuming the top is flat) every day and

Yesterday, I moved Birdy's unused bath water from the bottom of the cage to the top like you suggested. I put a large cabbage leaf in it and stuck millet in the center as a lure. Still waiting...I wish I had gotten him as a baby. But he'll get there eventually...hopefully.

 

[Birdfriendly]

I was eating a bowl of cantaloupe cut into small bites. Fortunately, my dog likes anything I eat, so I'd take a bite, then toss her the rest to help get Birdy to be curious. About every 3rd bite, I'd offer Birdy a taste.

On the first try, Birdy ignored it, so I popped it in my mouth. Next try, he ignored it, so I gave it to my dog. After those two 'got away', Birdy tasted the next ones every time! He sort of put his tongue to it but didn't bite it, but I'm counting it a victory!