I finally got Chipper to eat an apple!

[ct92404]

Chipper was being a good birdie today! She's very picky about her food, like most budgies I suppose. She usually only wants to eat seeds (although I have gotten her to eat wheat bread and whole grain crackers). I've been trying to get her to eat fruits and vegetables, but she's always been stubborn about it and wasn't interested. Earlier, I bought a small food chopper, hoping that if I was able to chop fruits into tiny parakeet-sized pieces, she might be willing to try it. Well, it finally paid off today! I cut up an apple and then chopped it into tiny pieces and put some on a paper plate. I had her out of her cage for a while and I was holding and petting her. I showed her the plate, and I ate some of the apple pieces in front of her. She always wants to copy whatever I'm doing, so I hoped that might make her want to try some apple pieces. It worked!! She was cautious at first, but then she kept picking some off the plate. She didn't spit it out either, she actually chewed and swallowed it!

She didn't eat a lot of the pieces, but she definitely ate some, and more than I expected. I guess once she saw me eating it, she knew it was food and then after she tried it, she started to like how it tasted. I'm going to try again tomorrow.

Then I'll try with some carrots!

If I can get Chipper to eat better food, I'll be so happy!!

 

[kc_y0]

That is awesome, good girl Chipper!! Its so hard to get budgies to eat good food isn't it!! Both my budgies have actually loved baby spinach! And silverbeet as well, they are pretty leafy! They wouldn't touch it at first but I just kept putting a bit in their cage every day until they eventually started to pick at it!
Mini my budgie girl in heaven, she was obsessed with spinach by the end of it. She'd get excited when she saw the bag and go straight into eating them when I added it to her cage

 

[Folkeye]

Most awesome, congrats to Chipper! I've been tempted to get a food processor for this very reason. Bird food! My parrotlet is a lot less picky in trying foods. The budgie...well if it's not seed or millet, it must be trying to kill her!

Though I got lucky, she does nibble on zuchini, broccoli, cauliflower and might get a bite or two of kale. Better than nothing I guess!

I tried spaghetti squash with her on Monday, cooked it, let it cool, gave her a small scoop. She ran over to the dish then kind of looked at it like 'Uh, what's that?' so I sprinkled it with some millet, no go. Will have to try again.

 

[ct92404]

She ate some more tonight! I chopped up another apple, and this time I didn't even have to convince her to eat it...she did it on her own! I showed her the plate, and she happily perched on it and ate the apple pieces on her own. I'm so relieved and happy! She didn't eat a whole lot, but again she ate some and she seems to be getting used to it. She doesn't drop them, she does actually chew them and swallow them, and picks up more pieces.

Next, I'm going to try with some carrots!

 

[MonicaMc]

Once you get them to try at least one thing, it gets a little easier trying to get them to try new foods!

Good job!