Junk Food Parrot?

[faeryphoebe1]

Sunny refuses to eat his Totally Organic pellets or Roudybush (thankfully, Trixie loves healthy foods). In fact, he will only eat the Zupreem Fruit Blend colored pellets.

One day, a few weeks ago, in a rush to get to work, I placed the organic pellets mixed with Roudybush in his bowl. I wanted him to eat some of these first, along with his daily veggies and fruit. My intention was to throw in a bit of Zupreem's before I walked out the door. Needless to say, I forgot.

Well, when I got home from work, he was fluffed up and doing a kind of sway dance on his perch. I took him out and held him. My daughter took one look at my worried expression and kept saying, "He's fine mom. He looks so cute fluffed up," but my gut said "no".

I looked in the cage and saw that he'd eaten ALL his veggies (he usually eats mainly the fruit) but had left all the pellets. Quickly we gave him the Zupreem. He ate for what seemed like an hour. Gradually, the fluffed up feathers went back down to normal and he stood steady on my hand while I cuddled him.

I felt so awful. My poor bird seemed to have low blood sugar from his refusal to eat the other pellets. Since then, I've been giving him his Zupreem's, although I do mix in some of the organic and Roudybush (which he leaves).

Do you think that the Zupreem pellets are like junk food for him? I've been trying to get him on the organic and/or Roudybush pellets for a couple of months now.
Should I keep doing his feedings this way in the hopes that every now and then he'll accidentally eat one of the other pellets?

 

[JerseyWendy]

Nah, I don't think the Zupreem Fruit Blend are like junk food for him. Hey, at least he IS eating pellets! Some folks can never get their fids to eat them. Is there a certain color of the pellets that he prefers, or does he eat them all?

What happens if you mix some of the other pellets under the Zupreem? Will he only pick out the Zupreem?

If you have a scale, I'd weigh him regularly, to make sure he isn't losing weight while you try and convert him.

FWIW, all my fids eat the Zupreem Natural, and they all like it just fine. I do mix TOPS and sometimes some Harrison underneath, but they definitely prefer the Zupreem.

 

[faeryphoebe1]

Thank you, Wendy. He leaves the green pellets. They must remind him of the vegetables he's reluctant to eat, lol. He picks out the Zupreem pellets and leaves the rest. I throw the leftovers to the outdoor birds. Strangely enough, the sparrows, crows and doves outside prefer Zupreem's too.

I got lucky with my little green brat. She loves TOPS and Roudybush and eats her veggies (wish she could train my kids to eat healthier). The scale is a great idea.