My budgies are vegetable addicts...

[zERo]

I have four budgies, two males and two females, they don't have pair bonds or anything, but they do all live in the same cage that's 32in x 35in x 21in. Their out for 4 to 5 hrs. a day but I've been noticed something weird when I feed them, especially dinner. Before I give them their heaping tbsp. of chop, I give them their TOPs pellets, it's about four pellets each, like the all size hookbill ones broken in half, 1/4 of a tsp. of seed (it's dr. harveys) and a tiny pinch of sprouted quinoa, they each have their own bowl. When I fed them their dinner today they all threw their bowls onto the cage floor (normally they eat their other food first, then I give them their chop) and were chirping loudly until I gave them their chop, like I didn't just give them their other food first. Is this normal? How can budgies not want seeds?

 

[Laurasea]

my budgies love veggies, and also come running to eat them. Makes me happy, especially messy veggies beaks!

 

[zERo]

my budgies love veggies, and also come running to eat them. Makes me happy, especially messy veggies beaks!

Lol, yeah I was just wondering if other peoples budgies do that too

 

[Tiki Bird]

Sigh... what's your secret? My budges came to live with me about a month and a half ago and they both patently ignore anything green i put in the cage.

 

[Laurasea]

try hanging it, or on shallow plates outside of cage

 

[zERo]

The thing that worked for me (it sounds dumb) but my budgies wouldn't eat veggies in the beginning either but once they started 'invading' the cockatiels cages they thought they were 'stealing' so that's why they started eating veggies

 

[Tiki Bird]

The thing that worked for me (it sounds dumb) but my budgies wouldn't eat veggies in the beginning either but once they started 'invading' the cockatiels cages they thought they were 'stealing' so that's why they started eating veggies

That's hilarious.

 

[fiddlejen]

When I very originally got my first two budgies, they would only eat seeds. I was told to clip lettuce inside their cage & I did so. A new leaf or two of lettuce daily. Keep putting it in the same spot regardless whether they eat it, because they are budgies, and budgies are nervous about anything New.

But just clipping-in the veggies, did not really get them started. So I would take a paper plate, and I would dice up veggies VEry Very fine -- so they were the same size as seeds. I would leave the paper plate in their cage for them to explore. (Along with some small millet-bits on the plate too, for enticement.) At first I mixed the veggies together but then I would put them in different spots so I could see which veggies they were eating. Diced lettuce, diced green beans, diced radishes, etc. Broccoli tops were most popular because they look like seeds already.

After a while they took to the veggies. There came a point when they would start swarming the in-cage lettuce. Little Lettuce Piranhas!! (They still do this!) Then I would also clip broccoli tops inside the cage. They would stand on them & try to fight the other off. (Still only 2 budgies at that time.) Each would stand upon & Defend One Broccoli, whilst trying to Eat from the Other Broccoli. King-Of-The-Hill? No! King-Of-The-Broccoli-Top!!

 

[CosiGirl]

Have you ever used frozen broccoli once it’s been thawed?

 

[Laurasea]

I have ! Penny likes it . The others not so much

 

[PyroParrot]

these stories are just great!
i got Sunny eating veggies by giving her a ‘place’ at the table. She would get her food on her little plate, have a little dish of wafter, and she would be on the dining table in between hubby and I. We would make yummy sounds with head bobbing- I’m quite certain if anyone had seen us they would be convinced we had lost our minds. But she seemed to like feeling like part of the flock, the flock was eating and enjoying, so she may as well too. Now she goes nuts when I get out her chop and veggie dishes! Oh, yes, and we can’t forget to mention how she has also decided that everything on our plates is up for exploration and pilfering as well.

 

[YYHa]

I have four budgies, two males and two females, they don't have pair bonds or anything, but they do all live in the same cage that's 32in x 35in x 21in. Their out for 4 to 5 hrs. a day but I've been noticed something weird when I feed them, especially dinner. Before I give them their heaping tbsp. of chop, I give them their TOPs pellets, it's about four pellets each, like the all size hookbill ones broken in half, 1/4 of a tsp. of seed (it's dr. harveys) and a tiny pinch of sprouted quinoa, they each have their own bowl. When I fed them their dinner today they all threw their bowls onto the cage floor (normally they eat their other food first, then I give them their chop) and were chirping loudly until I gave them their chop, like I didn't just give them their other food first. Is this normal? How can budgies not want seeds?

Lol, your budgies are so cute! I also have a budgie and she can’t start her day without her chop and bird bread. She gets grouchy if I’m slow on getting out all the bird food in the morning She has pellets available 24/7, but prefers fresh food the most. She still loves seeds, but I only use it as treats for tricks. When I bring out the food she does baby chirps for food

 

[YYHa]

Have you ever used frozen broccoli once it’s been thawed?

I have, my birds like to eat it. I give mine cubes of prepared frozen chop on a plate and let it thaw a bit.