Regarding senegal parrot diet

[krypt]

Hello,

I've recently began to share my room with I suspect an 8 months old senegal parrot. He's been with me for a month now. We've overcome the biting problem, he eats from my hand, he let's me pet his head even though staying alert all the time, however he still growls at me especially in the mornings.

But, all that aside one thing that was the most concerning was he is apparently a sunflower seed addict. I've been provided with a cheap seed mix containing a lot of sunflower seeds. He has been eating it just fine but I read that sunflower seeds are bad. So I replaced his seed mix with Versele Laga African Parrot mix and I have been offering him fresh fruits everday for the last couple of days. However, he only eats one or two kinds of seeds (with one of them being the sunflower seeds) from the seed mix and doesn't seem to care for fruits. He frequently checks his feeder and I believe he is just hungry all the time and it makes me sad.

Should I give up trying and give him his old cheap seed mix? I fear he is going to starve if I continue to push him.

 

[GaleriaGila]

I feed Harrison's Pellets (you can buy them online), supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff. My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day.

 

[krypt]

Thank you! I've considered a pellet diet however it's impossible to find good quality pellets like Harrison's in my country. There is only one company here which produces pellets for parrots and I can't say that I trust them as they are not even professionals. I will definitely try your method though!

 

[BeatriceC]

My senegal is a garbage disposal. There's very little he won't eat! That said, Gail's method is a good one. Also, I've gotten picky eaters accustomed to the taste of new foods by making a puree and coating pasta, so they can't pick it off (if the bird will eat pasta, which most will). Other than that, just keep offering different foods. I've had birds taste a new food after ignoring it every day for months.