Teach Budgie to use Steel dishes

[Kyoto]

Hey everyone,
I want Tommy to have the best, and I feel that the plastic dishes he came with are not as good as the stainless steel ones with the cage. However, I'm having trouble convincing him of that.

He will drink his water out of one, but with his food he won't touch it! I put millet by it and he stands on the side of the cage to eat the millet until it falls into the dish, but then he won't eat it again.

What else can I do to encourage him to use these dishes? I put a plastic one in too, but again where it is porous I don't want to use them longterm.

Do you think if I found smaller (5oz) SS dishes that might do the trick? I appreciate any advice you can give!

 

[SailBoat]

Hey everyone,
I want Tommy to have the best, and I feel that the plastic dishes he came with are not as good as the stainless steel ones with the cage. However, I'm having trouble convincing him of that.

He will drink his water out of one, but with his food he won't touch it! I put millet by it and he stands on the side of the cage to eat the millet until it falls into the dish, but then he won't eat it again.

What else can I do to encourage him to use these dishes? I put a plastic one in too, but again where it is porous I don't want to use them longterm.

Do you think if I found smaller (5oz) SS dishes that might do the trick? I appreciate any advice you can give!

Welcome to the confusing World of Parrot preferences!

Our DYH Amazon did pick-up the SS bowl and dump into an empty plastic dish, then eat! At three years, he is just now beginning to eat from the SS bowl.

Keep working at it. Time is on your side.

 

[Kyoto]

Any tips on how to work on it? I thought for sure putting treats near it would do the trick

 

[Kentuckienne]

He doesn't like it, I guess. What about putting it in the cage, near the plastic bowl, and let him get used to it? Maybe put a really special treat in it from time to time. Eventually he should accept it, and you could start putting food in both bowls, then remove the plastic one. I agree plastic is bad, it gets scratched and can harbor pseudomonas and the like. Good luck!

 

[Kyoto]

He doesn't like it, I guess. What about putting it in the cage, near the plastic bowl, and let him get used to it? Maybe put a really special treat in it from time to time. Eventually he should accept it, and you could start putting food in both bowls, then remove the plastic one. I agree plastic is bad, it gets scratched and can harbor pseudomonas and the like. Good luck!

great idea! The steele bowls only go in one place, but maybe I can fit a plastic one beside them

 

[GaleriaGila]

How funny! Silly birds! I agree, though... he'll come around, with time and exposure and treats...

 

[Kyoto]

So happy. Woke up to the sound of tapping on the bottom of a Steele dish

 

[wrench13]

LOL, know that sound well!

 

[Kyoto]

LOL, know that sound well!

It was an interesting alarm. haha (Quarantine room is our bedroom).