Teaching to Forage

[RedheadedVixen]

I'm beginning to think that Soleil has no idea how to forage. Honestly, I don't think she knows how to bird. I mean, if her food is in her dish, she eats it. I put some treats in her toys, she ignores it. I saw a post (I forget where) that said put seed/treats in a ziploc bag to teach foraging. Well, Soleil tried pulling a peanut from the bag, than just walked away from it.
What other suggesting do all you lovely people have to help show Soleil how to bird and even play? Thank you in advance.

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[Owlet]

Fine treats she likes more?

 

[chris-md]

The first time I tried foraging I simply covered his bowl with a paper towel before we left for work. Poor guy starved that day

So I devised this attempt to teach foraging 001. This video shows his second attempt at this new way to teach foraging. It did it and he's been a foraging fool ever since.

[ame="https://youtu.be/KztWdrv4KsY"]Parker the eclectus' first foraging success - YouTube[/ame]

This video shows the next step, sealing up one end of the roll. Got this in no time flat

[ame="https://youtu.be/Qs_vpNE3xd0"]Parkers second foraging success - YouTube[/ame]

 

[RedheadedVixen]

Ok so Soleil is just a weirdo. She is scared of paper towel or toilet paper rolls


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[RedheadedVixen]

Fine treats she likes more?

She loves peanuts in the shell and nutriberries, all of which I added to the bag...

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[BeatriceC]

I taught Charlotte to forage by mixing in dry foods she likes in with walnut shells in a bowl, and then increasing the difficulty from there.

 

[fayah]

I started with adding a strip of chewable rainbow streamer thing across the foodbowl, still really easy to access. Then i kept that there and sdded a rolled up ball of paper in the bowl (you can also use medium sized wooden beads) she had to learn to pick those up and throw them out of the bowl which is easy enough.

I also found a really easy foraging option is to get a ball with a lot of holes in it (forgot what brand mine was, i got it at a bird fair) and stick some treat your bird really likes in it. It is fairly visible and easy. You can make it harder by sticking other stuff in the ball
Just keep it simple and easy at first

 

[SilverSage]

I find it easiest to mix food into toys they already play with, or in plain sight where it isn't expected. Don't be discouraged, it can take a long time. It might also help for her to be hungry

A lot of the difficulty probably stems from not having the chance to learn this skill when she should have as a baby. Learning skills "out of order" is hard.


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[RedheadedVixen]

Thank you everyone for your helpful information. Soleil is well fed as she has easy access to all her food. Some in her cage (2 bowls) and a food bowl on top of her cage lol. When I first got her, she was eating a cockateil/peanut diet. Ive changed it to small parrot diet, added fresh fruits, veggies and dried greens. The first time I gave her an apple slice she didn't know what to do. Needless to say apples are her favorite fresh fruit lol. She's come so far since I brought her home. I tear up every time she does something new, it's like watching my child grow up

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[plumsmum2005]

If a parrot is 'well fed' there will not be the incentive to forage, there will be no hunger drive to go look for it. Try feeding their daily ration in this way with you there to help get started. Takes a while to get your head around this but it can add enrichment to your birds life, how many get given a dish of food sitting in a tree?

@RedheadedVixen Please be careful feeding peanuts in their shell to your parrot as they can and do contain mold spores which are life threatening to your parrot.

 

[RedheadedVixen]

@plumsmum2005 Thank you

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[RedheadedVixen]

Now my mind is going 100mph thinking about mold (darn anxiety) All my foods/seeds are stored in airtight plastic containers. Anything not used right away is kept in the freezer. The peanuts I buy are for human consumption.

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[plumsmum2005]

Here is some info which may help. https://companionparrotonline.com/peanuts.html

Sally Blanchard is well respected and loved, she is one of the best, her info is invaluable.