Tips on how to get cockatiel to eat veggies?

[TheSillyBirbHouse!1!1]

to cut to the chase, my pet cockatiel is horrified of veggies, or at least will never eat them, just needs few tips on how to get my silly to eat more healthy, temporarily I’m feeding him these dried veggies that come in his seed mix, he eats them fairly well just want to give him a more fresh diet.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Good for you, for working n this critical issue...

My two cents...

They need veggies, legumes, grains... pellets are a good staple. Seeds are only a treat in my house. Here's what I've used for 40 years with the same bird.

HARRISON’S BIRD FOODS – CERTIFIED ORGANIC BIRD FOOD

See what's new at Harrison's Bird Foods: Certified organic, non-GMO diets for birds. Nutritionally complete for all life stages.

www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com

I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. 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, like fruits and vegetables! 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. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.
Another couple of ideas...
My ol' man is an athlete and health nut. He actually EATS all the good stuff, so it's always around. I find that tossing various stuff into the food bowls at random is good... the variations and differences seem to stimulate curiosity and attention.
The other idea... if you can stand it (lol) EAT the stuff in front of the birds, yes. That encourages them. I have also found that if my ol' man eats stuff in front of the bird, the bird WANTS it for himself. Kinda a rivalry thing!
Since you're a new parront, I'll just drop a note about avoiding teflon pans, which can be lethal to birds if overheated.
I'm glad you're here. Lots to learn and share and enjoy!

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Have you tried birdy bread? You can puree the veggies and add it to oatmeal or flour. Most birds go nuts for it .

The other idea if Broccoli. Cut off the florets and rub them between your fingers so they look like seeds. It worked for my guys .

 

[wrench13]

Let him see you eating the same veggies, and make it obvious you are enjoying them. Persistence is key! Took my 'zon almost a year to accept pellets as food.
Note, cockatiels are more grainivores then most parrots, so they can take a higher % of seed in their diet.

 

[PeentPeent]

Mine only eat them if I eat them first and chop them up for em. All my birds if I'm eating something THEN they'll try taking it from me.

Oh nooo don't eat that broccoli! And then they are sold on it

 

[TheSillyBirbHouse!1!1]

Good for you, for working n this critical issue...

My two cents...

They need veggies, legumes, grains... pellets are a good staple. Seeds are only a treat in my house. Here's what I've used for 40 years with the same bird.

HARRISON’S BIRD FOODS – CERTIFIED ORGANIC BIRD FOOD

See what's new at Harrison's Bird Foods: Certified organic, non-GMO diets for birds. Nutritionally complete for all life stages.

www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com

I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. 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, like fruits and vegetables! 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. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.
Another couple of ideas...
My ol' man is an athlete and health nut. He actually EATS all the good stuff, so it's always around. I find that tossing various stuff into the food bowls at random is good... the variations and differences seem to stimulate curiosity and attention.
The other idea... if you can stand it (lol) EAT the stuff in front of the birds, yes. That encourages them. I have also found that if my ol' man eats stuff in front of the bird, the bird WANTS it for himself. Kinda a rivalry thing!
Since you're a new parront, I'll just drop a note about avoiding teflon pans, which can be lethal to birds if overheated.
I'm glad you're here. Lots to learn and share and enjoy!

don‘t worry he’s on pellets, Zupreem and trying to mix that with Harrison’s but thanks for the tips for his picky eating

 

[GivemeSeedsorgivemeFlesh]

Let him see you eating the same veggies, and make it obvious you are enjoying them. Persistence is key! Took my 'zon almost a year to accept pellets as food.
Note, cockatiels are more grainivores then most parrots, so they can take a higher % of seed in their diet.

That's how I got Ollie the budgie to try veggies for the first time. Let him get hungry then ate fresh peas out of his dish in front of him making a big deal out of every bite while ignoring him ..he was like "hey, that's my dish...why are you having all the fun..."