Favorite treats, anyone?

dawnkyung

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Jul 23, 2012
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Banner, Amazon Parrot
I'm hoping some of you may be kind enough to share...

So far, I have yet to find a treat that Banner loves. I have tried nutriberries, almond slivers, walnut pieces, dried fruit, various seeds (sunflower, safflower, millet, etc) and there is nothing that she loves. She'll give most anything a try, but there is nothing that she seemingly would just die for. With my TAG, almond slivers did the trick. I would love to find something that Banner just adores to use as a positive reinforcement for training - but everything I've tried she could just do without. I've been trying to find a treat that she enjoys to give her when she goes back into her cage to keep it a positive experience, but no matter what I give her, she just drops it immediately after taking it.

She does enjoy carrots, but not enough to drop everything and run for a piece of one - she just likes them enough to dig to the bottom of her dinner bowl to pull them out to munch on. She is willing to try almost everything we give her, but I can almost see her wheels turning as she tastes things... "Maybe this will be ok...eh...no. Gross." *drops item*.

So, what things do your 'zon's love? Any ideas?
 

wenz2712

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She is stiil only young yet... I found with Codie she would not take treats until very recently.. She is just 11 Months Old now. The only treat she will take is millet.
 

SweetPeasFriend

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Jun 25, 2012
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Parent's have, I baby sit a blue crown conure.
My husband and I adopted a rescue blue and gold macaw.
I saw an amazon singing to her mashed potatoes on youtube. Maybe that would work.

Mangos?

For our mitred conure it was spaghetti. For our blue crown conure it is anything that he is not supposed to have. He asks if we are going to have bacon for breakfast, but although he can name that food, I can get away with getting him all excited about honey dry roasted peanuts. He has a HUGE sweet "tooth." I have been experimenting with birdie breads that are on the sweet side, but not so fatty as peanuts. If you leave candy bars out, he will get into them. We can't leave candy out at all. He also likes fatty meat. If he gets onto your plate he will steal the pieces of fat that you may have cut off or the skin from chicken, etc. Like I said, anything he shouldn't have. Not sure if he does have a favorite treat, I think he just wants what he isn't allowed to have. Let me know what you come up with.
 
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ConureCrazy

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Jun 13, 2012
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Senegal: Oliver ~~
Yellow-Sided GCC's: Bella and Zora ~~
R.I.P Tweeters the Cockatiel<3
Well, Oliver LOVES papaya (dried, fresh, etc) He would give it kisses and snuggle it, lol. THEN, he would eat it, after like 30 minutes. LOL. My girlies would go to the ends of the earth for apples! They see me eating an apple and they come right over. Try those two treats for Banner, maybe she'll like them. =)
 

SpringCottageParrot

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Jun 6, 2012
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The Weald of Kent
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Casper a blue fronted Amazon
Casper loves Banana, millet, wrecking cuttlefish, banana, chewing the cushions on the chair (strictly forbidden but won't take no for an answer), pear, oh and did I mention banana. :rolleyes:
 
OP
D

dawnkyung

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Jul 23, 2012
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Banner, Amazon Parrot
  • Thread Starter
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Thank you all for the ideas! I tried banana when she first came home, apples too - but I think I'll try banana again. Haven't tried mango or papaya yet, either - or banana chips & grapes! I have tried pine nuts, she did eat one and I was super encouraged, until she dropped the next one on the floor, haha.

I'll post when I find something that she really does like!
 

incognito

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Jul 3, 2012
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4 Pairs of CAG, Blue Fronted Amazon breeder, Vosmaeri Eclectus pair breeder, 20 Cockatiels & chicks, 3 breeder pair of INR, 2 Breeder Pair of Lorries, 2 Monk Parrot Pairs, 2 Rump Pairs, 50 love birds
i am still looking for treat thing for CAG

so far i have found she only likes sun flower seeds (i am discouraging her for them). for sun flower seed she is willing to come out of cage but i wonder how em gonna make her go back
 

henpecked

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Dec 12, 2010
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Jake YNA 1970,Kia Panama amazon1975, both i removed from nest and left siblings, Forever Home to,Stacie (YN hen),Mickie (RLA male),Blinkie (YNA hen),Kong (Panama hen),Rescue Zons;Nitro,Echo,Rocky,Rub
Well,the ultimate treat at my house is toast. Birds that want nothing to do with me, are my "buddy" if i have toast. They used to get it with butter back in the old days but all of us eat it plain now, LOL
 

WharfRat

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Central Tx
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2 Bolivian Green Wings-ReaRea & Miri,
2 Yellow Naped 'Zons- Shiloh & Halo,
Hahn's Macaw-Kalani
Pizza!! LOL (my birds go nuts over pizza)

actually, they all LOVE home made bird muffins with fruit and nuts in them
 

Cowtown

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Abby 2 year old Female Eclectus & Solomon 12 year old Male CAG & Dickens 4 year old CAG.
Pizza!! LOL (my birds go nuts over pizza)

actually, they all LOVE home made bird muffins with fruit and nuts in them

Amen on the pizza, Abby will try to pull the plate down to her level, the other day she jumped right in the middle of the plate and started eating....

I also give mine cooked, no seasoning grilled or baked chicken, tuna, a limited amount of unsalted sunflower seeds and raw unsalted peanuts. The sunflower and peanuts are the hardest to find, I get them from Whole Foods Market....
 

WharfRat

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2 Bolivian Green Wings-ReaRea & Miri,
2 Yellow Naped 'Zons- Shiloh & Halo,
Hahn's Macaw-Kalani
hint..... they LOVE steamed crab too :D
 

incognito

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4 Pairs of CAG, Blue Fronted Amazon breeder, Vosmaeri Eclectus pair breeder, 20 Cockatiels & chicks, 3 breeder pair of INR, 2 Breeder Pair of Lorries, 2 Monk Parrot Pairs, 2 Rump Pairs, 50 love birds
going to order pizza at lunch ... its being long since i had pizza myself

a treat for both of us (momo and me are so going to love it)
 

cnyguy

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Apr 23, 2010
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Syracuse, NY
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Quaker parrot, Ralph
Try some plain air-popped popcorn (no oil, salt or butter); lots of parrots (including Ralph) really like that. For a very special treat, you can occasionally offer a tiny piece of cheddar cheese. Fresh green peas aren't really a treat, but it's Ralph's absolute favorite vegetable, and George the YCA loved them too. :)
 

Mudkips

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May 6, 2012
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Birdy the Green Cheek Conure
Birdy is also a fussy eater, but he will do just about anything for a sip of juice. It makes him very easy to train.

I know its not very healthy for him, but we're talking treats here! :)
 

melissasparrots

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Greater Sulfur Crest Ariel
Goffin's Cassie
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Diva, Gremlin, Sprout, Ellie and Oscar Yellow Naped Amazons
Daffy, Mama and Papa Quakers
Linnie the lineolated
+5 parrotlets
Mine like cheese and crusty bread. I don't let them have enough cheese to really make a difference, but all of my big birds will bend over backwards for it. They look positively hurt if I take some out of the fridge without sharing.

Plus, your bird is still young and learning to trust you. Baby amazons can sometimes have a take it or leave it attitude toward food. Especially in newish situations where there are more important things to think about and look at. After they get older it becomes all about the food.
 

henpecked

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Jake YNA 1970,Kia Panama amazon1975, both i removed from nest and left siblings, Forever Home to,Stacie (YN hen),Mickie (RLA male),Blinkie (YNA hen),Kong (Panama hen),Rescue Zons;Nitro,Echo,Rocky,Rub

angiemw

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Mar 19, 2012
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Pennsylvania
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Eva, a Green Cheek Conure Hatched March 4th, 2012.
Of all the things I've tried on Eva. Her favorites are peanut butter and cooked spaghetti. She don't want the sauces n such and she wont eat fruits or vegies. I've tried them all. She want's her pellets and seeds. :)
 

angiemw

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Pennsylvania
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Eva, a Green Cheek Conure Hatched March 4th, 2012.
Oh, I forgot to mention Eva come's down off her cage and over to my cup on the table and starts to drink my pop. I caught her dunking. So she's a pepsi gal. lol
 

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