How to get stubborn bird weaned off seed and eat healthier?

Ashilde

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Jul 23, 2019
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Hello everyone! Just wanted to quickly thank everyone for their support in motivating me to adopt the white-winged parakeet I saw at a pet store. Once I got his paperwork, I found that the poor baby had almost been there for a whole year in a cramped cage and fed pretty much only seed. He now has a roomy cage with a play pen at the top, spoiled rotten with toys, and free reign, and though he's learned to step up and is already very trusting, I can't for the life of him convince him to eat pellets, fresh fruit/veggies/sprouts or chop.

I've tried burying seed under pellets, grinding pellets and sprinkling over seed, introducing an array of fresh veggies/fruit separately and/or in a chop and even tried to make him watch me eat a little so he knows it's good, but he just upturns his beak like a petulant little brat! I've at times taken away what he is used to and left the veggie/fruit in there for hours early morn when he usually he pigs out, but he won't touch it at all and I eventually cave in around noon and give him what he wants because I don't want to let him starve.

Can you guys share ways you've been able to introduce your baby's to a better diet? It kills me to watch him only dig out sunflower seeds and walnuts all the time -- heck, he barely even touches his millet spray.
 

Laurasea

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Congratulations on your new fid!! Glad the Budgie will have a roomie great life now!!!! I've had my budgie re-home for about a year now. Took several months to eat pellets. I always have a dish filled with healthier seed mix available budgies are a more true seed eater than most. Infact I had given up getting them on pellets. But I let them free fly in the house all day and I have pellets of every type out in dishes on the tops of the cages for the other parrots. Well those budgie now regularly eat pellets every day, and they love leafy greens , and other veggies. You can always have a dish of pellets available. Others may have done great jobs on getting their budgie on pellets and they can chime in.
You can moisten pellets and sprinkle in your veggies chop that you offer. Eventually I think these curious cute birds will start to try and nibble new stuff. At least mine did, but they do learn and copy from my other birds too, that might have been how I got so lucky.;) Keep trying, and don't forget the veggies!!
 
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fiddlejen

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Sunny the Sun Conure (sept '18, gotcha 3/'19). Mr Jefferson Budgie & Mrs Calliope Budgie (albino) (nov'18 & jan'19). Summer 2021 Baby Budgies: Riker (Green); Patchouli, Keye, & Tiny (blue greywings).
Aww, poor BeeBee! I'm so glad you brought him home!

My budgiess Still refuse pellets. It doesn't matter how I try,and they turn up their little beaks. But, they do love produce. I hope that makes up for it. Took took them a few months, actually, before they agreed to try lettuce & broccoli. I hang the lettuce around their cage & put t I ny diced produce on a paper plate on their floor. They allow NOTHING in their food dishes except seed mix, anthing else they just throw out. (Out and everywhere.)

Recently I've had some limied success with breaking apart the NutriBerries for parakeets, into tiny crumbles, and adding to the produce plate. So, this means to they are getting a tiny bit of pellets.

Anyway. Hopefully your beebee is less stubborn than my Budgies, and this is all just to say, be Patient, and Creative! :)
 
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Ashilde

Ashilde

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Jul 23, 2019
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So somebody had an interesting suggestion on the forums that they sometimes love to eat what you are eating, so I demonstrated and guess what, it worked! He's now loves mango, spinach, sprouted quinoa and lentils and only touches seed sparingly now. It's absolutely amazing how perceptive these little guys are!
 

GaleriaGila

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I guess everybody finds their ow path to diet improvements. I'll share my tale.

http://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!

Good for you, for reaching out, and not giving up!
 

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