Does your tiel eat sprouts? Mine REFUSES to eat them anymore...

Tropical

New member
Oct 13, 2015
1,220
1
Palm Beach
Parrots
Two Cockatiels: Rascal (Geraldine) and his baby brother named Coconut!
Rascal used to be called a spout monster because he loved sprouts... but he refuses to eat them anymore at all and Coconut doesn't eat them either!

Tiels are supposed to LOVE sprouts. I don't get it. :(

Desperately trying to get them to eat more greens... they also refuse to eat the honey sticks I bought at the pet shop (I bought a few different ones). Wacko birds.
 

MonicaMc

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2012
7,960
Media
2
43
Parrots
Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
Have you tried giving them sprouts first thing in the morning with no other foods? Maybe chopping up some mixed vegetables (one or two to start - adding more as they progress into eating it again) into the sprout mix and feed?
 

plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
5,330
94
England, UK
Parrots
Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
Perhaps they just got fed up with them, try some other stuff, try adding homemade apple sauce to some other veggies to see if that works.
 
OP
Tropical

Tropical

New member
Oct 13, 2015
1,220
1
Palm Beach
Parrots
Two Cockatiels: Rascal (Geraldine) and his baby brother named Coconut!
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #4
They won't even eat veggies. This is not good... I want them to live a long life. Coconut eats broccoli he likes to nibble on it... and they eat peas and corn if it's warm... but only take one or two bites of kale.

I'm not giving up on the sprouts yet. I'm getting a new mason jar sprouter and will keep offering it... it just doesn't make sense sprouts are supposed to be irresistible to birds :(

I also bought them fresh wheatgrass... but they want nothing to do with it! :mad:
 

eddieparrot5

Member
Aug 23, 2015
144
0
New Mexico
Parrots
Gray female cockatiel
Pikachu male cockatiel
First time that I sprouted chia and first time I offer them to them and they eat some! I'm trying to sprout quinoa, will see if they sprout and if they like it too.
Have you given organic quinoa?
I give them the one that has red and black quinoa.
Also I give them light brown rice mixed with black lentils, pearl couscous (they love it).
 
OP
Tropical

Tropical

New member
Oct 13, 2015
1,220
1
Palm Beach
Parrots
Two Cockatiels: Rascal (Geraldine) and his baby brother named Coconut!
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
First time that I sprouted chia and first time I offer them to them and they eat some! I'm trying to sprout quinoa, will see if they sprout and if they like it too.
Have you given organic quinoa?
I give them the one that has red and black quinoa.
Also I give them light brown rice mixed with black lentils, pearl couscous (they love it).


I don't recall if I've sprouted quinoa before. I've sprouted a mix of mung beans, sun flower seeds, adzuki beans, green lentils and I forget what else was in the mix.

Rascal LOVES rice... also loves potatoes and sweet potatoes. The second it gets cold he won't go near it.

I'm going to buy this from amazon... and then use a mason jar to sprout: https://www.amazon.com/Sprout-Ease-Econo-Sprouter-Toppers-Set-Piece/dp/B005P0SM8W

I've been using this Easy Sprout

...but I don't like it because it's plastic and bacteria seems to grow on the plastic and sometimes the sprouts smell HORRIBLE after just one day of sprouting even when I rinse them as needed and then I have to throw the sprouts out.

Hoping I'll have better luck sprouting in glass mason jar? Gotta start putting few drops of apple cider vinegar to kill off bacteria... is that what you do?
 

SilverSage

New member
Sep 14, 2013
5,937
94
Columbus, GA
Parrots
Eclectus, CAG, BH Pionus, Maximilianรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs Pionus, Quakers, Indian Ringnecks, Green Cheeked Conures, Black Capped Conures, Cockatiels, Lovebirds, Budgies, Canaries, Diamond Doves, Zebra Finches, Society F
It could be that at some point you fed slightly spoiled sprouts that made his tummy upset. Try feeding different sprouts that he hasn't seen before.
 

MonicaMc

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2012
7,960
Media
2
43
Parrots
Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
Have you tried feeding fresh food first thing in the morning for 1-2 hours before adding other foods into the cage?

If you leave food in the cage 24/7, then you may need to take all food out at night when they go to bed, then put fresh food in first thing in the morning. You can sprinkle it with a *little* seed to get them at least curious in it.
 
OP
Tropical

Tropical

New member
Oct 13, 2015
1,220
1
Palm Beach
Parrots
Two Cockatiels: Rascal (Geraldine) and his baby brother named Coconut!
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
Have you tried feeding fresh food first thing in the morning for 1-2 hours before adding other foods into the cage?

If you leave food in the cage 24/7, then you may need to take all food out at night when they go to bed, then put fresh food in first thing in the morning. You can sprinkle it with a *little* seed to get them at least curious in it.


I tried that with Rascal last year... it didn't work.. I don't think he was hungry enough yet :(

I just don't get it.... the sprouts I was giving him were nice and fresh. I will try removing the food again at 7pm or should I remove it sooner? Then I will offer them sprouts first thing in the morning when they are hopefully more hungry and go for the sprouts...
 

MonicaMc

Well-known member
Sep 12, 2012
7,960
Media
2
43
Parrots
Mitred Conure - Charlie 1994;
Cockatiel - Casey 2001;
Wild Caught ARN - Sylphie 2013
Should be fine to remove when they go to bed, then offer fresh in the morning.
 

Most Reactions

Latest posts

Top