Introducing to chop

So I am bringing Snoopy home in just a couple days. He decided on his own he is done being hand-fed and his cage training is going very well. Bonding is going superbly too. He knows me now when I come to visit, and is learning already that the way to my shoulder is a quick poop when he first comes out. He has become incredibly trusting of me letting me completely cover his head for scritches. He’s just such a doll and I love him completely already.

Since his transition from hand feeding box, to pen, to cage training went so quickly he has had very limited exposure to fresh foods. I want to start introducing them on day one. I was reading about chop and think that’s such a great way to kind of bind food together in a way, instead of it being a mush or on the opposite end individual chunks put on a plate.

My plan is to make the chop and mix in the seed mixture with it. Gradually reducing the amount of seed mix that is mixed in. My question is, is it ok to feed chop in the mornings woth no separate seed in the cage, and then discard that in the afternoon and provide just seed? I am afraid if I always keep the seed in the cage the bowl of chop will likely just go ignored. I’m also worried about removing his main source of food to date for a good portion of the day.

Transitioning from seed to chop can be painless to frustrating depending on the individual parrot. Each parrot has his/her preference , like a chunky style chop to a finely chopped one, and every thing in between. I can only relay what our YNA gets. Mornings is pellets and 1/2 walnut, and 1 nutraberry/ Lunch is small amount of fruit of different types ( kiwi, blue or black berrie, strawberries, mango, apple) cut up inot smallpieces, and dinner is chop mixed with 1/2 cube of Avicake. We make a large batch of chop and freeze individual portions. The chop recipe he seems to like best has a LOTof hot peppers ( jalepeno, habenera, ghost ) some regualr red , yellow, and orange peppers, kale, brocolli, carrot greens , dandelion greens, shredded carrot, and what everelse I can find fresh. When thawed it can get kinda wet,but the Avicake dries it out alot. Oh and multigrain, allnatural pasta ( nosalt or vitimins added). But it took quite a few exeriments tofind a chop recipe he likes, and I vary it somewith each big batch. Some nights its a big slice of acorn squash, or pumpkin or green beansor edamame. Hes learned toeat all that. Lots of chop recipes in our nutrition sub forum.Goodluck!

I prefer to isolate food types and do not mix. In the early days, you'll need to be creative with Snoopy and work at his pace. Primary consideration, of course, is to never starve a bird into submission. (not suggesting you would)

My technique is to create 2 identical bowls of chop. Begin eating from yours, make "mmmm" sounds, bob your head to express delight. Birds are flock eaters and you are one of his flock! Hopefully will entice him to examine and eat from his bowl.

Well I am super excited to announce that while we wait for Snoopy to come home, my new little budgie, Fish, is my test-taster for my chop recipes. So far I have only been able to get him to nibble on a kale leaf hanging from his cage. But as I came downstairs to find this little ball of yellow cuteness like this.........nibbling out of the chop bowl!!!!! I sprinkled it with mullet, but that’s ok. Taking this as a huge win.

AWESOME!



Jim