How old for a Galah to be cracking sunflower seed?

Talven · Jul 2, 2020

Opal apparently doesn't know how to crack sunflower seed or safflower for that matter. She was fed budgie seed with grey sunflower seed by the breeder. She was housed with a cockatiel so I am assuming that is the reason for it. I've been letting her have small parrot seed mix while I am changing her over to pellets.

She is eating the millet and wheat but leaving the safflower and sunflower uneaten. I was hoping to maybe use sunflower as a training treat but if she doesn't know how to crack it that's out.

Any suggestions on how to teach her to crack seeds that are a bit more difficult than millet?

SailBoat · Jul 2, 2020

Not a big believer in providing more than minimal amounts of sunflower seed.

The process for teaching a Parrot the trick of opening a seed shell is to open the seed in front of them starting from a fully closed shell and breaking it open and providing the seed and moving with time to providing it with ever more of the shell in place.

FYI: Once a parrot is eating solid food, adding to the complexity of the diet is fully executable, just remember that young Parrots will from time to time revert back to formula.

Talven · Jul 2, 2020

I was a bit surprised that she doesn't seem to be managing seeds larger than millet as she was a parent raised bird. Her hatch date was 19th Dec so I would have expected her to have some idea on how to manage them by now. Maybe all she ever got was budgie mix which is all small seeds? At least she is eating the pellets somewhat.

noodles123 · Jul 2, 2020

hey-- if she is eating the pellets, run with that!!! WAY better than a seed addict! Not saying the extra calories would hurt..but I would SO rather have a pellet eater than a seed eater (as long as she is maintaining appropriate weight for age etc).

Talven · Jul 2, 2020

noodles123 said:
hey-- if she is eating the pellets, run with that!!! WAY better than a seed addict! Not saying the extra calories would hurt..but I would SO rather have a pellet eater than a seed eater (as long as she is maintaining appropriate weight for age etc).

That's very true however it puts me in an awkward position for training treats. I was hoping maybe sunflower or safflower would work as many birds love them. But as Opal seems to have no idea how to crack them I'm left looking for alternatives with no idea where to start. I tried almonds but they were flung away in disgust. Ah well I'll have to try pine nuts, cashews or Cheerios. I'm sure I'll find something that she likes aside from millet.

noodles123 · Jul 2, 2020

As treats: you could try bits of cooked rice (plain, AND RINSED UNTIL WATER IS CLEAR ), baked potato, bread, banana, grapes, mashed potatoes (again...less butter etc than we might use), plain oatmeal w/ fruit mixed in during cooking rolled into TINY bits, pine nuts, bits of hard-boiled egg...oh-- and bits of baked sweet potatoes rolled into tiny balls...oh..and mine LOVES ripe pears...if that helps...and tangerine slices (although I give them in extreme moderation, but in halves or quarters)..you could also try steamed corn (no salt added)

Scott · Jul 2, 2020

Might try shelling the sunflower in front of Opal? Of course the mechanism would be different, but the end result might encourage experimentation.

A rare cockatoo dissing almonds!

How old for a Galah to be cracking sunflower seed?

Talven

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COCKATOO! The Destroyer!

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