Can't fix a fussy eater!

I am trying to convince my GCC Libby that there are better things out to there to eat other than seeds and nuts. Her friend Toby will happily eat vegetables and pellets, which she just bites the pieces then chucks them off the plate and goes looking for bread or cheese or sweet fruit (apple, banana, jam, sweet potato, corn). I thought that Toby would show her that other foods are good, but she has always been stubborn about it. I have also tried to show her but she just waits until she gets her mix of seeds, pellets and so on, and then she just eats the sunflower seeds and millet-type seeds. I have prepared big salads of various veggies and things just to have her throw it all out of the bowl.

I am not sure what else to do. I have made a big fuss over how good broccoli is and she's just not interested. I know her current diet is not great for her. The breeders gave her a plain seed mix and I have been working at this for almost a year. What's the next step - letting her go hungry with just pellets and veg at her disposal? I need stronger ammo, here!

Try giving her only pellets in the morning, then add fruit for lunch, then about an hour before bed give her the seed mix. make sure you take it out at bedtime. Rinse, repeat daily. She wont go hungry, eventually she will eat the pellet. Have you tried zupreem fruit blend? Its not the best pellet, but its sure better than seeds.

Sulphiria said:

Try giving her only pellets in the morning, then add fruit for lunch, then about an hour before bed give her the seed mix. make sure you take it out at bedtime. Rinse, repeat daily. She wont go hungry, eventually she will eat the pellet. Have you tried zupreem fruit blend? Its not the best pellet, but its sure better than seeds.

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Awesome... I will give it a try!

I have not tried zupreem, no. Have not found it around here so I just get the stuff at the petstore that doesn't look too cheap and seems to have decent ingredients. Not that it has mattered what I get

You can go to roudybush, zupreem and harrisons websites and send them an email asking for samples. They will send you some to try. Roudy actually sent me a small bag of theirs. Where do you live? Most pet stores carry zupreem.

Oh, and make sure there is a water bowl next to the pellets, most birds like to dunk them in the water.

To add to what's already been said, I put my conure's veggies in forage type toys. One is a rubber ball with holes which I put the carrot sticks in. The other is this twig millet spray basket holder, I put the broccoli on there. Most of the time he just shreds them but sometimes he'd eat little bits. Plus he's probably getting some of the juice when he bites on them. Try it! Gives them something to spend their time on too.

BoomBoom said:

To add to what's already been said, I put my conure's veggies in forage type toys. One is a rubber ball with holes which I put the carrot sticks in. The other is this twig millet spray basket holder, I put the broccoli on there. Most of the time he just shreds them but sometimes he'd eat little bits. Plus he's probably getting some of the juice when he bites on them. Try it! Gives them something to spend their time on too.

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I have tried that, even with "real" treats. She can't be bothered to use a forage toy even when there is junk food in it, let alone health food! She might do it for a bite of sliced cheese but that is not the right direction... Ah, my lazy, junk-food bird, takes after her mum

Good idea for the samples!!

dont put so much into the dish i only put a hand full in, if that so the nut has to go looking for her food

as for veg, brocoli was nuts most hated, must throw outta her dish food, till i started using the stalks as a cheap chew toy, as we grow our own, i put nearly the whole plant in, stood up, tied to bars or through a kebab, nut loves the middle of the stalk and some leaf, she can get bored with it, so i do same with carrots etc as said above for most parts nut will shred her veg, but she will eat some as she goes along killing the unwanted health stuff

I have that exact problem! i soaked my birds pellets in 100% pure apple juice! she ate every one X) now for the veggie problem...

Wow... I called around, found some Zupreem and got the stuff a size smaller than recommended (the budgie/parrotlet size). She is eating it! I have been giving her one pellet at a time while she's on my shoulder.

We had a similar issue with Guava. She LOVES bananas, apples, and berries, but when it comes to leafy green vegetables she turns her head. Typical 2 year old, right?!? What's really helped was making a veggie/fruit mush (berries, a bit of orange, and banana along with finely chopped broccoli, and other veggies). Now she loves to nibble on tiny broccoli bits smothered in fruit juice.