Toys!? Vegetables!?

Whitlee · Feb 27, 2015

Hi,

I don't mean to be using up all the new thread space. I adopted a green cheek a month or so ago. He is about one year old. He is pretty much the best little guy in the world. I didn't know it was possible to love a bird so much because I've been a horse, dog, cat person.

I got him switched to pellets from the tasty seed he used to get. He likes fruit. He won't touch a veg.

Also, he doesn't like toys I get him unless they are climbing toys or his grocery store swing. He only seems to really enjoy talking into bells.

strudel · Feb 27, 2015

Whitlee said:
He won't touch a veg.

He might if you try chopping his veg. One of the guides said that they are suspicious of new food, but if you chop it all up into tiny bits, it always looks the same, even if it has different components.

Whitlee · Feb 27, 2015

I've tried chopping it all up. He REALLY likes raspberries but is able to differentiate between raspberry and spinach/cucumber/ kale so much. He just spits it out. He likes when I give him bell pepper or jalapeno left overs because he gets to eat the seeds out. Otherwise, no luck. I'm a crappy vegetarian (bacon is a garnish, right!?) I know I can't miss out on the leafy greens, but maybe it is natural for him to check out???

Taw5106 · Feb 27, 2015

If I'm eating, Buddy will eat it. I was eating an egg roll earlier, the kind that has cucumber, carrot, shrimp, vermicelli, lettuce and cilantro rolled in a wrapper, not cooked. I don't know the proper name but Buddy ate some of the lettuce, cucumber, carrot and vermiceli. We also feed the birds dinner when we eat. If we don't, Buddy lets us know we messed up. Venus is very young and still learning but I started chopping veggies up very fine, then mix them with warm brown rice. She can't pick around all veggies. She will eat with me too, it's a group, social event.

strudel · Feb 27, 2015

Whitlee said:
He REALLY likes raspberries but is able to differentiate between raspberry and spinach/cucumber/ kale so much.

I assume that your bird isn't just one that has a mainly fruit-based diet. If he should be eating the greens as well, perhaps trying a sweet dressing to start might get him to accept them. Try pureeing the raspberries and mixing it all up so that the greens are "raspberry flavoured", then reduce the fruit or offer them fruitless and see whether he goes for them before he realises that they aren't his first preference.

As for his preference in toys, that's fine. What he wants is what he wants and if he's happy, so be it. He might explore other stuff in time, he's only young. Same with his "palate", he might grow to like the "bitter" food as he grows up.

Chunky · Feb 28, 2015

I agree with the chopping stuff up real small. I am using a ceramic shallow dish for their seed mix. The only thing Chunky would eat other than seed is Apple. Last night I cut up a red grape into six tiny pieces. He picked it up by accident. I could tell by his face it was a pleasant discovery. He ate every single piece.Later I put a spoonful of rice in the tray too. Once again, he tried it by accident and also decided he liked that too.

I guess I have found the answer for Chunky. Dupe him into trying things by mixing it with stuff he likes.

Whitlee · Feb 28, 2015

Thanks guys! Took all your advice to heart. I mixed him up a nice little smoothie with raspberry, spinach, and tiny bit of almond milk. I hid some of his favorite seeds in it. I heard him munching away and was so happy! Turns out he had climbed back to eat his boring old pellets... I dunno. He's a spoiled kid. He'll learn to eat his veggies eventually.

strudel · Feb 28, 2015

Take his pellets out....

You can sprinkle a bit on the top of the new food, the idea is that they will go for the food they know they already like and accidentally try the food underneath and get used to it. He doesn't know what the delicious smoothie IS, so he's not going to put it in his mouth.

OneHorseRanch · Mar 1, 2015

Sheldon will try anything that we are eating (as long as it's not poisonous to him). I'll clip lettuce to his bars and put rice and other vegies in his bowl. As far as toys goes, Sheldon loves the ones that are loud.. Bells are fun, toys that chime are even better.

Toys!? Vegetables!?

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