Food tantrums

Mimsy01

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Jul 7, 2014
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GCC-Foofany
European Starling-Zeki
BCC-Ellie House Sparrow-Napolean Parakeet-Bean
At least I think it is.

We've had Foofanny for a little over 3 years now, she's a little gcc.

She was a pet store girl and was being fed a primarily seed diet. I cannot tell you how difficult it was to get her to try anything. She mostly believed she could just live off sunflower seeds.

We've been through every pellet there is and most ended up going to my pet rats.

We tried those nutri berries and for some reason those were game changing. Since then she is willing to try almost everything-fruits, veggies, grains the works. (doesn't necessarily love all things, but will try all things and likes a nice variety) Her favorite standard food right now is Roudybush. When Im' cooking dinner she does her clicky sound, which I interpret as "hey you bring that too me, NOW.

Every once in a while however I'll give her a helping of her food and she does this crazy angry hissy fit sounds and bangs her beak in the food and flings food all over the place. Then she will just settle down and eat it like nothing just happened.

What the heck is that?

She also powders a lot of her food. I'm guessing about 1/2 of all the pellets get tossed because she just turned it into powder. Once it's powdered she bangs her beak against the side, I'm guessing she is letting me know that it's my job to get rid of this junk.

Maybe she is bit perturbed with me. I don't allow any sunflower seeds near her, because I fear going through that "I only eat sunflower seeds" phase, that took me a half a year to get her off of.

She's really lucky she's so darn cute. Does anyone else have conures who throw tantrums over food?

Mimsy
 

itchyfeet

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Nov 1, 2014
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Middle Earth
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Ethyl the cockatiel, Henry & Clarke the IRN's, and Skittles the lovebird (my daughters)
I don't have a bird who throws food tantrums, but MIL's 'too certainly does, just as you described!:D
 
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Kyoto

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Mar 18, 2015
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Halifax, NS, Canada
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Kyoto (AKA Kyo)-Green Cheek Conure
Charlie - Canary
Tommy - Budgie
Sunny - budgie
I am getting the most adorable mental image from your description XD Kyo doesn't have tantrums (yet...) but she powders a lot of her food too! Also loves roudybush (and zupreem fruit for a special treat), and will play with veggies and fruit but mostly sucks the juices out and leaves the rest on the floor for me to clean up.

I hope someday you can post a video of this :p it just sounds so funny!
 

OOwl

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Oct 12, 2010
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Texas
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Rosebreasted Cockatoo, Congo Grey, MRH Amazon, Lovebird
Oh, yeah, I know that 'tude about food! My Rosebreasted cockatoo, which is normally the most easy going guy in my flock and could be labeled on any other given day and time as a "non-aggressive," actually gets MAD if you put something in his bowl and he was expecting something else. I cook healthily and try to share a bit of our dinner in their soft-food bowl each evening when I serve the family dinner. If it happens to be something the parrots can't have, I substitute with something else for them, still good but not what we're having. But my RB2 KNOWS he's getting the sub dinner and actually displays his displeasure by growling and lunging at my hand as I deliver dinner. I try not to laugh but it's just so funny to watch him be so clear about his food preferences. I guess I'll take it as a compliment that he prefers my cooking to his bagged pellets. ;-)
 
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Mimsy01

Mimsy01

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GCC-Foofany
European Starling-Zeki
BCC-Ellie House Sparrow-Napolean Parakeet-Bean
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Oh, yeah, I know that 'tude about food! My Rosebreasted cockatoo, which is normally the most easy going guy in my flock and could be labeled on any other given day and time as a "non-aggressive," actually gets MAD if you put something in his bowl and he was expecting something else. I cook healthily and try to share a bit of our dinner in their soft-food bowl each evening when I serve the family dinner. If it happens to be something the parrots can't have, I substitute with something else for them, still good but not what we're having. But my RB2 KNOWS he's getting the sub dinner and actually displays his displeasure by growling and lunging at my hand as I deliver dinner. I try not to laugh but it's just so funny to watch him be so clear about his food preferences. I guess I'll take it as a compliment that he prefers my cooking to his bagged pellets. ;-)


This sounds all too familiar too. We try to eat healthy as well, so usually if we can't sharre it's due to toxic food, such as avocados or onions. Foo, does the click sounds, which is like snapping fingers at me to Hey bring me my dinner now. If she decides to get mad at me, she growls as well, thank you Husband for growling at the bird when it was mad. She will growl and then do a beak butt. She takes her head does a straight forward at our hand, think like she is punching us with her unopen beak. Again she is mimicking my husband who used to growl and ask her if she wanted to box and make the same movement with his fist. So I'm pretty sure when mad at humans she feels it's boxing time. This is what happens when newbs get parrots and don't do proper no biting techniques. :)
 
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Mimsy01

Mimsy01

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European Starling-Zeki
BCC-Ellie House Sparrow-Napolean Parakeet-Bean
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Never heard of goldenfeast. I'll have to look into it. Is it healthy for them? No seeds to get all crazy about?

As I am replying I'm looking over their line. It looks like something I would use in very small amounts as a treat. I would hesitate to leave the conure diet they have in her cage, she'll eat out all the almonds and then whatever else she liked and leave things. I prefer a pellet for free feed, so that she can't be choosey. then she gets lots of fresh stuff-we eat a lot fresh fruits as snacks and then lots of veggies with meals, so whenever I'm getting something I tend to share with her and the pet rats.

As a treat though It might be great. I use the nutri berries, which was her first food away from nuts as a treat now. She will just get one ball and she loves it.

I'm getting into the line though, that small pet one looks interesting to add to my rats mix. :)
 
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Mimsy01

Mimsy01

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GCC-Foofany
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Check out Goldenfeast.. Its human grade and excellent bird food. You can check out their website


Just noticed that they do have pellets. next time I make an order of food I'm going to get that and see if Foo likes it. I also saw a few people here say they use it and say it tasted good even to them!
 

SoCalWendy

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Jun 29, 2013
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Kihei, Hawaii
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Check out Goldenfeast.. Its human grade and excellent bird food. You can check out their website


Just noticed that they do have pellets. next time I make an order of food I'm going to get that and see if Foo likes it. I also saw a few people here say they use it and say it tasted good even to them!

Goldn'obles are great! and your lil guy would probably love the conure blend as well. Most birds love it. :D
 

Kyoto

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Mar 18, 2015
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Halifax, NS, Canada
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Kyoto (AKA Kyo)-Green Cheek Conure
Charlie - Canary
Tommy - Budgie
Sunny - budgie
Check out Goldenfeast.. Its human grade and excellent bird food. You can check out their website


Just noticed that they do have pellets. next time I make an order of food I'm going to get that and see if Foo likes it. I also saw a few people here say they use it and say it tasted good even to them!

Let me know how she likes them! I've been wondering if there was anything better than Harrison's on the market (Kyo will not touch it and here it's way overpriced at the vet office), so I'm sure if your fussy girl likes it Kyo would try it :p
 

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