Super Picky Birds

pacoparrot

New member
Jun 7, 2012
195
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Scranton PA
Parrots
Darwin- Male Ekkie
Charlie- Cinnamon GCC
Twiggy- Cockatiel
RIP Paco, Jack, and Echo </3
Bella and Jack are both Green Cheek Conures. They are not young. Bella has a piece of her bottom beak missing. The both of them get a nice mix of 2 or 3 different pellets, fresh foods, and seed. The only thing I've been noticing missing lately is the Safflower seeds and little white seeds.

I want to know what the right course of action would be to get them to eat healthier. My first thought is to remove the safflower seeds from their food so they have to try something else. And then save those for treats. I can't force them to try new food. I offer it to them in their bowl and they ignore it. I offer it directly to them and they act afraid of it and avoid it.

I have tried giving them wet foods, baked foods, among other things. Jack will eat a few bites of an apple or grape when he is in the mood and Bella has eaten grapes in the past but the safflower thing needs to stop. It has to be horrible for them to be only eating those two seeds! I give parakeet sized fruity pellets, zupreem nutblend pellets crushed, and organic(rabbit food-like) pellets. The birds have separate food bowls but live in the same cage.

I hope someone can help me figure this out!
 

halogen

New member
May 18, 2013
77
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Wilmette
Parrots
Arya-Cockatiel
Tyrion-Cockatiel
I would suggest eating dinner with your birds, with the foods you want them to eat on your plate. Arya never tries any new food unless I eat it first. Sometimes he has to see it two or three times before he'll even try to act interested. Basically, set the table and the food. While you eat, hum, whistle, say "yummy" over and over if you have to, anything to make them see that you like your food. Arya only tries food if I whistle pop goes the weasel (his favorite song) between bites. Find out what your birds are most interested in working with. Once they're curious about the new food, offer bite sized bits for them to try. Like Arya, they may not eat anything good at the first dinner, but keep at it and don't switch out the foods too much. If you have spinach and carrots the first time and they don't eat those, don't bring in a new food right away at the second diner, just keep the carrots and spinach and try again until they get comfortable seeing the food and curious enough to taste them. Also, prepare them differently. Try raw veggies, steamed veggies, mixed veggie salads, anything to doll up the meal and make it look good.

I wouldn't remove the safflower altogether, as birds don't always see edibles as "edible". If they've never seen carrots, they might decide they aren't food. If you take away the one thing they're eating, they may choose not to eat anything, even if it is edible. I would cut back on the seeds and offer less of those and more of the greens and fruit. If your conures eat some fruits, offer those alongside new foods in a mix of greens. Additionally, preparing the food where your birds can see it may make them more likely to eat it. Anything you do is fun for them, because they see you as a flock member who they enjoy time with, so a new action which ends in food may make them more likely to try that food.
 

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