Keeta hates fresh produce!

Hey there guys. I'm a little stuck. I know that birds should always eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily. But there's a problem. My 4 month old Quaker, Keeta, won't go near it. I've tried everything! Grapes, berries, grapefruit, mangoes, tangerines stuff like that. But I chop it up in to tiny little bits and peices and put it in a bowl, mix it all up, and then she won't go near it and it ends up going bad and I throw it all out in 2 hours! The most she's really done was go near it, tap her beak on something, give her head a shake cause its wet, then go sit back on her perch. There was a moment I seen her with a tiny piece of tangerine but that's it.

But here's the catch. She does amazing with dried fruit. She goes insane for dried dates, mango pieces, banana chips and things like that. Do you guys think that dried fruit would be an adequate diet as far as getting her nutrition? I always hear about people's feathered friends going crazy for fresh fruit, but my baby is just like me and wont go near it. Any advice would be great!

I have the same problem, merlin will taste a grape, he likes blueberries & strawberries somewhat, but will not touch lettuce. I let him tear up a carrot & the insides of a green pepper. I got him on strawberries & blueberries by eating them w/him. Hes tasting bananas when I eat them, but they are icky to him. Something about the texture. He loves dried fruit. We're still trying, maybe he will make me eat better!

Persistance is the key! I know it's a waste but if you continue everyday, eventually he/she will try it. It may take a while but it's really worth it. Have you tried frozen veggies? They are little less expensive but still good for them. Good luck!

Quakers can be more particular about food than the fussiest gourmets . I've discovered that persistence pays off. Sometimes you just have to keep offering the same foods, over and over, and eventually, your parrot may discover that he/she likes some of them. It took me 8 months to get Ralph to eat broccoli, and now he's decided that funny green stuff isn't so bad after all. Raw green peas are still his favorite vegetable though.

Try vegetables prepared in different ways-- both raw and cooked, larger chunks, finely chopped, mashed up, and so on. Eating some in front of your parrot, and making a big fuss about it, often works. Parrots almost always want whatever we're eating, especially when we're obviously enjoying it so much.


Above all-- don't give up!