Hi, I'm Enrique!

[HenryC]

Hello,

My name is Enrique, I live in Mexico. 4 days ago I got a beautiful lovebird which I named Johnny. I am not sure about his/her age or even gender, because the pet shop owner that sold it to me seemed a little clueless, he even had him/her eating only sunflower seeds. He also had a cockatiel with a missing eye, the poor little guy (seriously thinking in going for him as well) who was also on sunflower seeds only. I felt so bad for the all the birdies there, wish I could just buy all of them and give them a better life.

In my mission to give Johnny a long a happy life, I joined this forum to inform myself of all I need to know for my lovie. Right now I'm trying to make it trust me (so much progress!), at the beginning he would just go crazy inside his cage the moment I came close to it. Poor little fella. But now, I can put my hand inside very close to him and he is not that scared anymore! He still doesn't trust me 100%, won't let me touch him, but he does not fly away anymore (unless I come extremely close to him). Today, for the first time, he ate some seeds from the dish that I was holding close to him, so that made me happy. I wish I can continue gaining his trust.

Right now, it seems my biggest challenge is making him accept pellets and fruit/vegetables. He just throws away all his pellets (They are ZuPreem fruity blend). I read that it might be a good idea to powder the pellets and sprinkle them on the seeds to he gets used to the pellet smell/flavor. I just want the best for the little fella.

Thank you for making this amazing place! Here's a pic of my Johnny.

 

[Flboy]

Welcome to the two of you! Such a beautiful baby! You are really making great progress!

 

[wrench13]

Welcome and be welcomed. So, go slowly, can't rush things, he is going to be around a long time. The saying is ' go at the parrots pace, not yours'. What is going to help a lot, figure out what his all time favorite treat is. Once you that, you use it to bribe him in to being comfortable around you and hands. Approach slowly, don't stare at him. Voice should be low and soft. With the treat in the middle of your Palm offer it to him inside the cage, or at the open door. Or from your fingers between the cage bars. Set little goals, be prepared to take 2 steps forward and 1 ba. Sometimes 3 back!

 

[HenryC]

Thank you guys! I hope he feels safe with me eventually! If not, that's alright too, I'm more than happy to just watch the little fella.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Greetings, and welcome! I'm half- Mexican. Salud.
About pellets... good for you for focusing on diet... SO critical.

Harrison's Bird Foods
I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. 30-ish years ago, Harrison's was still a small company. My vet was actually able to talk to Dr. Harrison about my bird's species and status, and they decided on the High Potency. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff. My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day.

Gorgeous bird!

 

[Scott]

Welcome to the forums, Enrique!! Thanks for giving Johnny a great home and feeling compassion for all those you can't adopt.

I am not familiar with Lovebirds so can't give species specific advice, but he is still new to you and will take some time to feel more comfortable. Dietary changes are SO difficult, but you should be able to gradually reduce the seeds in favor of healthier foods. Another technique is to mix some seed with pellets (Zupreem fruit is usually well liked) and gradually change the proportion to mostly pellets, few seeds!

You may find some of these threads helpful:

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

 

[HenryC]

Greetings, and welcome! I'm half- Mexican. Salud.
About pellets... good for you for focusing on diet... SO critical.

Harrison's Bird Foods
I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. 30-ish years ago, Harrison's was still a small company. My vet was actually able to talk to Dr. Harrison about my bird's species and status, and they decided on the High Potency. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff. My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day.

Gorgeous bird!

Thank you for the tips! I am indeed trying that, in the morning I give him some sunflower seeds (the stuff he used to eat at the pet shop), then when he's done with those, I leave the pellets all day there.

Today he accepted coriander almost instantaneously! I placed a leaf in his dish and he went for it straight away, seems he loved it. He paid no attention to carrots though.

I'm going to buy Harrison's to see if I have better luck with those.