Making chop last longer

[Safamirza🤍]

Hello everyone 👋 our male cockatiel, Kiko is now a little over 2 years old and still the pickiest eater on the planet. We got him when he was 2 months old and he has always had a problem with food. He was on a seed diet before we owned him and he unfortunately hasn’t switched to veggies and pellets only. His main diet consists of seeds which I mix with some pellets. He eats millet or chips/popcorn for treats and eats spinach and coriander. he refuses to try any other veggie. Sometimes he will smell or lick a new veggie and then immediately walk away from it. I have tried chop made in food processor, hand cut, veggies given in diff shapes and sizes, and nothing works. He hates coloured veggies like yellow and red (but loves red spicy chips??) and only even TRIES green leafy things but ultimately refuses to eat. Once I took his food away during the time he gets the most hungry and put out only pellets and veggies. He tried to eat it but refused and then stayed hungry. I couldn’t see it for more than 1 hr and gave back his seeds. This also leads to a lot of waste of veggies.

Can someone please tell me how I can make my chop last as long as possible so I don’t have to keep making it and wasting it? Are there any specific veggies that birds best draw to? I’ve heard on this form that hot peppers are great but I don’t know how much heat a TIEL can handle and what kind of peppers exactly are safe for them.

Any help is appreciated 💕 🦢

 

[wrench13]

The answer to the last question is - he can handle any amount of heat, its not a proportional thing, ie bigger parrots can handle hotter peppers. If he will eat only green stuff, try jalapenos, which are mostly green. My basic chop recipe is mostly hot peppers with varying amounts and types pf other veggies mixed in. I make a ton and then bag and freeze it in 3 day supplies. I mix in crushed Nutraberries so he gets some seeds in there and they help take some of the wetness away.

 

[Safamirza🤍]

The answer to the last question is - he can handle any amount of heat, its not a proportional thing, ie bigger parrots can handle hotter peppers. If he will eat only green stuff, try jalapenos, which are mostly green. My basic chop recipe is mostly hot peppers with varying amounts and types pf other veggies mixed in. I make a ton and then bag and freeze it in 3 day supplies. I mix in crushed Nutraberries so he gets some seeds in there and they help take some of the wetness away.

Ok thank u so much I will try the peppers then!

 

[Newbe]

I have the same problem, my 2 GCC and my 2 Jendays won't eat their chop. I add sprouts but most of it is left behind. Can I add unsweetened apple juice to the chop since they love apples.....

 

[wrench13]

Getting a parrot that was raised on pelets or (ugh ) seed is difficult. You just need to be persistent (which can be wasteful) and keep trying different things. Vary the presentation. Vary the contents. Lots of parrots find hot peppers to be tasty and the hotter the better, parrots have few, if any, taste receptors for the chemicals that make the heat, so what is blazing hot to us is merely tangy to them. To save some $$ make a base batch of chop ( i use a food processer), freeze the batch in smaller quantites ( I do 3 days supply in baggies) and thaw as needed. THen you can add stuff to the thawed chop to try and tempt them. Maybe add the seeds they like to it, all mixed up and then slowly reduce the seed content.

Here is my recipe for the last batch I made:

1 lb single ingredient pasta
1 cup steel cut oatmeal
3 cans no-salt corn
1 ea red and orange pepper
1 can lentils, rinsed and drained
1 head cauliflower
2 heads broccoli
2 bundles parsley
2 bags matchstick carrots
1 bunch kale greens
1 bag baby spinach
2 bags Brussel sprouts
14 large jalapeno peppers
5 big handfuls of habanero peppers
12 red hot chilies
1 lb green beans (cut into 1" pcs)
1/2 lb snap peas in pods (cut to 1" pcs)
1 bunch collard green leaves (no stems)