Why won't Coco eat his fruit????

[dulphinz]

Ok..so here is how my baby boy's daily meals go...

Morning: Fresh water, fresh fruit, fruit and veggie on a skewer and 10 Harrison's high potency pellets.

Evening: Fresh bowl of 1/8 c. of volkman mix, fresh veggies, rice or pasta with applesauce and fresh water

He doesn't touch his fruit (except the skewer he nibbles at...) Why is this happening??? Aren't Eclectus' all about fruit??? I've tried a variety: strawberries, blueberries, apple, pear, papaya, mango, yellow mango, banana, kiwi, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe.....

I'm not sure what to do to get him to chow down on the fruits like he does his dinner feast!!!!

All his food is in stainless dishes except for the fruit that is in an added plastic dish.

All opinions appreciated

 

[Chikoo]

Maybe don't feed him pellets, just give him fruit, and see what happens. Give it a few days like that. He could be filling up on pellets. I don't give my birds any seeds until evening, because they will eat all the seeds, and then sometimes their fruit remains untouched.

 

[moni.k]

It depends, I know that Nalani gets picky with her fruit. I offer her blackberries, blueberries, raspberry or strawberry one or another each time. Sometimes she goes crazy over strawberries, other times she won't touch them at all. For example, she won't eat banana from her bowl, but when offered by hand she goes crazy for it. It's really peculiar.... and can be frustrating at times. But I think of it like people. Some days you crave for a certain type of food, while other days you don't. Just keep offering a variety. I know some big hits with ekkies are apples, persimmon, banana, guava, fresh coconut, lychee, pomegranate and mango. Shoot for fruits that are pretty sweet year around and doesn't have a sour taste to them. It will help with getting their "palette" used to fruits. Like chikoo suggested, offer the pellets only in the evening with the seed diet. The only access to pellets that Nalani has during the day is her foraging toys. But Nalani almost never touches her pellets and prefers to just pick them out for fun without actually eating them. Either way as long as they're eating some fruits that's great, but the veggies are what really packs the nutrients. I feel happy when Nalani eats a broccoli or some kale over tearing through a whole apple. Just because I know how much she loves fruits, that when she actually eats veggies it's a very satisfying feeling. I find much more trouble getting her to eat her veggies. Sounds like I'm raising a child... literally! EAT YOUR VEGGIES!!! hehehe.

 

[dulphinz]

Sounds good! I'll keep trying. He is eating his veggies and I do add kale or baby spinach a few times a week. I guess they are like us. I just don't want him to not get enough. I do give him the volkman mix every night (1/8 c.) is that ok? Or would I be better to change it up with other recipes? I've tried giving him a mix I found (corn flour, water cooked) mixed with applesauce and cranberries and a few other things but he didn't touch it. If anyone has recipes that are winners, please share I'd love to try different healthy things for him.

 

[sodakat]

Is he maintaining his weight? If you don't have a scale you may want to buy one. A simple kitchen scale that weighs in grams is fine, or you can buy a scale that includes a "T" perch for the bird to stand on while you weigh him.

When you talk about the Volkman mix, do you mean the Featherglow Soak and Simmer or Avian Science Super Eclectus Seed Mix?

When I feed Featherglow Soak and Simmer I cook it then mix it with frozen vegetables and freeze in small packages. I thaw those packages and add minced fruits and fresh vegetables and greens. This is what I feed in the morning.

With youngsters I do like to provide a few pellets so they have something to eat throughout the day. But I do not put the pellets in the cage until they have started on the fresh food dish. If you need to leave the bird alone for the day I would offer the pellets right before you leave the house, after he's had time to work on the fresh food dish.

Even so, that is not much food to make it 8 or 9 hours -- pellets I mean. So be sure there is plenty of food in the fresh food dish when you leave the house too.

If you are only feeding the Super Science Eclectus Seed Mix you do need to add a balanced protein source to his diet.

 

[coltfire]

Ok..so here is how my baby boy's daily meals go...

Morning: Fresh water, fresh fruit, fruit and veggie on a skewer and 10 Harrison's high potency pellets.

Evening: Fresh bowl of 1/8 c. of volkman mix, fresh veggies, rice or pasta with applesauce and fresh water

He doesn't touch his fruit (except the skewer he nibbles at...) Why is this happening??? Aren't Eclectus' all about fruit??? I've tried a variety: strawberries, blueberries, apple, pear, papaya, mango, yellow mango, banana, kiwi, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe.....

I'm not sure what to do to get him to chow down on the fruits like he does his dinner feast!!!!

All his food is in stainless dishes except for the fruit that is in an added plastic dish.

All opinions appreciated

just a thought have you tried putting the fruit in the stainless bowls to see if its the case.

 

[nicki]

My Eko I guess just isn't ready or doesn't like the warm beans, rice, yam and lentil mix I make him. He loves his fresh veggie skewers though. I really didn't want to start on the pellets, but it looks like I have to. He gets them at night as well with a bit of seed.

The thing I do do with fruits, are tie them to his gym so its sort of like foraging. I do this with cantaloupe and mango. The larger ones where you are able to do this. He usually loves that

 

[natv]

Hmm interesting.. How do you set up the mango exacty?

We have a mango tree which is in season now. He eats a bit of mango but doesn't seem to care for it too much yet.

 

[nicki]

I bought a lot of jute in order for him to get better grip on his perches. This stuff is like $1.50 for over 100 feet. So, I have been using the jute to tie fruits on the side of the bars of his gym. Hmm, I should have a pic somewhere but I cut them longways and pull the jute tight around the middle, so its secure. Cutting thru the fruit with it. So basically the jute cuts thru the middle of the fruit to the skin. I do the same with all fruits that can hold their weight. I also set up skewers of veggies and fruit also on the bars so it has that foraging aspect. I also tie the skewers same way with jute or leather.

I'll have to post a pic tomorrow when he has his breakfast

 

[dulphinz]

Think I may be on to something haha So Coco still won't eat the fruit from his bowl...but will go to town with fruit on his skewer! This morning I had to refill three time Strawberries, apples, kiwi and he ended with a full skewer of green peppers! I guess my little man's a little picky about how he gets his fruit I'm just glad he's actually going for it.

 

[nicki]

imgur: the simple image sharer

Here is what I do for my ekkie, but he is going on 4 months old and he will not eat any of the protein I give him at night (rice, beans, legumes). I give him Volkman Ekkie seed now and Zupreem natural pellets at night and he empties the bowl I want him to enjoy what I cook for him I tried a bunch of different things. Its so frustrating. I guess I will try a chop recipe next

 

[dulphinz]

Love your setup with the fruit and veggies becoming part of the games Neat idea. Coco LOVES the rice/bean/veggie mix. He'll keep eating until it's all gone He wasn't loving his pellets so much but I kept putting them in the cage and now he loves them. I keep having to put more! I guess it's like with kids, you keep putting it on their plate and they will eventually go for it

 

[drlisaort]

Oliver came home at four and a half months with a history of mostly seed and pellet with veggies and fruits as treats at the bird store. I continued to give him seeds and pellets in one dish, slowly diminishing the amount and added in the other dish fruit in the morning and veggies in the afternoon and beans, rice, sweet potato, corn, peas, all mashed and warm in the other dish and it worked. He eats heartily all his meals and to date rarely gets seeds and pellets with the exception of in his forager wheel a few times a week. I must say when he first came home he kept lifting his little feet and tapping and immediately this problem went away after getting him off the seed and pellet.