Avoiding pellets/ potty training advice

[Rubyandme]

I recently got ruby my GCC a few days ago but I'm noticing that she isn't touching her roudybush, but gets super excited and tears up her apples and mango as soon as I place them in the cage. The pet store I got her from was feeding her some colorful pellet/seed type mix. I'm just worried she won't be getting the balanced nutrition she needs. Should I avoid giving her fruit for the next few days or just hope she starts going for the roudybush or do I need to mix the roudybush with what she was previously eating? The first day I brought her home she devoured the roudybush so I'm not so sure why she isn't going for it now. Secondly, I've noticed several people talking about potty training their birds not to go outside the cage. How is this achieved? Ruby likes to go on my husband every time he's holding her, but has avoiding going on me (thankfully) . Any advice or tips on either subject would be great! Thanks!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Hi there and welcome to the forum.

Fresh fruit, produce, veggies are GREAT! I wouldn't hold back on those. Here is a great thread on how to get your bird to eat a healthy diet: http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/23367-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

And while I'm at it, this is a great thread on safe and unsafe foods: http://www.parrotforums.com/general...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html

 

[Rubyandme]

Awesome thank you so much! I've tried some different veggies and she has avoided them all together. Are there certain veggies that your bird favors over others?

 

[JerseyWendy]

I make chop/slop for mine, so yeah, they'll avoid one ingredient or another, but even that changes on a daily basis. They may not like kale today, but will devour it tomorrow.

Here's a super simple recipe (you can literally use ANYTHING fresh and safe):
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-food-recipes-diet/34185-slop-chop-mix-ala-wendy-s-kitchen.html

 

[Julianna]

It might help your conure switch over to the new pellets if you also feed some of the old kind mixed in with the new kind. Then you could slowly make the percentage of the old kind smaller and smaller until she's eating only roudybush.

My caique is potty trained. I trained her to poo when I put her in a certain spot (her open cage door) and then I know she won't poo for at least 5-10 minutes. Then I put her back and have her poo again. I trained this by just setting her on the cage door every time I took her out and waiting for her to poo. Eventually she would every time and then I'd say "good!" and pick her up. It didn't take her long to realize that if she pooped then I would pick her up. If she poos anywhere she's not supposed to, I just pick her up immediately and put her on the cage door, where she's supposed to go. She's not fully trained to go only on the cage door, but she's starting to get it.

Good luck!

 

[Echo]

It is best to stick with the food she is used to at first. Let your bird get used to his new surrounding, his new people and all. It is a big adjustment as it is without also changing the food she eats. You can always work on that later on.

 

[Rubyandme]

Thank you everyone. Is there a set amount of fruits/veggies I should give a day or just refill them as she eats them? I've been giving her two to three 1/2 inch pieces of fruit a day.

 

[kiwiS]

Hi Rubyandme!

I have one of those small cuisinart hand choppers, and i blend all the veggies - kale, carrots, celery, jalapeno (and a little bit of fruit, but just for the taste) till they are teeny tiny pieces. This kinda tricks kiwi into liking her veggies more. Then i mix it in sweet potato/squash/carrot mash with some cooked quinoa, and a crushed raw piece of pasta. I only feed chunks of fruit every other dinner time.

So far this combo has worked great, and kiwi will go nuts for her mash time.

As for potty training, there's a lot of things folks do that works. I would maybe find something that works best for you. I have a tissue box with a wooden perch stuck through it as her potty box. I carry it around everywhere and put her on it every ten minutes. When she goes I say "POOP!" and give her a treat, and lots and lots of praise. She gets so proud, she will go fluffy and bop her head up and down in excitement! 95% of the time she will go in the box. The tissue box is lined with old papers, and changed daily. When the box gets gross I toss it out and make a new one

 

[kiwiS]

Oops as forgot the pellets part...um..I have tried roudybush mixed with harrisons for kiwi and she will defintely eat EVERY last harrisons pellet first before getting to roudybush..maybe it tastes better? I'd follow the folks above advice and mix in some of her old food and then very slowly reduce it till shes eating her new food, to wean her off the old pellets.

 

[kellie]

Hey! I didn't read this whole thread, just the beginning, but I got my sun conure to start eating his roudybush by hand feeding it to him every now and then... Now he's hooked!

Also as far as veggies.... Lukah loves peas and corn and will eat spinach but only if I binder clip one end of it to the side of his cage. He will pick at broccoli if I cut the stem off but I might try mashing it. He also will only eat carrots if they are shredded!