Bribes

[bug_n_flock]

Alex's rage dial has been off the charts lately. Today I had pancakes for dessert and shared. Guess who's suddenly remembered I'm not the devil?

What's yer go to bribes for when you need an easy win with the fids?

 

[rheashard2]

Pecans, sunflower seeds and the king pin scrambled eggs. I'm treated as if it's a privilege for treat to be taken.

 

[AprilRobin]

For all of the birds: millet and crumbled Avi-Cakes or Nutriberries. Sunflower seeds for Sprite (Sun Conure) and Kona and Pepper (Cockatiels). Also, walnuts for Sprite.

 

[TiredOldMan]

Don't shoot me but the current favorite is small pieces of flour tortillas
I know......Bad Dad

 

[DonnaBudgie]

My budgies are just not "bribe-able". They don't care about millet spray the way most budgies do and they get all the good foods they like all day (greens, chop, seeds, sprouts, eggs) so they are never "hungry". They do love people food and beverages but I don't think they would as bribes. Maybe they aren't very smart, but don't tell them I said that!

 

[wrench13]

Salty does not usually require bribes to do stuff, other then trick training. Most times if I ask him to do something, he does it. But his favorite treat, given rarely and in very small pieces is the crust from pizza pie. Nothing will send him running to your side faster then a piece. Frozen or pizza parlor bought makes no difference, he loves it.

 

[rheashard2]

Salty does not usually require bribes to do stuff, other then trick training. Most times if I ask him to do something, he does it. But his favorite treat, given rarely and in very small pieces is the crust from pizza pie. Nothing will send him running to your side faster then a piece. Frozen or pizza parlor bought makes no difference, he loves it.

Pizza is one of my 'closet' foods! I eat it in another area. But I think my CAG reads my mind or has an owner guilt meter. She goes into what I call 'begging mode.' So pizza is very limited in my house.

 

[AprilRobin]

Don't shoot me but the current favorite is small pieces of flour tortillas
I know......Bad Dad

Not horrible, compared to other things I've seen/heard. I watched an owner pour soda into her cupped hand for her Sun Conure to drink. At a place with water fountains and bottled water for sale.

 

[wrench13]

T.O.M. dont feel bad. lot of parronts feed bad for them foods, but occasionally. Even Jim, from AmyMyBlueFront fame used give Amy a whole slice of pizza or a whole fried chicken leg from KFC. Stuff like soda, and even dumber stuff should be avoided, if at all possible; parrot bellies can't digest some of it!

 

[TiredOldMan]

Well I've been trying whatever I can to make a connection with a 42+ year old M2 that was wild caught. He really could care less about human interaction. The little bits of tortilla have produced the best results so far. However he seems to be a very sweet and gentle soul. No blood loss or even bruising on my part yet and very gentle when taking treats.
Puts himself to bed every night and then demands to be locked in and covered.
I think we will be good in time.

 

[bug_n_flock]

Honestly I probably give in to them begging more than most of y'all... Or maybe you guys are just better at keeping secrets than I am I don't feed them junk food every day or anything like that but we've all got an expiry date on us yaknow, and I eat stuff I shouldn't with a big smile on my face and zero regrets in my heart. One day I'll be gone. But today I'm here. That's the way I treat my critters lives/diets also.

And besides, Alex is a 23 year old cockatiel so I couldn't have done him *that* dirty with junk food treats thru the years

That said, his absolutely *favorite* favorite snack is salt and vinegar potato chips that one gets heavily limited in the diet obviously

Freedom I'll absolutely give a whole slice of pizza to every now and again, or a small child size portion of spaghetti or lasagna. She eats every single SPECK and licks the dish clean. I don't give it to her often, but I wouldn't dream of not giving it to her at all. She also likes cookies

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Thank you for your candor! My tamest, most bonded budgies love potato chips, Popsicles, beer, soda, cheese, bread, meat, and grains of salt. I don't GIVE them these things (except a taste of a popsicle) but I don't try that hard to stop them when they steal a few bites of our food. My budgies all seem very healthy.
I don't understand why all these things are so bad for our birds, dogs and cats but we spend our entire (much longer) lives eating them daily without any apparent harm. Seagulls and pigeons that live near humans eat a lot of discarded human food and "seem to thrive" on it. It can't be an ideal diet for any living creature but "the authorities" at least in the US, do not seem very concern about the effect on our health.

 

[wrench13]

Well Buggy, ol bean, Jim's Amy is 39 now, I believe, and still kicking (unlike poor Jim). And raised on pizza, chicken legs and I am sure much else not on the 'list'. But Amys other diet parts were top notch.

 

[PeentPeent]

I can bribe Budi with a sock

He loves socks



Cheddar can only be bribed if it seems like something he's not allowed to have

 

[bug_n_flock]

Too funny! Yes that's one of my tricks to get Alex to eat stuff he doesn't want to: put it "just out of reach" and act like it's "NOT" for birdies, that means YOU, *Alex*

Usually works perfectly

Yes when mine aren't eating junk food I do my best to keep them healthy. Pellets for those who'll eat um, veg and fruit and healthier "human" foods. I pick plants from the property for them, share fresh veggies from my (no synthetic chemicals all organic) garden, etc. but they definitely get their favorites, even the reasonably unhealthy ones.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

SO far, the birds are coordinated with almonds and nutriberries. Sometimes, whole wheat bread (depends on what's on hand). Yvons will get excited with his almonds, but will immediately drop it. Vortex is a glutton, and Charlie and Redshift would do backflips for more if they could, LOL!

 

[AprilRobin]

Also, if I give Sprite a pecan instead of a walnut, she will throw it to the floor. I've seen birds casually drop foods that they didn't like, but she actually looks insulted by the pecan.