Eddie won't eat pellets

[cosmothebirb]

Hi
I've tried giving him pellets for 2 days now.
This morning he started screaming at 6am and I gave him food, he ignored it and kept screaming. Later my mom told me that he kept going for the fridge door bc that's where his veggies are. So I felt sorry and gave him the veggies and I mixed it with the pellets in the same bowl.

He also seems to be only eating lentils from the chop (or at least he eats that first, and then some veggies) Should I cut out the lentils alltogether from the next batch, make him eat more veggies?

Also do I give in and give him the chop? Or should I leave him with the pellets until he gets hungry enough. Idk at which point it's inhumane to not give them the veggies, and will he starve himself or eventually eat the pellets?

-I

 

[LaManuka]

Hi
I've tried giving him pellets for 2 days now.
This morning he started screaming at 6am and I gave him food, he ignored it and kept screaming. Later my mom told me that he kept going for the fridge door bc that's where his veggies are. So I felt sorry and gave him the veggies and I mixed it with the pellets in the same bowl.

He also seems to be only eating lentils from the chop (or at least he eats that first, and then some veggies) Should I cut out the lentils alltogether from the next batch, make him eat more veggies?

Also do I give in and give him the chop? Or should I leave him with the pellets until he gets hungry enough. Idk at which point it's inhumane to not give them the veggies, and will he starve himself or eventually eat the pellets?

-I

Birds sometimes do starve themselves when transitioning to new foods, so they should be introduced carefully. It once took me about 8 weeks to transition a cockatiel from a purely seed diet onto pellets, having tried every trick in the book and NOTHING worked! Finally what did work was when I thought to grind her pellets into very fine particles with a mortar and pestle and sprinkled that over her seeds, so she couldn't avoid ingesting some and getting accustomed to the taste. And voila!! As I gradually ground the pellets less finely over the course of about a week she started eating them like she had done so her whole life! So you could try the same principle with her chop and/or with her seeds if she still has those. I wish you success!

 

[cosmothebirb]

Birds sometimes do starve themselves when transitioning to new foods, so they should be introduced carefully. It once took me about 8 weeks to transition a cockatiel from a purely seed diet onto pellets, having tried every trick in the book and NOTHING worked! Finally what did work was when I thought to grind her pellets into very fine particles with a mortar and pestle and sprinkled that over her seeds, so she couldn't avoid ingesting some and getting accustomed to the taste. And voila!! As I gradually ground the pellets less finely over the course of about a week she started eating them like she had done so her whole life! So you could try the same principle with her chop and/or with her seeds if she still has those. I wish you success!

Thank u for ur answer!!! Turns out he will eat them, we ground them up a bit and mixed them with water, and I will start putting some dry pellets in that after a few days! The main problem that stays is the screaming xd. I give him food, water, toys, I am with him, but it's still like he's looking for something. Maybe he is just a stubborn loud baby hahah. Anyways he ate about 2 teaspoons of pellets. Should I always have pellets out if he wants to eat? Or is like a couple tsps a day fine?

 

[LaManuka]

Thank u for ur answer!!! Turns out he will eat them, we ground them up a bit and mixed them with water, and I will start putting some dry pellets in that after a few days! The main problem that stays is the screaming xd. I give him food, water, toys, I am with him, but it's still like he's looking for something. Maybe he is just a stubborn loud baby hahah. Anyways he ate about 2 teaspoons of pellets. Should I always have pellets out if he wants to eat? Or is like a couple tsps a day fine?

Oh I'm so pleased to hear he's eating so quick! It took about 8 weeks for my cockatiel to transition, but she was MUCH older at the time and very stubborn, young ones do seem to take them up much more quickly Yes you should always have food available, I always have pellets and some seeds available all day for mine as parrots like to eat often throughout the day. Congratulations, it sounds like your little one is doing well!

 

[GaleriaGila]

Our two cents!

Here's what I use.

HARRISON’S BIRD FOODS – CERTIFIED ORGANIC BIRD FOOD

See what's new at Harrison's Bird Foods: Certified organic, non-GMO diets for birds. Nutritionally complete for all life stages.

www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com

I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. 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, like fruits and vegetables! 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. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.
Almost 40 years of Harrison's!