Feeding Picky Tiels

[goudafinch]

So Kelma and Gummigoo are picky eaters. They enjoy seeds, and pellets, but wont eat veggies or fruits.

Correct me if I'm wrong but the following foods I know not to ever give them: Garlic, onion, avocado, anything with salt, anything with sugar/excessive sugar (unless it is fruit it's fine but not all the time), fruit seeds, chocolate, anything with caffeine, and raw potatoes.

I'd like to know what I can feed them specifically. I have tried romaine lettuce, broccoli, carrots, apple bits with the skin on it, and bits of pears.
I heard they can eat cooked potatoes, cooked sweet potatoes, cooked rice even. Any ideas what I should feed them? Not going to force it on them either, it takes patience, that I know. I also know it's easier to eat the food in front of them so they're naturally curious and try eating it with you (my birds always try to steal my food).

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Try sprouts. I sprout my budgie seed mix (red Millett white millet and canary grass seed) and they love it. A lot of birds that winter eat veggies will eat sprouted seed and it's much better for them than dry, "lifeless" seed. Once they get liking sprouts you can mix sprouts with veggie and grain chop and they may start eating both.

 

[goudafinch]

Try sprouts. I sprout my budgie seed mix (red Millett white millet and canary grass seed) and they love it. A lot of birds that winter eat veggies will eat sprouted seed and it's much better for them than dry, "lifeless" seed. Once they get liking sprouts you can mix sprouts with veggie and grain chop and they may start eating both.

This, right?

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Those are good but I feed sprouts before they look like little plants. I soak budgie seed (no pellets) in water for 24 hours and the drain the water out. I put the soaked seed in a fine strainer and rinse it 2x a day to keep it from getting moldy. The seeds germinate (form a small root) in about 3 days. Then I put them in the fridge and feed out a couple tablespoons a day.
I rinse them once a day to make sure they stay sweet and fresh.
Sproutpeople.org sells a plastic two part "sprouter" that makes soaking, rinsing and storing them a breeze.

 

[Zilga39]

Seconding sprouts. Of all our birds, the cockatiels were the worst to get in vegetables, especially Nuggs. Sprouts ended up being the gateway food to get her to eat veggies. (Neither of them eats fruit, so we've given up on that.)