How to get my cockatiel to eat fruit

[PoppytheCockatiel]

My bird, Poppy, is a 1-year old cockatiel. She was weaned off of formula kinda late. She started with Zupreem Cockatiel Food, the one with lots of colorful shapes. She only liked the banana shaped one. We then switched her to Lafeber’s parakeet food (because we also have a parakeet, and I figured they’d eat the same thing) which she took immediately. The problem is, she hates mushy things. She doesn’t ever make pellet soup. She eats her pellets dry and then drinks water from the water bottle. She hates bananas, corn, fruit. Anything that’s mushy. She doesn’t even like lettuce. When I gave her the fruit freeze dried, she does eat it, but only if I hand feed it to her. What should we do? I read that we should try and feed her a variety of different foods, but let’s face it, her favorite food is the Lafeber pellets. She loves it more than seeds (which we give her in a 20 to 80 ratio with 80% pellets). She does like nuts, too, but that’s a treat.

 

[Emeral]

My Emerald show most interest in food from our plates. So to introduce anything new, we eat together making noises that it is so good, get her eyes widen in excitement. Then break the food into small bit 0.5cm and feed it to her beak. I also say Yummy Yummy Yummy before and during meal.

To sum up, these are my morning routine.....

1) create feeding party for the flock, birds usually eat what the other birds eat. She learns superfast watching other birds. But watching our family, she eat quite a variety.

2) teach a new command, Yummy, (or anything that means food) so she get stimulated

3) introduce new food, eat it loudly, from your plate, use the same plate every time

4) after she get excited, break a small bite size to feed her

5) I start from what I eat, fresh cucumber, fresh pumpkin seed, roasted pumpkin, ripe mango, boiled bean boiled pasta etc...

after tasting it and seeing it a couple of times, she might eventually recognize it in larger size, and much later on, she might recognizing it when it is in her plate.

Following this routine, we found that Emerald loves passion fruit and boiled jobs's tear. Her eyes lighted up and she remember it after tasting only once. These are her absolute favorites.

Have fun

 

[Laurasea]

I think this species in general is less into fruit.
Since you've done great getting them on pellets, they are getting needed nutrition.

Veggies are better anyway. Bell pepper, broccoli, peas. You can try those Veggies straws, they sell in bags for us humans. Mine like those.

 

[PoppytheCockatiel]

I think this species in general is less into fruit.
Since you've done great getting them on pellets, they are getting needed nutrition.

Veggies are better anyway. Bell pepper, broccoli, peas. You can try those Veggies straws, they sell in bags for us humans. Mine like those.

She hates mushy veggies too. So the parakeet, Jade, loves corn on the cob. Poppy hates it. At least she eats pellets. Jade eats anything but pellets since she’s a seed junkie. So we gave up and give her Lafeber nutriberries.

 

[PoppytheCockatiel]

My Emerald show most interest in food from our plates. So to introduce anything new, we eat together making noises that it is so good, get her eyes widen in excitement. Then break the food into small bit 0.5cm and feed it to her beak. I also say Yummy Yummy Yummy before and during meal.

To sum up, these are my morning routine.....

1) create feeding party for the flock, birds usually eat what the other birds eat. She learns superfast watching other birds. But watching our family, she eat quite a variety.

2) teach a new command, Yummy, (or anything that means food) so she get stimulated

3) introduce new food, eat it loudly, from your plate, use the same plate every time

4) after she get excited, break a small bite size to feed her

5) I start from what I eat, fresh cucumber, fresh pumpkin seed, roasted pumpkin, ripe mango, boiled bean boiled pasta etc...

after tasting it and seeing it a couple of times, she might eventually recognize it in larger size, and much later on, she might recognizing it when it is in her plate.

Following this routine, we found that Emerald loves passion fruit and boiled jobs's tear. Her eyes lighted up and she remember it after tasting only once. These are her absolute favorites.

Have fun

Funny thing about Poppy. She’s not very interested in eating what we’re eating. 😂 Although whenever I hand feed Poppy, Jade the parakeet rushes over looking for the same food.

 

[Skarila]

I think this species in general is less into fruit.
Since you've done great getting them on pellets, they are getting needed nutrition.

Veggies are better anyway. Bell pepper, broccoli, peas. You can try those Veggies straws, they sell in bags for us humans. Mine like those.

I agree on this one, cockatiels aren't much of fruit eating birds.

You can try offering apples or berries, if the bird doesn't want it, oh well. Try offering leafy greens first, our Archie was also incredibly picky on veggies/food in general. He did love spinach and lettuce, broccoli not so much, peas and corn seldom..

 

[Linda lee]

My bird, Poppy, is a 1-year old cockatiel. She was weaned off of formula kinda late. She started with Zupreem Cockatiel Food, the one with lots of colorful shapes. She only liked the banana shaped one. We then switched her to Lafeber’s parakeet food (because we also have a parakeet, and I figured they’d eat the same thing) which she took immediately. The problem is, she hates mushy things. She doesn’t ever make pellet soup. She eats her pellets dry and then drinks water from the water bottle. She hates bananas, corn, fruit. Anything that’s mushy. She doesn’t even like lettuce. When I gave her the fruit freeze dried, she does eat it, but only if I hand feed it to her. What should we do? I read that we should try and feed her a variety of different foods, but let’s face it, her favorite food is the Lafeber pellets. She loves it more than seeds (which we give her in a 20 to 80 ratio with 80% pellets). She does like nuts, too, but that’s a treat.

All my birds love fuji apples. I slice and peel them. They aren't mushy.

 

[Linda lee]

All my birds love fuji apples. I slice and peel them. They aren't mushy.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

My BB isn't a big veggie or fruit eater either but he does like to eat from my plate picking at this and that. I also feed him and Amy stuff from Bird Street Bistro. They make several varieties all natural/organic stuff. BB loves apple and spice and a veggie one. When he munches I can hear him chirp like he is saying MMMMMmm..usually cleans his plate!

Jim