want to switch 34 year old YN Amazon to pellets need HELP

[mcmalott]

I have a 34+ year old female (DNA tested) YN Amazon who was rehomed to us 2 years ago. She came to us eating a seed diet. My husband and I have won her heart over and now would like to get her on a good diet. So far she will eat most fruits and vegetables but throws pellets....Over the past week, I have totally cut the seed out....I grind up pellets and vegetables in a cuisinart so she has no choice but to eat some pellets when she gets her veggies. Other than that there is a bowl of 2 types of pellets in her cage at all times - the veggie mix is there for 2 hours in the morning.....I have tried mixing the pellets with organic fruit juice, I have tried pretending to eat the pellets, I have tried mixing a tablespoon of seed in with the pellets.....HELP any ideas!!!! My vet says he can keep her for 6 days and get her on pellets but that seems a bit cruel to leave her there when I know it will stress her out but she has to go on pellets - she is very overweight and her liver is fatty........

 

[Merlee]

Birds are so stubborn aren't they. I had a cockatiel that wouldn't convert either. I can't help you with your transition, but was wondering if this condition is reversible?

 

[SandyBee]

Try making birdie bread, many recipes in the recipe section. Mix a small amount of ground pellets in with it and see if she'll eat that.
Avi cakes are also pellets and seeds, see if she will eat that.

Also my amazon wants nothing to do with fruit, but loves chicken. So maybe try some chicken broth(low sodium) to moisten pellets instead of juice.

Good Luck and let us know how it goes

 

[mcmalott]

The chicken broth WORKED he ate 1/8 bowl of pellets soaked in the broth - I will continue with this using less and less each day until I am not using it at all and he is on pellets - I think I will also cut out the fruits and veggies to speed the process up and add them back in when he is totally converted to pellets!!! Thanks for the advice!

 

[lene1949]

If she eats fruit and vegies, I really wouldn't bother about the pellets...

34+ years.... why put her through it????

 

[SandyBee]

Its hard to get all the nutrients from veggies and fruits due to the volume and wide variety they need to consume. That being said I would never subject a bird to a vet stay to switch them to pellets, sounds traumatic.

But fruits and veggies do provide photo nutrients that pellets aren't as good at delivering. Sprouted seeds are also a good choice, I also use red palm oil to help with feather help and hopefully avoiding VIT A deficiency. Our Vet said it was good to use and also an antioxidant.

Variety is key at least for my amazon, he hates the same thing 2 days in a row so I have learned to be creative to get good things into him. It's like tricking a child to eat the good things LOL

 

[oled]

You are really doing the food stuf better than many of us so just go on and make the transfer smoot and easy.

I will not recomend but may way with Ville going from seeds to pellet was only to give him pellet.

Its hard to get all the nutrients from veggies and fruits due to the volume and wide variety they need to consume. That being said I would never subject a bird to a vet stay to switch them to pellets, sounds traumatic.

But fruits and veggies do provide photo nutrients that pellets aren't as good at delivering. Sprouted seeds are also a good choice, I also use red palm oil to help with feather help and hopefully avoiding VIT A deficiency. Our Vet said it was good to use and also an antioxidant.

Variety is key at least for my amazon, he hates the same thing 2 days in a row so I have learned to be creative to get good things into him. It's like tricking a child to eat the good things LOL