he loves seed and ive been trying to get him onto pellets and other food even some table food but he just sings to it and wont come near it. ive tried putting it in his dish in his cage and he still wont have it. he is quite underweight and i dont know how to get him onto veges/fruit and pellets as ive tried to also mix them in with his seed but he ends up eating around them and then starving himself unless i replace it - which ive been doing anyway for the last 6 months.
how can i get him to start eating off my plate etc?
I would first suggest adding some vitamins to his water but be sure to change it daily. Then when you first go to feed him, try to put something on the end of your finger and then scrape it onto his beak. Just be careful not to put too much. Try different bird healthy foods. My bird is afraid of big foods but small amounts are okay. He is also afraid of big dishes, spoons, etc . so that could be an issue for your guy also.
As for the pellets, you may have to try a few different ways. Put all pellets in his dish and leave it there for a while. Then take the dish away & don't give seeds. Then try again later with the pellets & ; no seeds. Try some of the people food in between if you want or maybe he will be eating some before you try with the pellets only. At the end of the day, give only a small amount of seed if he eats none of the pellets. You want to be sure he is getting some food. Keep trying for a few days but don 't starve him to death.
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Many birds live long with a seed type diet but the pellets are the best. Your vet should be able to tell you what would be best if he can't adjust to the pellets. A big variety of healthy food is always best. Unfortunately seeds are like people junk food. Good luck.
Also, try not to over do it with the vitamins as I understand they can be bad for the beaks.
Because he is used to seeing SMALL pieces of food, ie bird seed!!!! If you give him/her anything else to eat make sure you make the pieces small. Not seed size small but small enough to not look like anything threatening in the cage.
If a food is totally new to a bird, it may not even recognize it as food. Offer new food in a familiar dish with other foods you know your bird already likes, and he or she may try the new food. Even if your bird only gets a taste of the new food by accident they still might decide they like it.
Place a couple of treats such as sunflower seeds, raisins or cheerios in a dish of new food. Your bird will likely get a taste of the new food while extracting the treat (the key here is to only use a couple of the treats and make your bird dig through the new food to get to them).
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Offering new foods first thing in the morning is helpful, since this is when many birds naturally forage for food. Offer new foods alone first thing in the morning, and then give them their usual food a couple of hours later.
Try different forms of new foods - some birds prefer raw vegetables to cooked, while others are the opposite. Some like cooked veggies warm, others prefer them cooled. Some birds might be more willing to taste a puree or even juice made from new vegetables.
A food that is ignored in a food dish might be eaten if offered in a clip on the side of the cage or in a play area. Try weaving greens through the bars of the cage, and using a clip for slices of vegetable or fruits.
Offer a chunk of corn on the cob, which many birds like to gnaw on.
Bright orange or yellow fruits and vegetables often attract attention Try a mix of brightly colored veggies, in bite sized pieces and mixed together (cooked or raw).
Give leafy greens freshly washed and still wet and hung from a clip. The droplets of water may attract your birds attention.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Offer foods after you have a bite - watching you eat the food may be all the temptation your parrot needs. Try making a fuss, acting like this is the best food you have ever had, and maybe even feed some to another family member to help convice your parrot that this is something he/she really wants to eat!
Most birds enjoy eating freshly sprouted seeds, which are an excellent source of nutrition and are often helpful in enticing birds to make the leap from seeds to greens.
Never starve a bird into trying a new food.
