I have two parakeets and I try to feed them fruits and vegetables and other things in little dishes and the most they've ever done with it is flip the dish. I want to know how I should introduce them to the foods and get them to enjoy them.
2006-11-04 15:53:12 · 13 answers · asked by blondie9 2 in Pets ➔ Birds
I breed tiels and I start them as babys on cooked rice and beans, they love it. They can skin a bean in 10 seconds and its so good for them. They also like cooked sweet potatos and carrots and those r also very good for any hookbill. My large birds eat nothing but "people" food as you call it, I call it natural food since they would eat it in the wild, just uncooked.
2006-11-04 22:52:41 · answer #1 · answered by cereal_killer034 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes a bird eats people food just without, fat, too much salt and sugar. avocado is poisonous to a bird. no alcohol, caffeine, rhubarb
If you trying to convert them you have to reduce the amount of seed and increase fruits & veg slowly over a 2 week period at least.
If the bird sees you eating it will want to try some. Budgies can eat carrots and the tops, hanging in it the bars will let them get used to it. They will flip dishes if they can because they dont know fruit and veg are food items. Use non tip dishes. Some parrots tip dishes for fun. Or empty all the food out by foraging.
My budgies eat a fine grind parrot cooking mix (corn and various legumes) crushed pellet (I buy in powder form) and a bit of seed mixed together. On top of the mix I put grated/fine chopped friut or veg. I have to put the fruit/veg on top because they so like this so much that if it is mixed in they end up taking the mix out just to find the fruit and veg.
I had to convert them slowly because at first all they wanted was seed. Dont dispair if at first they dont want it.
You can cook for them, place in ice cube moulds and freeze. Cover in plastic to avoid freezer burn. Use 1 cube a day, defrost,
mix in crushed pellet and seed. In the begining mix in more seed and slowly reduce the seed till it is less than 20% by volume. It is possible to buy instant cooking mix that just gets warm water added to it but it does not seem to have the very fresh smell that cooked food does.
2006-11-05 02:47:52 · answer #2 · answered by Angie C 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Keep feeding it to them; in the beginning you're going to waste food but eventually they'll eat it. It took my Green Cheek more than a year to start eating fruits and vegetables because he was fed only a seed diet for the first year of his life.
One thing you might try is withhold their seed in the morning giving them only the fruits and vegetables to begin with. Also, I got my GCC to eat pellets by offering only pellets on his playstand. Eventually, he started eating them and prefers to eat them there and not in his cage. You might try doing something similar with the fruits and vegetables. Also, try cutting them them differently; one time try them almost as puree and another time chopped into manageable pieces. Also, offer them cooked and raw.
I hope this helps. It is important that they get the vitamins from the "table" foods so don't give up.
2006-11-05 11:19:24 · answer #3 · answered by silver2sea 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's funny- my parrot knocks over his dish when he doesn't like what seed is left in it- it's his way of telling me to fill it up with what he wants! I'm not sure how much "people food" parakeets will enjoy other than fruit and pasta. But try the pasta first (spaghetti)- hang it over the bars on top and they will play with it at first and then eat it. I use whole wheat pasta- for fruit- try applesauce without the sugar on a spoon, then banana mashed. Good luck- and are you really sure you want them eating people food? My parrot Bruno will not let us eat a meal in peace unless we give him some because all he keeps saying to us is "Is it good?" and when we give it to him, he'll tell us it's good if he likes it---he loves spaghetti- holds it in his feet and scoffs it all down like we would eat a licorice.
2006-11-05 01:23:24 · answer #4 · answered by mac 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Fruit & Veggies are good for them it will take them time to realize they can eat it & its good. Just stick it in the cage & they will eventually nibble. if they dont like it in their dish stick it between the bars of the cage. Dont feeds them any other kind of people foods. Birds bodies arnt ment for out food. enjoy & have fun!
2006-11-05 00:06:43 · answer #5 · answered by mandad1084 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why do you want to introduce food that may do them more harm than good?
Consult with a breeder in your area as to what you should and should not feed your birds. You will be surprised at what you might learn.
I used to breed Macaws.
2006-11-05 00:03:11 · answer #6 · answered by Len_NJ 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
have you ever tried to introduce people to bird food. i bet you will have just as good a result. birds will eat the food that is good for them not what you think is good for them. give the birds bird food what their body requires.
2006-11-04 23:59:24 · answer #7 · answered by roy40372 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The general rule is the smaller the bird the smaller you chop it.
2006-11-05 05:46:52 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you should probably hand feed it to them, they will see it as a treat that way, and know that yummy treats come from you.
2006-11-05 01:14:50 · answer #9 · answered by Angel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you ever thought that maybe by flipping the bowl, they don't want to eat that crap?
2006-11-05 01:12:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋