Cockatiel Troubles?

Question

My cockatiel won't eat fresh fruit or veggies. He runs away every time I try to give it to him to eat. How can I get him to eat them? Or is there something I can put in his food that would give him the vitamins he needs?

I've also tried to buy him a variety of treats but he's scared of them too. I tried holding them up to him and miming eating it but he just runs away. I've also tried to put the treats in the corner of his cage but he ignores them.

Anyone have an answer to my problems?

Answer 1

Keep trying. Birds are conditioned (it is instinct) not to like new things. New things are suspicious and mean danger in the wild.

Try the veggies/fruit cut up in different ways. Offer different kinds of veggies and fruit. Try offering it all mixed together in a "salad" (a bird salad == no dressing)_

After he eats at night and then goes to bed, take out his food dish. First thing in the morning when you get up, give him his fresh veggies (you can fix them the night before). He will be hungry and more apt to try them that way. Later -- mid morning or noon, you can put his pellets/seed back in.

Another approach is to mix some of his regular food (pellets, seed) in with his veggies. He will have to pick through the veggies to eat the other food and will ingest a little. He may even find some he likes.

Try offering his veggies on a small paper plate on the bottom of the cage. Maybe changing how you offer them will help.

Also, birds love to eat when we do - it's like mealtime with the flock. When you eat, make him some of what you are having (veggies without the sauce, plain spaghetti or with just a tiny bit of sauce, scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast - no butter or jelly, a tiny bit of chicken -- very well cooked!, etc.) He will see that new foods are fun and are a family thing. Eat near him so that he can watch you.

If all else fails, bake him some birdie bread and put the veggies into the bird bread mix. Birds love bird bread and they will get some of their veggies this way.

I have a hunch that you just need to be persistent and try some different things. don't give up the first time if something you try doesn't work. Be patient and give it some time.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Buy him an extra food dish that can clip to the side of his cage, use this dish to put veggies in, or if you have a play area outside his cage put the veggies there. Cockatiels like to do things in their own time. You have to be patient and persistant. With the treats and veggies. My cockatiel (and also my budgie) took time to eat them, now they really enjoy veggies. My 'tiel's favorite is by far broccoli, and my budgie goes nuts for shredded carrotts. My 'tiel will eat them right away, but my budgie prefers to wait a good 6-12 hours before he will eat them.

You have to be patient and persistant. Once he knows what they are he will take it from your hand. You have to give him the chance to explore the new food (veggies and treats) on his own.

Good Luck!!

Answer 3

Hi there. Be sure your bird is getting a good pellet diet and limit seeds to 10%. All seed diets lead to malnutrition. Convert from an all seed diet by 1/4 per week. This is what I discovered about flock birds. They will follow the flock leader who is now you. Eat the new fruit in front of the bird and act like it's delicious. Talk to the bird like it is a baby or small child. Say things like this is sooo yummy!This actually works and will get your bird interested enough to try. Have a tweet year. I didn't believe this at first, but it never fails.

Answer 4

hi, it type of sounds like your cockatiel has lengthy gone or may be contained in the technique of sexual adulthood. It does those issues to the rope toy because he needs to reproduce. he's likewise guarding your little sister, because he would view her as a mate too. i do not recommend getting him a fowl, because you mustn't breed him if he's already starting to be aggressive. What i recommend you do is commence spending extra time talking to him gently and taking him out of the cage extra frequently.

Answer 5

Try this web site. It was helpful to me.

http://www.cockatiels.org/articles/nutrition/vfeed.html