Ever since my cocatiels were babies i feed weaned them from baby formula to seeds. So they have been eating seeds there whole life. My vet told thats thats not a good diet. So i changed it from seeds to a new brand named zupreem. It looks like kibbles and bits. And now their acting stubborn and wont eat it. What should i do to make them eat the new food?
2007-06-29 05:10:43 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Birds
Your vet is only partially correct.
There's nothing wrong with seed other than the fact that it has a higher fat content. And the only real bad culprit of that is sunflower. If your birds are used to seed, just buy seed that doesn't contain sunflower in it.
If you're worried about nutrition, simply do the following:
a) Buy cuttlebones for your birds for calcium.
b) Buy vitamins you can add to their water.
2007-06-29 05:35:27 · answer #1 · answered by TheMightyFlea 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can't just switch foods in one day or they'll starve to death. Also, a diet of just pellets is bad too. I mix them 3/4 pellets to 1/4 seeds. To get the bird to eat the food, give it seeds for one day. The next day mix in about 1/8 pellets. Do this for 3 days. Then mix in 1/4 pellets. Do this for another 3 days. Then mix half and half for three days. Then put them on 3/4 pellets and 1/4 seeds and keep them there. Watch them the whole way to make sure they're eating. If they start to eat less, drop back to the mixture you used before (like if you were at 3/4 pellets and 1/4 seeds and they weren't eating much, go back to half and half for a little while). This will keep them healthy and happy. Good luck!
edit: I would also try kaytee pellet food. It's better for them and must taste better because birds more readily switch to it.
2007-06-29 05:22:56 · answer #2 · answered by Cliffieduckie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is a normal reaction in any animal to not want to eat. It is a change in their routine and they tend to lash out and go on strike. Try weaning them off by putting the old seeds, mixed with the new seeds and increase day by day. If they still seem stubborn, then the new brand just doesnt work for them. But it is going to be some time before you find one that they like.
2007-06-29 05:20:50 · answer #3 · answered by vixxen 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have a male cockatiel and the only thing he eat is parakeet food. It won't kill him and he is still getting all the vitamins he needs. His sister ate the cockatiel food she loved it, when she died he refused to eat the food so I feed it to the wild birds and just buy the parakeet food for him now. Not all Vets will agree that is good to do. But they both were hand fed also. I raised them when I lived in Calif. They have traveled all over the country with me in their cages. And love to travel...
2007-06-29 06:06:19 · answer #4 · answered by Angell 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some birds will take to the new food immediately some will starve to death before they take the first bite, try mixing the new food 1 quarter to three quarters seed, slowly introduce new food. it has taken mine 6 months to try them
2007-07-03 04:33:29 · answer #5 · answered by cheri h 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
slowly mix the new food into the old one and then add more of it each week until they are on just the new food.
2007-06-29 07:47:18 · answer #6 · answered by MommyCaleb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
mix that new formula with the old one and see how that works... if it dosent and there big pieces cet them smaller. also go back to the old food if they dont eat that then you know its not that they dont want to eat its that there sick...
2007-06-29 05:23:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
eat the bird
2007-06-29 05:33:40 · answer #8 · answered by i wuv my poochie 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
wait it out, no bird ever starved when food was there
2007-06-29 05:20:14 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋