What should I do?

[hbalkhi]

I'm trying to make Aoodi eats her vegetables and fruits, but she don't eat what makes her gets enough from eating. And she stay hungry.

 

And when I serve her seeds she just eat and eat and eat like crazy... And she also watch me when I'm putting something in the pallet, and makes sounds and want come to me, but when she knows its not seeds she just get back and stay away.

 

What should I do?

Some people told me leave her. And when she feels really hungry she'll have to eat her vegetables and fruits and then she'll get used to it.

Is it right?

 

I can be patient until she gets used to vegetables and fruits. But seeing her hungry letting me feel horrible....

[Luvparrots]

I always have pellets in my grey's cage 24/7. I feed fresh vegetables in the AM when I believe my fids are most hungry. I save the nuts and seeds more for treats during the day. This works for my birds and I believe they then get a balanced meal. I don't believe a bird will starve when there is good food around for them. So don't weakness and just give in to them if you want them to be healthy.

[judygram]

It will be hard to get Aoodi off the junk food seed diet but it can be accomplished if you keep at it, keep offering the good food even if she won't eat or touch it, one day she might change her mind. It can also help for her to see you eating the healthy foods too and enjoying every morsel, sometimes thats all it takes for her to want to find out why you are enjoying it so much. Realize this will take lots of time for it won't happen overnight, maybe months or more down the road but she will be so much better if you can reduce the amount of seeds she eats and replace with healthier foods. Try different vegetables and offer them in different ways, raw, cooked, mashed, chopped or any other way you can think of she may take a liking to.

[Malikah]

Try small pieces of toast with peanut butter (or other nut butter). Then chop vegetables very fine and sprinkle on the peanut butter toast. This worked for me on a differenty type of bird once. You can also chop up her seeds and some pellets and mix with the vegetables before you sprinkle on the toast. I would try this every morning and evening but I would not want her to go hungry either. There are some good recipies for bird bread (do a search) you can put vegetables in if you like baking.

[zandische]

Definitely keep feeding the variety of foods. For pellets, my birds like their pellets a little soggy, so I soak them before feeding. My birds came home on a seed-only diet and it's taken about 5 months to get them interested in veggies. I make a "bird salad" every week that is just chopped veggies like broccoli, red peppers, carrots, cabbage etc. I try to chop each veggie in different shapes and sizes to make things interesting, and some weeks I throw in a favorite fruit or change up the veggies I use to make it different. I always offer this first to my birds, and because they know it's "food time" they have learned that the veggies are food. They have even learned that they like them, particularly jalapenos and red peppers (Trying asking for kisses after you just gave your bird a jalapeno. Yes, just try it )

 

It might take 6 months or longer, but just keep offering the variety of foods. Feeding parrots is never cheap!

 

Also, one sure-fire way I have found to get any bird to eat healthy food is to learn how to sprout. Sprouts look just like seeds but have a tail, and birds love them. Sprouts are hugely more nutritious than seeds (and it could be argued veggies and pellets also), and while they shouldn't be the only food you feed your birds, they are a great way to make sure the bird gets a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals. I feed my birds about 50% sprouts, 20% soaked pellets, 30% veggies. They love their sprouts!

[danmcq]

Birds are funny eaters. Just keep trying each day and offering thos veggies as all the others suggested.

 

It's ok to leave them in the cage or out if your grey is out. Many times they will just pick at various items out of curiousity to see what texture and taste they have. It does take time as others have said. I know it may seem wasteful, but prepare them each day and have them out for your grey.

[msasser]

I also keep Harrison high potency pellets in Roses cage at all times and only give seeds and peanuts in the shell and other things like that for a treat once a day. I also try and give her fresh veggies once or twice a day. She is fussy about what kind of veggies she eats but we have gotten her to eat things like peas and green beans pretty well. Just keep with it and show her that you eat these things and they seem to want to join!

[Spock]

and peanuts in the shell

You never give your fid "PEANUTS IN A SHELL", this can cause: http://www.avianweb.com/aspergillosis.html only roasted unsalted peanuts! http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?190355-No-nos

[Guest jamalbirdbiz]

gve her watever she wants. dont lets her go hungry.

[Georgiesmum]

I find a good way is too let her see you eat the fruit and veg and then put some in her cages and leave it there a while. She might eat it while you are not in the room. Maybe breaking it up small and puting it through her seed might help too. Greys are very weary of new things so it will take a while to cheak them out but as the days go by she will get used to seeing them and will start to try them. good luck

[msasser]

You never give your fid "PEANUTS IN A SHELL", this can cause: http://www.avianweb.com/aspergillosis.html only roasted unsalted peanuts! http://www.greyforums.net/forums/showthread.php?190355-No-nos

 

Thank you for that info. I didn't know that about the peanuts and aspergillosis.

[judygram]

Yes that is very true Msasser and you would be surprised how many parrot mixes come with peanuts in the shell, I throw them away and only give my fids the roasted unsalted peanuts meant for human consumption, learn something new every day.