If at first you don't succeed: changing (rehomed) diet

[Inara]

 

Prior to coming to live with me, Inara's human companions had fed her a 'southern comfort food' type of human diet replete with Hamburger Helper, Tater Tot Casserole, lots of cheese, etc. For many of us humans, food = love. These were given to her with lots of love.

 

Well, too much of anything even good things can wreak havoc. Too much 'love' can become smothering rather than nurturing. Well intentioned as it was, we don't eat that way in our home, and even way back in the 70s, I didn't feed my birds that way, nor did I feed them a seed diet either. My "granola" mentality served both me and my feathered companions well as they got plenty of fresh veggies, fruits, sprouts, cooked legumes, and unsprayed/organic produce. In those days people just thought I was a health nut.

 

Today, as we know more about the effect of nutrition on human health, we also know more about nutrition's effect on our non-human companions. Therefore -- after day 1, I began the switch with Inara's eating choices.

 

Since 'taters' appeared to be one of her go to foods, I began by peeling and soft cooking a potato, but without adding the milk, butter, and salt. Instead I added some pureed organic baby food vegetables, and a tish of hot red pepper sauce. To say she loved it is an understatement! The wacky, wild, Grey head bobbing perch dance ensued after the first couple of bites -- which was offered warm, on a spoon.

 

Daily I would add to the same basic mash recipe, finely chopped (think Order-before-midnight-tonight-magic-bullet-chopper) broccoli, carrots, and finally other greens (introducing one at a time). Inara continued to love the mash, as well as the addition of chunks of home made 'parrot bread,' but would not eat it in her cage, she would only eat it if I hand fed it with her perched on her play perch near our supper table. I believe because she was used to eating off of her former people's plates while she wandered around the table. (Not judging here, I let her eat while perched on me when we're just hanging out together on the couch, when I give her a small treat).

 

As much as I adore her, I am not going to hand feed her every evening, she is two years old and no longer a baby and will benefit from more independence. So once I knew for sure that she would eat the mash, with less and less of the potato and more and more of the other veggies, I ordered a little 5 oz coop cup and attached it to her play perch. Naturally, I thought that this would be a 1-2-3 easy maneuver to get her to eat her warm/wet dinners on her own. Uh... no. Our heretofore relaxed and easy going girl, decided that the coop cup was something incredibly scary and refused to go near it.

 

I had placed it down near the two cup rings at the bottom of this particular type of mobile perch. Well, it dawned on me that, if a bird is afraid of something, having to go down low to explore it will likely exacerbate the fear. So I put the cup up high adjacent to the top perch, made sure it was very secure, then inch by inch fed Inara her favorite treat (organic apple pieces -- yes, I know, not a lot of nutrition there, but great for training with her) and moved closer and closer to the cup with each piece, then dropped a couple of good sized ones into the cup. After much beaking and trying to move the cup, and bit of side to side dancing, and 'big wings' ( lifting her wings for me, which usually results in getting a piece of apple) she finally dipped her head into the dish and picked out an apple piece.

 

After this success, I then put her warm mash in the dish, a couple nutra-berry popcorns, some organic 'cheerios' and a couple of sunflower seeds. She chowed down and was happy as a lark.

 

This coop cup process took the better part of 90 minutes.

 

Some important considerations:

 

1) Hunger is the best spice. Meaning, while I would not ever deprive her of food, I did capitalize upon her natural daily rhythm and introduced the new food combos during those times, and did not give her treats or snacks between those two times. She was ready to eat, and this made accepting the newer foods easier.

 

2) Mornings, I gave her organic sprouted bread toast and organic apple bits. These are now two of her favorite foods, and much better than white bread toast with butter and jelly (her former version of breakfast). She made that switch very easily because the toast felt familiar.

 

3) I took a favorite food (potato) and used it as the base to begin the overall change, by having it be the greater proportion at first, then daily reducing its amount while adding in new vegetables one at a time.

 

4) When Inara began eating her healthier versions, I then began putting dry foodstuffs (commercial mix) into her cage and into it put bits of homemade parrot bread and various other odd bits that she can forage around in when she wishes.

 

5) Having the patience to try, try again with the coop cup until like Goldilocks we found just the right place for it, has now made feeding her warm, wet foods (as well as clean up) a pleasurable experience for both her and us.

 

6) Every bird is different. What works with one may or may not work with another. That being said, patience, a calm approach, a sense of humor, rethinking original strategies, and being consistent go a long way.

 

Now, Inara happily eats sitting atop her play perch, while we sit at the table nearby. I now, also hand her little tidbits when she scootches over and does the fireman slide down the perch pole to come in close. She then, happily heads back up top to finish up the good stuff in her cup.

 

Soon, we'll begin working on more fresh, leafy greens woven through the bars of her cage, and will continue to introduce new foods. She's much more receptive now that we've broken through that southern comfort food barrier.

[judygram]

Those are great ideas for converting a grey from a less than ideal diet to a more healthful one and it worked like a charm, your post will be a must read for those who need some guidance in how to get their grey on a more well balanced eating regime.

[Timbersmom]

Good work!

[Brat Birds]

I had to laugh at some of your and Inara's antics during those switching times!! You certainly know what you are doing!

[BaileysPapa]

Well done! Bless you for your patience and thoughtfulness!

[danmcq]

GreYt post BaileysPapa! Thanks for sharing this. I am positive it has give us all some new ideas to enhance our parrots diet and make it more pleasurable and less redundant at the same time.

[Inara]

Thank you all for the positive feedback. Inara and I are having a great time settling in together, as you can see