Fresh Veggies/Wil not eat them

[tickle]

Hello all. Newbie here again.. I am trying to feed my bird fresh veggies as recommended but he will not have any part of it. He is an older bird and I think he has only been fed seed mixtures. Do I just keep putting fresh veggies in his cup for him and wait until he decides that he wants them? I hope I am not trying to introduce to many new things at once. After all, he has only been with me just a tad over 2 weeks. What am I to do?

[danmcq]

Hi Tickle,

 

Yes, just keep presenting the veggies to him everyday. You may want to also try just putting some on the cage floor on paper or hanging leafy veggies from the side of the Cage.

 

Also, when he is out of the cage interacting with you, offer them maybe even while you are eating a fruit or a veggie.

 

Eventually, he will try them and start liking them. It just takes persistence and sometimes Months, since he is an older Grey. :-)

[judygram]

Yes please keep offering them to him like Dan suggested, sometimes it can take months and it helps to let him see you eating them also, sometimes that is enough to entice them to try it.

[chapala]

I have found it helpful especially when converting a bird that has been on seed only to chop the vegetable mixture finely, and mix a small amount every morning with overnight soaked (or sprouted) grains. Chopping very fine is the key so they can't pick out favorites, or using a food processor lightly.

 

It does take time to convert a bird to new foods. They can be pretty set in their ways! Patience and consistently offering the healthy foods is important. Also, don't worry about wasted food. Just keep offering, different vegetables, different forms (as well as finely chopped, try hanging a skewer with vegetable and fruit chunks in the cage, threading large leaves (collards for example) through the bars of the cage, hanging leaves from the top with a clothespin, etc.).

 

They are hungry in the morning and most apt to try new foods then, if you do not leave seed or pellets in the cage at night. Otherwise they'll snack in the a.m. before you feed and not be hungry for the healthy stuff.

Reta<br><br>Post edited by: chapala, at: 2007/12/31 23:54

[tickle]

How many veggies or fruits do I put in his cage and how long should I leave them in there before taking them out of replacing it with fresh? Since he is very scared of new things, should I hang all new veggies on the outside of his cage? He is very, very scared of new things. Thanks for all of your help!

[lovemyGreys]

Just a few, dont overload him, remove after approx two hours, i dont leave mine any longer.You can hang them outside of the cage if he is scared, dont put them in his cage if it upsets him.Try eating new things with him he may be tempted to try them Dont give up even if he just touches one thats progress Good luck.

[tickle]

Great. I am going to try all of these suggestions and see how it goes. I need all the luck I can get!

[tickle]

I feel like I am flipping his world upside down!

[ScubaJ]

Well, I have only had my TAG for a week now and I have been trying to get her to eat veggies but she is real picky. I am unsure of how nutritious they are but I have great success with Sweet Peas. I just dump a small amount into some boiling water, boil for 5 mins, serve. They probably aren't as good as any leafy green or broccoli but its some veggies in her system... better then seeds. The only problem, if I server sweet peas with any other veggies... she will eat around picking out the sweet peas, avoiding others.

 

 

 

Post edited by: ScubaJ, at: 2008/01/02 15:37<br><br>Post edited by: ScubaJ, at: 2008/01/02 15:52

[judygram]

Like we said before just keep offering them, eventually they usually will eat them, be sure to offer them in various ways, fresh, cooked, chopped, mashed, sliced and etc. Some are picky but will accept them in one form or another, you will just have to keep trying.

[chapala]

Re the peas, that's fine, just keep adding other vegetables (finely chopped) even though your TAG isn't eating them yet. It often takes birds a long time to decide something is edible. I wouldn't serve the peas by themselves - you are reinforcing to the bird that this is the only edible vegetable.

Reta

[Laurie]

I find with Klaus that if I eat something, he wants it, too. If you don't like the veggie you're trying to get your bird to eat, maybe pretend to eat it.

Judy makes a good point, too, about offering them in different forms (raw vs. cooked, chopped vs. shredded). Klaus wouldn't touch a piece of raw broccoli. I mean, he wouldn't even pick it up to play with it. And he picks everything up and plays with it! Then, we gave it to him cooked, and he ate it.

[siobha9]

My birds wouldnt eat raw vegetables either, but lightly steamed and they LOVE them. I take out a couple of spoonfuls of our vegetables before they are cooked and let them cool while our dinner finishes cooking. Then when I serve up the kids dinner, I can serve the birds too. They obviously dont know that theirs is slightly different than ours. And let's face it, if its human food it MUST be good. At least that seems to be the philosophy my birds operate under:P

 

Siobhan

[judygram]

I have found that mine prefer a lot of their veggies cooked or lightly steamed versus raw.

[lovemyGreys]

I tend to agree Judy, the majority of greys including mine like their veg steamed or slightly cooked,i also sometimes mash them up a bit for them just like baby food & serve warm.I find with raw food they tend just to chew it to pieces as opposed to easting it :unsure:

[judygram]

Raw food is just to chew up and drop but then I guess it gives them something to do.:lol:

[deedee]

all u can do is try i have had pepsi since may and she wont eat veg or fruit wont even touch it and iv diced, cooked, raw, mashed, made it into toys tried letting her have mine mixed it with her seed and she WILL NOT entertain it i have just excepted it altho i still put it in daily.

[judygram]

Then that is all you can do, but do keep putting it in the cage and offering it for you never know one day she just might eat some for she can't eat it if it is not there.

[lovemyGreys]

Yep keep trying, i have a rescue at the moment who has never seen a fruit or vegtable in his life,i still put them in his food bowl everyday,he picks them up & chucks them, so the day will come when he is tempted

[Nekkyousha]

Clëo really doesnt like veg, perhaps try many different types, like I have found out she will eat broccili, but carrots are a toy! lol.

[judygram]

Have you tried sweet potatoes, that is usually accepted by greys, I know Josey goes for sweet potatoes baked in their jacket.

[Fletcher]

i should knock on wood Fletcher eats every thing i put in his cage at 16 weeks i think hes doing very good.I did however had to find out that he likes broccoli stalks better than the dark green part ,good cause i like the green parts myself,LOL.I do however put his kabob with his veggies in his cage in the morning and by the time i get home from work its gone.I ve had him for 10 days he still wont let me pick him up but he eats like a garbage disposal.

[magicalem]

chapala wrote:

I have found it helpful especially when converting a bird that has been on seed only to chop the vegetable mixture finely, and mix a small amount every morning with overnight soaked (or sprouted) grains. Chopping very fine is the key so they can't pick out favorites, or using a food processor lightly.

 

It does take time to convert a bird to new foods. They can be pretty set in their ways! Patience and consistently offering the healthy foods is important. Also, don't worry about wasted food. Just keep offering, different vegetables, different forms (as well as finely chopped, try hanging a skewer with vegetable and fruit chunks in the cage, threading large leaves (collards for example) through the bars of the cage, hanging leaves from the top with a clothespin, etc.).

 

They are hungry in the morning and most apt to try new foods then, if you do not leave seed or pellets in the cage at night. Otherwise they'll snack in the a.m. before you feed and not be hungry for the healthy stuff.

Reta<br><br>Post edited by: chapala, at: 2007/12/31 23:54

 

I MAY BE A BIT THINK BUT I HAVE HEARD SPROUTED GRAINS R LIKED BY MANY GREYS - HOW DO I DO THIS???? HAVE HEARD U JUST NEED TO PUT THEM IN SAUCER LIGHTLY WATER THEN LEAVE TO SROUT IS THIS CORRECT?

 

XXXX

[magicalem]

ScubaJ wrote:

Well, I have only had my TAG for a week now and I have been trying to get her to eat veggies but she is real picky. I am unsure of how nutritious they are but I have great success with Sweet Peas. I just dump a small amount into some boiling water, boil for 5 mins, serve. They probably aren't as good as any leafy green or broccoli but its some veggies in her system... better then seeds. The only problem, if I server sweet peas with any other veggies... she will eat around picking out the sweet peas, avoiding others.

 

 

 

Post edited by: ScubaJ, at: 2008/01/02 15:37<br><br>Post edited by: ScubaJ, at: 2008/01/02 15:52

 

mine loves sugar snap peas - these r brilliant for vitamin c infact the best veg u can get with this in I am sure.........xxxxxxxxx

[Talon]

It's funny how different they are. Talon doesn't really like fruits, and it took her about 4 months to finally eat veggies. She does have her favorites though. :pinch: