Hi

I thought I made a breakthru and figured out that Dozy likes her veggies chopped rather than put through the food processor. I tried this one evening and she seemed like she really went to town eating. Now she'll pick at her food and shake it off what she picked, turns around and wants nothing more to do with it. She's not tossing the food she's shaking it off. I'm not talking she has a full beak of food and shakes the excess off I am talking about a piece of food the size of a crumb.

Help. I'm feeling very frustrated and don't know what to do.

Thanks

patience...patience. You eat with dozy and share. They always want what you have.

Eating their food with them does help a lot, especially when you don't have other birds to show them how to do it.

Karen have you tried them cut up a little bigger so she can hold them in her foot?

Yes, I've tried many ways.

I got my 1st Budgie from a shelter - he only knew seed - or at least that's what he told me.

I think it was close to a year before he really relaxed about food choices. The rest are right - the best way to get them to try something is to eat some yourself. After a while I couldn't keep Laker away from my food! - or out of it. Then I had to seriously review what I was snacking on.

From what I've heard about Greys - some are very stubborn. Just keep trying. Have you tried fresh greens? That was an instant hit with my little fellows. Personally I wonder about 'cooking' foods.

Try to relax - he's not doing this to drive you crazy or to worry you he just doesn't know any better. Did you read about how the Full Spectrum lights affected FeathersFur's Macaw? SpectraBird Lighting
Apparently they made the food so much more interesting.

Yes, I've tried fresh greens. Thanks for your response. I'll keep trying.

Dozy, Dozy! Ruby says "eat your veggies!!!!"

No TV for Dozy if she doesn't eat her veggies!!!

Dozy Update

We've done much better this week Even though she's not eating the pellets like I would like they are always available to her all of the time.

In the morning before I leave for work she has two dishes - one with pellets, dried veggies/fruits, small piece of birdy bread and small amount of seed and another dish with sprouts. Before my hubby leaves for work he'll remove the sprouts dish (which is almost all eaten - good girl Dozy!)

When I get home I'll make her dinner which consists of various veggies and quinoa with either rice or pasta (she's not crazy about beans). I've started adding the red palm oil to her dinner and she doesn't seem to mind at all.

Couple things I think has helped - 1. she prefers her veggies chopped and not prepared thru the food processor (go figure). 2. I don't fill her dish with so much food at any one time - maybe just enought to cover the bottom of dish.

Nuts, Nutriberries, and Avi-cakes are now offered as treats and not part of her daily meal.

I am thrilled she doesn't mind the red palm oil and very happy she likes the birdy bread as lots of good stuff can be hidden in there and she'll eat it (I hope)

Thanks for all your help and guidance!

Karen, glad to read you're making progress. Harrison's sells a Hi-Po Mash that you can use to make your Birdie Bread. I've been using it, experimenting with some cookie and bread recipes and the birds are gobbling it up . It has the same ingredients as their Hi-Po Pellets. So that may be another avenue available to you to get the pellet nutrition into her.

High Potency Formulas-Harrison's Bird Foods