Kabobs for your bird?

[indybirds]

I know I'd really like it if my bird ate a good variety of fresh food, in addition to its pellets. I do the same thing with my dogs.... often times they will get a few meals a week that include raw meat, whole grains, veggies, and eggs.

But I was wondering... how much of my Tiel's diet can be made up of fresh foods? And would it be a more enjoyable experience if I strung chunks of fresh veggies or fruits up like little hanging kabobs, from the top of his cage?

[Franciscus]

Often birds do enjoy the cabobs more than if the veggies are just fed out of a bowl. My grey prefers her veggies hanging from a cabob or in a treat cage.

[Greymom721]

Bosco my TAG loves his kabob...he is a great eater...however, my GCC Shamrock will not eat his veggies from a kabob...I think it is more because he is leary of new things...it takes him several days to go near a new toy. I have tried hanging the kabob with nothing on it in his cage but once I put food on it he won't go anywhere near it! I caqn't leave the fresh food on it long enough to wait for him to go near it!

[Monica]

Ideally, a diet consiting of 75% or more fresh foods is highly advisable if one can afford all the fresh food, and the amount that goes to waste. Some birds enjoy kabobs, others may prefer diced foods, tiny chunks, large chunks, shredded, etc.

[indybirds]

Thanks for those informative replies. I will just have to wait and see how much veggie I can get him to eat. I'm sure whatever's wasted will not be as expensive as it is to feed this sort of stuff to the dogs :icon_smil

[smallonion]

Kabobs are a great idea. In fact, i couldn't get Humphrey to eat fruit or veg until i hung it up on a kabob skewer (she came to me a seed junkie). Hanging up it looks like a toy, so they beak and bite it and...oh, this tastes good! It worked for Humph, anyway!

[Skyebirdsmom]

Originally Posted by indybirds

I know I'd really like it if my bird ate a good variety of fresh food, in addition to its pellets. I do the same thing with my dogs.... often times they will get a few meals a week that include raw meat, whole grains, veggies, and eggs.

But I was wondering... how much of my Tiel's diet can be made up of fresh foods? And would it be a more enjoyable experience if I strung chunks of fresh veggies or fruits up like little hanging kabobs, from the top of his cage?

My P'let is kinda fussy about eating fresh foods unless on his kabob. He really prefers picking and choosing and destroying the foods. LOL
Linda & HRC~

[Skyebirdsmom]

Originally Posted by Monica

Ideally, a diet consiting of 75% or more fresh foods is highly advisable if one can afford all the fresh food, and the amount that goes to waste. Some birds enjoy kabobs, others may prefer diced foods, tiny chunks, large chunks, shredded, etc.

I am convinced a bird will eat mostly any food if it is presented the right way for it. I had a tiel once who would NOT eat carrots, not whole, not diced, not sliced, not shredded, not in curls....BUT, she did love them lightly steamed!!! Aha! LOL Same with SKye and sweet potatoes. He won't touch them raw, not baked, not chopped, not sliced, not whole, not mashed...and don't even SHOW him a canned one!! LOL, but he loves them sliced and steamed for about 8 min. Yep, that's the winner! So, I do believe it's a matter of finding out exactly how YOUR bird likes what you are trying to get it to eat. Good luck, it's HARD work and takes a long time sometimes.
Linda & HRC~

[indybirds]

Thanks very much everyone, for your advice. Rest assured, I'm sticking it in the 'ol memory bank for use as soon as Lingo gets home. :icon_smil

[Takoda]

my birds love veggies strung up like toys

they also make these veggie baskets for rabbits and guinea pigs, they have a bell on the bottom... i have several of these too for stuffing in kale, collard greens, etc. like a veggie pinata! :D

i agree with the presenting it the right way... carrots in my house have to be either sliced thinly, thicking, in chunks, in round chunks, or whole baby carrots, depending on the bird! (although a few I'm still figuring it out, years later, LOL)