Won't eat veggies

[hyacinthLove]

are you trying a large variety of veggies? my hy goes crazy over corn and sweet potato, but tosses anything green. she is the same way with bread, she will actually eat the bread part and spit out the veggie!! maybe try cutting things differently, either smaller bits or whole pieces. also, cooked or raw can make a big difference. sometimes it takes months or even years to get a bird to try something.

you might want to talk to your vet about it and see if he thinks there is a big concern. my cockatiel has refused to touch fresh food his entire life and he has been healthy on harrison's and a touch of millet.

[EngTeach]

I've tried raw, cooked, big chunck, small chunck, and ground veggies. I've tried broccoli, carrots, peas, green beans (flat and reg.) corn off the cob, corn on the cob, culliflower, zuccini, yellow squash, sweetpotato/reg. potato, celery, water chestnuts, fennel root, raddish, most of the melons, and a few others. If they sell it in the grocery store, I've tried it. I'm trying to find some dried veggies now. I've noticed that if it's crunchy (like crackers, chip, etc.) he loves it). I'm going to check the healthfood store for some dried veggies and see if that will work. I'm not giving up.....for the next 30 years he'll have veggies in his cage to eat......I'm going to fight the battle.....but I have a feeling he'll win the war. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will try the cornbread idea.

[animecouple]

umm for my babies that were refusing I'v managed to get the ever-refusing birds to try KALE .... I either rip or cut in long ribbons.... it interests them and at first I held it or quite a while during playtime's till they finally tred a nibble here or there... even if just in play. and now they love it. Of course it doesnt mater if its big or small pieces thin or thick after they get used to it but it was more of a fun thing at first in ribbons.

also... you cant just try something different day after day or even every couple days after every couple of days.... sometimes it takes giving the same amount of the same thing day after day week after week before they accept it. Or actually the more smart and nutritional thing would be the same variety of veggies every day afte day. like sayy.... pinch the tops off of brocoli so it looks like seeds. and mix and lay some of the ribbons of kale over the edge of the bowl or tucked around on the bars near where the bird sits usualy, and add some fruit or colrful veggi. but keep it similar and keep it up for a long time and eventaly (some even say it takes years and years before the birds get it... I'v been luck and it took anywhere from 3 weeks with one baby to months for one of my cockatiels to 1 day for one of my quakers) but yes eventually, it will work. You love your babys and your trying what you can and thats what counts the most!

[phonelady61]

Originally Posted by nikiwildman

The only way i got my cockatiel interested in eat fruit/veg was by eating it myself and feeding it too him from my mouth like, just having a bit sticking out that he can get to, now he loves anything i offer him, if he's not sure of something thats hes not tried before he will be a bit cautious and most likely not eat it until he see's me or my boyfriend eating it first, then he deems it safe to eat and loves most things he tries.

Okay well someone told me that if you do that you are poisoning your bird cause our saliva is poisonous to birds . and anything you put in your mouth and give to them is in essence poisoning your birds ? I dont know now I could be wrong .

[EngTeach]

My Vet tells me that human saliva is NOT in itself poisonous to birds, but it is NOT wise to let birds eat from you mouth for several obvious reasons: a bird deciding a lip or tongue looks like something great to cruch down on, passing or receiving viral or bacterial pathogens, and the one moms always yell about.....you don't know where that tongue has been.

The Vet said that even dog/cat saliva is not poisonus, but rather it carries abundant amounts of these pathogens and if a dog/cat bites a bird, these pathogens are then injected into the bird and in many cases infections will run rampant and by the time the bird owner notices something is wrong with their winged friend, it's too late.

Personally, I love my birds tremendously, but I love my lips and tongue , too.

[Oscars Mom]

Id suggest trying sprouted seed and wheatgrass. they have little pots you can buy at petstores but the bestthing is to get the wheat in the bulkfood section. Its really cheap. If you can grow it outside its better cause it bolts in the house so you have to replant it more often.

[pennybird]

Hi. I realize I'm a few days late on this. Maybe things have gotten better with EngTeach's bird? My blue-front amazon goes through phases when she will eat certain things and not others and then all of a sudden she is willing to eat her carrots again. That is all a matter of catching her on the right week. My personal strategies for introducing new foods or mixes is to use a spoon. She seems to be more willing to eat off a spoon then on a plate or in her bowl sometimes. Once she's tried something on the spoon the she recognizes it in her bowl. May have something to do with her watching my husband and I eat. My second strategy, as you have been advised, is to grind up the veggies and mix with other things. I usually mix it with banana and/or plain yogurt. She especially eats it if I mix the crunchy stuff (granola) in with it. I just didn't see banana or yogurt mentioned yet by you or others. I also mix the veggies with her "smoothies" - just a mixture of fruit, she likes strawberries in smoothies but not whole. Hope this helps a little or that you have found some strategies of your own. They are funny little characters, aren't they?

[sunbirdx]

One suggestion I might make is sprouted or germinated seeds. They are just like greens but look like seeds (fooling many birds). I use ones from100% Certified Organic Bird Food - Nature's Choice Essentials 100% Certified Organic Bird Food that you just soak for 12 hours and serve.

[Angelsmum]

I have read that it can take many months of daily offering with some birds. In my case, with my tiel, we are just now having some vege success, after 2 months effort in trying everything.

[jylu97]

I'm going to try sprinkling some Goldenfeast Gardenpowder over her favorite foods. My zon also ignores anything green even if it is her most favorite food. I think I have to slowly mix veggies in with her foods because she is so finicky! You may also want to try sweet peas in a pod -- a lot of birds enjoy unzipping the pods.