HELP!!!! mellet eater

[oldgoalie915]

I need advice everyone. I just bought a gorgeous young Sun Conure named Scarlet. She is already working her way into our lives but I have a problem.
Her previous owner fed her Cockatiel seed food and mellet. Now I can't get her to try anything fresh or even Conure/Small Parrot food. All she will eat is the hanging mellet.
Is there any advice on how to convert her over to a good diet and eating better? Is there cause for concern or will she eat it when she is ready?

Thanks
OldGoalie915
aka Scarlets Daddy

[LovelySydney]

Hi & welcome! Congrats on your new baby sun, they are truly gorgeous creatures and fun to have around! Instead of mellet do you mean MILLET? The treat? Im assuming thats what it is since it does hang inside a cage if you put it up. IMO, I would try to start getting Scarlet to eat pellets. This can be a tough process especially if a bird is set in their ways, but it is not impossible. I have a parrotlet, Oliver, who was (and deep down probably still is) a seed junkie. An all seed diet is not a healthy diet and should be supplemented with pellets and fresh fruits & veggies. It took me a month to convert Oliver. The main idea of doing this is that you CANNOT falter from the process. Consistency (& patience!) is key.


Start mixing in pellets with seeds, 50/50. Do this for about a week and monitor what Scarlet is eating. I dont think Oliver touched any pellets for the first week, just picked all the seed out!! What I do is leave the seed/pellet mix in the cage all day long. Just like people, birds will eat when they want, not when we tell them to, so it important to let them choose when they want to "discover" the pellets.

In the morning I cut up fruits very fine and give them to my birds (I also have a painted conure) in a separate dish. This is left in for an hour and a half tops, as fruit goes bad pretty quickly if left out. Again, monitor if they are eating it. You can also sprinkle some seed on the top to entice them to try it out. Instead of throwing out the food (chances are Scarlet wont touch it the first time) keep the fruit in a tupperware container in the fridge for keeping. This way you can just keep putting it in there without having to keep throwing out food and spending money on more. Of course of they are eating it and tearing it to shreds (which they WILL do once they figure out they like it!) then just throw out the scraps that are left.


I do the fresh fruits/veggies 3 times throughout the day - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fruit in the morning, veggie mix for lunch and something interesting for dinner, usually something random or their favorites that I know they like. I have stainless steel dishes that you can get at any pet store for pretty cheap. They attach to the cage and are SUPER useful. You can just take the cup out, wash it and reuse it. I love them. I have 4!


Over time keep reducing the seed and raising the pellets. Start at 50/50, move to 60/40, then 70/30, etc. Of course you want to make sure Scarlet is eating the pellets because you dont want to completely take the seed away and come to find you are starving your bird!! As I said, this process took a MONTH for Oliver to finally get to eating the pellets but when he did I was SO HAPPY - I know he'll be healthier for it.


The key with diet changes is just patience and consistency. You need to keep offering the foods (do the same fresh foods in the beginning so they dont keep seeing food changing, it will make them want to try it more if they keep seeing the same thing). It might take awhile, but Scarlet will figure out what she likes as will you! Good luck & keep us posted, I know things will work out fine!

[oldgoalie915]

Thanks so much for the advice. I kind of figured that may be a decent process. I do the same thing when I change a dogs diet. I am just worried about getting her on a decent diet as soon as I can, since she is basically eating NOTHING of any nutritional value. Also need to get her a bigger cage. :)

[LovelySydney]

No problem! & you will do fine!! My parrotlet came to me weaned on pellets and fresh fruits and veggies and then somewhere in there he decided everything sucked and wanted to only eat seed, LOL!!! It definitely was a process but I know he will be so much healthier on the pellets along with everything else. & it might not take as long as a much, I know my Oliver was being VERY picky and it didnt start with just the pellets!! He got picky with every food. If Scarlet is showing signs of a good appetite, than you should have her eating well in no time!!

[tielfan]

she is basically eating NOTHING of any nutritional value

Millet actually has quite a lot of nutritional value but it's not a complete diet in itself. Millet alone is terrible as a long-term diet but in the short term it will keep her alive and in fairly good condition. So don't panic, she'll be OK if her diet doesn't change right this moment and you can work on gradual improvements. There are some tips on diet conversions at Little Feathered Buddies Health & Nutrition

If you haven't had her very long she might be eating only the hanging millet because she's too nervous to eat from the food cup. Birds in a new home are on the lookout for danger and they have to let their guard down for a moment to stick their head in a cup, and that unfamiliar cup might look scary itself. They can nibble on hanging foods and watch for danger at the same time so they feel safer this way. So please, keep providing the millet until she's learned to eat some other things. Try hanging up some greens or sticking fruit/vegetables through the cage bars - she might be willing to eat them.

[oldgoalie915]

In just the last few days Scarlett has started eating the organic food I bought as well as chopped celery/greens and cucumber. She is also digging "Nuts for Alfredo" :)
I started with mixing "Nuts for Alfredo" with some Parakeet seed mix, since I know she was eating Cockatiel mix before. Then moved to the putting in some of the organic mix and then some of the celery/green/cucumber. Now I have not put any of the Parakeet mix and no millet for two days. :) I will probably put another millet string in her cage today and see if she still eats the healthier stuff too.
The organic food I bought is Ecotrition Organic Blend. It has dried bananas, chilis, fruit in it. In addiition it has pumpkin seeds, raisins all kinds of stuff.
I have her first checkup at the vets today.. I will see if she has harrisons or a good pellet mix.