Thinking of starting the fresh food journey tomorrow.

[KGWatkins]

Hey everyone, I've had Zephyr and Skye about a week now and I sent emails to see about getting samples of some pellets, will have to wait on those, however, I was thinking of starting the birdies on their new dietary journey tomorrow, with fresh food, I have a bag of mixed veggies and several types of greens (I own an iguana) including kale, pak choi, mustard greens, dandelion greens and turnip greens. Zephyr will take treats from my hand and Skye, though not tame, seems interested in fresh food already, I tested her out one day by putting a small pinch of the iguana's salad in a bowl for her, she ate a bit and then threw the bowl to the floor of her cage, I'm going to get serious tomorrow, wish me luck! I'm EAGERLY awaiting the food samples, if I get any, because then I can have a goal in mind next time I go birdy food shopping.

[shellbeme]

Good luck and keep us updated on the progress :D

[KGWatkins]

Thanks, I'm tempted to take a bit of everything and toss it in a bowl together, but I think I'll go a slower route, one green and one or two types of veggie at a time, that way if they don't like one, they don't associate EVERY THING with that bad one. I'll add seeds too, and will use seed as part of the diet, I'm still one of the ones that doesn't fully trust pellets as the MAIN food, but I would love to add it as PART of the diet.

[KGWatkins]

I contacted a bunch of companies and maybe if they send a lot of samples (which they seem to like to do) I can mix and match the ones they like together PLUS seed and fresh foods, good gravy their little under nourished bodies won't know what to do with themselves, they'll be so full of vigor they'll be like popeye and bend the cage bars :O!!! Or maybe that's just my imagination, LOL. But it will be good to get them on a rounded out diet.

[KGWatkins]

Here's the companies I requested samples from:
Lafeber
Harrison's
Tropican
TOP
Roudybush
Pretty Bird

Also requested some samples from Goldenfeast, they aren't pellets, but the mixes of seeds and dried veggies are a HECK of a lot more well rounded that what these gals's previous owners gave me to feed them (Geisler cockatiel mix... millet seed and sunflower seeds basically).

[sailorkelly]

I do a different mixture of veg every week. Abbey picks out what she wants. Sweet Potato is a big hit. She is eating some right now. She had never tried fresh veg before us. I just put it out for her everyday and she decided when she wanted to eat it.

[KGWatkins]

So interesting results, sorry I didn't update sooner, but I've been busy. I tried the gals on fresh food and neither one took to is (SURPRISE!! lol) Skye played around with it again, but I looked at the peice she had and it was only chewed a bit, not eaten, and Zephyr was having none of it. However I have discovered that Zephyr might be easy to switch to pellets after all. I bought a small bag of bird seed with a small amount of pellets mixed into it, to test them and She took and ate 3 of the pellets from my hand without protest. That's good because lafeber, harrison's and hagen (Tropican) have all contacted me today and will be sending samples this week, I'm really excited now, waiting on the pellets, and 3 brands at the same time, if they send enough and the birds like them all (or zephyr anyway) Ill just mix them and add a bit of seed and have a super mix for her, then keep trying with fresh.

[MaryG1959]

Make sure you look at the back of any frozen food for salt. If it has salt, do not give to your birds.

I make up a mix once a week and freeze. My birds get some of this mix every day (twice a day).

Mung beans, lentil beans and brown/wild rice (cooked) about 2 cups "dry" total
chopped brocolli (approx 6 boxes frozen)
chopped Kale 1 lg bag
Frozen mixed veggies (I use birds eye as it has NO lima beans)--approx 4 bags
fresh dandellion (chopped in the food processor when I can find it)
chopped green pepper (one bag frozen)
brown rice pasta (one bag)
cranberries (one bag)
2 lbs carrots (chopped finely in food processor)
chopped zuchini or yellow squash (occasionally)
Barley (cooked) occasionally added. (about 1 cup)

The reason I chop things in the food processor is so that the pieces are so small they literally stick to everything.......this prevents them from pulling it out and tossing it because they don't like the taste.

I mix this up and freeze in smaller containers. I have 9 birds and this lasts about 1 week to 10 days.

[MaryG1959]

by the way, you will throw a lot away before they "latch on" to this. I have 9 birds and "ALL" Eat and enjoy this mix.

[KGWatkins]

Thanks Mary, I'll definately try that out, And with those package sizes and my bird sizes, I'm sure I won't run out of the initial mix before they switch, haha, they are tiny babies.