How do I get my CAG to eat more pellets?

[dodgewoman]

I adopted Roscoe 10 days ago. When I got him they said he was on 3/4 cup pellets and 1/4 cup of seed. Well, I'm starting to doubt they really gave him that much pellets and gave him more seed. He is addicted to the damn seed and doesn't eat much of the pellets. I have ZuPreem which is what he was on b/f. If I pretend to eat it and show it to him he will eat it but short of starving the poor bird he wont eat the pellets! I rather him be on pellets as it's much more healthy for him! How can I do this?

[birdlady49]

You can try a couple of things. Try soaking the pellets in warm water or juice, then giving them to him. Or try baking some into birdie bread. In either case, offer less seed. Maybe give him a tablespoon of seed in the afternoon but the fresh food and pellets in the morning when he's most hungry.

[aimige]

It takes a lot of trial and error finding a pellet that he/she will eat.
It took several brands before I found out that Earl prefers the Pretty Bird brand. I was even able to get my seed junkie, cockatoo, Sidney eating them.
Just keep trying. I put a bowl of nothing but pellets in her cage and then mixed pellets and seeds in another bowl and then watched when she ate to see what she was eating. Once I seen that she was eating alot of pellets I removed the seeds.

Amy B

[Xray Susie]

When I got my CAG, he was on seed and cooked bean/pasta mixture in the morning and a fruit/nut mixture along with the seed in the afternoon. Also fresh fruits/veggies, etc.

I started adding some pellets in with the cooked food. Then I started giving him the seed for 10 minutes in the morning on his play stand, then took it away. I left the cooked food and the pellets (in 2 separate dishes) in his cage during the day. He is eating the pellets. I still give him the seed for the 10 minutes morning and afternoon, but he is eating the pellets really well. I noticed he dips them in his water. I've had him for 3 weeks.

[dodgewoman]

Interesting ideas. I will have to try a few and see what works for us. I really don't want him eating to many seeds as he seems to pick out only the sunflower seeds!

[nstgtr03]

dodgewoman,
I have been or was having the same problem trying to get my Amazon
2 eat anything but seed. Then I tried the ZuPreem Fruit blend and he
loved it,he is 1 yr and 4 months old and I'm just now trying to get him to eat the ZuPreem entree blend which is a mixture between vegtables. way differrent and not liking it verry well so i've put the entree blend as the main source, and adding a very little bit of the fruit blend in with it.
After a day or so he started eating the entree blend just as good as if it was the fruit blend.
The ZuPreem fruit blend is the same thing I used to get him off the seed he was on when I was taking the seeds away for good.
Now the only seed he gets is n the avian cake blocks treats.
I really hope this was some help to you,
here is a pic of him, his color hope this Info was is a whole lot brighter & looks a whole lot healthier...Good luck,
nstgtr03

[dodgewoman]

Thanks!

I do have the Zupreem fruit blend for him. Honeslty what I did and I think this was mean but it worked. I didn't give him any seeds at all just the ZuPreem for most of the day. Then gave him a handful of seeds in his treat cup when we ate dinner. It's working out well. He is eating the pellets zll during the day but devours the seeds at night This way I know how much crappy seed he is eating. I'll have to look for the entree, is it better for them?

[Xray Susie]

I think Roudybush should use this pic in their advertising!!

[Tishrei]

This has been a long process for me but when I got my bird at 16 years old (Severe Macaw), he ate nothing but cheese and peanuts. That was his diet as he wouldn't eat anything else. Anyway, I immediately went about changing his diet but it's been very difficult. He gives new meaning to "finnicky."

What I am now doing is grinding up his pellets, add baby banana flavored baby cereal, and soy milk, some peanut butter (for yummy flavor), baby food vegtables (today it was squash). He has been going ape over it. It sounds so gross but he really seems to like it.

The way I got him to eat it is I pretended to eat it. I sat down on the couch with a spoon and started to eat it (pretend as I wouldn't eat that stuff). Anyway, when he came over for some, I wouldn't him have any which made him want it even more. He started pecking at me to get some so finally I let him have some that was on the spoon. Now he eats it. I make a batch for the morning and evening and put in the fridge. I just gave him his evening batch and he's already eaten half of it.

At night, I give him some seeds so he has something to eat during the night and in the morning before I wake up but I remove that when I give him is healthy food. He only gets seeds at night before going to bed.

[dodgewoman]

Cheese and peanuts?! Now that is one wacky diet!!! That does sound strange but birds love their mixtures!