switching diets

[Sandybottomsmn]

Ive only had my gcc for a little less than a week now. he goes into the DVM tomorrow for all his blood work. My question, is that Im having a hard time switching him from the low quality pellets he was on to Zupreem. I am trying the old 75-25% switch, but hes not touching the pellets (although he eats the added dried fruits, veggies and nuts that are in it!!!) any suggestions??

[CatherineL]

Patience is the key. It can take many months. It's much quicker if there is another bird already eating them and then the other will copy. It is good that at least he is picking through them. Don't take away his other kind until he is happy to eat the new ones.

When your bird is tame and sits with you to eat stuff, I suggest you have some on a plate and pretend to be eating the new pellets. Don't offer him any but let him take some when he is ready. The key here, is that if he regards you as his companion, he will try things that you eat.

[Greycloud]

Can I ask what pellets he is currently on?

[Emmilyy]

i agree with whoever said persistance is the key. it REALLY is. It took me months to get Cookie on pellets.. but she was switched from seed to pellet, not pellet to pellet, so maybe there is a difference?

What i did was take away the food she was used to at night, and put the new food in. I'd leave the new food in all day while i was at school, and then give her some of her old food when i got home.. after trying for weeks and weeks any other way, within less than a week of doing that, she started eating the pellets and now runs to them when i fill the bowl! (:

[Sandybottomsmn]

thanks for the advice! I phrased my previous statement wrong. She is on a seed/pellet mix. They got the pellets at the grocery store and mixed them in and in all honesty, I think they might be hamster food. :( Maybe once she comes out of Q and sees the other birds eating she will jump on the band wagon.

[Monica]

What size pellets? Is she currently eating the ones in the bad mix?


Perhaps you just need to try getting different sizes of pellets, as well as different brands.

[chapala]

I would offer the new pellets first thing in the morning without giving the old food. Then I'd substitute a good grain/seed mix for the current mix she's eating, and offer that after about one to two hours of new pellets only in the morning.

Ideally you would sprout the grains, and gradually add in finely minced fresh vegetables as she starts to eat them. Most birds take very readily to dried or sprouted grains, and they are way lower in fat than seeds.

[Sandybottomsmn]

Hi everyone!
I have her switched over right now. I have her currently on the fruit flavored Zupreem, with no additives, which is not my first choice, but I wanted to get her mixed over to pellets and off that mix she was on ASAP. My other two parrots are on the Zupreem spicy mix that is non colored pellets. They also get sprouts and a dried fruit/nut mix and also get a veggie mash daily as well. I want to give her a full week of being on her new food before I start introducing the fruit/nut mix, because I dont want her to start simply selecting just that from her pellets. She is trying her mash, although isnt overly excited about that yet. Otherwise she is doing well! Thanks for the advice! She was much harder to switch over than my other fids!