Problems feeding Munch

[chimom]

Munch is still not eating fresh food. I have made Shawna's mash. I have made birdie bread. He heads straight for his seed cup. I don't want to take his seed out completely because I am afraid he will starve. I have tried sprinkling seed on his fresh food, and he just picks out the seeds. He chews holes in the paper towels hanging in his cage. He enjoys sitting on my shoulder, chewing on my collar, or my chain, or just burrowing into my hair. So he is making some progress. But I am very concerned about his diet. I don't want him to starve. If I put millet in his cage, he eats only millet. I have sprinkled millet on his fresh food, and he picks out the millet. Any further advice?

[ParrotletsRock]

Take the seeds out at night and feed him mash 1st thing in the morning...don't just sprinkle seeds on top...mix the few you add right into the mash so he has to pick thru it to get them. Mine was the same way and now when I feed my budgie and p'let their breakfast of beak appitit ..veggies and sprouts he is there waiting for m to put it into his cage...he eats this like a little feathered piggie. After 2 hours or so ( if I am wrong on this one some one please correct me ) remove the mash and add his regular food whether he has eaten it or not...good luck.

[jodeg]

Keep offering the fresh foods every day. Kiwi, my first P'let, wouldn't touch veggies when I first brought her home. I kept offering every day and one day, BOOM!, she gobbled them up!

Angelina, my adopted P'let, doesn't want to eat fruit and veggies much, will just "sample" a little. But she gobbles birdy bread down like crazy, and that has fruit and veggies baked right in, so at least she's getting some.

Keep trying, it takes time. :D

[chapala]

Just like was said above, offer the new food (often best to start with soaked or sprouted grains) first thing in the morning, no seed. About two hours later or earlier if you need to with your schedule, give him his regular food. No millet in the cage - it's only a training treat.

He needs to see the new food every single day to learn to recognize it as food, and also the seed has to be removed from the cage when you offer the new food. Otherwise, he'll just eat the seed as he's been doing. Patience and continuing to offer the new foods are the way to success. If you read older threads in the diet post, you will find much more information on how to encourage him to broaden his diet.

[chimom]

Thanks everyone for the advice, which I will definitely follow. This morning, after I posted, Munch ate his birdie bread. He was at his cup for a while, gobbling it up!!!! I couldn't believe it. So now I won't worry excessively that he isn't getting fresh veggie/fruit nutrition while I try to find other things he will eat. I was so happy to see him enjoying his breakfast. Right now, he is sitting in my hair again. LOL LOL I have put some birdie bread in the freezer, because the recipe mix made so much for such a wee birdie. How long will it keep in the freezer? MUNCH ATE! I'm so thrilled!

[jodeg]

WAY TO GO, MUNCH!! :D

See how patience pays off? Mine love birdie bread too!

Yes, the birdie bread recipe does make a lot, so I freeze mine in an air tight bag. I cut mine into approx. 1" cubes and defrost about 9 cubes at a time -- that'll give me 3 days' worth of servings for 3 birds. I've never had any of the frozen ones "go bad" on me, so you should be okay.

Keep up the great work, you're definitely making progress with Munch! Keep offering the fresh foods every day too!

[michiganlet]

Sounds like Munch is coming around. Good job.
I just found the Beak Appetit foods and fixed him the Veggie Delight and Cinnamon Sunrise. Jesse ate both of them. You might want to try these.

[jodeg]

Oh yes, I forgot Beak Appetit! Mine love that too and gobble it up! I make a batch and put it in small containers with lids. I freeze all but one, and keep that one refrigerated. Another good way to get some veggies into them!

[ParrotletsRock]

I have just found beak appitit too...my birds LOVE it. I cook it and freeze in ice cube trays...then baggie the frozen cubes. I add thawed frozen or chopped fresh veggies and rice to it ..oh and sprouts and they go crazy for their breakfast. I do not remove their seed pellet mix at night and they turn their noses up at it until the beak appitit mixture is finished....good stuff.