Veggies

[nar1122]

Oscar is 5 months old, and he only eats seed. I rarely give him anything else, and when I do, he doesnt eat it. Ive been reading old threads and posts about their most ideal diet, and this weekend I am going to make an effort to give him some birdie bread, beak appetite, and try veggies.
This is a good start right?

My main question is, is it too late to introduce him to new foods? Is he too old? How hard will it be?

Do you have any tips on how to introduce the new foods?

[Sally]

No, it is not too late at all! I got Chipper when she was 7 months old. She would only eat seed. NOW, she doesn't really like seed anymore. It took months of giving her ALL kinds of veggies, I mean all kinds. Cut up, whole etc, to find her favorite ways to eat them. She used to like them cut up teeny tiny. Now she like it all large. She also loves birdie breads and tiel cookies I make for her. You can try Beak Appetit too.

Strawberries are yummy, apples too. Broccoli, greens, celery, carrots..She loves them all. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/Sally11/carrotsm.jpg

[Morena]

I got Tommaso when he was 8 weeks old and he would not eat his vegetables. The breeder recommended I try chopping up the vegetables real fine. I took broccoli and carrots and chopped them in my food processor. After a few days, he finally started eating the vegetables. He will eat his vegetables whole now without me having to chop it up. To this day, he still won't eat fruit. I also now cook him a rice mixture with beans. It took him awhile, but now he loves it. I don't think it will ever be too late to introduce Oscar to new food. It just may take a few times for him to get use to it. He's certainly not too old. He's still a youngster. :D Good Luck.

Morena

[Plato&Mya]

Hi Nick,
I hope that you are feeding your breeding pair fresh food. They will need food that they can eat FAST to feed hungry chicks.Also, the male will be feeding the female while she sits on the eggs, as she rarely comes out of the nest.
Cooked brown rice seems to be a fav for Parrotlets. I give it to mine daily, along with corn, peas, kale,cooked bean mix, strawberries, apples, whole wheat bread.. just about anything that is good for us, is good for them...
Keep offering and eventually he will try. Also you can try to handfeed him some, like a piece of apple.
Start Oscar as soon as possible. The breeder should have given the babies fresh food right from weaning.. which starts them on a lifelong pattern of eating well!
Good luck!

[nar1122]

Its not the breeder's fault...:(
It's mine. I handfed Oscar starting at 3 weeks old, up until he weaned at about 7-8 weeks. It was a great experience.
But I never knew how important it was for the varied diet.
So im starting to worry, but this weekend, i'm going to do some experimenting with all kinds of stuff for him ;);)

[Pado]

Even if he doesn't eat it at first and ignores it or picks it up and drops it - keep offering, offering, offering - something every single day. Because out of the blue one day they will decide to eat it - He is still young and this is the best time to do it. You may feel at times like you are wasting your time and food but in the long run its worth it because once they eat one thing they are more prone to eat others and it snowballs from there and its a great feeling for you when they do.

I had pet store Parakeets that took me almost a year to get them to eat vegetables - when they started to eat the vegetables it became the food item they looked most forward to - it was the first bowl every morning to be emptied.

[Sally]

Yep, don't give up. It can take a really long time. It is so worth it when they eat well. Lots of fun to see them eat the various foods and of course it is good for them.

[Mamabird]

Don't give up and try chopping the veggies really fine. Mine wouldn't eat em until i purchased a little mini chopper and whizzed them up into very small bits. Also, i had to put it in the cage several times before he decided to taste it. Now he eats EVERYTHING!

[Elyse]

It took Kismet a long time to eat something other than seeds. He liked to play what my boyfriend coined "the eating game!" where we'd put him on his play pen (what my boyfriend and I call "the summer home") and feed him his favorite seeds by hand or put them on a post but then slip in something new, like pellets (it took us a long time to get him off the seeds, he still won't eat pellets unless by hand or via "the eating game") or broccoli.

Just keep trying!
Now Kismet is very adventurous; he'll try something new easily, but you'll definitely know when he doesn't like it! :D

[musicjan]

I find that chopping the food really fine - as suggested - really helps. Also, stir a little seed into the fruit or veggie. That tricks them into tasting the food while they get the seed out. I mix about 3 things together (whatever is on hand) - for example, broccoli, carrot and corn. I put it in my small food processor until it's little pieces. If you offer a variety, eventually, he'll start eating some of the things. I would offer different things 2 or 3 times a day.

[nar1122]

Would a blender work just as good?

[Elyse]

Most definitely!

[nar1122]

So blend it until its a "nasty" paste-type texture?

lol

[Sally]

I used to make a birdie mash for Chipper. I still do for my little dog that I homecook for. Anyway, you don't have to make it a paste if you use a food processor. It can give a nice fine chop and not be a paste.

I make it with a cooked sweet potato, and a big bag of frozen veggies that also has beans of all kinds. This is a nice variety- I love it.
Chipper has stopped liking that. She wants BIG pieces of veggies now. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/Sally11/Biridiebreadhomemade.jpg

[catfish]

I just give chunks of veggies to Gelato and he tears into them. He only eats the brocolli if it is larger then his head.... otherwise he tosses it out of the cage. Same thing with the carrot chips.

THe only fresh food he will eat that isn't bigger than his head is fruit. I never really thought about trying the birdie bread or any of the bake stuff....

[nar1122]

The birdie bread is Oscar's favorite! You should definately try it!
:):)

[musicjan]

I really don't personally think the blender would work as well, because it would indeed make a paste - ugh! A food processor just makes little chunks. If you don't have a food processor, I think itwould be worth getting an inexpensive one for Oscar!

[nar1122]

Okie Dokie
:):)
Thank you.

[Elyse]

You can set new blenders on chop or dice -- just keep an eye on your "goo!" ;)

[AndreaFahy]

I have clicker trained birds to eat their fresh foods that they previously did not want, worked quite well!

[Kumiko]

I grate all my foods that I give to Kiwi. You can go into the Kitchen Section at walmart and get a grater with different shredders.... they come in all sorts of shapes if you get one of these. Kiwi likes the thin oval shaped ones... especially Zucchini.

[AndreaFahy]

Or you could find a locally owned and operated kitchen supply store :)

[Kumiko]

That too :D :D

[nar1122]

There's a kitchen supply store in the local mall.

:)

[AndreaFahy]

*L* I am a bit of an anti-Wal-Mart person ;)

[nar1122]

If you don't mind me asking....Why?
LOL
:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Sally]

Andrea, ME TOO. My hubby and I NEVER go there.

[catfish]

coorprate terriosts that shut down mom and pop shops killing the american dream of owning your own business. . . treating staff like dirt.

They force consumers to come to their stores by destorying the competition where they can force their form of morals onto the community instead of letting the individuals make their own decisions. . .

Wal-mart destroys communities and families....:mad:


(;^_^) anit wal-mart here too.

[AndreaFahy]

They make me sick with their substandard products (always breaking) their "I don't care" employee attitude, the monopoly they run putting all the business that really care out of business, the fact that they are behind some stupid politics trying to lower organic standards, and the fact that it is just plain wrong that you could buy shoes for under $5. Think of the poor sob that made thos :( I just think they are driving the US down morally b/c everyone would rather save a couple of bucks. I think shopping there is an awful thing that people could do to society in general. I don't like what they stand for.

[AndreaFahy]

Andrea, ME TOO. My hubby and I NEVER go there.

Sally - I knew you were great for other reasons outside of how you care for Chipper *L*

People don't believe me when I say there IS a life without Wal Mart. I have not stepped foot into one in about a year and a half. And my life is better because of it!

[AndreaFahy]

coorprate terriosts that shut down mom and pop shops killing the american dream of owning your own business. . . treating staff like dirt.

They force consumers to come to their stores by destorying the competition where they can force their form of morals onto the community instead of letting the individuals make their own decisions. . .

Wal-mart destroys communities and families....:mad:


(;^_^) anit wal-mart here too.


BRAVO!!!! Let's start a campaign *L*

[catfish]

i would love to! There are far to many walmarts here in OKC. There are 4 stores in driving distance of me and 4 walmart grocery stores....

There is only 1 family owned grocery store somewhat close to me where I try to shop the most.

they are an evil entity.

[nar1122]

Lol.

:):)

You guys are too funny.

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[catfish]

In my 23 years here, the local jewish deli, all but 1 family owned grocery store, all the local drug stores, all the book stores, all but 2 used book stores, and almost all the bakeries have shut down. This is because of walmart. It's not a funny situation, it is a serious disease that is spreading through the country. Not only does Walmart take out the local business, it encourages companies to out source out of our country to take advantage of child labor and poor working conditions where people are paid pennies on the dollar.

[AndreaFahy]

That disgusts me tremedously. For those of you reading that have never thought of this or don't believe - please look into it, seriously. Shopping there supports the devil himself

*L* I had to say it

[catfish]

furthermore, walmart encourages waste. Why fix something when you can buy it cheaper? Why should I buy a new ink cartrige for my printer when I can buy the same if not newer printer for cheaper? I've actually seen this. Why use washable dishes when I can buy 100 styrophoam (spelling?) plates for the cost of 1 plate? Why should I use dish towels when I can buy a roll of paper towels for the cost of 1 dish towel?

GAH! not only do they destory our local businesses, our economy, the world economy, they are helping to encourage the destruction of our environment! They encourage clear cutting and increased waste production because styrophoam does not decompose. It just sits there~

sorry now I'm on my soap box. . . gonna stop before my head spins around and I start spewing split pea soup, sprout bat wings, and then fly off towards washinton to terrorize the money hungry poloticians that want to continue the destruction of our world

[AndreaFahy]

I have not been married even six years yet. Many of our wedding gifts I am sure came from Wal-Mart (small household appliances) I have already had to replace: iron, toaster, toaster oven, microwave, and more I am sure if I gave it any more thought. What a bunch of cheap crap. Yet somehow my parents and in-laws are using common household appliances from 30 years ago still!

I like what is happening with this thread :)

[nar1122]

I'm not saying the situation that, by the way you just explained very well is funny.

It's funny that you two like want to start a campaign.
Well, not that either.

AGH!!

I can't explain why I said you guys are funny.


Does anybody understand what i'm saying???
Or what i'm not saying.
LOL
:o:o

[nar1122]

See, what Andrea just said is funny!

LOL

"Cheap Crap"

[catfish]

they way we go into a tangent is funny... the situation is not funny... is that what you are trying to say ;)

[AndreaFahy]

I get you Nick, no worries :) (now stop shopping at wal-mart!)

[catfish]

not only the appliances are cheap and now considered disposable, but cars too! I'm sorry but when my new car, the new computer, new microwave, new stove, new dishwasher, and new dryer all have to be fixed or replaced in 5 years... there is something wrong.

What ever happened to pride in a product? I'll tell you what happened. It got murdered when some freaking genius decided it would be better to earn an extra 500k a year and make life harder for lower and middle class families... and now the middle class family is starting to go out and there is becoming a greater division between lower and upper class. . .

Yeah.... my politics and geography professors hated when we reached this... it sent me into soap box mode. I was actually told I would make the perfect politian because I know how to speak to a crowd, public speaking doesn't scare me, I can make people like me, and I can confuse the crud out of people and whip them up in a frenzy without much effort....:o

My response was, I only get this way when I care about something. if i don't care about it, I don't have anything to say. Plus I'm only agressive when I care about something...

[AndreaFahy]

My response was, I only get this way when I care about something. if i don't care about it, I don't have anything to say. Plus I'm only agressive when I care about something...[/SIZE][/FONT]

That is perfect!!! I am that way about this, but even more so about parrot keeping. I have really upset some people on other sites and have even been kicked off of another forum b/c I came across too abruptly. I have been working on that I do after all want to get the information across) but some people can't handle the plain simple truth, nor are they willing to take the time and effort to learn about things that might mean change in their life. It's too easy for them to be lazy and arrogant and stick to what they are doing. It's very selfish. And I can't bear to beat around the bush and him and haw when some things can just be stated frankly. The message just has to get across!

[catfish]

I've been kicked off of myspace groups for defending vets (another topic I'm passionate about). . . I'm sick of the tech/vet bashing.

I'm this way about nutrition (since that's what I am studying), hermit crabs, animal care, and bird keeping. The more I learn, the more out spoken I become and the louder I get. Some hear me... some don't.

I figure if I get just a handful of people to listen, I've done some good. That's all I can do, keep trying and keep forcing people to wake up and see what their actions cause.

[AndreaFahy]

Agreed. I think those that are so offended and taken back will probably not be willing to change for the better anyway, they just don't have it in them for whatever reason.

[catfish]

ignorance is bliss. If you don't know about it, how can you be punished for it?

[Sally]

Ha, a life without Walmart...:D Yes, no problem without Walmart. I remember when I first heard of them. Didn't they have things made in America? I remember thinking that was nice. But, yes, the great old stores and the families that had them were all ruined.

They also build and build the Super Walmarts. Yuck.

[Pado]

I felt the same way about Krispy Kream Donuts when they started setting up shop in our area - They put all but a few of the Mom & Pop Donut shops out of business and now all the Krispy Kream's in the area have shut down - the last one in our area closed down two weeks ago. Hopefully the Mom & Pop's will make a come back.

The same can be said of the large chain Hardware stores - Its rare to see a privately owned Hardware store these days - but I have to say I'm a loyal Lowes shopper (I caved) :)

[BUUZBEE]

Glad i'm not alone in the hate of wal mart!!!

[AndreaFahy]

Ahh, but Buzzbee - in an earlier discussion you were pointing others to Target or Wal-Mart to buy their scales!!!! I feel the same about Target as I do Wal-Mart, although I have been to Target twice this year (pair of shorts for me then for my husband, and wadaya know - they already are in poor shape)

[BUUZBEE]

i dont shop at walmart, but do target. i only said walmart since most people in the u.s. DO shop there. Between the 3 shops available, walmart, kmart or target, target is the lesser of 3 evils.


a fine example of walmarts great service!
http://www.shoutwire.com/viewstory/85138/Foot_Destroyed_by_Wal_Mart_Flip_Flops_

[nar1122]

they way we go into a tangent is funny... the situation is not funny... is that what you are trying to say ;)

yes that was what I was trying to say.

;);)

[AndreaFahy]

Yes, but realize that by suggesting people to shop there (WM, T, KM) is part of the reason all of us that are passionate about our work and own small shops get squashed.

[BUUZBEE]

OMG... all I am doing is giving people options, its their choice where to buy them. :mad: Now... back on topic?

[Elyse]

Hahaha. Yeah, I skipped so many of those posts... :rolleyes:

So: veggies. Where were we? Kismet loves edamame, I can't say enough about that. Not carrots, or lettuce (yet!)

I'm jealous of all you guys that can put that stuff in a bowl and your p'lets will eat it up -- Kismet (spoiled???) will only eat it if I feed it to him by hand first and then I'll just put it on a paper towel square on the top of his cage (where he hangs out most of the day) and he'll take it from there.

[BUUZBEE]

As long as he's getting them right :)

[Sally]

Kismet, you silly thing! :p Well, that is just good that he does eat that way. I am always thinking I am so lucky. Chipper would only eat seed when we got her. SLOWLY, she started to eat all BUT seed, ha.

Now, I have to add some seed to birdie breads. She loves to eat. I just made veggie "mash" for my doggie and Chipper and I am drying sweet potatoes right now for both of them. When they eat so well, it is more fun to cook.

[catfish]

Be happy he eats! I'm having a devil of a time trying to convince my quakers that the veggies, pellets, and additional bowls will not kill them. They are such chickens....