[Jettington]

I've just got my first parrotlet, Enzo. I've been researching Parrotlets for over a year now and finally decided it was time. Unfortunately there were no breeders near me and had to get him from a pet shop. He is a little nervy, but I think we are making good progress. I've had him for a week now and he will now eat millet from my hand. around lunch time he likes to talk to me and will move closer to get a good look at me whilst i'm working. He is on a seed diet at the moment which I would like to change but until he's fully settled I wont try to switch this up - he does have a bowl of veggies but he doesn't touch it or play with his toys at the moment. I'm not too worried - I think this is normal to begin with whilst they settle?

Thought I would just say hello - I will post a photo of him once he is a bit more used to me!

 

[JackieRTP]

Congratulations on Enzo - we would love to see photos of him! It is normal for many birds to be wary of new foods and toys. Regarding vegetables or new foods, often you need to provide them over and over and over for them to eat them regularly. Many people sprinkle chia seeds on top to entice their bird to eat them. Many birds are hungry in the morning after a full night sleep, so that is a good time to provide them although they can be provided anytime throughout the day.

Some parrotlets rarely play with toys, while others ignore them for a while and all of a sudden one day they decide to demolish or play with them. To acclimate your bird to new toys, many people put them on a surface first near their bird's cage so that your bird can see that it is not a parrotlet eating monster and then you can transition them to their cage.

 

[rizzie5022]

Hello I started putting broccoli and kale in top of my guys seeds. The theory was he would eat those first then the seeds. It actually worked so Im going to keep that up for a while then I will put veggies in their own bowl. My guy does not like big food, if it is big he drops it so I just put the broccoli tops scattered over seeds mix

 

[JackieRTP]

You can also try eating some of the vegetables in front of him to get him interested in trying them. You may also want to experiment with presentation such as chopped small, bigger pieces, on a skewer, jammed in between the cage bars, steamed, and so on.

 

[Grammy]

Hello and welcome, Percy is my first parrotlet also.
I've learned so much from this forum. Percy enjoys veggie & fruit kebabs. She doesn't get fruit every day. Just every so often. I use different veggies yellow squash, carrot, jalapeno, green pepper seeds, broccoli and strawberries or a few. Broccoli can also be placed between the cage bars. She also gets chop veggies which is cooked rice with steamed mix veggies.
As soon as I uncover her in the mornings she starts chattering very loud for her veggies. She has seeds at all times but she wants her fresh veggies first thing in the morning. My family says she spoiled. lol!

 

[Anya]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Enzo seems to really want to bond with you if he is eating millet from your hand already and has taken an interest in what you are doing. Those are really good signs! He must be so happy to be out of that pet shop! He is going to love having the freedom of having a home and having someone who loves him. Good for you for doing research on parrotlets before purchasing one. The more you know about these little guys, the better off they are and you too! It would not hurt to start offering him veggies and fruit right away. You have been given good advice from everyone. Good luck with Enzo and if you have any other question, feel free to ask!