* Pet Bird Chat * NEW

[Blackhusky]

so I have a question. I've been trying to get my birds to have a better diet, because all they eat is the seed mix stuff that we buy, but they won't eat anything else we give them. I've tried multiple types of fruits, and some vegetables, and even dried fruit, but they won't take any of it. any tips on how I can get them to like it?

My Ivy was eating the seed mix when we got her, and even though she loves it, it isnt very healthy because what birds normally do is just pick out all the treats and leave the healthy things. Anyways, I started getting her on a pellet diet. The first day I gave her about 90% seed mix, 10% pellets. On the third day I gave her 80% seed mic, 20% pellets. What you do is just slowly add in more pellets, and take away seed mix. Seed mix can be a great food, but some birds only eat the treats.

This also might be why your birds have been not eating the fruit you give them, they are eating the treats from the mix and dont want anymore. Hope this helped! c:

[Aaron✦]

☁xxx I had it suggested to me to cover the fruit/veg in millet or seed mix, which might appeal to them and get them to eat it.

Also a couple pics of my bab (courtesy of ebony's incredible camerawork)
He ate from my handfor the first time today!

[Woogwoo Wren]

To those of you who own budgies, what do you feed them? Right now, I'm feeding my Pookie only seeds, which I intended to change as I've read that its not a very healthy diet. But what should I feed him instead? I'll try to get some pellets this afternoon.

[Bubbles.]

I feed my budgie seed but also have pellets in the cage all the time. Every day I give them a variety either veggies, fruit, bits of plants that are safe for them to eat or grass seeds. I try to mix it up a bit and offer them a lot of different things even though a lot of them they won't even go near. If they refuse to try something again and again I get creative in how I give it to them. Covering the food in seeds I also found quite a good way, I've tried chopping veggies into seed sized bits and just wedging it between the bars. Sometimes offering it in your hand works well to, that's how I got my birds to eat pellets

I hope this helps
Oh and also I found veggies like carrot quite difficult to get my budgie to try. I'm guessing it is because it was a different colour to the food he was used to. They went for leafy greens and seed coloured veggies much quicker. But don't give up, it can take a while but it's worth it

[Woogwoo Wren]

Thanks, I'll try that sort of thing.

Well... I made the mistake of letting him out for a bit. It took me nearly an hour to get him back in....
I don't think I will again until I've tamed him. XD

[KatLove]

@Iris (can i call you that?)
THE CUTE TINY SMUDGE??? AHHHHHHHHHH I cant wait to hear more! <3

SO I came to say a little update! One of my budgies, Spot, has a bad adiction to chewing and eroding away the stick in the budgie cage. A few days ago, SHE FINISHED EATING HER WAY THROUGH IT. I think she may be part beaver or something. Today we got the broken stick and hung it in the cage using floss. I dont want them to eat the floss or more of the stick so what should I do to make them stop biting it?

[cat;;]

For those asking about budgie diets, foraging, and toys:

Although a only seed diet is not healthy for your bird, neither is an only Pellet diet. You really need to give them the option of both, while still including an assortment of different veggies and fruits that are safe for them. There are many different brands of pellet and seed to choose from, and it all depends on what type of bird you have! Here's a list of the best food your bird should be eating based on what kind of bird it is. There are many different types of parrots and they live lots of different places so you need to be cautious of what you hear online about how "So-and-so is the best diet for birds and should be fed to all parrots!" because even an eclectus and amazon are similar in looks, they need a VERY different diet for their health.
I suggest feeding pellets in their bowls and having the seeds be used only for foraging purposes. You can make lots of different foraging toys right at home! They are cheap and usually consist of things you have at home! Birds love to forage and can do it hours on end if they have the right stuff!(: These are also just good 'toys' in general and can be used in many different ways. Another way to stimulate your bird is to change around the cage every time you clean it so they will have to look and move around to find stuff(:

In other great news...:
I volunteer at this crap place that sells birds, usually bred by the owner or surrendered by someone else so we just take them in and try to flip them for way more than it's worth ( I hate this place I just volunteer for the well being of the birds tbh ), and we recently sold a beautiful Blue and Gold macaw, Skully, to this man who apparently has had no training with macaws or anything of the sort, and thought it would be a piece of cake. Skully was already very cage aggressive and not handleable, would scream and try to lunge if you got anywhere near him, but the guy took him home anyways. Skully and I had been working together for a few months, and I was just about to ask him to step up for the first time when the guy swooped in and bought him. Usually I would ask a bird to step up much sooner but because I only went once a week and because of him being terrified of humans, I took a while.
I taught him how to play peek-a-boo and high-five, and he was so interactive and smart I really fell in love with him. Well anyways the guy took him about a month ago, but now he's back! The guy returned him because he had no clue what he was doing, and although somehow he looks better feathered, he seems to be worse emotionally. I hope I can pick up where I left off, and he will know that I am good and I won't hurt him. He has really changed and feels like a whole nother bird.. I will keep you guys posted on how we move along, but here's a picture for those of you interested(:



I have worked with many macaws, and I also volunteer at a strictly bird RESCUE, so I have lots of experience, but honestly Skully is something else Do any of you have an amazing story about rehabilitating a bird?

[Lizbutt]

Username: Carry
How many birds do you own?: 1 (Green Cheek Conure - named Kiwi)
How long have you had them?: 8 yrs



- -

I've had Kiwi since I was a sophomore in high-school; was a typical teen trying to convince my mother I wanted a bird and she didn't want to get one from Petco since they were $350 there and that was not including the cage and other necessities. So, after searching the web, we found a 1yr old Green Cheek that needed a new home since her owner realized he was to busy with college. My little girl came with her name, and we did sex her to see if she was indeed a female (in-case I got another conure one day).

She isn't your typical gcc, very quite and would rather watch then interact. I don't mind, but ever since she was fully mature - I get attitude during the mating season. That's the only time she bites me. Looking forward to another 20yrs with her.

[Woogwoo Wren]

Oh wow! She's so cool.
The name is apt, if its kiwi fruit. XD She does have that colour.

[Lizbutt]

Oh wow! She's so cool.
The name is apt, if its kiwi fruit. XD She does have that colour.

Funny enough, Kiwi is the #1 GCC name. xD