Hello from California! :)

[Sagethelovebird]

Hi! I'm new to the forum! I recently got an 9 week old lovebird! He's the sweetest little thing. (This is the first forum I've ever joined, I don't know if you can tell)

[liz]

Hello from Florida. Welcome to the forum.

Your bird is just a baby. If you have never had a bird before you will have to learn fast. The number one thing is to give the baby soft food that is easy to eat.

Ask any question. Some one in this forum has your answer waiting.

[Sagethelovebird]

Hi Liz! Thanks for the welcome! Do I still have to feed him soft food if he's already weaned onto Zupreem and Harrison's pellets?

[Wolf]

Yes, and to be honest with you, pellets of any kind are not the best option for your birds and are really not recommended for these small species of birds. Let me clarify my answer, because your vet might tell you to feed pellets and the manufacturers will tell you that they are good for your bird. The manufacturer doesn't make money if you don't buy their pellets and most vets are selling the pellets and are trying to insure that you give your bird a certain minimum level of nutrition. This is despite the fact that scientific research has shown that the cheap protein is not only too high, but is of an inferior quality which many birds are allergic to, that artificial vitamins and minerals can't be fully utilized by the bird and the sugars, colors and preservatives are bad for them and lastly they are too dry and may cause your bird to have a mild but chronic case of dehydration.
Most of us here are feeding a home made food called gloop which you can learn about in the diet and nutrition section on this forum. We also feed fresh vegetables and fruits and leafy greens followed by a good quality seed mix for their dinner.

[Pajarita]

Welcome to the forum! Wolf and Liz are correct. Your baby needs soft food and pellets are really not good for any parrot but much worse for the small species, gloop, produce and seeds for dinner are a much healthier diet for them. And lovies are GREAT eaters so, if you start him off early on a good diet, you will have no problem.

[Sagethelovebird]

Hi Wolf! I just started reading about how pellets contain cheap protein! But I did not know that many birds are allergic to it! Hm, now that I think of it, that makes sense. I've read about gloop before on the newyorkbirds.net website. So a seed mix is actually better than a pellet mix? I've heard that too much of either one can cause liver problems. Can I serve pellets for dinner or are seeds preferred?(Wow this is my first post, and I've already learned so much from such knowledgeable people! You don't get these kinds of answers on yahoo! )

[Sagethelovebird]

Hi Pajarita! Thanks for the welcome! I've tried offering a mix of bell peppers, string beans, carrots, corn, and peas. But he completely ignores it! I've been told that constantly putting it in their cages is enough, is that right? Or should I be sprinkling his pellets on top too?

[Wolf]

Is a seed mix better than pellet? To my way of thinking, yes, provided that it does not contain any thing other than seeds. Once they start putting other things in the seed mix then you have most of the same problems as with pellets. And too many seeds is bad for your bird the same as too many pellets are bad for it.
Since your bird is already accustomed to pellets, then make the gloop and mix some pellets in it when you serve it until the bird begins to eat the gloop and then stop giving the bird pellets. Don't get rid of the pellets until the bird is eating the gloop and then a seed mix for dinner.
As for getting a bird to eat a foods that it has never eaten before it helps if you are willing to sit down and eat some of the same food that you are offering to them to eat. This is because that is how the parent bird teaches the young bird what to eat and how to eat it. Eating for a parrot is also a social and a bonding activity. It will be needed in order to get the bird to start eating all of the fresh produce that it needs to learn to eat. viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12521 Here is a link that will help you as it contains a listing of poisonous and non poisonous foods, trees, woods, plants and household items. The list begins on the second page of the topic.

[Sagethelovebird]

That makes so much sense! Seeds are way purer than pellets could be! I'm going to start trying to change him onto gloop soon. The next time he's out of the cage, I'll be sure to eat some veggies in front of him! Okay, thanks for the link, I'll read up on it soon! Hm that reminds me of a question I was planning to ask.! It's so hard to take Sage out of his cage, but once he's out, he's the sweetest thing! How can I make him easier to take out? I need to solve this before he reaches sexual maturity and becomes bitey and REALLY won't let me take him out of his cage... Should I give him millet or something whenever he comes out so it's an enjoyable experience?

[Wolf]

Many parrots are quite territorial when it comes to their cage, this is because it is the same to them as their nesting area and they will defend their nesting area from intruders. For this reason, if your bird will come out of the cage on its own, allow it to do so before asking it to step up as the birds is happier with this arraingement and it will save you from many bites. As a general rule it is better to work with the bird with certain behaviors rather than to try and change it and this is one of those. It is always a good idea to reward good behavior and tis is no exception, however it is a good idea to reward it after it steps up for you.