Veggies and fruits-- help!

[bluefeather98]

I need ideas on how to get my parrotlet to eat more veggies (and fruits)!
She absolutely loves all grains, beans, sprouts, eggs, and is on a roudybush pellet diet with nutriberries as treats. The only veggie she sometimes eats are carrots, but only if they are very finely grated.

She likes tofu, so i've tried finely grating all sorts of veggies and fruits and mixing them in with her tofu, but she'll nibble at it, then ignore it.

I've made her "omelettes", with bits of veggies embedded in the egg, but she'll eat the egg part and not the veggies.

I've tried mixing some millet, beans, sprouts, and nutriberries in with tiny bits of veggies and fruits, but again she ignores the veggies. (some of it gets eaten when its stuck on the food she likes, but i want to eat more than that)

tried birdie bread with veggies fruits, but she only eats the bread part.

Earlier today i hollowed out a small pepper, mixed the seeds with grated veggies, fruits and millet, but she wasn't eating any (except for the pepper seeds)

I put a bunch of broccoli florets, grapes and carrots in a foraging toy that she adores, but all she did was poke at it, then walk away

Agh yes stubborn little bird x) Any ideas or tips on how to get her to eat veggies/fruits? Thanks in advance!!

[GreenWing]

Has your bird watched you eat them? Tiki always wants what I'm having... maybe nibble on some kale and hand your bird a leaf of her own as she watches you eat it?

[bluefeather98]

She's sleeping right now, but i'll try that tomorrow thanks!

[janetafloat]

Are the veggies cooked or raw? Cold or warm? Some birds will only eat them a certain way. And GreenWing is right, a really good way to get your bird to try anything is to eat it in front of him/her and don't let him have any when be first shows interest. Also if there's two of you, feed each other with the food and make a big show of enjoying it.

[bluefeather98]

Alright, i tried eating broccoli, watermelon and plums with Gylfie out on my other hand. I cooed over them, acting all excited She did eat some broccoli, but didn't seem too excited about the watermelon or plums. Problem is, she doesn't like wet foods except for sprouts and tofu. I dry out veggies like broccoli, carrots, greens then feed it to her, but wet stuff like plums, peaches, watermelon, tomato, etc, she absolutely refuses. She'll go up to them, nibble at it, then shake out her head and walk away.

I've given her them in both cooked and raw forms in two separate bowls to see which she prefers. She definitely likes soft, warm foods more.

Do you think that it might be the smell? I have to admit, the chopped broccoli in the mix i give her doesn't smell so great.

Also, just curious but generally how much more difficult is it to get parrots to be open to eating fruits/veggies as an older bird? Gylfie was already around 2 years old give or take when she became part of our family, and the store had kept her on an all-seed diet (even then she had picked the safflower and sunflower seeds). She now eats pellets, but maybe the seed start wasn't so great for encouraging eating veggies..

[janetafloat]

Well done of getting him on to pellets then! I think you just have to be persistent on the fruit & veg front - there's quite a few people on here that have had the same problem, but have made headway eventually. If he likes warm, soft food how about mashed carrot, or mashed carrot and sweet potato , or regular mashed potato (I don't think there's a parrot yet that doesn't like that!). You said he did try the broccoli so that's a start. Parrots can take to things very slowly. Just keep offering them. My sennie didn't want to know at first but gradually we're adding new items to his diet - several of the things that are now his utmost favourites (blueberries and corn) he turned his beak up at the first couple of times I offered them. I still can't get him to eat pellets though

[GreenWing]

Alright, i tried eating broccoli, watermelon and plums with Gylfie out on my other hand. I cooed over them, acting all excited She did eat some broccoli, but didn't seem too excited about the watermelon or plums.

Woohoo! That's great! And hey, it's a start!

I agree with Janet, keep offering them... she's tried the broccoli, maybe offer asparagus next? Tiki loves asparagus, especially the spears.

Problem is, she doesn't like wet foods except for sprouts and tofu. I dry out veggies like broccoli, carrots, greens then feed it to her, but wet stuff like plums, peaches, watermelon, tomato, etc, she absolutely refuses. She'll go up to them, nibble at it, then shake out her head and walk away.

Hahaha, yeah, Tiki doesn't like Strawberries. She'll maybe nibble a bit but that's it. She loves Raspberries though and is CRAZY about Salmonberries. Salmonberries over Strawberries? I question her tastes

[Cielo]

I am mostly a lurker here but visit on a very regular basis. I don't think Gylfie is old at all. It simply takes time to change a diet or introduce new foods. My green cheek conure Picasso is now 13 or 14 years old (I don't know his exact age) and was on a total seed diet until about 1 1/2 years ago. He now eats almost any veggie, fruit, sprouted seed, and roudybush. It took lots of trial and error such as with carrots. I thought he hated them but he really loves carrots if they are shredded. Size and texture seem to mean a lot to him.

I also found that it was easier to introduce new foods if he forages for them. Picasso loves white paper towels, so I tear little squares and twist up a new food or treat in it. I will hide these in some lettuce and hide a few in his toys. He is just now learning how to flip over water bottle caps to find treats.

Please don't give up or feel discouraged. It really just takes time, patience, and a lot of love

[bluefeather98]

Ok thanks so much everyone got her to eat quite a bit today. Tossed a bunch if veggies into the food processor, cooked some whole wheat rotelle pasta, and stuffed the holes with the veggie mix. Glad to say that she really liked it and ate all that i gave her

[janetafloat]