How to get bird to eat healthier

[kikidee]

The store I bought my parakeet from had her on a seed and dry fruit mixed in diet. She never touches the dried fruit and I know she needs to eat fruits and veggies too, so this week I started trying to get her to eat fresh fruit. At first she didnt want to try it but then I started eating it and acting like it's the best thing ever and she got interested and went to town on the apple (I sliced it in thin slivers). I also gave her a spinach leaf to see if she would eat greens and she nibbled on it, ate more than I expected, but didn't finish the whole leaf. She still prefers her seed diet. I also made her some plain whole grain oatmeal and chopped some strawberries and a mix of salad veggies. I let her try the oatmeal first. She tasted it and didn't want another bite. Maybe because it was flavorless? I then let her try the strawberry-veggie mix and she licked the strawberry and automatically didn't want it. So far she only likes apples.

What else should I give her or try to do to eat healthy and get her off a solely seed diet? (I let her try this in the morning before she ate her regular food, so she was indeed hungry).

[Harpmaker]

Give her fruits, veggies, leafy greens, and sprouted or cooked grains in the morning. Fresh is always better than dried fruit for parrots, anyway. You already are using the method to get your bird to try a new food. Make a big deal about how tasty it is, then give her some to try. Mostly they want what you are eating.

If she doesn't eat stuff you can try fixing it different ways. Try cooked and cooled yams, sliced or grated carrots,etc. Sprinkle food with cinnamon or chili powder. Try soaking the dried fruit. Above all, keep trying. Parrots may need to see a vegetable for months before they will eat it.

Parakeets go crazy for millet sprays. Given a choice most would eat nothing else, so limit the use to treats most of the time. She might also like some nut pieces as treats.

In the evening give her the seeds, but take them out before bed. Birds seldom eat in the dark, and she will be hungry for her veggies in the morning.

Parakeets being ground feeders, eat more seeds than most birds, but they all need that variety.

[Wolf]

Also limit the use of spinach, try using Kale instead.

[Pajarita]

Yes, no spinach, please, too high in oxalates and not safe for birds. Princess of Wales keets are ground foragers so they eat grass seeds and greens very willingly but not fruits or veggies. It's easy to make them eat veggies but not fruits. At least, I've never had any real success with it and, although there are a couple of budgies (they are very similar to POW in their dietary needs) which will munch on an apple, taking into consideration that I cared for over 50 of them, I would say they are not into fruits. Your best bet is the greens so I suggest you give her a different one every day (kale, broccoli, romaine/red leaf/green leaf/boston/butter lettuce, chicory, escarole, celery/carrot tops, red and regular Swiss Chard -not too much of it, Savoy/red/green cabbage, etc). But they will also eat baked sweet potatoes and squashes (butternut, spaghetti, winter, acorn, etc), grated raw or cooked and finely diced carrots, corn (even on the cob), sweet peas, grated raw or cooked and finely diced beets. Oh, and pomegranate seeds! They eat those, too.