Wont Eat Fresh Fruit's and Veggie's!?

[entrancedbymyGCC]

uhhh, I was pretty sure a Budgie and a Parrotlet were the same? Or is it a Parrakeet?

Any small long-tailed parrot is technically a "parakeet". In common speech, many people assume parakeet and budgie are synonomous, but while at budgie is a parakeet, not all parakeets are budgies. I expect zaza is right that Parrotlets tail length makes them not parakeets.

I think you CAN keep bettas in small bowls without heating or filtration, but that doesn't mean you SHOULD...

[CheekyandMalolo]

Yeah I just mixed parrotlets up with parakeet. It cnfused me that way you guys call budgies parakeets. No one call them that here, they're just budgies.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

It cnfused me that way you guys call budgies parakeets. No one call them that here, they're just budgies.

We are Americans, we don't speak English.

[zazanomore]

I always knew budgies as budgies. I remember watching tv, and people would call them parakeets, and I would think they were some different species.

[kaylayuh]

I know someone who would give out poor advices like, "you can keep bettas in an unfiltered, unheated bowl the size of your palm" and if I object he proceeds to say, "hey I worked at a petshop for years".
Hate that!

(Fact: bettas should live in heated, filtered tanks just like other tropical fish. They're from Thailand! And no they do not live in footprint held water.. they swim in huuuuge rice paddies that go on for miles..)

I've only ever seen them kept in unfiltered, unheated bowls. Where I am, pet shops and other stores/gift shoppes (like Walmart) sell them in vases with a leafy plant on top. I'm not really a fish person (terrified of them...), so I had no idea this was bad until I watched a show on the Discovery Channel about different types of fish.


About the bird and new foods, my budgies are very particular about eating new things. Meaning, they won't eat fresh foods or new things unless I force the issue. They finally started eating dried fruits and vegetables because it's in the seed mix I buy them.

Just keep trying with the bird. Cut them in new shapes, try different sizes, try mashing them, blending them. Use dried fruit and vegetables. Use thawed out frozen ones. Eventually they'll get curious enough to try them.

[ninadivine]

Thank every one for all the advice and I'm trying one out right now. Crossing my fingers in hope's that he at leaste try's it.

umm...I could be wrong but from what I could gather on the parakeet/budgie topic was that budgie's were basically you'r average parakeets, the blue's and greens and yellows (I know it's a species) but typically the ones you will find in petco or you'r local pet store but that they'r are also some more exotic breeds of parakeets suck as Bourkes and they come in many different colors and do not breed with other species of parakeets and so on, As far as Parrotlets go The correct pronunciation is Parrot-Let both words are pronounced fully and it means Small Parrot I think there is difference's in all species of birds but I happen to be more of a parrot person because of they're temperment and personalities, i like that they are so intelligent, and while i have nothing against parakeets (In fact I wanted a Bourke when I got Hamlet, they just didn't have any and I hadn't heard of a parrotlet then) But since he's been home I've been doing a ton of reasearch on them and they are truly amazing just put an amazon parrots brain in a tiny parrot and you have Parrot-Let! :D He's adorable....not to brag but i love him so seriously... Adorable. I attached some video's of some parrotlet's doing some amazing things here (Amazing for a tiny bird) for anybody who's not to sure what a parrotlet is. They were only introduced to the U.S. less than twenty years ago so allot of people may not know much about them. So here goes...I couldn't figure out how to embed these it just wasn't working so this one is a Parrotlet named Koolaid Playing peekaboo http://youtu.be/Qz0LoZrKp-g This video is one named Bonsai Showing off his tricks http://youtu.be/pO0xwNf-he4 And this one is so cute it's a Singin' Dancin' parrotlet http://youtu.be/eE_s82M0Jj0 Lastly I had to add this video because it really show's the parrotlets true nature of a Big bird trapped in a little birds body and from what I know so far any parrotlet owner would tell you that these little guy's really think they're allot bigger then they actually are. I think it's funny but some people might not like that because they can be agressive little birds if not handled properly but this video is adorable. watch! :D http://youtu.be/8__gEqc3BFo

[GlassOnion]

Ugh I disagree with the bettas in bowls, they are extremely active and beautiful to watch when they thrive in proper conditions. You have no idea!

I think parrotlets are adorable, Ive had some limited experience with them but I'm not sure if they're AS smart as the large species.

[CheekyandMalolo]

my conures' breeder suggested that first thing in the morning, take out their seed/pellets and put some fruit and veg in there for a few hours, that is when they are most hungriest, but you've gotta make sure you get the seed/pellets before they wake up, perhaps take it out late the night before.
Also make sure you're giving them a variety of foods, so they learn that food is all sorts of things.

[ninadivine]

I think parrotlets are adorable, Ive had some limited experience with them but I'm not sure if they're AS smart as the large species.

They're intelligence has been compared and overall ranked with the Amazon parrots, my aunt has one too and hers says hundreds of words and phrases and he does several tricks, my Mother in laws Yellow head Amazon says a few things over and over and screams constantly and bites you if you try to hold her lol, and she's older than my aunts parrotlet, it's all just a matter of the individual birds personality and the way that it's raised. I don't doubt they're inteligence for one second though cause I've seen what they can do but they deffinetly don't compare to say an African grey's, Grey's they say are the most inteligent birds in the world. My grandmother has a grey "Rafiki" she's has for 15 or 16 years and that bird is independant and holy crap is he smart!

[anna83]

Our GCC is wary of new foods, but we have found (after taking advice from the vet) that after repeated exposure she starts to eat them. She always wants what we're having, so I've found that if we eat it in front of her and keep offering her some she's more likely to try it.

Our lovebird wont eat anything but seed, millet and egg'n'biscuit. We were told by a vet, that on a seed only diet we shouldn't expect her to live too long. That was 5 years ago, and she is now 14 years old.