Getting my parakeet to try new things?

Question

So how would I exactly go about getting my keet to try vegetables?

Pretty much all the websites I've visited/books I've read say to cut the food into very small pieces (or play around with the texture of the food) and just be persistent. Is there anything else I can do to help things along?

Also, I would also like to incorporate some pellets into her diet. When doing this, should I mix the pellets with the seeds, or remove the seed cup from her cage and only give her the pellets (and then put the seed back at night)?

Answer 1

you want to try new foods first thing in the morning when they are most hungry that is when I try new foods . they are more receptive then at that time .

Answer 2

I read on this website... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budgerigar#... ...

that if you place the food on a mirror they might like it better cuz they think the other bird is eating it first.  

Answer 3

You don't necessarily need to cut food into tiny pieces; my cockatiels actually preferred large pieces that they could tear bites off of for themselves--especially with crisp or crunchy foods--and they lost interest if they couldn't do this. So be sure to play around with the size of the sample, too. Be persistent as well; it usually takes birds a while to become comfortable with new foods. Eating some of it yourself in view of your 'keet can help quite a bit, too; my female 'tiel's eyes always lit up when she saw me eating something, she'd even open and close her beak like she was imagining tasting it!

You probably don't want to try eating the pellets, though. It's a good thing you're trying to widen her diet, but don't think you have to feed her only seed or only pellets--last I heard it still wasnt unanimous that pellets should even be fed singly, and a lot of people feed their birds both. Personally, I would think it would be best to offer a mixture of pellets and seeds. That way the pellets are always available, but the bird isn't forced to either eat them or go hungry until evening, she can get used to them at her leisure.

Besides, unlike vegetables, you don't need to worry about pellets going bad overnight, and the more opportunities your bird has throughout the day to try them, the better.

Answer 4

Here's what worked best for my Parakeets. I stick broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots through bars of the cage, they love to eat it that way. I tried to cut it up, but they didn't like it that way. I usually stick it through the bars on the bottom of the cage (where they don't p**p). When converting them from seed to pellet you should just mix the pellets in with the seed. At first just add a little bit, gradually increasing them until it is all pellets. During this process you really have to pay attention as to whether or not they are eating, they can starve themselves. Sometimes they don't convert the first time, so if that happens just wait a few motnhs then try again. By the way I feed them fresh, raw veggies, none cooked.