My cockatiel isn't eating fruit and vegetables

Question

my cockatiel doesn't eat the fruit/vegetables I stick through his cage, when I stick some food through the bars he is really scared of the food and he moves to the other side of the cage. Can somebody help me out?

Answer 1

did u cut them in small pieces? also try to put them along with its regular food.

Answer 2

Why don't you just open the door to his cage and let him come out and explore the food before trying it?  Birds won't eat anything they don't recognize as being food and if he doesn't trust you to begin with for whatever reason he's not going to accept it.

You need to spend time with him in order to gain his trust and that means allowing him out of his cage to explore the environment around his home and introduce different foods to him in steps.  

I start introducing my baby Cockatiels to different types of foods before they even leave the brooder (3 weeks old) and by the time they wean between 8-9 weeks old they will have experienced and gotten used to all types of foods (seeds, pellets, fruits, veggies, nuts, pastas, etc) and in a variety of different forms as well.  I also make sure they learn good foraging behaviors so when I adopt them out they will readily accept any foods their new families give them and willingly explore new foods.  The notion that Cockatiels simply don't eat anything but seed based diets or they don't eat healthy foods until they get older is absolutely false.  It all depends on the breeder and how well they prepare their babies for adulthood and families who adopt those babies.  

In their native habitat, Cockatiels forage all day on different grasses, seeds, nuts and fruits but in captivity they eat what they are used to eating and what they recognize as being food and unfortunately so many people are uneducated and don't take the time to allow these social animals to explore different foods.

Please see the answer below for information about bird bread and how well it works for picky eaters.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 3

Okay. It is not hating to eat vegetables. It is only afraid of it.

Try cutting it to smaller bits and drop it into a bowl and let him try it.

For fruits, you make it into fruit juice with pulps. Don't take away the fruit bits.

Answer 4

You just have to be patient, maybe cut the fruit and veggies up in small pieces. Sometimes you can find a long scewer of metal that is for hanging fruits an vegetables, make sure it is for birds. He probably just isn't used to seeing them. Just try a little bit everyday.  Most Cockatiels like greens.  I used by Dandelion Greens for mine and they loved them, you can usually find them in the Grocery Store, not in your back yard.  Be sure to wash them first.

Answer 5

what are you feeding him?  He is probably just scared of your hand.  How old is your cockatiel?  If younger than a year, he doesnt eat that yet.  Some cockatiels never eat fruits and veggies there whole lives they just stick to bird seed to eat.  They have milit to snack on.

WHO KNOWS? MAYBE YOUR BIRD IS A MEAT EATER!

Answer 6

Cockatiels are not fruit and veggie eaters. They like seeds and millet spray and pellets but not real fruit or veggies. For extra nutrition you can feed them wheat bread.