Suggestions for getting my cockatiel to eat...?

Question

I recently adopted a very tame, talkative sweet cockatiel who is 2 years old. He has a hearty appetite when it comes to sunflower seeds, of course, but I have not found any fruits or veggies that he will eat.

A friend suggested steaming some frozen mixed veggies (small cuts of carrots, potatoes, green beans, peas etc) but he won't even get close to them. I've tried hand feeding, putting them in his dish with his seed mix, using a separate bowl....he just doesn't care for anything healthy! He loves eating waffles and crackers out of my hand or even my mouth, but nothing healthy...

Any suggestions on how to get him to eat good-for-him foods?

Answer 1

I use a frozen vegetable mix called Broccoli Normandy. For a cockatiel, I would thaw it but not heat it, run warm water through a colander until mix is completely thawed. Then chop very fine, I use a food processor. Feed in the A.M., sometimes I mix with millet to get the bird interested in it, leave in the cage no more than 2 hours and replace it with the seed mix he is used to in the afternoon. Do not have any alternative available to him     in the meanwhile. I also use a pelleted diet instead of seed, and give seed only as a treat.

Answer 2

In the early a.m. give him only the vegies - telling him how yummy they are.  An hour or two later, give him seeds. I taught all my birds to eat vegies this way.  Lots of colors and shapes and they will eat.  They are hungry in the mornings.

If you offer both - guess what?  It will choose the seeds, not be hungry and not try the vegies.