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Returning my Fostered Macaw

bueryion

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That's good news but, please, improve her diet because it's nowhere near 'excellent'.
I* would if i could, she is a very picky eater and im not forcing food down her throat... unless you know some secret ninja parrot trick??
 

Theresa

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unless you know some secret ninja parrot trick??

Yup, it's called repetition! You keep offering the healthy stuff, sometimes in different shapes or sizes, till it peaks their interest! Corkey refused any food but seed mix when I first got him, it took time trial and error, and a cooked sweet potato shoved in his beak for him to take interest! :D
 

macawpower58

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A lot of us also make 'bird' bread in which we can hide all kind of stuff that our birds won't normally touch. Mine will eat it always, they really go for it when I add chopped walnuts to it. I will add broccoli, peas, carrots, fruit, sometimes seeds and/or grains, just about anything healthy. I start with a corn bread base, and go from there. Once cooked I cut and freeze it in serving sizes. I also love it as a treat, or even a quick meal if I'm running out of time.

You can also try hanging a 'buffet' on a skewer. They make them just for birds, and some birds have a blast eating this way. I've stuck everything from corn on the cob to watermelon on it. You just hang it near a perch and hope for the best. He may not touch it the for a while, but eventually he'll try it. Hang just one piece of his favorite on it, maybe banana or an apple?

I'll weave kale through the bars. I'll stuff his toys with nuts and hard veggies like carrots. Buy a small box of raisins, and give it to him, box and all.

Cook everything nice and soft, and make a warm mash. That's my Cockatoo's favorite meal. Warm mashed up veggies. Sometimes I'll add apples to it and she thinks they're the best thing ever. Just be careful nothing's too hot on the inside.

There's lots of ways to start your bird on a better diet.

I agree diet is very important, but IMO right now bonding and building trust is even more important. You have years to get him on a better diet. I'd not push the diet too heavily while you're still getting to know each other. Offer all that good new stuff, but also keep the food he likes and eats, fully available. Nothing would be as trust breaking IMO as keeping a new bird hungry because you're trying to convert to a better diet. You want him to trust you and feel safe with you. If he's always looking for the food he 'used' eat, I can't see how he could feel safe and relaxed. This is just my thinking and I'm sure many here will disagree with me. So take it as you will. ;)
 

RJ Noodle

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Yay! So glad you are keeping her! Can you please post some pics? A B&G is my dream bird and it looks like it will always be my dream bird unless I hit the lottery so I can buy a house :p Keep us updated and way to go!
 

bueryion

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Yup, it's called repetition! You keep offering the healthy stuff, sometimes in different shapes or sizes, till it peaks their interest! Corkey refused any food but seed mix when I first got him, it took time trial and error, and a cooked sweet potato shoved in his beak for him to take interest! :D
" Shove it in her beak" Eh? If she throws food at me she don't like me i would love to see what happens when i try that... :hehe:
 

Dartman

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With Lurch I just tease him with whatever it is and eventually he gets mad and attacks and bites it. Next thing you know he's working his beak and tasting whatever evil treat that was and usually he'll then ask nicely for more :rofl:
He was that way with burritos till he got mad and bit one, now I am required to share or he gets pissy.
 

Birdbabe

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Ha ha, eat good yummy stuff with her,,,OK, you only need to pretend eat it, but make a big deal out of it, saying mmmmm, yummy, yum. They want what we have. Always works for me. :D
 

Hrtofau2

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Ha ha, eat good yummy stuff with her,,,OK, you only need to pretend eat it, but make a big deal out of it, saying mmmmm, yummy, yum. They want what we have. Always works for me. :D

Was just going to say that. :D

Birds are flock oriented. We do EVERYTHING with our guys, and yes that includes meals...I always make sure there is SOMETHING we eat that is bird ok. Veggies, whole wheat pastas, ect. We can not eat corn in this house without two screaming cockatoos...that is unless they have their own bowl. ;)
 

danadear

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Agreed. If you eat it in front of her she will probably want to try it. I ate a lot of chop (mix if chopped produce for birds) in front of my Goffin cockatoo before shed eat it. It took a while. She eats great now. I agree to just take your time though. Rome wasn't built in a day.
 

bueryion

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Agreed. If you eat it in front of her she will probably want to try it. I ate a lot of chop (mix if chopped produce for birds) in front of my Goffin cockatoo before shed eat it. It took a while. She eats great now. I agree to just take your time though. Rome wasn't built in a day.
She def must have everything i am eating... is it strange that she LOVES chinese food?
 

Hrtofau2

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She def must have everything i am eating... is it strange that she LOVES chinese food?

And the oils, and fats and seasons in it are probably very bad for her...of course, my guys go nuts for mac and cheese and pizza crusts... :rolleyes: (For the record it is in VERY limited quantities)
 

Birdbabe

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She def must have everything i am eating... is it strange that she LOVES chinese food?
Everyone loves Chinese food! I let Merlin have some after I wash off all the tasty stuff,...he still eats it. :hehe:
 

rocky'smom

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And the oils, and fats and seasons in it are probably very bad for her...of course, my guys go nuts for mac and cheese and pizza crusts... :rolleyes: (For the record it is in VERY limited quantities)
Agreed that type of food is NOT good for our fids . try cutting up some fresh veggies just for her, green peppers, corn, bean sprouts, etc etc
rocky'smom
 

Mariannee

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Then throw some ginger on the fresh veggies and she will love it! And if that doesn't work lightly steam them first then ginger, ok now I need a salad. LOL
 

birdle

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Bord loves people food. anything fatty, salty, or sweet. all the things that are bad for him! I always give him just a taste. He loves it and because I always let him taste yummy food he will try anything I pretend to eat, so with time he's gotten great at eating veggies and fruit.
 

danadear

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And the oils, and fats and seasons in it are probably very bad for her...of course, my guys go nuts for mac and cheese and pizza crusts... :rolleyes: (For the record it is in VERY limited quantities)
I had a dog that loved sushi. :) It was funny. He LOVED it.

But yeah...a taste here and there is probably okay but Chinese food usually has MSG, very bad and lots of sodium, also very bad. I'm sure you already know to stay away from chocolate, avocado, caffeine, alcohol. Anything bad for us if bad for them. If you think about we weigh many times more than our birds. A little three pound bird cannot handle a lot of junk.
 

petiteoiseau

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When it comes to transitioning a bird to a healthy diet, there are a few things that work:

- Eliminate all protein food from the cage after they eat dinner and serve a healthy breakfast about one hour after sunrise (this is because hunger is the best 'sauce')

- Eat breakfast with them but that means 'their' breakfast and not yours (eating is a flock activity and it's instinctual in them to imitate as they are programmed to learn what to eat from watching their parents) But, I don't know about other people's birds but mine are not fooled by 'pretending' to eat, they watch me like a hawk and make sure I am really eating the stuff so although I hate raw green beans, if that's the veggie they are getting, I'll eat them. I use what I call my 'food mantra', I say the name of the fruit or veggie and tell them it's good like this: "Banana. Banana is good. It's good", eat it and go "Hmmmm, que rica papa (papa is what we call baby food in Spanish)" "Yummy, yummy for the tummy" and "Lookie, lookie, lookie! For the bird for the bird for the bird!" (these last two I say because I have an amazon that says that whenever you give her food). After a while, this ends up creating a conditioned response in them and they associate the words with food that is safe and good to eat.

- Persistence is key. Seed or pellet junkies might take years in achieving a good dietary range of produce but, if you keep at it, you will eventually wear them down and they will eat it.

- Presentation is important. Some birds are very picky as to the shape or position of the food so you will have to try different things with different produce... For example, most of my birds eat raw carrot just sliced in chunks but I have two that would only eat it if it's diced and a CAG that will only eat the coarsely grated one.

- Use a 'medium' to get her to eat healthy until she starts on her own. I use gloop and birdie bread. Gloop is a dish made out of whole grains cooked al dente (so they resemble seeds), with pulses (I only use one kind of bean and one alone: small white beans) mixed with cooked and diced veggies (corn, peas, carrots, chopped broccoli and green beans, butternut diced and baked sweet potatoes in bigger chunks, mote and one more thing which varies, it could be beets for one batch, artichoke hearts for another, etc). Nowadays, I only use the 'regular' gloop for everybody, even new birds, but, with the more recalcitrant ones, I use the 'stages' and start with just the cooked grains (they always go for that), when I see them eating it without a problem, I add corn and peas, when they eat this, I add carrots and chopped broccoli, and so on and so forth... The final product should be 50% veggies, 50% grains and pulses. Birdie bread is the easiest thing in the world if you have a bread machine. I throw all the ingredients in it (whole grain flours like wheat, corn, oatmeal, a couple of spoons of olive oil, another couple of honey or maple syrup, yeast, mashed sweet potatoes and/or pumpkin and/or unsweetened apple sauce, grated carrots and/or zucchini, raisins, currants, cranberries, nuts, etc for the fruity one but you can also make it spicy by eliminating the fruits and adding jalapenos and chopped kale and/or broccoli, etc) before I go to bed and, in the morning, the bread is ready, cooled and ready to be served. They don't care if it comes out too dense and wet (which is almost always the case) or a bit dry, they like it anyway.
 

danadear

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I think someone has mentioned this already but putting food on skewers and hanging it also sometimes works. Pulling food from a skewer simulates pulling it from a branch or vine in the wild (someone here told me that) so it's a natural behavior. Pulling it and tasting it that way might get her interested. You can buy stainless skewers online from a number of bird supply vendors. You can put pieces of fresh veggies and fruit on it and even string it with toy parts. Skewers are very versatile. I skewer everything from food to phone books at my house!

The foraging baskets are good too. They are stainless steel or powder coated metal baskets that you can fill with food or toys or both and hang in the cage.

Stainless Steel 12" Bird Kabob - SKEWERS/TOY EXTENDERS by MY SAFE BIRD STORE

Stainless Steel Foraging Cage Large - STAINLESS STEEL by MY SAFE BIRD STORE
 
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bueryion

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Whats so bad about pellet food and feed mixes?? they are enginered to have all vitimans and minerals they need-and i give her treats when she is good
 
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