Is this a Goffin thing?

[wolfysluv]

Jan and I here have been friends almost since the day we got Jaden and Tika. We both supported (and still do) each other as they grew up since we were in the same boat and so many of our circumstances and how we got our birds was the same.

Well, once in a while we we'll run across something they both do that's not "in the books". Which is interesting. One of those things has been eating habits. They both are VERY picky. Their food must be a tiny size or mush. They don't grab big hard foods or pellets and eat them or crack open almonds or something. They prefer conure sized things or smaller. They are also very picky about what they eat. Giving them an adequate diet is let's just say, "challenging". They have very narrow and limited tastes. Tika just wants little pellets and mash. Jaden wants seedy types of things and mashes. To get them to dig into a fruit or fresh veggie ... yah, whatever. We've tried cooking them, trickling other things on them, you name it. I've tried mashing them up and Tika still knows it's "good for her". Both of them would fly miles for a potato chip which is interesting. I've tried eating apple chips myself. I sit in the living room, make a fuss over the crinkley bag, she goes nuts, walks over, grabs a chip and then in a tantrum heaves it away and leaves. I promise you, I've tried everything. Even taking all food away for a day. Oddly, when she was a baby, I did have her eating some natural foods. She just slowly stopped.

So, my question is, are either one of those two things "Goffin things"?

 

[JLcribber]

Both my cockatoos are exactly the same. Pickiest eaters I've ever seen. They will do head stands for a little lasagna.

A lot of "their" pickyness comes from bad diet (junk food) for the first part of their lives. Perverted appetites.

 

[suncoast]

Truely has just started eating her fruits and veggies in the last few months. I spent $$$$$$ on them and she's never so much as glanced at the dish. However, yesterday I caught her nibbling on spinach and now when I get home her dish is usually empty. I don't know why all of a sudden she's eating them.

I do offer her a wide variety of other foods too and we eat together a lot. I love veggies so maybe she just figured she's give it a try.

Ginger

 

[melissasparrots]

Cassie has never been overly picky. Her last home was outstanding. I think her old home was like parrot mecca. If anything, when I first got her, she liked everything in chunks. She went after the larger pellets and anything big enough to hold in her foot. It took me about a month to get her eating the various mashes and small sprouts most of mine eat. Her previous owner swore Cassie never liked sprouts or corn. Now she eats both pretty well. She's lukewarm about greens and really doesn't like cooked beans. But, otherwise, so long as I ration her seed and pellets so she can't fill up on those, she will eat her wet foods pretty okay.
Melissa

 

[love4birds]

Spike, my mom's goffins, wouldn't touch anything but pellets, seeds, nuts, corn, apple, banana, and peas for the first three years we had him! I still offered other fresh fruits and veggies daily, and mash, etc. It took those three years to get him to try anything else! NOW he is one of the best eaters in the house.

Actually neither of the 'toos here are picky eaters. They loooove their food lol.

 

[Zeb]

My goffins eats well....most anything I give him. The Lesser sulphur and Umbrella won't touch anything but pellets & seed.

 

[Grammy]

I'm going crazy trying to figure out what will spark Maggie May's food interests. She was in a sanctuary so there's no one I can even ask as to what her favorites were. She's been here over a month and so far will only eat millet, orange and chunky peanut butter on rye bread. I've tried EVERYTHING served EVERY WAY and nothing.

I remember when my niece was a toddler and my sister was worried that she wasn't eating and would follow her around the house saying, "Look Dana, apples!" or "Wow, this oatmeal is so good", or "Here's some yummy juicey." I would laugh and tell her to leave her alone and she would eat when she felt like it, that she was making food a struggle instead of a pleasure. Well, 20 years later, I'm standing beside a white ball of feathers pleading "Look Maggie, apples, wow!" Karma grinds slow, but it grinds, baby.

 

[mrstweet]

My goffin's doesn't like the smaller items in her bowl in her cage but she'll eat them on the playgym. I'm not sure if you two just happen to have similar goffins!

 

[jasminlana]

Well, my advice just keep trying. Ella, my G2 was eating only seeds and peanuts. It's been 3/1-2 months and I have her eating roudybush pellets, banana, sweet potato, brown rice, birdie bread -- she will veggies and eggs if you smash it up small in her rice. she loves nuts, cashews almonds,walnuts. I just keep offereing new and differnt things and serve it up in different ways, chopped, diced, mashed

the pellets were the hardest to get her to eat. I was softening them with almond milk,crushing them puttintg oatmeal on top thats how I got her to eat birdie bread, put oatmeal on top of it. then she would pick it out first, same with sweet potato and apples put a favorite food on top even hulled millet or sesame seeds

 

[wolfysluv]

It's so frustrating. I noticed that when I bought her, her diet was a little limited. But she would munch on brocoli or an apple and such occasionally. And it just slowly wound down. I never allowed her to have "treats" other than what we are eating for dinner or lunch that is good for her (veggies, etc). But still, next thing I knew she was eating only her food pretty much. Eventually I "had" to give her a mash because when she started mutilating and I collared her, she lost weight. She loved warm mash and to be hand fed (she was just over a year old). So I was able to get vitamins in her by soaking baby foods with grain bread and adding supplements. Over the course of a year, I was able to sneak in ground fresh veggies, egg, oatmeal, etc, into that mash. Then only this year was I able to get her to eat it cold. And yes, after having her a year, we were "bad", we did let her dip into popcorn, lick a juice pop sickle, let her have a potato chip, etc. But rarely, ya know? Really sucks. I love watching cockatoos going crazy over a piece of almond, holding a branch of brocoli, or getting messy with a banana. I guess it is what it is. Her diet is very good despite it. I just miss the "fun". lol.