New bird owners rehomed conure, and help greatly appreciated

[Fyx]

@Mizzely I looked all over for a way to message you directly without bumping this thread to the top all the time but couldn't figure it out lol. We are going to get some supplies and make a PVC gym similar to this one here, that way we can "rearrange" it every so often to keep things exciting and fresh. Would you be able to customize a mystery box or recommend some good toys that we could put on this once we get it setup?

 

[Mizzely]

@Mizzely I looked all over for a way to message you directly without bumping this thread to the top all the time but couldn't figure it out lol. We are going to get some supplies and make a PVC gym similar to this one here, that way we can "rearrange" it every so often to keep things exciting and fresh. Would you be able to customize a mystery box or recommend some good toys that we could put on this once we get it setup?

Of course I think most of my toys would do just fine on that. I bought one from @Matto with BeMore BeMore Bird Supplies - Home that goes on my window and my Jardine's gets my toys on there

 

[Fyx]

@Mizzely I tried a chop following your suggestion and he hates vegetables so far. I tried it warm, frozen, room temp, etc, small chunks, big chunks and still no dice. So today on day 4, I chopped everything up into small pieces and separated them all in a big stainless steel dish and he still hasn't taken them. I've took his seeds out since that is all he seems to want, and he is just munching pellets or looking for stuff on the bottom of the cage to eat.

I bought for him to try the following:
Green beans (tried giving him the inside seed and the whole thing)
Broccoli (base and crown parts)
Carrots (chopped, diced, strips)
Mango (skin on/skin off)
Raddish (Raddish itself/leaves)
Blueberries (whole/chopped)
Green pepper (chunks/seeds)
Pineapple (chunk/juices)
Purple grapes (whole/cut up)
Butternut squash (skin off/skin off)
Clementines/Cuties (skin on/ skin off)
Kale

The only thing he is wanting to eat are:
Grannysmith Apples
Green grapes
his food seed mix (picks out all the seeds and leaves the pellets for awhile)
I've manually taken out the sunflower seeds to use as treats since it seems to be his favorite. I don't want to starve the bird to sickness but any other tips on how to get him to eat it? I've even manually held up everything and had him come take it from my hand but he tongues it and then drops it on the floor.

 

[Mizzely]

Bad news here.. It takes sometimes a long time. My Quaker wouldn't eat anything except seeds for 6 months, finally got him eating pellets and veggies. My Jardine's still won't eat veggies and I've had him since August.

I don't really have suggestions other than the Serving Tips and Alternatives I've listed at the bottom of my chop recipe article.

Me personally, I never buy pellet + seed mixes because the ratios are usually really off. I mix maybe 1/2 tsp of seed into 2 Tbsp of pellets. If he had free access to seeds, it's like offering a toddler potato chips alongside broccoli. Which will they eat first? So if you haven't already, try removing the seeds and pellets completely for a couple hours while the veggies are on offer. I also only put 1 or 2 pieces of fruit into the chop so they get interested but not focused on fruit only.

Here is the info from my article :

Serving Tips
Not all birds take to chop immediately. Here are some ideas to encourage eating.

Serve less, not more. Remember that birds only eat about 15 to 20% of their body weight daily. For Jingo, I usually only give him 1 to 2 tbsp of chop a day because I also want him to eat pellets. If you provide your bird with a large amount of food, they tend to pick their favorites. Offering less may encourage them to eat what they are given.

Eat with your bird. It is instinct for birds to avoid things they don't recognize as food. They learn safe foods from their flock, and in our homes, you are part of the flock! If they see you eat it, it shows them that it is edible and safe. You can also even try just sitting next to them while they eat, as eating is a flock activity.

Vary the presentation. Sometimes they don't like the way things are cut, or the bowl, or the temperature. Try offering it warm, or cold. Try cutting up things in different ways - for example, carrots can be diced, cut into coins, or sticks. Sometimes a new shape will encourage them to eat. Try a plate vs a bowl. Some birds really like to eat veggies on a plate on the cage floor, while others prefer a bowl at the top of their cage! Eventually you will find a willing combination!

Try not letting ingredients touch. Some birds prefer that their food is not all mixed together and would prefer that their carrots and peas don't touch! Try offering a plate with things dividing vs mixed together.

Offer first thing in the morning. Birds tend to be hungriest when they first wake up. Try offering chop as the first meal of the day!

Let them "steal" it off your plate. Do you have a bird that won't eat anything given to them, but will eat anything you are eating? This trick works on Jingo every time! I let him think he is stealing something tasty off my plate, and he will eat it everytime! Stolen food must taste better.

Mix in favorite foods. While they will likely pick out their favorites first, veggies tend to stick to each other in a chop and they may accidentally fall in love with whatever is attached to their favorite food! If nothing else, it makes a positive association that can help bridge the gap.

Make bird bread. You can use a pre-made mix like low glycemic flours. Add in veggies and your bird ingests the veggies and hopefully gets a taste for them! This has worked well for me with pellets as well.

Make veggies fun. Put them in a foraging toy, hang them up on a skewer, or weave them through the cage bars!

Try smoothies. Some birds love nothing more than to drink down a tasty smoothie! Take your chop and blend it into a drink and see if they will eat it that way. You can also make it into a puree (think baby food consistency) and feed it on a spoon for a nutritional bonding session,

It will be messy. No matter if they love or loathe chop, it will be messy. This is also natural. One of the things parrots do in the wild is help things in the top of the trees make it to the ground. This feeds the tree itself, as well as insects and animals that can't reach them. It is an important part of the jungle, but unfortunately the behavior comes inside with them!

Patience. It will take time for some birds. Keep offering! If you stop offering, there is no chance for your bird to accept it.

Alternatives

If you cannot get your bird to eat fresh veggies, or you simply have no time for a fresh version, another option would be a dehydrated or freeze dried vegetable mix, either as is or re-hydrated. Re-hydrated would be best simply because pellets and seeds are already so dry. Also, check the label and offer only those that do not contain sugars, salt, onions, oils, or Sulfur Dioxide.

Sprouts are another alternative. Many birds seem to really go for sprouts because they are seed like. Sprouts are super healthy and really easy to make! Store bought sprouts are not recommended as they have a greater chance for spoiling. They can make up most of the fresh food part of your bird's diet.

Cook 'n' serve mixes can also be a good supplement if your bird won't eat veggies. I have found good luck with Avian Organicsmixes, and usually I can sneak in a few extra veggies without them noticing!

 

[Leih]

I've been trying to get my lovebird to eat fresh vegetables for months. She is such a fuss bucket, can't get her beak wet! My conure wants to try anything I'm eating, so that may be a good method for you and your conure. He was afraid of strawberries but just had to try them when he saw me eat them! My lovebird... She doesn't care! I have dehydrated chop right now that is a blend of veggies and I like to rehydrate it sometimes but she'll only eat it dry. I usually get either the Just Veggies mix (my birds were weaned onto Roudybush plus the dried veggies) or I have recently discovered Christine's Chop Shop. I have her "soak and serve chop", daily maintenance blend (I give them a little a day) and they also really love her "sprouted birdie bites."

 

[Monica]

I would highly recommend Mizzley's suggestions!

In particular, I would recommend removing all food at night (when your bird goes to sleep), then offering the fresh food/chop first thing in the morning! Mix in a little bit of seeds and/or pellets to at least pique your bird's interest, maybe even sprinkle some seed on top. Remember, just a little! Enough so that your bird seeds that there are seeds in there. Then leave that in the cage for 1-2 hours. If your bird doesn't eat any, that's okay! Replace the chop with their normal food and try again the next day!

You can also try feeding sprouts and if your bird enjoys those, then you can mix in one or two finely chopped vegetables into the sprout mix. If that goes over well, try adding another one or two until the sprout mix becomes more vegetables than sprouts!