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Advice needed diet/conversion/sunflowers

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Merlie

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Hi guys ..

Really could use a little help here.

My new flock member .. who I've name Panji <Patagonian conure> is giving me quite a difficult time with her eating habits.

She is, unfortunately, on a seed diet. I don't want to make any drastic changes, as I've only had her for a week, but I at least got her a much better quality seed mix than what she was eating.

The problem being, she really seems addicted to sunflower seeds. The mix I got is a "no sun" mix .. as I knew that would be a bulk of what she ate .. and we all know sunflower seed as a stable isn't healthy.

So, she's got no sunflower in her current mix, but will sit and literally throw all the seed out of her feed cup looking for them. I'm nervous that she's not eating as much as she should be.

I'm offering pellets as well .. no luck so far, but I know pellet conversion takes time.

I'm also offering tons of fresh foods, cooked foods .. etc .. trying to find something she really likes. She'll nibble a bit, but really seems intent on finding herself sunflower seeds.

I really don't want to give her any, but I want to make sure she eats.

Help!!!

Anybody have experience with "sunflower" eaters?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

~birdybea~

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My tiels are sunflower addicts. What i do is mix a cockatiel/peachface seed mix about 50:50 with budgie or finch mix, so that the sunflowers are really spread out through the mix and they can't fill up on them. Perhaps try that with Panji. :) The mix of tiel/budgie seed would be fine for most small/medium parrots, it's what my green cheeks get for treats too (they're on pellets mainly).
 

Gen120

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I agree with Kristen and Belinda! Have you tried making birdy bread yet, with the pellets/seeds in it?
 

Brigidt36

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I just love Patagonian Conures! My Blue Crown Conure was a total sunflower seed addict when I got him. He was approximately 7 y/o when he came to live with me. It has taken me years and years to convert him to a healthy diet. I will admit there were several times through out the years where he wore me down and I gave in and he got his sunflower seed mix back. What finally worked was I started only give him seed late in the afternoon, a small amount, and took it out of his cage at bedtime. He is a stubborn bird and I was very scared he'd starve himself to death if I didn't give him seed. He always had pellets available 24/7 and fresh fruit and veggies. I'd place the pellets in his bowl and in his foraging toys. The foraging toy thing didn't work too well until I added just a few sunflower seeds to get him interested. After several weeks of doing this, and when I noticed him at least nibbling on the healthy stuff, I then switched putting the seed in every other day. Like I said, it has taken me years, but he finally eats his pellets, his fresh fruits and veggies and his birdie mash and birdie bread. I did (and still do) crush up the pellets and added them to the birdie bread and I think this helped too. Good luck. All I can say is be patient and consistant. Some birds are more stubborn than others.
 

MommyBird

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I don't know how Patty brains work but,
My Goffin would eat fresh foods from a kabob.
Also try some millet spray and sprouts. If you could sprout some sunflower at least the fat would be lower and nutrition higher.
Also once she can be with your other birds and see them eating she may join in. My Goffin eats to live, but he is quite a social eater and eats all kinds of things when sharing a dish with my Hahns.
 

logo89

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it will take alot of time I have been converting Lucy from a seed diet for the past year and still not fully off of them yet. I have tried countless kinds of pellets and every techniqua and the one that worke the best for me was acting like I was eating them(and sometimes actually eating them) to get her interested. I would act so excited and over exagerate everything saying yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum this is so good! and almost actinf territorial to the food because if Lucy isnt allowed to have something and someone is enjoying it she is going to get some no matter what.
 

Merlie

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Thanks for all the replies!!

I've converted other birds to pellets before .. I realize it won't happen overnight.

My main concern is that she really seems addicted to sunflower seeds specifically. The mix I'm giving her has no sunflower in it.

I'm offering tons and tons of fresh foods, birdie mash, birdie bread .. soaked pellets, pellets with applesauce/fruit mixed in ... she'll nibble .. but really seems intent on finding herself some sunflower seeds ... lol.

She does love .. of course .. Cherrios .. lol .. as I found out when I was eating a bowl myself. I thought I'd fake her out and put pellets in a bowl and pretend to eat .. but she didn't fall for that trick.

Finicky little poop she is!!!
 

Billie Faye

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OK, I'm going to be somewhat different here!
I have 3 Patty's...they all have come to me over the years eating just seeds...I'm NOT a pellet feeder what so ever!
I won't change a birds eating habits when they first come to me...my "Q" time is around 180 days depending on the bird and situation they have come from...
I start with feeding for the first month what they are use to BUT only at night...all of my birds get FRESH foods/cooked brown rice/Quinoa in the AM....and then the seed mixture at night time.....Within the first two weeks the bird is eating the Fresh foods in the AM and the seeds at night....I am also sprouting and during the second month will start throwing in the sprouts along with the seeds at night....also in the second month at least once a week they will be introduced to birdy bread...will all the verity they have to eat, you can then start eleminating sun flower seeds (sprouting them only) if you feel your bird eats too many....
Here are some sites if you haven't seen them to help with picky eaters ...
But He Doesn't Like It by Pamela Clark
Feeding Finicky Birds - Parrot Diets
Introducing New Foods to Picky Pet Birds
Land of Vos - Articles - Tips for Finicky Eaters
:hug8:
This is what my birds breakfast looks like and my birdy bread
 

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