Budgies need to Eat their Fruit and Veggies! How can I make mine love them?

[Komsur]

Hi, I've had my birds for over a year now, but they rarely touched the fruit/veg I put down for them daily.

They will, sometimes, clear the fruit bowl (which is separate to the regular seed bowl), but that's rare. Most of the time they'll eat one or two pieces and that's that. They don't particularly like being handled, they will let me take them out of the cage, but then they keep to themselves and put themselves away when they're done. I don't mind this, I like watching them, but hand feeding them is sort of not an option. I can hold fruit in front of them when they're in the cage, and they'll munch on it until it's gone, but I can't feasibly do this all the time.

I do put vitamin drops in their morning water, then just give them normal water in the afternoon. They also have an iodine block and a cuttlefish bone that they nibble from time-to-time.

Any other ideas?

 

[Mizzely]

This may help

Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips

A healthy parrot starts with a healthy diet. Although the perfect diet is controversial, many parrot enthusiasts and experts agree on one thing; a seed only diet is a diet that is lacking in essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that adding fresh foods and pellets to a...

forums.avianavenue.com

 

[Zara]

Some more tips in this article: My Chop "Recipe" About a third the way down the page

 

[Lori D Pert]

I started by mixing a bit of millet into the mix. Once that peaks their interest slowly decrease the millet. Also other than kale or lettuce, mine seem to prefer frozen veg thawed under warm water and chopped fine.

 

[Sparkles99]

One of mine likes radicchio so far. The other acts like radicchio exists to eat helpless, little budgies. So I'm not sure...

 

[aooratrix]

Budgies are granivores, so they like seeds. Try sprouting some seeds. Sprouts are packed with nutrition.

 

[Komsur]

Budgies are granivores, so they like seeds. Try sprouting some seeds. Sprouts are packed with nutrition.

Might not be a bad idea actually, are there any seeds to avoid (like if they sprout they become toxic or something)? Are things like lentils, kidney beans, peas, etc. good?

 

[Guava123]

You can chop up safe vegetables for them and mix in mashed sweet potato/hard boiled eggs as a binding agent and mix some into the veggies, you can sprinkle millet on top of the veggie chop, you can eat some in front of them, let them hang around the kitchen while you make the chop. You can bake birdie bread. Question-what is your bird's diet currently?

 

[aooratrix]

Might not be a bad idea actually, are there any seeds to avoid (like if they sprout they become toxic or something)? Are things like lentils, kidney beans, peas, etc. good?

I'd buy a good mix from Avian Organics, China Prairie, or Sprout People.

 

[Mizzely]

Might not be a bad idea actually, are there any seeds to avoid (like if they sprout they become toxic or something)? Are things like lentils, kidney beans, peas, etc. good?

Kidney beans should always be cooked, even if you sprout them. They do have a toxin (even for humans) that is neutralized by heat