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Desperate!

budgiezila

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Hello, no matter what I do to their pellets, (make them wet, put fruit on top, etc) my budgies will NOT eat them!! Is there a way to give them vitamins, maybe a dust? I’m desperate at this point. Buttercup is getting too chunky.....
 

clarousel

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What pellets are you feeding them? Have you tried crushing them slightly smaller and giving them a piece by hand?
 

budgiezila

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What pellets are you feeding them? Have you tried crushing them slightly smaller and giving them a piece by hand?
I’m giving them the Harrison’s super fine. I have tried giving it to them by hand but they’re still afraid of me. They’ve tried it a few times but they might have just been eating the few seeds I sprinkled on top to entice them
 

clarousel

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Ah I see! If you haven't already tried this - offering just pellets a few times during the day and taking away the seeds, but replacing the seeds later so they still have food available.

I'm not so sure about multivitamins, I've only seen them in liquid form here. Hopefully someone will chime in soon!
 

budgiezila

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Ah I see! If you haven't already tried this - offering just pellets a few times during the day and taking away the seeds, but replacing the seeds later so they still have food available.

I'm not so sure about multivitamins, I've only seen them in liquid form here. Hopefully someone will chime in soon!
Would you put the liquid form in water? (I will try offering the pellets more)
 

clarousel

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Would you put the liquid form in water? (I will try offering the pellets more)
It's best to put it on soft foods as you can't tell how much they drink and I think some people have said it changes the taste of the water so they may not drink altogether.

Just in case you missed out this helpful thread :) Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips

Keep trying! It's tough and perhaps your birds just require a bit more time to finally accept pellets! Have you tried other brands?
 

Tiel Feathers

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You can add just a few drops of water to your seeds and then sprinkle pellet dust on them so they stick. In order to eat the seeds, they have to eat some pellets too. After they get used to them, you can make the pellets a tiny bit bigger. Over time you can make them bigger and stop adding water.
 

Khizz

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I'm following this thread as I'm also reaching a loose end. My two will rather starve themselves and deafen me in the process than eat pellets. For @budgiezila : Here's what I've tried, with my experiences:
  • Smaller pellets (this worked kind of, they'll eat them but they still tend to leave them)
  • Start with a low amount of pellets and slowly increase every 2 weeks (currently retrying this one with more consistency than I did before)
  • Different brand (success, they didn't like the fruity-flavour of the Nutribird)
  • Only feeding pellets and veg in the morning (they loaded up on veg...great! Wouldn't touch pellets and screamed the whole morning)
  • Only feeding pellets in the morning (unbearable, I couldn't withstand the amount of noise)
  • Removed food overnight (woken up at a ridiculous time, no thanks)
  • Moistened the pellets (yuck! They hated it!)
  • Made a "cake" from moistened pellets and seed (tried this with one type of pellet they don't like, but they didn't even try to get the seed parts. Might have to try again with new pellets)
Honestly, the transition to pellets is driving me mad so I completely understand. I'm sure if I withstood the noise maybe I'd have more success, but it does drive me to my wits end as I have a small flat and work from home sometimes. Its also costly because the pellets they will actually taste are only available at one online shop here and so they hike up the prices.
 

finchly

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I'm following this thread as I'm also reaching a loose end. My two will rather starve themselves and deafen me in the process than eat pellets. For @budgiezila : Here's what I've tried, with my experiences:
  • Smaller pellets (this worked kind of, they'll eat them but they still tend to leave them)
  • Start with a low amount of pellets and slowly increase every 2 weeks (currently retrying this one with more consistency than I did before)
  • Different brand (success, they didn't like the fruity-flavour of the Nutribird)
  • Only feeding pellets and veg in the morning (they loaded up on veg...great! Wouldn't touch pellets and screamed the whole morning)
  • Only feeding pellets in the morning (unbearable, I couldn't withstand the amount of noise)
  • Removed food overnight (woken up at a ridiculous time, no thanks)
  • Moistened the pellets (yuck! They hated it!)
  • Made a "cake" from moistened pellets and seed (tried this with one type of pellet they don't like, but they didn't even try to get the seed parts. Might have to try again with new pellets)
Honestly, the transition to pellets is driving me mad so I completely understand. I'm sure if I withstood the noise maybe I'd have more success, but it does drive me to my wits end as I have a small flat and work from home sometimes. Its also costly because the pellets they will actually taste are only available at one online shop here and so they hike up the prices.
So, have you tried putting pellets and veg in the food processor, give a quick chop, and serve that way? In essence you're hiding them in the veg - plus the pellets help absorb any water (some of mine hate wetness). In fact if that doesn't work I add some hard boiled egg into it ; mine will eat anything involving egg.
Also try other brands, I know you said many aren't available but some manufacturers will send samples.
 

Khizz

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So, have you tried putting pellets and veg in the food processor, give a quick chop, and serve that way? In essence you're hiding them in the veg - plus the pellets help absorb any water (some of mine hate wetness). In fact if that doesn't work I add some hard boiled egg into it ; mine will eat anything involving egg.
Also try other brands, I know you said many aren't available but some manufacturers will send samples.
I was thinking of trying putting it in the veg as a next step. At the time they were picky about their veg, so I feared putting them off it, but they are better with it now I only feed them fresh.

Also the problem is that as Switzerland is technically not part of Europe, its an absolute nightmare to get anything other than Harrisons and Nutribird (I'm having issues getting nutriberries which they like, as I can only order it to Germany and pick it up, which isn't too convenient).

The thing is I do see them eating Harrisons here and there, so the taste isn't the issue. Its just they don't eat enough of them. I only recently found a good source for Harrisons so I am retrying a number of the above-mentioned methods, as I think the Nutribird was just not their thing!
 

clarousel

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I was thinking of trying putting it in the veg as a next step. At the time they were picky about their veg, so I feared putting them off it, but they are better with it now I only feed them fresh.

Also the problem is that as Switzerland is technically not part of Europe, its an absolute nightmare to get anything other than Harrisons and Nutribird (I'm having issues getting nutriberries which they like, as I can only order it to Germany and pick it up, which isn't too convenient).

The thing is I do see them eating Harrisons here and there, so the taste isn't the issue. Its just they don't eat enough of them. I only recently found a good source for Harrisons so I am retrying a number of the above-mentioned methods, as I think the Nutribird was just not their thing!
Do you have friends overseas who could help you ship products over?

I feel like you're going in the right direction though! The fact that they eat some is better than none! I can't remember who it was here that said it took their bird 2 years before it finally ate veggies :wacky:
 

Kiwi & Co.

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I feel like you're going in the right direction though! The fact that they eat some is better than none! I can't remember who it was here that said it took their bird 2 years before it finally ate veggies :wacky:
@Mizzely
 
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dollfish

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After trying everything trying to convert to good pellets, I started making Astro's pellets soggy with a tiny bit of grape molasses added to the water. After that she was fine and now she eats crop fulls just plain. But I still mix the dust into the chop or do other kinds of trickery any chance I get..
 

dollfish

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I love how everyone had to get so creative so that their birds would eat their healthy pellets..

:bounce4:
 

Khizz

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Do you have friends overseas who could help you ship products over?

I feel like you're going in the right direction though! The fact that they eat some is better than none! I can't remember who it was here that said it took their bird 2 years before it finally ate veggies :wacky:
I could get people to send them from the UK, but it's not an ideal solution to be honest!

I know they can eat the Harrisons, they are just being incredibly awkward about it by only eating a tiny amount (not forgetting those that get chucked across the room!). I swear this is cosmic karma for giving my parents so much grief when I was a picky-eating kid :crycry2:
 

clarousel

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Someone recently tried mixing pellets with OJ and it worked! Just gotta be careful of the sugar and acid.
 

Khizz

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Someone recently tried mixing pellets with OJ and it worked! Just gotta be careful of the sugar and acid.
Mine are not fans of anything fruity. Plus they are funny with textures. I got some real grief from the two of them when I tried moistening their Nutribird pellets, I think they suspected I was trying to poison them with gross pellet mush :rofl:
 

clarousel

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Mine are not fans of anything fruity. Plus they are funny with textures. I got some real grief from the two of them when I tried moistening their Nutribird pellets, I think they suspected I was trying to poison them with gross pellet mush :rofl:
Yeah same here, nothing sweet, mushy or wet for Preeno! I may have some luck having it on my finger but usually he just head bobs at it and flys away :roflmao:
 
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