Feeding my new Parrotlet

[ShadowWalk]

Hi everyone. I got a Parrotlet last week, he is about 11 weeks old. The breeder has his Parrotlets in an outside aviary and he was feeding him budgie mix with sunflower hearts mixed in. I had done my research and want him on a pellet diet. The breeder gave me some of the food he was giving him and told me to mix it with pellets and reduce the seed gradually to get him onto the pellets. However, he isn't eating the pellets at all, he's even using his foot to dig around and get the seeds out. The second day I had him I had him eating millet I was offering him with my fingers, and he was tucking right into it but since that day he has shown no interest in it and if I stick it in front of him he shuffles away from it on his perch. I also can't get him to eat any fruit or veg. With the current situation the supermarkets in the UK are low on produce so I can't get a lot of the different things I'd like to try him on, have tried carrot, apple and spinach. He pecked a piece of apple once and quickly lost interest. He won't touch carrot and seems to be afraid of spinach lol, no idea why. I know it is early days and he is still adjusting to his new environment, but I have had him standing on my hand today eating seed from it, I could have brought him out the cage if I wanted, he would have let me, I just didn't because I don't want to push him too far too soon and I know although he has adapted well I probably have been a bit hasty with getting him to eat out my hand so soon after getting him. He let me touch him for the first time today and even bent his head for me when I was giving him tickles on his neck so it's not because he is scared as he is obviously starting to trust me, but he did make it clear when he had had enough so I respected that lol. I don't know if I should stop offering him new stuff and just keep him on the seed till he settles in more, but I know its not the ideal diet for him, especially with the sunflower hearts in it, and I'm worried about his long term health if I can't get him onto a healthier diet. I don't want to withhold the seed if he isn't eating anything else. I am also concerned that if I that's all he will eat how do I find incentives (treats) for training him. The breeder had millet sprays hanging in the aviary so that's not a new food to him and I don't understand why he just lost interest in it so fast after taking it so well from me. I'm a new bird Mum so any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Shezbug]

Remove the sunflower seeds from your food mix and use them as your treats?

The pellets may take him a long time to start eating, same with veg and fruit if he wasn’t weaned onto fresh food as well as seed, be very patient.

Keep offering it but don’t remove his seed if that is all he’s eating, keep the pellet mixed into the seed mix so he will have to keep touching them- hopefully over time he will become interested.

Some people wet the pellets and cover them with seed. Some people powder the pellets to sprinkle on dampened seed or wet food like mash or sprouts. You could also try sprouting your seed as sprouts are a bit healthier than seed and are an easy intro to fresh foods.

Get inventive and try everything you can think of but most of all be patient lol.

Some really good information here Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips

 

[Pockets]

The diet change likely won't happen in only a week, so I'd say you should slow it down. Curious to read what others think.
Chop is usually a nice way to incorporate veg. into a birdo diet - so maybe consider making a small batch and mixing some seeds in. At best, your parrotlet inadvertently consumes some veg. and enjoys it - at worst, you've wasted a couple of minutes chopping up vegetables.

I second the idea of taking out the sunflower seeds in advance to use as treats.

Good luck and congratulations on your new friend!

 

[ShadowWalk]

Thank you both for the reply, I will try and do it more gradually, and the chop is a great idea that I will definitely try when the shops actually get food again lol I have actually ordered sunflower hearts and wasn't going to mix them through his food as at lest then I can be in control of how much of them he is eating as I read they are really fattening. He took some millet from me again today which was great. I will try different methods to get him to take the pellets as well, thanks so much again

 

[Grace]

Chop can be any combination of veggies so if you have carrot, apple and spinach, that is fine. Also frozen veggies thawed and chopped into fine size pieces are a good second best. Either way mixing in a little seed may pique his interest. I often cut off small pieces of fruits and veg I am eating to offer the birds as they eat such a small amount. You have not had him long so no need to be worried if it takes him a while to try the veggies. Infeed both pellets and seed in addition to the fruits and veggies. I have has some success by putting pellets in a dish high in the cage and seeds in a low dish as mine seem to prefer eating from the higher dish. Congrats on your new friend!