How to resist hunger strike by budgies in response to chop?

[APARAJITO]

2 male budgies, one 5 another 1.5y. Recently both have taken up eating straight chop with no chaser. but after going through anywhere from 1/3rd to half their portion, they stop eating and start begging for their much beloved mixed seeds, which i usually let them eat for a 7 minute window at the end of the day as to not accidentially starve the damn birds. Ive also got a juvenile tiel that eats a little of the chop seeing the budgies but mostly sticks to seed.

At current, their diet (by volume, not even calories) is probably 25% to 30% chop and the rest seeds. id like to reverse that to maybe 75% or 90% chop and the rest seeds.

Before you ask, pellets are not available anywhere where i live. Veggies fruits and seeds are the best i can give

 

[Sparkles99]

I’d honestly do things more slowly. There are diet conversion tips in the Feathered Food Court. Rushing or withholding seed may end in disaster. Trust me, I feel for you.

 

[Mizzely]

Have you tried to soak the seeds? That might be a good in-between, and soaking then for 8-12 hours helps activate the seed to sprout.

Also how much are you feeding at a time? I know my Bourke's and Linnie will only eat a total of about 1 tbsp of chop each a day. They definitely prefer it in two meals, too.

 

[APARAJITO]

Have you tried to soak the seeds? That might be a good in-between, and soaking then for 8-12 hours helps activate the seed to sprout.

Also how much are you feeding at a time? I know my Bourke's and Linnie will only eat a total of about 1 tbsp of chop each a day. They definitely prefer it in two meals, too.

both the budgies devour sprouts, the tiel hasnt got a chance to eat sprouts yet (he eats very sporadically since hes not fully settled in)

 

[APARAJITO]

I’d honestly do things more slowly. There are diet conversion tips in the Feathered Food Court. Rushing or withholding seed may end in disaster. Trust me, I feel for you.

they recognize chop as food which is good but after a bit they stop eating it, should i add a pinch of millet so they dig through the chop more at that point?

 

[Sparkles99]

That could help!

 

[Emma&pico]

Hi
I have seeds in foraging toys so they are available to them but have to work for them they have what I want them to eat in bowl either veggies or pellets might be an idea so they have options