patchyjoon
Sprinting down the street
- Joined
- 9/24/25
- Messages
- 519
Oh boy. So, as you all know when we first got Patches, he was on an all-seed diet, or rather, he was on a bird mix where the only thing he ate out of it were safflower seeds. 
It's been months of a lot of back and forth. Trial and error. A lot of frustrated emotions. I know it's not his fault, but I feel like he went personally out of his way to make the transition more difficult. We finally got to a good place about 5 months ago. 50% pellet, 30% chop, 20% treats (not just seeds, but also walnuts, dried fruits, etc.).
Chop has always been a difficult topic for me. I like to eat a lot of veggies, my bird on the other hand would rather die than touch a single one. However, I finally figured out a little "cheat" code. He really liked circular, squishy veggies. CUE THE CHOP MONTAGE!
Yes, we had mixes with all sorts of beans (beans I've literally never heard of but have learned to cook with because of him). His chop was basically a wide variety of different beans, with finely chopped greens mixed in with some of his favorite grains (oats, barley, semolina, etc.) I literally thought I made it. In fact, when people asked about my boy's diet, I would proudly say how much chop he eats and how much time I spend making it.
Well, fast-forward to last week and this week... CHOP IS OUT LADIES AND GENTS. NO CHOP. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! All other foods are eaten without issue, including the pellets. (thank God there's at least that) I've tried Birdie bread and got a similar response. I went out and bought other veggies as I thought he might've just gotten bored with the current chop assortment. But nope. Nada. Only thing he'll kinda eat (mostly suck the juice out) is specifically red (not green) apples and some plums. I'm at a loss... on top of that, I've witnessed my little Satan's spawn try some of his chop, shake his head and then proceed to try some of his own poop!!!! Like seriously!? I know my chop isn't that bad dude!!!!
Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this? I'm literally at my wits end. How did we regress so quickly? The only other behavioral change in him is that he's extra frisky (we do put him down for 12 hours... but I guess it's just the season) and he sure does love to bite me!!!!
I'm sad. I loved making the chops and the birdie breads. I just hate I have to start experimenting all over again. Food ain't cheap in this economy. I'm honestly debating putting a pause on the chop all together and only give him pellets for the time being, then try again later down the road.
It's been months of a lot of back and forth. Trial and error. A lot of frustrated emotions. I know it's not his fault, but I feel like he went personally out of his way to make the transition more difficult. We finally got to a good place about 5 months ago. 50% pellet, 30% chop, 20% treats (not just seeds, but also walnuts, dried fruits, etc.).
Chop has always been a difficult topic for me. I like to eat a lot of veggies, my bird on the other hand would rather die than touch a single one. However, I finally figured out a little "cheat" code. He really liked circular, squishy veggies. CUE THE CHOP MONTAGE!
Yes, we had mixes with all sorts of beans (beans I've literally never heard of but have learned to cook with because of him). His chop was basically a wide variety of different beans, with finely chopped greens mixed in with some of his favorite grains (oats, barley, semolina, etc.) I literally thought I made it. In fact, when people asked about my boy's diet, I would proudly say how much chop he eats and how much time I spend making it.
Well, fast-forward to last week and this week... CHOP IS OUT LADIES AND GENTS. NO CHOP. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! All other foods are eaten without issue, including the pellets. (thank God there's at least that) I've tried Birdie bread and got a similar response. I went out and bought other veggies as I thought he might've just gotten bored with the current chop assortment. But nope. Nada. Only thing he'll kinda eat (mostly suck the juice out) is specifically red (not green) apples and some plums. I'm at a loss... on top of that, I've witnessed my little Satan's spawn try some of his chop, shake his head and then proceed to try some of his own poop!!!! Like seriously!? I know my chop isn't that bad dude!!!!
Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this? I'm literally at my wits end. How did we regress so quickly? The only other behavioral change in him is that he's extra frisky (we do put him down for 12 hours... but I guess it's just the season) and he sure does love to bite me!!!!
I'm sad. I loved making the chops and the birdie breads. I just hate I have to start experimenting all over again. Food ain't cheap in this economy. I'm honestly debating putting a pause on the chop all together and only give him pellets for the time being, then try again later down the road.
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