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cricketiel

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
5/14/20
Messages
17
Real Name
Dana
Hi all!

I’ve been having a very hard time converting my cockatiel to pellets. I’ve tried multiple (healthy) brands to find her favorite, and she 100% recognizes them as food, but she will only eat them if I sit with her and pretend to eat them too. And even then she only eats a few before throwing a tantrum.

I’ve tried blending then into a powder and sprinkling them on seeds and her favorite veggies, I’ve tried getting them damp and mushy and mixing them with those things, I’ve tried getting them mushy on their own, I’ve tried genuinely everything that I can think of and everything I have been recommended.

I try to ignore the protests she has when I refuse to cave (I don’t give her seeds to get her to stop screaming because I don’t want her to learn screaming gets her what she wants), but it gets to the point where she has barely eaten for several days (which I can tell from her poops) and is just screaming constantly, until I finally do cave because I don’t want her to starve of course (though I have been monitoring her weight throughout the whole process).

To summarize: she knows pellets are food but still refuses to eat them, even when she’s starving. Does anyone have any advice?? I’m at my wit’s end with this, so literally any commentary would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for your time!

- Dana
 

MC_Hahn's

Walking the driveway
Joined
3/20/20
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265
Real Name
Marie C.
When did you begin trying to switch her over to pellets?

Have you tried the colored variety of pellets? A few years ago, one of my budgies was so picky that I had to individually pick out the sugary red pellets from the rest just to get her to eat them.

If nothing is working, try speaking to a trusted veterinarian that has experience with birds.

Keep in mind that, unlike other parrot species, budgies and cockatiels actually have to have some seeds in their diet.

My vet told me to slowly introduce pellets into the main diet over the course of a year, adding a bit more every month of the preferred pellet, or multiple brands if they prefer.

Are some of the pellets too large? You said that you ground them up, but some brands make cockatiel pellets in a larger size that some birds (*cough, cough* Colby *cough, cough*) are too lazy to crunch.

Worst case scenario, you have to find a better seed diet (if the current one isn't up to standards, you can make your own) and offer pellets on the side or sprinkled on top of the seeds. Some people even add supplements onto the tops of their birds' foods.

It's great to hear that you're trying to help her, though! :)
 

Mizzely

Lil Monsters Bird Toys
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brdfvr

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Just keep trying. I still give my cockatiel seeds as I feel it gives her a variety anything she doesn't eat gets given to the chickens so nothing is wasted. She especially likes wetted pellets mixed with seeds.
 

Pistachio

Meeting neighbors
Joined
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59

cricketiel

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
5/14/20
Messages
17
Real Name
Dana
I agree. Sometimes unhealthy food can bridge you to healthy foods. I’ve heard a lot of people who used zupreem friut blend to transition their birds.
Thanks for the reply! I have tried the colorful pellets...for some reason she likes them even less than the natural ones hahah, but I will certainly continue to try other versions!
 

cricketiel

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
5/14/20
Messages
17
Real Name
Dana
When did you begin trying to switch her over to pellets?

Have you tried the colored variety of pellets? A few years ago, one of my budgies was so picky that I had to individually pick out the sugary red pellets from the rest just to get her to eat them.

If nothing is working, try speaking to a trusted veterinarian that has experience with birds.

Keep in mind that, unlike other parrot species, budgies and cockatiels actually have to have some seeds in their diet.

My vet told me to slowly introduce pellets into the main diet over the course of a year, adding a bit more every month of the preferred pellet, or multiple brands if they prefer.

Are some of the pellets too large? You said that you ground them up, but some brands make cockatiel pellets in a larger size that some birds (*cough, cough* Colby *cough, cough*) are too lazy to crunch.

Worst case scenario, you have to find a better seed diet (if the current one isn't up to standards, you can make your own) and offer pellets on the side or sprinkled on top of the seeds. Some people even add supplements onto the tops of their birds' foods.

It's great to hear that you're trying to help her, though! :)
Thank you for your thorough reply! I’ve tried some of the color pellets and she (for some reason) seems to like those even less than the natural ones :laughing2: And yeah she is alsotoo lazy to crunch the cockatiel sized ones, so I buy her parakeet pellets. :)

I will definitely try more with the colored pellets and will talk to my vet about any supplements she might need and what the best seed diet would be for her, in case she decides never to fully convert.

Thanks again for all your help!
 
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