What motivates your parrots?

[Saemma]

What type of things motivate your parrots?

All four of my parrots are very NUT and Verbal praise oriented. These are the things I use to influence them to do the things I want them to do.
Today I discovered that Thomas Red Bellied adores organic unsalted pistachios so I will use this in my arsenal when I teach him to step up on the step up stick.

I will admit that I was a bit nervous this week that he wouldn't be interested in food too much other than the junk seed mixture he's eaten his entire life.

 

[lzver]

Almonds are the one thing all three of mine go bonkers for! As soon as they see the Almond container, I have all eyes on me It used to be sunflower seeds That was before I realized they weren't the healthiest treat

I'm so happy to hear that Thomas is open to trying different foods. If he's anything like Lucy, he won't be picky.

 

[65sunnyday]

Nicky SC goes bonkers over pine nuts (pignolia?) He already gets almonds daily. I do worry about all the fat in pine nuts.

 

[bubblelady]

We just recently discovered almonds. Arabella has always liked nuts but Gussie prefers hemp seeds. I call hemp seeds Conure Crack This is the first NUT that my little nut greenie likes. Arabella also likes hemp seeds, but then I don't think she has ever met a seed or a nut that she doesn't like. In fact, with the exception of ALL fruit, I don't think she has ever met any food she doesn't like. She is for sure FOOD driven!

 

[KatherinesBirds]

My birds go BONKERS over Pistachios. Walmart has them on sale now, roasted no salt. Shadow can't get them open even though they are part way open as they come in the bag. I have to give it a help and pull them apart. I shell them for the smaller birds. I only give one or two a day to Shadow. She doesn't eat the whole thing.

 

[Merlie]

Nuts at my house are the big motivators. Pistachio, almond and pine .. the Quakers love Pumpkin seeds <so glad pumpkin season is coming, miss fresh roasted pumpkin seeds!!>.

 

[Anne & Gang]

food of any kind is a motivator for Samantha...for Princess Mitch it is definitely mashed potatoes and eggs.

 

[Lady Jane]

Unlike all the nutty birds we have Rosie goes bonkers over vanilla yogurt. She gets a tsp. about 3 or 4 times per week and cannot eat it fast enough from a spoon.

 

[Meatball]

Almonds here! But only for the Angels. The linnies are not motivated by anything, they do as they please

Dale loves almonds too but so far they are not a motivator.

 

[Lexii]

Ivy's favorite things in the world are pumpkin seeds, but she isn't obedient for them She gets all happy and will start yelling at me to step up(not that she actually will), or she'll ask "whatcha doin?!?!?" when she sees them though.

and

Sage doesn't really have anything. She just loves being out of her cage.
She's like a puppy, she'll run around on the bottom of her cage making noises until you open the door.

 

[marian]

Unshelled almonds for Tara and Hiram loves them in the shell.

 

[expressmailtome]

For Michael it is pine nuts. He loves them and only gets them when he does something that I like or want him to do.

Matt

 

[Lorylove]

As a lory owner, I find it a little bit difficult to motivate with food, mainly since pretty much everything Darby eats is liquidy or soft. I did take some awesome advice from somebody here (forgive me I can't remember who ) about using a syringe filled with nectar. I have been using fresh carrot juice that I juice myself instead, and Darby is VERY responsive to it. When he steps up on command, he gets a little lick of juice. So far that's the only thing were working on at the moment, he is so easily distracted!! I guess that's a lory for you. A funny thing I found is that he also is very motivated by toys I can get him to go pretty much anywhere I need him to as long as I'm holding one of his favorite foot toys

 

[BaxtersMommy]

Baxter will do ANYTHING for a pistachio! I've tried to get him to eat Almonds or Brazil Nuts but he actually gets mad when I bring them near him or put them in his dish! He's such a silly boy!

 

[blackivory]

For Sage it is pumpkin seeds but best of all for her is being able to be with me. I have never had a parrot who wants me so badly

 

[danadear]

Cooper: sunflower seeds
Henry: hemp seed
Peaches: hemp seeds, sunflower seeds. slivered almonds, scritches....she's pretty easy..for about 45 seconds anyway.
Buttercup: millet, she actually loves many more things but she is still afraid of my hands so millet is what works right now.

 

[Irishj9]

Buttons and food. And they're not particular about the variety of either!

 

[heirofslytherin123]

Sonic loves freeze dried strawberries

 

[Renae]

Birdie bread, millet, and g/s sunflower seeds.

 

[Holiday]

Nuts and praise here too Keene is the only one who will accept scritches as a reinforcer. For the macs (the girls), scritches are something they request only in their own good time, LOL.