may have a problem

[dcads29775]

Hi all, im new on here but may have a problem.
Just picked up a female IRN named Polly about 2yrs old. Now the women that had Polly said to me that "Polly eats everything, chips, crisps, cereal, chocolate"
She even went in the kitchen and opened a pack of ready salted crisps for polly, which she ate infront of me.
After being told Polly has been fed on all this, alarm bells rang, especially the word chocolate. As chocolate is poison isnt it to birds.

But my issue here is...... Polly has been in her cage and ive been sitting in the same room for about 5hrs now. She has not come of her top perch to get any food or water until i tried her with a little digestive biscuit. (as i suspect something) Polly took the digestive out my hand nice and gentle and started to eat some of it, she then carried the last bit down the cage to the water bowl, dipped the digestive in the water, took it back to the top perch and ate it. (hmmmm) So i tried with a sunflower seed from her food and she totally refused it. I then tried dried banana, she took it out my hand and just let it go.

Now this is my question. Is it possible for IRN to become addicted to human foods and leave there own food alone???? If so how do i get her to eat her own food again please.

P.s also the previous owner said "polly likes to take her food and dip it in the water then eat it, she always does it"
When I 1st seen Polly in her cage 1st thing I noticed was a lump of bread in her water. so she has had bread to.

Currently she is just sleeping and cleaning her feathers trimming her toes, she has had a little Squawk lol. I know she may be like this for a couple of days due to new surroundings , its just I needed advice on the food.

Ty all

[Donovan]

Yes, chocolate is very toxic, so is salt.
A little salt is ok, and by that I mean a tiny nibble once every couple of weeks.

Now how to reintroduce her to bird food. First determine the food she likes that is safe like toast or something without salt or butter. Feed her that to keep her from starving, but don't let her have enough to be fully satisfied.
Then present other foods like fresh fruits and vegetables as though they're toys.

Hang them up, stuff them in certain places so she has to dig them out. Eventually she'll decide she likes how some things taste. Apples are guaranteed with IRNs. You may have to start eating salad alot to help pique her interest in new foods. Try watermelon or anything thats naturally very wet like cucumbers.

I don't know how to get the bird to like small things like seeds, but you could also try getting the biggest fattest pellets you can find, and put them in something she has to forage.

Presentation can go a long way with a bird, so turn the food into toys and foraging items and she may discover a whole new world. Don't make her go hungry to achieve this or she could develop behavior issues. But she doesn't have to be fully satisfied. If she has room for more food then playing with 'toys' that taste good might just trigger something.

[MissK]

Hi. I agree in general with Donovan, and I have an idea for something else.

Polly sounds like she's already sold on grains, as humans consume them. I think you should work that angle. Lots of people make "Birdie Bread" and that seems to me like something she would eat readily. Google for recipes.

Another thing you can try is a grain cereal mush. This would be grains that are ground and then prepared with a little warm water, then cooled most of the way. If you look in the human grocery health food section you will probably find something like this ready to use, for breakfast cereal. I like products from Bob's Red Mill (here in USA) but I'm betting you are not in the USA. http://www.bobsredmill.com/10-grain-hot-cereal.html I like to offer this cereal slightly warm because that speaks to the bird better than cold.

Lastly, because of the look of undyed pellets and their crunch, pellets might be an easier transition that fresh fruits and vegetables. I don't mean you should not strive to get her eating those fresh foods, but that pellet acceptance may come first. I don't think pellets are the ultimate answer, but they are a tool you might be able to use. These can be offered as-is, set in a tiny amount of water to soften up, or ground and presented as is the mush above.

Lastly, here is the same link I have posted at least three times now, to the article on Feeding The Companion Parrot.
http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelaclark/ ... anion.html

Welcome to the Forum.

[Donovan]

I think there's a recipe for bird bread right here on this forum in the safe / toxic food thread. It's a sticky so it's at the top in the diet and housing section...

[dcads29775]

Thank you every 1 that has replied. I am in the UK.
Dont worry I wont let Polly starve. But I have some good news, if I eat something she will take it, so I tried apple as I know IRN love apples and she took it and ate it. Now i thought I try a dried banana my self and she ate a bit again
So it seams i need to pretend to eat it then offer her it 1st.
The previous owners said they used leave cage open all time and Polly had the run of the house, even went up shops with Polly on her shoulder. Also when they ate they let Polly eat of there plate. I think this is the problem here. Im slowly breaking her habbits but I think its gonna take a while. But I wont be happy till I see her eat from her food bowl and drink from her water bowl.
P.s I will look at the birdy bread