Pellet problem

[SDAnimalKing]

Ok so Misfit is a huge fruit lover....

my problem is when he doesn't have fruit, he goes after the safflower seeds only in his mix of pellets and other seeds that he was weaned on to... I can't get him to eat anything else but the safflower seeds and any fruit that I put in his cage...

Question is:

How can I get him to start eating the pellets... I don't want to stop him from eating the seeds, I would like him to eat both. Anyone have any good tricks on weaning them on to the pellets? My vet said to mix the pellets with apple sauce and then feed it to him.. reducing the amount of apple sauce each time... he's to smart.. he picks up the pellet and then licks the apple sauce off and spits it out on the floor of his cage...

I've put the seeds on the bottom of the pellets, he digs for them...

I'm just scared he's not getting enough vitamins and stuff...

[Fah]

Well, getting a bird onto a pellet diet is not always the easiest of things, they dont generally jump for joy over it unless they were weaned onto it.

What a friend did was use a regular 50-50 mix of seed and pellets, but they would not use seed that had their favourite ones in it (in your case.. safflower)

By taking out their fav seed, the rest can sometimes just meld into the same old boring food for a while and they start to just eat it. After some time of this start giving them less and less seed, with more and more pellets and use those safflower seeds as a treat I dont know a single person locally who has their birds enjoy seed AND pellets equally.

If you notice your bird not eating ANY of the pellets, and willing to go hungry over it... then you may have a bird that really just doesnt want it regardless of whats "better" for it.

One of my friends birds took to the pellets, the other didnt and became lethargic as it just wouldnt eat it... and you cant force an animal to do something they just dont want to.

I am sure there are others here with better info on getting birds onto pellets than myself though.

Note: If you are worried about health during this time. I highly suggest you add vitamin supplements into the water.


One a side note: I have never fed my birds, aviary stock or pets, pellets, I find the cost of pellets alone to be the same as high quality seed, fruit and veg, here in adelaide anyway and those vitamin supplements in water are really dirt cheap considering how long they last. Nutritionally it might all end up the same, however I find they really enjoy the variety (just as I would).

[Jim]

A couple of tricks for getting a reluctant bird to eat pellets...

1. Offer them pellets only (no fruits, vegetables or seeds) for a few hours first thing in the morning.

2. Spread some pellets on a small mirror on the bottom of the cage. They'll very often want to investigate it and start pecking at the pellets.

Fah makes a good point about it being very difficult to simultaneously get a bird to eat seeds and pellets. Think of it as being the same thing as offering a two year old child a choice between ice cream and broccoli. Seeds are great in the proper proportion to other foods but it's hard to get your bird on pellets if there's lots of seed available.

Jim

[SkyBaby]

Ok so Misfit is a huge fruit lover....

my problem is when he doesn't have fruit, he goes after the safflower seeds only in his mix of pellets and other seeds that he was weaned on to... I can't get him to eat anything else but the safflower seeds and any fruit that I put in his cage...

Question is:

How can I get him to start eating the pellets... I don't want to stop him from eating the seeds, I would like him to eat both. Anyone have any good tricks on weaning them on to the pellets? My vet said to mix the pellets with apple sauce and then feed it to him.. reducing the amount of apple sauce each time... he's to smart.. he picks up the pellet and then licks the apple sauce off and spits it out on the floor of his cage...

I've put the seeds on the bottom of the pellets, he digs for them...

I'm just scared he's not getting enough vitamins and stuff...

I'm in the midst of converting my IRN, Sky, to pellets. My experience has been good. It took him a few weeks to even touch them. Then it got to where he would take one from me if I made it look like I was eating them and enjoying them too. He wouldn't eat it though, just drop it. Then a couple weeks after that, a real break through, he actually ate a pellet I handed to him. Then I saw him picking them out of his half seed half pellet mix. He's not entirely converted just yet. We're getting there. It just takes time. Sky is a very finicky eater. Good luck with your little one!

[pinkdevil]

You could try moistening the pellets so they become sticky and mix that at a ratio of aprox 50/50 with seed. The theory is when the birds eat the seed, they get a taste of the pellets to. Then gradually over a few weeks, (sometimes less) reduce the amount of seed and increase the pellets.

Hope something mentioned in this thread helps you

[julie]

I did what pinkdevil described. I soaked the pellets in water and added some seeds and fruit and then gradually fazed out the additives in the pellets.

[Darlene]

Hi, Our female IRN has always been a picky eater. She wouldn't eat pellets, no matter how I tried to fool her. I got the idea, to sit with her on my lap and let her watch me eat pellets. ... I ate a LOT of pellets, thinking she would copy me. WRONG! She also won't eat raw veggies, or green leafy veggies. If I hide them in her food, she knows it and refuses to eat it. ... But she will eat the dried herb, and birdie greens in her food. Just not fresh. So I got the birdie bread mix, and put the pellets in it before baking it. Luna wanted some before it even got cool. Then I started crushing the pellets and mixing it into her seed mix. So she had to eat the crushed pellets to get the seeds. That is working. But she still won't eat the fresh veggies, even when I steam them to soften them a little. She is so much like a spoiled little kid. And being as cute as she is, saves her. HA! She won't even consider tasting her greens. So I have tried to open her little beak just to put some in her mouth so she can taste it. She clamped her beak shut like a little vice and won the contest. But she had me laughing, so I had to give that up. And then when I give up and walk away, I hear a little voice say, " Luna good baby, " ... So it's hopeless, And I know what you are going through.

[chipossesue]

A little belated,I know- but just saw your post and have another suggestion... get some Avicakes! Theyre made by Lefeber;most pet/bird supply places should carry them.Theyre a combo of seed and pellets in a cake form and all my birds love them-my avian vet uses the veterinary version of these to convert birds to pellets and also for birds that wont eat plain pellets.The vet version is called Nutrian cakes-only vets sell these but Avi cakes are next best thing...hope this helps... Sue & Bodhi

[Poochletty]

I had trouble getting blue onto the pellets. I soaked his in a small amount of apple juice and he ate them. Eventually I added less and less juice until it was none. I also offered them first thing in the morning and nothing else for 2 hours. Now he loves them right from the bag.