is it normal for my bird not to like fruit?

[Zoe93]

Me and my boyfriend bought a indian ringneck which we are hand rearing and then i decided we should get another one. I kept the new one at my boyfriends house for the first week because its a lot busier and more social than my own quiet house. Then he she went through a biting stage. I took him/her to my place yesterday and he/she has stopped biting. he instantly hops onto my finger although my budgie annoys the living daylights out of him/her.

My boyfriends baby IRN loves all his fruits at the age of about 8 weeks and i have tried feeding rocky (the new IRN) about 12 weeks old and he/she will not eat any fruit i have tried apples, bananas, pear and blueberries and the only thing he wants as a treat is the hand rearing mixture and once ate some of my McDonalds and i will never allow that to happen again.

Im really wondering if he/she will grow out of this stage or is there anyway to encourage some 'healthy eating'. I really want to train him/her and the rearing mix just gets everywhere and makes a big mess.

Also he/she never really makes a noise if so just a really quiet one and has no interest in other birds infact i think he/she gets jelous. Does this mean he/she will never talk or mimic?

thanks some answers would be great as we have never owned this type of bird before.

[Zoe93]

My names Zoe and the boyfriends Steve and we are very keen to hopefully hear some advice from you loving bird owners.

[Zoe93]

also i will upload some photos of the beautiful guys once i get some photos

[LadyCalypso]

Hi Zoe how long have you gad your little IRN if you are still hand feeding him/her you could try adding some apple baby food to the hand feeding formula so that your IRN could get a taste for the fruit also sometimes they just have to see the fruits offered a few times and soon they will start to try them out. Also maybe if he/she sees you eating the fruit good luck and congrats on your new feathered baby

[TaraJ]

I have the opposite problem with mine...He is 9 weeks old and he now doesnt like his veges but loves grapes....so im thinking i may have to hold back on the grapes a bit...used to like apple also but since i gave him grapes thats the only fruit he wants....he eats pellets also and a few seeds...have only had him a week

[Zoe93]

Thanks heaps for the tip il give it a try!!!. I tried showing im eating the fruit and then putting it near rocky but he/she freaks out and tryes to get away but if im holding bread or anything else he/she wants it. Iv owned rocky for a week and a half now. Thankyou

[TaraJ]

I worked out why my little fella wasnt eating veges.....was because i put them on one of those metal fruit kabob things....i put some in a bowl for him and he ate heaps...he liked it more in the bowl because he could actually pick it up and hold it in his claws

[ellieelectrons]

I remember when we brought Charlie home it took him a while to figure out what was food. So keep the kabob for when he is older. Charlie now is a huge forager & loves figuring out how to find hs food.

Ellie.

[TaraJ]

Mine will eat grapes from the kabob but not veges....he wants to hold them in his claws lol

[julie]

I give my handraised birds fruit and veg mixed into the formula from the start to encourage different tastes.Sometimes its just plain apple other times its apple/mango with formula mixed in,sometimes its sweet corn/sweet potato with formula mixed in. I also have the bubs in like a play pen on the floor with fruit and veg on a saucer so they can have a play with it if they want and they eventually end up eating it.

[julie]

also try thickening the formula up and feed in the morning and put the fruit veg and whatever else you want him/her to eat out where it can be seen and tasted.The thickened formula will keep him full longer and lessen off the hand feeding.