I've had Sprite for about four months now. When he came to me he would only eat Zupreem pellets and well, he will pretty much still only eat Zupreem pellets. I had the exact same situation with Piper (my African Grey) but in virtually no time she started eating the new foods. Sprite will just not do it. I take his pellets out before putting him to bed and first thing in the morning I give him something good for breakfast. This morning for example it was oatmeal with chopped veggies. He will taste most things, but actually eating them - No way. He has occasionally nibbled on some fruit and likes spaghetti (which I only give him a tiny amount of and not often) but that is it.

I'm guessing that he has figured out that if he waits long enough, I will give him pellets. Do you guys think that is the case? Does anyone have any ideas that might help with this situation?

Thanks in Advance,
Melissa

in my opinion, the pellets are nutritionally complete for the most part, but the fresh offerings should make up a portion of their diet too. pellets should be available 24/7 (i don't know that they eat during the night, but if you get up later than he wakes up, it would be available to him). as far as the veggies... it's all trial and error. and many, many, many introductions. i don't know what you've tried yet, but peas, corn and sweet potatoes seem to be favorites of just about every bird.

try different textures (pureed vs chunks, for instance), different cuts (julienne strips vs diced cubes), raw vs cooked, warm vs cold. this is the trial and error part. in our house, i offered louie some oatmeal and he was completely offended. he lunged at the dish, got a little taste and decided hey, that's not so bad after all. quickly became one of his favorite foods.

i know there are members who have a specific dish they use to offer new things. others have good luck hiding the good stuff in other things, like birdy bread with veggies in it.

we got pretty lucky because louie not only converted from seed to pellet with little effort, but he is also pretty willing to taste just about anything. and he LOVES his mainstay meal - bean mix with frozen veggies. you would think this bird hadn't eaten in weeks if you could see him when it's dinner time lol. he dives right in, getting the sugarsnap peas first, then on to other stuff.

good luck. i know it's frustrating and gets expensive, but once you hit on his preferences, you should be set. until he changes his mind, of course

kris

Remember 4 months may seem like a long time to you, but in the grand scheme of things it really isn't, Just like us birds are continually learning. They don't come knowing what's good for them and they are creatures of habit and necessity. We may know that something is good for them but they certainly don't, It takes repitition for them to be comfortable in knowing that what ever it is you're offering won't hurt them. Just like us, every bird is different and their tastes will differ just as much as ours do. What one might like others will detest and ignore. So just keep trying.

Something that I do to get my guys to try new things is to set the new thing on top of something they are already familiar with or put the familair thing on or in the new thing. So for instance if you want them to try some oatmeal, put a little bit on top of some of the pellets, whether he tries it or not at least he's seeing it in his food dish. Do that for a few days and then take a little larger amount and mix it in with a few pellets and place it where his pellets normally are; do that for a few days, but always make sure there are pellets available. Then as he gets used to seeing his regular food in with other things and he has to pick the pellets out, some of the other food is going to stick to the pellets and he'll be getting tastes of it and hopefully realize that YES this is food, and hmmm, it does taste OK.

Also try eating what ever your attempting to give him yourself, in front of him, make a big deal out of how good it is and then offer him some this method has worked for lots of people.

Good luck, and just keep experimenting.

I leave the pellets in the boys cages on play stands 24/7 and still offer chopped up fresh veggies of a morning and a warm meal of a night..Keep offering it may take a long time for your fid to realise its Yummie stuff..Try spearing food on a skewer for him to pick at too, leaving only for a few hours before taking away...
Eat with your fid have a plate for him and a plate for you they are flock critters and like to eat with their flock..
Good Luck ...