| Manik Raina |
Here's another topic beaten to death, but i havent found any concrete
solutions on the net, my budgies eat only grass seed, they're extremely
fussy and don't eat anything else. Even if they're starving. we've
tried everything which includes tempting them by eating their food
ourselves to show them it's edible and tasty. they just dont get it.
we're really anxious to make them eat vegetables , other seeds etc
and have tried mixing foods but they eat what they like and ignore
the rest. any practical ideas which have worked will be most welcome.
Also, i love my budgies very much, how do i express it to them
in budgie language ? does it involve stroking their beaks ? how
does a human get across the message "you guys are cool" to
budgies ?
thanks,
Manik
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| High Flight |
Manik Raina <manikraina@hotmail.com> says...
> Also, i love my budgies very much, how do i express it to them
> in budgie language ? does it involve stroking their beaks ? how
> does a human get across the message "you guys are cool" to
> budgies ?
Heap on the babytalk along with lots of playtime.
Jack
--
*Top-posters are generally ignored*
aka Keet Visit my webpage at http://junior.apk.net/~jac/
"Always proofread to see if you any words."
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| Linda Ambrose |
manikraina@hotmail.com (Manik Raina) wrote:
> Here's another topic beaten to death, but i havent found any concrete
> solutions on the net, my budgies eat only grass seed, they're extremely
> fussy and don't eat anything else. Even if they're starving. we've
> tried everything which includes tempting them by eating their food
> ourselves to show them it's edible and tasty. they just dont get it.
My budgies love their seed and millet. I do add other foods to their
diet, but the bottom line is that they're seed-eaters and will choose
seed first before anything else.
With budgies I've noticed it takes a long time before they'll even
*try* new foods. You have to keep on putting the new food in their cage
over and over. It may take weeks (even months) before they feel
adventurous enough to sample a bite, but there will come a day where
their curiosity will overcome them and they'll take a nibble of the new
food.
> we're really anxious to make them eat vegetables , other seeds etc
> and have tried mixing foods but they eat what they like and ignore
> the rest. any practical ideas which have worked will be most welcome.
As I said, keep on putting the new food in the cage. If it's fresh
fruit or cooked/fresh vegetables, leave it for a few hours and then
remove it. Try serving the fruit/veg in different ways -- in chunks
wedged between the bars or grated into smaller pieces in foodcups. My
budgies love sweet apples and pears, celery (including the tops),
carrot, broccoli and cauliflower.
You can also tempt them with cooked rice (brown/wild), cooked
macaroni, or bits of good nutritious bread.
The more varied the diet, the better off your birds will be.
> Also, i love my budgies very much, how do i express it to them
> in budgie language ? does it involve stroking their beaks ? how
> does a human get across the message "you guys are cool" to
> budgies ?
Spend a lot of time with them ... talk to them a lot ... play music
for them. Budgies love their people, so regular daily interaction is
really important to keep your budgies happy. They also love toys, so
keep them happy and busy with bird-safe toys. They especially love
mirrors and anything with bells.
Anyway, this is my own experience. Hope it helps.
Linda
Montreal, Quebec, CANADA
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| Rusty |
I got my budgie back in December, now he's around 20 weeks old. He too
is very fussy about his food. He will only eat seed and millet. However
I've been providing pellets and tiel mix. What I started doing was
having dinner with him. I would bring him and his seed bowl to the
dinner table and I would eat with him. What I've found is that my budgie
is more willing to try something while I'm eating with him. He started
eating cheerios which was a big step. He likes sunflower seeds but I
don't think he can break the shells so he ignores those. But the coolest
thing that happened was I had a salad one night for dinner and he
stopped eating to watch me eat. He was so intrigued by what I was eating
that he jumped into my salad bowl three times! He sat there all kinds of
happy covered in soy-ginger sauce. Needless to say he got some romaine
lettuce that night :)
Anyway that's been my experience, perhaps you can apply this to your bird.
Rusty
P.S. Remember to chop fruits and veggies into small chunks, or different
styles, it certainly can't hurt.
Manik Raina wrote:
> Here's another topic beaten to death, but i havent found any concrete
> solutions on the net, my budgies eat only grass seed, they're extremely
> fussy and don't eat anything else. Even if they're starving. we've
> tried everything which includes tempting them by eating their food
> ourselves to show them it's edible and tasty. they just dont get it.
>
> we're really anxious to make them eat vegetables , other seeds etc
> and have tried mixing foods but they eat what they like and ignore
> the rest. any practical ideas which have worked will be most welcome.
>
> Also, i love my budgies very much, how do i express it to them
> in budgie language ? does it involve stroking their beaks ? how
> does a human get across the message "you guys are cool" to
> budgies ?
>
> thanks,
> Manik
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| Manik Raina |
> don't think he can break the shells so he ignores those. But the coolest
> thing that happened was I had a salad one night for dinner and he
> stopped eating to watch me eat. He was so intrigued by what I was eating
> that he jumped into my salad bowl three times! He sat there all kinds of
> happy covered in soy-ginger sauce. Needless to say he got some romaine
> lettuce that night :)
Come to think of it, they are very inquisitive about what i'm eating.
when they see me eat, they turn their heads, they have jumped into
my food once. let me try this out !
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| David G Fisher |
Here is a list of calcium sources I received from my avian vet. My
budgie especially likes kale. If you don't do it already, try clipping the
vegetable or fruit to the side of the cage with a plastic clip (safer) next
to a perch. For some reason, birds will often eat something when it's in
that position even though they've previously ignored it in their food bowls.
Best calcium sources are:
turnip greens, chinese cabbage, mustard greens, leeks, watercress, chard,
collard greens, kale, dandelion greens, endive, beet greens, parsley, yellow
wax beens, blackberries, and papaya.
Moderate calcium sources are:
cabbage, strawberries, turnips, okra, rasberries, green beans, guavas,
apples, pears, mango, radish, eggplant, and romaine lettuce.
Poor calcium sources are:
Blueberries, summer squash, zucchini, carrots, cantaloupe, yams, apricots,
plums, beets, pitted cherries, cucumber, pumpkin, sweet potto, iceberg
lettuce, asparagus, tomato, pineapple, bananas, peas, brussel sprouts,
mushrooms, corn, alfalfa sprouts, kidney beans, lima beans, white potatoes,
green peppers.
Dave
"Manik Raina" <manikraina@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:47a3db28.0401220152.5ae63639@posting.google.com...
> Here's another topic beaten to death, but i havent found any concrete
> solutions on the net, my budgies eat only grass seed, they're extremely
> fussy and don't eat anything else. Even if they're starving. we've
> tried everything which includes tempting them by eating their food
> ourselves to show them it's edible and tasty. they just dont get it.
>
> we're really anxious to make them eat vegetables , other seeds etc
> and have tried mixing foods but they eat what they like and ignore
> the rest. any practical ideas which have worked will be most welcome.
>
> Also, i love my budgies very much, how do i express it to them
> in budgie language ? does it involve stroking their beaks ? how
> does a human get across the message "you guys are cool" to
> budgies ?
>
> thanks,
> Manik
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| Starlight |
On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 16:53:28 -0500, "David G Fisher"
<davegfnospam@home.com> wrote:
>Here is a list of calcium sources I received from my avian vet. My
>budgie especially likes kale. If you don't do it already, try clipping the
>vegetable or fruit to the side of the cage with a plastic clip (safer) next
>to a perch. For some reason, birds will often eat something when it's in
>that position even though they've previously ignored it in their food bowls.
>
>Best calcium sources are:
>
>turnip greens, chinese cabbage, mustard greens, leeks, watercress, chard,
>collard greens, kale, dandelion greens, endive, beet greens, parsley, yellow
>wax beens, blackberries, and papaya.
>Moderate calcium sources are:
>
>cabbage, strawberries, turnips, okra, rasberries, green beans, guavas,
>apples, pears, mango, radish, eggplant, and romaine lettuce.
>
>
Actually yellow wax beans and blackberries have very little calcium.
Strawberries, rasberries, apples and pears have very little calcium.
Broccoli has about as much calcium as those fruits.
Birds don't need a lot of extra calcium. Of course egg laying females
need it, but there's really no need to stress extra calcium in a
bird's diet.
The foods you mentioned above are healthful and a nice supplement to
seed/pellet, to add variety to the bird's menu.
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| David G Fisher |
"Starlight" <homehealth_rnDELETE@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:6eoo105f3rtkra4qicbp3dnnkk04a7p3ro@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 16:53:28 -0500, "David G Fisher"
> <davegfnospam@home.com> wrote:
>
> >Here is a list of calcium sources I received from my avian vet. My
> >budgie especially likes kale. If you don't do it already, try clipping
the
> >vegetable or fruit to the side of the cage with a plastic clip (safer)
next
> >to a perch. For some reason, birds will often eat something when it's in
> >that position even though they've previously ignored it in their food
bowls.
> >
> >Best calcium sources are:
> >
> >turnip greens, chinese cabbage, mustard greens, leeks, watercress, chard,
> >collard greens, kale, dandelion greens, endive, beet greens, parsley,
yellow
> >wax beens, blackberries, and papaya.
>
> >Moderate calcium sources are:
> >
> >cabbage, strawberries, turnips, okra, rasberries, green beans, guavas,
> >apples, pears, mango, radish, eggplant, and romaine lettuce.
> >
> >
> Actually yellow wax beans and blackberries have very little calcium.
> Strawberries, rasberries, apples and pears have very little calcium.
> Broccoli has about as much calcium as those fruits.
> Birds don't need a lot of extra calcium. Of course egg laying females
> need it, but there's really no need to stress extra calcium in a
> bird's diet.
> The foods you mentioned above are healthful and a nice supplement to
> seed/pellet, to add variety to the bird's menu.
My avian vet is the vet who saved the African Grey Rupert. Don't know if
you've heard of that bird, but he was in People magazine, etc.
Anyway, I tust his info. Not saying that you are absolutely wrong, but just
that I trust his knowledge of birds 100%.
Dave
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| Momma Soke' |
>
> Anyway, I tust his info. Not saying that you are absolutely wrong, but
just
> that I trust his knowledge of birds 100%.
>
> Dave
>
Glad to hear you've got such a good vet. I would like to point out that
even though he treated Rupert and may be an excellent vet he's also got a
condition called "being human". I'm not just talking about your vet either,
don't ever trust anyone 100% not even yourself. That human condition is
catching... I got mine from my parents *LOL*
That being said, thank you for that list! I've just read that pionus should
get more calcium and was off to find out what had the most calcium and read
up a little more on nutrition since my knowledge of that is limited. I've
been trying to decide if I have the dedication necessary to sprout my own
seeds... isn't that awful! If it don't come in a box I don't know how to
burn it *LOL* Anyway, these darned birds are making me pay attention to
nutrition for the first time in my life and that list is a great leaping off
place. Thanks again!
Ma
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| Starlight |
On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 00:31:33 -0500, "David G Fisher"
<davegfnospam@home.com> wrote:
>
>My avian vet is the vet who saved the African Grey Rupert. Don't know if
>you've heard of that bird, but he was in People magazine, etc.
>
>Anyway, I tust his info. Not saying that you are absolutely wrong, but just
>that I trust his knowledge of birds 100%.
>
Guess I'm just more cynical than most, being a nurse and working with
doctors day and night. Haven't met one yet that knows it all. ;)
If you need extra calcium for your bird, feeding it strawberries,
apples, blackberries and the others I mentioned aren't going to do the
trick. The dark green leafy veggies like kale and spinach will help
much more.
Becky
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| David G Fisher |
"Starlight" <homehealth_rnDELETE@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:bfhq10t0hlqm3ijnqrrk6d3agp79srl6mq@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 00:31:33 -0500, "David G Fisher"
> <davegfnospam@home.com> wrote:
>
>
> >
> >My avian vet is the vet who saved the African Grey Rupert. Don't know if
> >you've heard of that bird, but he was in People magazine, etc.
> >
> >Anyway, I tust his info. Not saying that you are absolutely wrong, but
just
> >that I trust his knowledge of birds 100%.
> >
> Guess I'm just more cynical than most, being a nurse and working with
> doctors day and night. Haven't met one yet that knows it all. ;)
> If you need extra calcium for your bird, feeding it strawberries,
> apples, blackberries and the others I mentioned aren't going to do the
> trick. The dark green leafy veggies like kale and spinach will help
> much more.
> Becky
I should of said 99%. I don't trust anyone 100%. :-)
The vegetable I feed my birds most is kale. I understand that the calcium in
spinach though isn't absorbed well by birds. Don't know the exact reason
why, but I think I remember someone here had an explanation once. Maybe
that's why it isn't on that list as well. Something to look into.
Dave
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| Toucanldy |
>From: "David G Fisher" davegfnospam@home.com
>The vegetable I feed my birds most is kale. I understand that the calcium in
>spinach though isn't absorbed well by birds. Don't know the exact reason
>why, but I think I remember someone here had an explanation once. Maybe
>that's why it isn't on that list as well. Something to look into.
>
>Dave
>
The oxalic acid, in spinach, interferes with the absorption of calcium, so
should be fed moderately.
Regards
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