Delicious Veggies

[Deleted]

After initially introducing Munchy to a few vegetables when he was younger, I expected introducing new foods now to be difficult. He takes automatically to anything that looks like a leaf, be it grass, spinach, fennel or what-have-you, although he's not so keen on basil. Even after not having it in a while he still recognizes broccoli, a firm favourite.

He gets cooked carrot every Sunday. He likes raw carrot too, which I think it better because it hasn't had the nutrients cooked out of it, but he doesn't seem able to work out how to swallow it raw, as he bites bits off and then drops them, whereas the boiled carrot sticks to his beak a bit so he eats some.

I introduced sweetcorn yesterday using the carrot skewer. He loves it. I've just put a piece in with his carrot and he was straight over. He doesn't seem to have worked out how to eat the full pieces but he likes scooping the insides out of the pieces that are cut in half. Mind you, having two things on the skewer means he's having trouble eating the carrot, but I'm sure it'll get him thinking a bit. Thinking of getting baby corn some time.

Just checking, do you have to cook sweetcorn to make it safe? I hear that some beans can be poisonous uncooked, and sweetcorn is a type of legume, I believe, so does it have to be cooked too? And do fresh peas have to be cooked?

[Hezz]

Sweetcorn is not , repeat, not, a legume, and does not need to be cooked.
Neither does carrot, neither do peas.

Whoever told you corn was a legume? Well-known legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soy, and peanuts.

Don't feed your budgie beans.

[Deleted]

Okiedokies, thank you Hezz You can tell I wasn't paying attention in plant biology when it came to leguminous plants >> But, hey, I'm a zoologist, not a botanist XD

I knew that carrot didn't need to be cooked. I'll try it grated at some point, and see how he does with that. I still need to find a good dish for that kind of stuff. Going to make him an all veggie Christmas dinner ^^ He can have millet for his dessert then, seeing as he doesn't like fruit.

Thanks again Hezz!

[Hezz]

Most budgies don't mind a bit of apple - that would be nice for dessert.

If he doesn't take to a chunk of carrot, my next scale down is a slice made with a veggie peeler.

[Deleted]

I've tried him with apple. He won't go anywhere near it, but I'll try a slice on the skewer later just to see. My bf tried him with apple skin and Munchy went over to it, poked it with his tongue, drew his head back in disgust, and then did it again, repeatedly. It's worth another go anyway.

That's a good idea. I'll try different ways of offering it and see which works. Raw carrot in any form will have to go in a bowl because I used to try it with thin slices and it would break as I tried to put it on the skewer. I need to find somewhere where I can buy small amounts of fresh veg that Munchy can get through, without me giving it everyday and possibly boring him of it, before it goes off. I can always eat the spare, I suppose. Maybe I should start taking veg to uni for lunch, seeing as we don't get much veg lying around the house.

[Hezz]

Try just a clothes peg - peg the thin slice to the side of the cage. This will give him heaps of area to try. YOu can leave it there for a while an see what he does.

[Deleted]

Genius as always, Hezz I shall certainly give it a go!

Also, I love your new budgies Congratulations on the new additions!

[Hezz]

Thank you! I think these two are going to be a true pair.