Best fruit/veg to start on for seed junkies?

[skyla]

Hi everyone, Sky is a seed junkie and has so far refused everything but seed and millet spray, i have painstakingly diced up tiny amounts of broccoli, baby corn, carrot, blueberry, raspberry, apple, grape and cucumber but she hasn't touched any. Today i thought i'd try her on scrambled egg with honey and palm oil toast cut into dinky soldiers while i was making it for my grey but she just looked at the dish and then at me with disgust! i was wondering if there is a fruit or veg in particular that they love that i could tempt her with, any suggestions? i know it can be a long process getting birds to change their eating habits, i just don't really know what a good starting food is for a budgie?

[Marianne Marlow]

Hang up or peg something green and leafy for her.

Mine LOVE Basil the most!

[skyla]

Thanks Marianne! i didn't think about trying herbs! Will get some basil when i go shopping tomorrow

[Marianne Marlow]

If you make it slightly wet then she may try and bathe with it too

[MattJ]

Coriander is a nice easy one as well I think
Broccoli is another common favourite

[Marianne Marlow]

Also Dill.

[BudgiesBuddy]

Green peas, corn, basil, lettuce, coriander leaves, cabbage, carrot, broccoli, spinach and other green leaves which I get from time to time.

Mostly it all goes into chopper and sometimes individually

[BudgiesBuddy]

Pet budgies can't be expected to eat vegetables if they have 24/7 access to seeds. Fasting for a few hours and then serving vegetables always worked for me.

[Rachael Kellett]

Ah I know the struggle of getting them to eat healthy foods all to well! It took a long time before any of my indoor budgies would even look at a vegetable. I think the trick to it, or at least one way, is how you serve it. I have tried:

Grating carrot and putting it into a bowl, which did work for one budgie.

Sticking chunks of carrot through the bars.

Hanging leafy vegetables from the roof of the cage.

But my best way by far is to use the veggie skewers you can buy, I have...*quickly counts* five of them now and its really simple to just slice up veggies and thread them onto the skewers. Plus the skewers are shiny so they attract budgies that love mirrors like my Ozzie

Here are the two different kinds I use but you can buy them from other places and prices vary.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rosewood-Fruit-Vegetable-Spear-Holder-Parrots-Cage-Toy-Food-African-Grey-/160684396719?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Birds&hash=item25698950af

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pet-Love-hanging-fruit-spear-parrots-and-birds-/290593498216?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Birds&hash=item43a8b8e468

[Rachael Kellett]

Oh I also feel the need to point out that I don't believe in taking their seed away to force them to try veggies. While I appreciate that everyone has different methods I believe that if you introduce veggies at the right time of day, like first thing in the morning before you have filled up their seed dishes with new seed then they will be more inclined to try it

[skyla]

ooh thanks everyone, this is great! Rachael i have a small kabob in a draw somewhere, will have to dig it out! lots more herbs to add to the list, will have to think up some recipes to use what's left on us humans! haha