mika and kano's "trying new foods" thread.

[maya_exquisite]

So you all know how excited I got when the two started eating steamed carrots... and then steamed broccoli.

A few days ago I went to the pet stores in Mililani, since I haven't been there in forever, and bought these Kaytee Tasty Toppings dried fruits. I bought papaya and apple. I put a little of both in their snack dish and... they immediately ate the papaya!! They ignored the apple, though. I'm not surprised since they always ignore fresh apple I give them.

And today I just gave them rice with ground cinnamon on it... they're ignoring it so far. :( I'd definitely like to be able to have grains available for them on a regular basis but we rarely make rice or pasta at home. Guess I'll have to figure out how to make mini-servings in a pot or in the microwave or something...

[michael]

Maya. Whats funny is, I hear so much about other birds liking apples yet most around here seem to prefer grapes. Goofy doesn't care for them either. He does like rice (his favorite) although I doubt he would eat it with cinnamon. He will eat birdybread with a little cinnamon mixed in. For rice, I steam mostly organic brown twice a week, then place it in the fridge for 2-3 days. I will then take it out as needed adding a little water for reheating. This only takes a few minutes to warm up whereas I can also add veggies and such as we go along. He likes noodles too..(we call them worms :)). Usually I prepare thin angel hair, that way he doesn't make too much of a pig of himself. Sometimes if he watches me wrap them in a kale leaf, he'll chew through so as to get to whats inside. Other times it ain't happening. While I've frozen many different foods for convenience purposes, oddly enough he seems to prefer them either fresh made or from the fridge ..........Picky.

[Eliza]

Pickle seems to like couscous. I get a home grain blend from Near East and make up one serving or half-a-serving at a time. It stays fresh in the 'fridge for a few days so I'll just heat up some and serve it with his veggie portion. You can also mix it with veggies and freeze small portions so you always have food at the ready.

I'm going to try quinoa soon, too. It's really good for humans and animals alike!

[thebubbleking]

My lovies only eat certain fruits and veggies if they are cut into certain shapes, try cutting the abbple into little blocks or strips that might do the trick.

[maya_exquisite]

I cut the apples in almost every way possible with a regular knife - but always a no go. I'm not too concerned with them not liking fruits... as long as they'll eat veggies.

I don't even know what couscous is. *lol* I always hear about it and see it on Top Chef and it just looks like some gross smooshy rice.

I definitely mostly have Japanese foods in this house, aside from fruits and veggies. After I get them back on their normal diet (they're still on Nutriberries right now) I may try zaru soba. It's not wheat pasta, but a buckwheat noodle... YUM!! I'll also buy different shaped pastas to make for them in small servings.

Has anyone ever tried Kaytee pasta mixes? I went to the Kalihi Pet Center for the first time today (and Google gave me WRONG directions!!). They seemed to have a better selection of bird items than most pet stores... and they had a pair of Opalines, where one kept trying to mount the other and the other wasn't having it. I watched this go on for minutes. :rotfl Anyway, they had a couple or few different pasta mixes from Kaytee that contained colored pastas, peppers and other veggies, seeds, pellets, etc. You microwave it with whatever % of water and serve. It looked interesting??

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Milo literally ran screaming from a piece of apple once. We don't do fruit in this house.

I tried giving them a bit of diced bell pepper earlier this week; it was rejected.

[Z28Taxman]

Milo literally ran screaming from a piece of apple once. We don't do fruit in this house.



Ditto did that with tomato. They're evil.:omg:

He likes apple and pear though, and adores peppers, the hotter the better. :happy:

[elijahfan]

the only way to get mine to try new foods is if i eat some first and look like i am feeding it out of my mouth, then i leave it on the bars, she loves bannas :D

great to hear they are tying new sruff

[michael]

the only way to get mine to try new foods is if i eat some first and look like i am feeding it out of my mouth, then i leave it on the bars, she loves bannas :D

great to hear they are tying new sruff

There is absolutely NO WAY you would get away with fake food eating around Goofy lovebird. Don't even think about it!.....>:.....He makes sure it goes in and watches so that it does not come back out.......8o.......No sneaking around corners, no slick kleenex manuevers, no nothing! .............And it better taste good too........or else!........:omg:

He can also read your mind.............:skull:

[Bubblelady]

Gussie has turned into an absolute eating machine! I got her to try new food the very first time by letting her eat off my plate. She liked it so much I now have to guard my food if it isn't good for birdies!!! Several times I have been carrying food, hands full, bird on shoulder, & had to put the food down because she was determined to sample the food on the way to the table: hot fudge sundae, coffee, wine--looked good to her :omg: (not all those items at the same time :rofl: ) She actually has interesting tastes for a bird...her new food favorite is pomogranite seeds. Likes it better than millet! Also like Nuts for Alfredo Beak Appitit better than Cream of Tweet. Still not too wild about green things, though. She will eat the bean part of green beans, if I cook them and squeeze the bean out of the pod. She's not spoiled :whistle:

[maya_exquisite]

Mika and Kano could care less if I eat something first. *lol* I think "slow and steady wins the race" is what I have to continue doing with them... introduce a new food after weeeeeeeeeeeks of them eating what they're already eating. Haha.

[maya_exquisite]

Today I made them a meal of pasta and scrambled eggs with carrot and broccoli. I crumbled a little Nutriberry on there to try and entice them... so far - FAIL!! *lol* I'm gonna keep offering them this meal through next week and we'll see what happens. Mika and Kano at least LOOKED at it, so that's a start. Haha!

The bf is gonna come home, see the tiny meal, and ask me to make HIM something to eat like that!! :rotfl

Update: So neither one of them ended up eating the meal I made them... I kept putting Mika by it and he's "beak" at it but not eat it. But then, he went into my mac and cheese - tasted it - and turned around. Then I decided to give him a teeny piece of my toasted english muffin and he actually ate it!! Forget the meal I spent 15 minutes making. He'd rather have a piece of stupid toast. *lol* Granted, I'm happy he tried something new but still!!!

[Baboo's Momma]

Ha, that's how Baboo is. With the exceptionof birdie bread, the things I spent more time/money on she wants nothing to do with. Soo difficult at times. But I like it, gives them character!

[maya_exquisite]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!! I introduced string beans yesterday and again today and they're eating it!! They don't eat a lot of it, but at least they're nibbling it!! :happy:

[maya_exquisite]

Whoo-hoo!! I started giving them smashed hard boiled egg starting a couple days ago and they're eating it!! I guess they don't like their eggs scrambled - just like mommy!! :)

I gave them a hard boiled egg/broccoli/carrot/string beans mix and Kano attacked it!! Mika nibbled at it as if he grudgingly was eating it 'cause I didn't give them any seed yet. Friggin' Mika. Hehe.

[HaleBoppPeachyluv]

smashed, with out without the yolk? i haven't tried string beans yet.... anyone know if all kind of peppers okay for lovies? (bell, chili, habaneros?)

[maya_exquisite]

I made it smashed up with everything - white, yolk, and eggshell. I actually took the eggshell and baked it 'cause I had read to do that before (not sure if it's necessary or not).

I haven't tried peppers yet, but if I can get my lazy butt to the grocery store this weekend I'm gonna pick up chili peppers 'cause I heard parrots love them!!

[lemonypickett]

I think couscous is like a fine pasta. I mix some into the rice and veggie and egg mixes I make. I made such a big batch last time that I had 12 quart bags in the freezer of it. I always heap it on their plate to make them want to eat it. Unfortunately, they waste quite a bit. (actually I guess it is me wasting :()

[maya_exquisite]

I need to start making bigger batches of stuff to throw into the freezer. Right now I keep a bag of frozen veggies in my freezer and the one at work, but I end up still "putting stuff together" 'cause I thaw the veggies, add the egg, etc. I should just mix it all up and thaw it together...

(P.S. This is off-topic but I just turned to look at Mika and he's staring at me with the evil eye. I took him and Kano with me into the shower just now and they're soaked... they no likey the shower. *lol*)

[maya_exquisite]

Mental note: Next time I want to give them sweet potato, do it in a room with no carpet and nothing else around!!

OMG. I've got sweet potato on my wall, carpet, and they smeared it all over the cage top.

[StormyMom]

Haha. I was just able to get Stormy to each some mashed potatoes last night..but he had to see Mika eat it first. Then he decided it looked yummy lol. So far thats ALL ive gotten mine to eat!