Fresh veggies and fruits

[LovingPrettyBird]

Wanted some ideas on what veggies and fruits to get my lovebirds. This part here is new to me. As the parents never were fed veggies and dont care much for fruits. I tried it once and they just looked at it and didnt even touch it. But i'm willing to try again and since the babies are at the age to start weaning a little or introudce them to new foods i want to know a few GOOD veggies and fruits for them to try. Also i heard baby food was good for them to start off with???????? And as for the veggies should i cook them???

[Pips mom]

Pip likes his veggies cooked. He's very concerned though about having a messy beak, so he'll take bites and wipe that beak like crazy! Pip's favorites are corn, brocolli, and peas.
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l134/kim1888/Picture.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l134/kim1888/Picture012.jpg
Notice him stealing my food off my plate! In a bird's world, the flock eats together, so sharing a meal with your bird or eating with him nearby might spark his interest in veggies and people food.

[LovingPrettyBird]

Well i got some Kale,parsley and corn on the cob and just plucked the corn off and chopped everything up and gave it to them after washing it of course. We have a farmers market here that just sells fresh veggies and fruits to grains noodles and other good stuff. I also tried to give them a piece of banana and they nipped at it and shook their heads LOL so im taking it they dont like it much right now LOL But they are eating everything up...They got seed mix avi-cakes, cherrios, fresh corn, parsley, kale, millets and nutri-berries and and cant forget the broccoli!! So i think for right now they are off to a good start!!

[linda040899]

Go easy on the spinach and parsley. Both are high in oxalic acid, which binds usable calcium. Kale, collard greens and broccoli are much better choices. Fresh corn on the cob should be cooked if it's been picked off the stalk more than 24 hrs ago. The issue is potential mold spores under the corn shucks (from trapped moisture). That's the only veggie I steam before I serve it.

[Flapjack]

Lots of lovies aren't really fond of fruits. Most seem to prefer veggies.

Just keep trying the fruits, and keep up the good work on the veggies!

[CompassionAk]

I made this smorgesborg of stuff for my birds to eat and they don't care for anything but the brocolli and peppers.I put Quinoa,cous cous,brocolli,bell pepper,carrot,kale,figs,sesame seeds,brown rice,bulgar and I know I am forgetting something but anyways LOADS of stuff!I even cooked some egg and yam and they turn their beaks up at that and as for bananas they act like it's a monster out to get them.

[LovingPrettyBird]

Ok good things to know. Thanks all! So as far as the parsley i will just give that once or twice a week. I forgot to mention that i did get collard greens...So the only thing i shouldnt give fresh is corn on the cob after the first day...got it!...

One more question...Just starting today i noticed that Banana doesnt seem to instrested in the formula much...he use to eat about 7-10cc's but now he will only take about 3-4cc's...i'm not too sure if i should be worried because i'm feeding them "big bird" food and tomorrow i will see if he gained any weight or not. Banana is really the only one that i see CONSTANTLY eating the "big bird" food...everytime i look in the cage banana is eating something LOL...so i guess this is a good thing. Plum is getting the idea but doesnt eat the "big bird" food as much as banana. Lemon on the other hand i see eat here and there but she is too worried about eating formula and who is where and nipping at EVERYTHING! LOL

[HaleBoppPeachyluv]

it took almost the whole 2 months she was visiting, but just before i gave her back to my mom, Hina was FINALLY nibbling on her broccoli.

I gave her a small crown every day. either dangled from her cage bars or dropped in with her seed.

it might have helped her to watch sunny dig in to her broccoli like it was crack...lol.

but at the end of the 2 months, she'd delicately nibble off the tip tops of the crown. Hina is probably 6-7 years old, so it's never too late to introduce good food.

[Pips mom]

One other thing......I usually get organic for my birds. The pesticides in fresh veggies and fruits is bad for birds(and people!). I do give a few here and there that aren't organic, but with Ivy, my pionus....she eats alot of veggies and they are big part of her diet so have to get mostly organic.

[Bubblelady]

The pesticides in fresh veggies and fruits is bad for birds(and people!). .

In addition to all the good reasons for going organic, my resolve to do so got ever so much stronger after many drives up & down the Salinas Valley & seeing what the field workers deal with daily. It is disgustingly inhumane :omg: I can't stop it but I don't have to participate!!!

[LovingPrettyBird]

Does anyone think that i should be concerned that Banana isnt showing much instrest in the formula now?? I went to go feed him this morning along with the others and i had a hard time getting him to eat it. I might of got him to eat about 3 cc's but i would've had to force him to eat it. I'm hoping that its just him getting full off of the "big bird" food. Hes acting normal and there doesnt seem to be anything wrong with him. Hes doing all the things that he normally does but its just that he doesnt want much to do with the formula...So should i be concerned??

[FuzzyAga]

If the baby isn't showing interest in his formula, don't force him to eat it.

Juanita's baby eventually absolutely refused to eat his formula, ducked his head into my palm, wriggled, turned his head, kept his mouth closed, (I had to supplement feed for a while) so I fed him only at night, and then maybe, maybe, a tiny squirt of formula.

Observe his behavior.

[Chickobee]

You may notice that your babies have a slight drop in weight when they begin refusing their formula and switch over to the "big bird food". I've noticed that my babies slim down a bit when they begin flying and start eating on their own. This is normal.

They couldn't possibly continue growing at the rate they do initially without soon turning into birdie blimps!

I'm not obsessive about weighing my birds each day and as long as I'm not feeling any sharp keelbones and they are active and alert I don't worry.

[LovingPrettyBird]

Ok well this is good to know! i tried to feed him again this morning but i only got him to eat about 2 cc's and then gave them all fresh veggies seeds millet and avi-cakes all mixed together...I know that they are eating through out the day and when i have them out of the cage to play i always put "big bird" food out for them along with some water...Today i waited 12 whole hours to feed them and they all ate to my liking and i was watching very carefully all day to see if they were all eating the "big bird" food and they were so i think im going to take it down to two feedings a day since they are all eating the food now.

Oh and i have to show everyone a pic on Lemon's new trick!!!! She learned this all by herself LOL
Lemon playing Dead LMAO
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x82/ShyJuni07/056.jpg

Here are some more pics of the babies and of Lemon...Notice how her head has improved SO MUCH!!!
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x82/ShyJuni07/058.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x82/ShyJuni07/061.jpg
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x82/ShyJuni07/042.jpg

Lemon's Favorite spot!
http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x82/ShyJuni07/030.jpg

[thebubbleking]

That would be my favorite spot to!!!!!
Sounds like you got a favorite of your clutch of babies not going to mention any names *cough lemon cough*

[LovingPrettyBird]

LMAO yea your right!!! :) but i love Banana and Plum too tho! Only cause they give me kisses when i ask and even when im not paying them any attention!! LOL

[FuzzyAga]

You're doing well with your young fledglings by observing their eating habits closely. Soon you will not have to hover so anxiously!

That Lemon has indeed improved--almost can't tell that she's a stargazer. Her trick shows a great deal of trust in you. My own will not be caught dead doing that stunt.

Oh-la-la, so saucy, that "favorite" spot. :rofl:

[LovingPrettyBird]

Well thanks so much! I've tried so hard to do the right things so i guess its all paying off!

Wow i didnt know that would have to do with trusting me! But its a nice thing to know LOL hopefully she gets over trying to bite at my fingers LOL she doesnt do it as much as she has like a week ago but its still there. You know how a baby wants a binkie (pacifier)?? It seems its like that to me. She doesnt bite hard, well sometimes she can get carried away, but most of the time she is just doing the nibbling thing but i always tell her no in a nice voice and either put her in the cage again or i pick her up and put her some where else and just ignore her but she always ends up back on my hand doing the samething over and over again lol

She hasnt started to fly yet either. She gets a little gliding here and there and flaps her wings till she hovers but she tried to fly once and did a circling crash and after that she hasnt tried it again. The poor baby. I'm hoping that like her stargazing it gets better in time! :)