FINCHforum

I've read some of the posts about feeding hard-boiled egg pieces and greens and all that stuff. However my pair of societies eat nothing but one or two seeds out of their store bought seed mix and will not even look at anything else. I end up throwing away a lot of seed! Is there some trick to getting finches to eat eggs and greens? Should I take the seeds away for a day to try to get them to expand their palate? Or just not worry about it? People act like it's important to give finches lots of variety but mine won't touch 90% of what I offer them.

I have a parrotlet that took nearly two years to get it to eat anything but seed so don't give up. I would give them a flat tupperware lid on the floor of their cage that has greens, egg, etc. in it and sprinkle their favorite seed on top of it. eventually they will try it. Don't try to force them to eat it by taking their seed away. They'll just starve to death. The reason they don't eat it is because they don't recognize it as food. Birds learn what to eat from watching the rest of the flock eat. If they eat it it's good/if they don't eat it it's poison. If your birds came from someone who only fed seed, then they will only know seed as food. If you know of someone who has a bird that is the same kind as yours that you can 'borrow' it can show the others that it's okay to eat more than just seed. but by all means keep giving the greens and egg to them. They'll catch on and you won't be wasting much.

try some finch/canary Zupreem fruit blend pellets...it is better for them than the seed and most my birds will eat that first over seed. Seed can't provide them with everything they need and pellets can help with that.

i've gotten finches that were only given seed and they took to the pellets right away.

Forgot to add Roy, if they love millet, only give it to them sprinkled on top of the fresh food. The reason for feeding them in a shallow lid is it's more like foraging (pecking at this and that) for them and they can get a good look at what's there. My societies love dandelion leaves and chickweed chopped up. Even the dandelion petals cut off. Have you tried corn. Mine can not get enough corn. Keep at it and don't give up.

You're right Cindy- try the Zupreem too. it's very good for them.

Dandelion greens...I can not find them here in the grocery store.

Mom had a patch growing in the yard that was just for the birds...the rest got pulled. We would pull the leaves off and mom washed them up really good and the birds loved it.

Cindy- can you go to a park and look for them? Don't tell me Florida doesn't have dandelions??? Man, I'll pack you up a few hundred plants of mine and send them right over to you! Rarely does it snow where I am so luckily (or unluckily which ever way you look at it) I can get them all year long.

When we first moved into our house there were no dandelions at all. I bet the owners paid good money to have them all removed too. Well, the dandelion is my sons favorite flower so he would bring home dandelion heads to blow into the yard. Now my yard is full of them, my birds and wild rabbits LOVE them! LOL

Oh Debbie, what a cute story! My Daughter sent me a photo of two glasses stuffed with dandelions from my 2 grandkids. they were so proud. I used to think Dandelions were just irritating weeds but I've changed my mind now #
You have bunnies??? We have one that lives in the field across from our property but we never see it unless it's out at night when we drive home and see it in our head lights. OOps. I'm off topic sorry, my bad

We had really nice dandelions in NJ when we were kids, we were paid per plant to dig them up. Here though...the yards are to manicured!!!! I could check at the park and collect the heads then plant them in a planter on the pool deck...I can just see my husband's face now!!!!

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I will keep trying.

Hi Roy,

I also had some 'eggfood' adventures with my societies. You can read about it here:

http://www.finchforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13347

Now they can't eat it fast enough and I can barely get my hand out of the cage fast enough. They try anything I put on the 'yumyum' plate now.

I also mix the Zupreem Fruit & Veggie pellets with the seed mix I give them. They love the pellets. I highly recommend giving that a try.

Hang in there, they will 'get it' eventually.

I would not use anything from outside your yard, as you don't know what chemicals they may have put on it. If you're lucky all they do is water, but they could spray fertilizer and other "stuff" at night or when you are not around to see them.

I got some of my birds eating egg + veggies as the others have said by mixing seeds into the dish with the egg + veggies. And you have to MIX the seeds in, so they have to get thru the other stuff to get to the seeds. At first they will ignore the egg + veggies, but sooner or later they will try it.

The other method that I have used is the method in the FIC.
http://www.finchinfo.com/diet/introducing_new_foods.php
I used that method to convert birds from seeds to pellet food.