FINCHforum

I swear, I've tried every sort of food I could think of (not to say there's not plenty more I could try) and these two stubborn zebs WON'T eat any of it,,,,not egg, not greens, not fruit, nothing,,,,, but today at the pet store, the avian expert told me that they might eat carrots finely ground up,,,,,,

AND THEY ARE LOVING IT!!!!!!!!!!!

doing the happy dance!!!!!!!

Slowly add other stuff to the carrots over time. They might just find other things they like.

I feel your pain CommaHolly. I have some birds like that...and Jo Jo my parakeet that laughs at me when I try to give him food other than seeds. He will take dried greens now. A true miracle!!! Nothing wet! For my finches, and because I live in a remote area and can't always get things in the winter, I buy organic baby food. Try coating some of the carrots with apple sauce. Wait until they really are sure they like it. You don't want to jinx it. Take it slow at first so they don't notice. You can also freeze it so you don't waste it. Then you can buy squash baby food, apple sauce/blueberry, etc.. Then slip in one piece of something with it and they might accidentally taste it. The things we do for love!

great idea, thanks!!!!!!

That's wonderful!

I feel your frustration! I have a thread on food ideas for picky eaters for my Sylvia. She won't even eat all the seeds in the seed mix! She only picks the light colored ones out! The reddish seeds, oblong seeds and brown seeds all get ignored.
She eats egg, millet and those seeds. That's it! I have a birdie buffet and she's ignoring it.
Make sure you put new foods in the food bowl too, so they recognize it as food.
I made this mistake myself. I've gotten into the habit of putting perishables on little dishes/plates and she was totally ignoring those --- won't even land on the floor to take a closer look.

Corkysgirl had a genius idea of using coconut oil to stick seeds like millet (or anything else she'll eat) onto other foods.

hmmmmmmmm I always put them on the floor in another dish,,,,,,

thanks for the suggestion!

well HECK, they are just little eating MACHINES today,,,,,,

they are happily eating a boiled, squashed egg as we speak,,,,,,,,,

That's great! Makes a mamma happy when her kids eat!

yep I don';t know if they just had to get used to being here, or if they finally figured out that good things are on the floor or what,,,,,,,,but they are happy campers right now

I@CommaHolly, I'm happy for you. What I wouldn't give to have my parakeet, especially eat something...anything! I do have some very picky finches also. I will just keep trying! My first husband (now deceased) was Sicilian. I learned to feed people...everyone...whether they were hungry or not! It's carried over to the birds. But you MUST be hungry!!!

Since they are getting used to the food in the plate, use it consistently and for new things. I use a tan plant saucer and mine start getting exicited when they see me pick it up in the kitchen. They will come to associate it with good things.

My societies have a rather limited range too, but what they like, they love. Carrots, corn, green peas are eaten with enthsiasm, and romaine is everyone's favorite. Cucumber may be picked at with no enthusiasm at all. I have never been able to get them to eat egg in any form - fresh or dried or mixed with things they love. They delicately pick out what they like and leave the egg behind, little devils! So congrats on winning the egg victory.

It's funny how they recognize plates. Mine see me coming and I give one cage a plate and they all watch for theirs. My oldest female won't eat until everyone gets their plates. She's the Matriarch. She won't go to sleep until everyone settles down and gets into their nest. Her mouth is open...panting with worry! Mine love Romaine lettuce too.
Except my parakeet....UGGG! Tonight I had to start him on new seed from Laraine...lady gouldian finch. I had to put medicine on it...so I coated it with coconut oil. He didn't mind the coconut oil when I put it on his regular seed so it wasn't that. Besides, he didn't get close enough to know. The seed looks so different he said...as he gave it one dirty look and turned on his heels and left. He's going to be one hungry bird! Nah...I gave in! I mixed just a little bit of his old seed into it to make him think it was the same thing...you know, the one with the red 40, Blue 1 and Yellow 5 & 6 crap!!! Of course he couldn't live without that! That's why he doesn't recognize the seed. It's not green red and yellow any more. I don't know why they have to make seed with that stuff! Well, I'm still waiting for him to eat it. It's going to be a long night I'm afraid.

I hear you on the food coloring in the seed,,,,,,go figure that one,,,and of course they LOVE the worst possible stuff for them,,,,

I switched my pug from some cheapo stuff to Blue,,,,,,you'd have thought I murdered her in her sleep, she put up such a fuss!

They know....somehow they know. Blue Buffalo is good food. My last dog was on the Lamb and brown rice one.
Well he hasn't eaten any yet. Still waiting.