New to birds -- fresh foods

[epriddy]

Yesterday I offered fresh food to my RCCBs for the first time.

It consisted of strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and blackberry, along with a mandarin orange in a little bit of gatorade. It did not go over well.

Today there's some plain romaine lettuce in there and at least they're looking at that.

I read that brocoli is a good choice, so maybe I'll try that.

I also have some whole grain pasta, but does that mean to be offered after cooked or raw and broken up?

I'll try some eggs pretty soon too.

Thanks!

[nelloyello11]

In my experience, it takes a few tries to get them to try new foods. Be persistent if they don't go for it the first day or two. I also try to give them only one or two new things at a time. I think it's less intimidating, plus it allows me to determine which they actually like (and therefore worth buying for them).
I have found that my zebras LOVE cucumber. They go nuts for it, so I also use this in conjunction with new foods. They see the cucumber and trust it, so to speak, so will go to the dish and eventually test out the foreign food too.
I try to stick with the same dish for all of their fruits, veggies, and treat type foods. They recognize it and go crazy when they see it coming!

[cindy]

The section directly to you left called Finch Information Center has articles about diet, safe and unsafe foods, housing etc.

This is the link to the section on safe foods/ unsafe foods....it is very helpful

http://www.finchinfo.com/diet/safe_toxi ... _foods.php

[finchmix22]

My rccb's only eat a few fresh veggies and rarely will peck at a red grape. They will eat some Romaine lettuce torn up, shredded broccoli and carrots, eggfood crumbly and not too wet, and sometimes a mango slice.

[dan78]

Have you tried any live food, my rccb absolutely demolish and maggots or mealworms and this is how I add new food to their diet. Most leafy greens will taken and seeding grasses. I have found.personally that my cordons aren't very fussed about fruits that much but like leafy greens more.

[epriddy]

Yes, this morning I offered a few small mealworms and the birds all seemed very interested -- they didn't last very long. I keep some mealworms in oatmeal with a strawberry or two for some of my fish. I'll have to buy a few more to up my numbers.

I also tried frozen blood worms (again, from my aquarium) but they weren't that excited about those. Maybe I'll try sometime later.

What about earth worms or little feeder fish???

[nixity]

Fruits never really went over all that well with my birds

They seem to prefer dark leafy greens to sweet fruits..

[dan78]

Yes live food always seems hit with them, mealworms are great but down here I found maggots to be the best hit with them next to termites, never giving them termites but the previous breeder I got the young off always feed termites with great clutch results and longer breeding times compared to people like me that only feed maggots and mealworms. As for blood worms never known anybody that has had success with feeding them so don't be to worried if they never adapt to eating them. Live food seeding grasses soaked seed chitted and leafy greens with a good finch mix is about the main foods which most cordons will eat, if your able to get them to eat a soft food mix or extra fruit or veg your pretty luck mine dint even take a look at anything new even though they are in with canaries which will try anything.

[epriddy]

I think that maybe my problem is the presentation of the food? I am putting the food in a saucer on the floor of the cage. Should I be hanging it through some sort of prong like for a parrot?
They thus far are not touching anything but the seed. I've tried mealworms, egg, berries, banana, orange, dark lettuce.

[dan78]

Feeding them fruits veg and greens are difficult as every finch has their own preference as to how they should he presented. Try numerous ways such as throwing it on the floor hanging it off the wire in feeding cups and even attached to perches, then you will find where they prefer to eat the food from then you can change food types, with greens mine prefer to eat it when I leave the greens whole.

[6finchfriends]

Are you chopping it up in tiny little pieces? I would chop it all up in beak sized pieces and sprinkle their favorite seed over the top and mixed in. They will eventually try it. Mine love fresh greens, not so much fruit but will nibble on a little apple. Don't give up! I have a rescue parrot that took two years before it started eating fresh food so I know you can get your finches to eat fresh foods. Just give them a tablespoon on a tupperware lid (mine don't like slippery dishes) with seed mixed in and take it out in the afternoon. One day you will be surprised when the food is gone! Also, try birdy bread. You can put seeds in it along with veggies and they won't even know they're eating something good for them.

[waxbill lover]

Here is a pic of what I feed my birds everyday (in addition to their spray millet, and seed mix)

Top: Very finely chopped Kale
Middle: Very finely sliced apple, mixed with Sukses egg food mix, and a couple pinches of dried bloodworms (its actually fish food... you can find them at most pet stores)
Bottom: Finely chopped carrot

I place these foods in either a hanging dish or a dish that rests on the floor of the cage (they seem to go after it better on the floor). I make sure the foods are all placed in the dish seperate, as I have found when they are mixed together, the birds tend to not eat any of it.

Keep offering your birds the same foods, and eventually one of them is going to get brave and try some. Before long they'll be looking forward to the fresh food everyday. All of my finches get very excited when they hear the knife & cutting board now...the house sounds like a rainforest!

[epriddy]

Ok, thanks so much for the tips. Thus far I've been putting whole live mealworms in there and whole leaf lettuce and...well...whole everything.

My large flight cage is coming today and so they'll be moving habitats again in a bit.

I'll keep offering them the same foods and hopefully they'll catch on. Right now they're only eating the seed mix and millet. I got a 5 lb box of millet in the mail yesterday. I think it'll go bad before they eat all of it!!!

Also, I've read about sprouting seeds...is that grass seed? I'm assuming not but I'm not sure what kind of seed it is.

Thanks,
Elissa

[epriddy]

Very happy to reply that one of my bold little hens hopped right on the mealworm train this morning. Very interesting to watch. I also continue to give them fresh romain each morning. I have started to shred it up like for a salad for myself but not mince it as in the picture above. They seem to like that too and really (i.e. loudly) look forward to their fresh foods in the morning.

I think next I'll try broccoli...I've read good success with that by other posters.