A big factor could be your birds’ diet. Most new bird owners only feed seed or a seed/nut mix. This is the easiest to find at stores, even some grocery stores will sell a pet bird seed marketed towards a specific kind/size of bird. Very few mixes will have some type of pellet mixed in. A pellet diet is better than seed as seeds are high in fat, which promotes the breeding hormones. Starting with nutriberries is a good start to introduce pellets into a bird’s diet. They still have seeds in them that a bird is used to eating. A good next step up is avicakes. They come in a sheet that is easy to break apart. There are some bird foods out there that are pelleted, finding the one your bird likes might be a challenge. Adding a small amount of baby food (veggie flavored) or even applesauce could help entice your bird to eat it. Also, offer lots of fresh veggies. Birds will often mimic their humans and might want you to eat it first and share it with them. I’ve also heard that a mirror behind or under a new food can make it seem like another bird is eating it first to show it’s safe to eat. Birds can have small amounts of fruit from time to time as they are healthy but contain a lot of natural sugars. Here is a list of safe fruits and veggies:
Veggies:
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Cucumber
- Bell Pepper
- broccoli (can even hide seed in it to encourage your bird)
- Kale
- Carrots
- Peas
Fruits:
- Apple
- Grapes
- Banana
- Papya
- Melons
- Kiwi
- Orange
Make sure you cut anything you are feeding your bird to an appropriate size. Don’t try to give your parakeet an entire apple. Not only is it too big for that sized bird, but contains too much sugar.
Things you NEED to AVOID:
- Avacado
- Onion
- Garlic