It's all in Presentation: Making food appear interesting to a bird is a big challenge

[spiritbird]

Making food appear interesting to a bird is a big challenge. I am finding my budgies are eating less and less of their fresh greens - do they get bored with their food? I present the greens in different ways, mostly on a clip and hang from top of cage. They will not touch anything served in a bowl except seed mixes. Skewers are good for fruits and whole veggies but they do not seem to eat them that way. I search the grocery store for something different and now I am serving pea sprouts and carrot tops but those are getting old too. How do you keep your bird interested in eating the fresh foods?

My budgies have no interest in foraging for food. Birds in the wild have so much variety in their choice of foods. The ideal would be to find a way to imitate that in the home. I am guessing birds living in aviaries do not get bored with the food they get.

[spiritbird]

Also have another ?. I have been introduced to coconut water and love the taste. Very healthy, especially for hydration in hot weather. Would you give your bird some of this?

[PlaxMacaws]

My guys definitely become bored with certain foods! Consequently, I have found that food item 'rotation' can be a way to keep them from ignoring the healthy foods I frequently offer them. For example, mine will have broccoli... then another day I'll replace the broccoli with corn... and then next I'll replace the corn with sweet potatoes... and so on.

I would think coconut water should be fine for them - as long as it has no artificial additives.

[Mare]

My birds can also be picky about certain foods but only on Monday, Thursday and Fridays! :th_biggrin: on Tuesday, they LOVE it but only the second Tuesday of every other month! Silly birds! :). I also find that rotation is key and sometimes they won't like something that WAS their favorite, for another six months down the road.

[spiritbird]

Rotation is necessary but in the meantime fresh food spoils quickly. I imagine the secret is to have your own garden.

[plax]

Rotation is necessary but in the meantime fresh food spoils quickly. I imagine the secret is to have your own garden.That's fairly true (as well as unfortunate for those without gardens :(). The only other options are to find adequate ways of storing fresh foods for as long as possible, and/or making frequent shopping runs to purchase those foods in correct amounts that will avoid as much spoilage and waste as possible.

[Robyn]

Have you thought about "forcing" them to forage. You can do this by removing the food dish and just leaving the fresh food then replace the food dish at night before they go to bed.

[spiritbird]

I really do not want to rock the boat on their nutrition while they both are on medication but your idea is noted for the future.

[Minamommy]

I hear yea!! Mare you said it perfect. Mina boy o boy is she picky. Only likes fruit now watermelon loves it no wait I hate that crap why is it on my plate!!! More pear please what do you mean I don't like it? Of course I do! I want more now and while your at it that piece of apple I was just eating out of your hair tasted pretty good too. Princess Mina has to have her fruit served on a animal face paper plate so then we can attack the plate. Mina is now on Diflucan so whatever I get her to eat makes me jump with joy. Side note. Can our birds have ginger? Since she is throwing up. Don't worry the AV knows. I wondered if I could put a small slice of ginger in warm water and give her a couple of drops?


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[plax]

Mina boy o boy is she picky. Only likes fruit now watermelon loves it no wait I hate that crap why is it on my plate!!! More pear please what do you mean I don't like it? Of course I do! I want more now and while your at it that piece of apple I was just eating out of your hair tasted pretty good too. Princess Mina has to have her fruit served on a animal face paper plate so then we can attack the plate. Mina is now on Diflucan so whatever I get her to eat makes me jump with joy. I can imagine so :). I love the animal face plate idea, btw ;)



Side note. Can our birds have ginger? Since she is throwing up. Don't worry the AV knows. I wondered if I could put a small slice of ginger in warm water and give her a couple of drops?Ginger should not be a problem and is probably a good idea. Please see the excerpt below from lafeber.com:


Ginger is often used as a spice, but it is also a great medicinal herb.Ginger blocks nausea by reducing stimuli within the gastrointestinal tract. By inhibiting cyclo-oxygenase and lipo-oxygenase pathways, ginger inhibits both prostaglandin and leukotriene synthesis, thereby acting as an antioxidant. Ginger has been found to improve cardiovascular conditions and osteoarthritis, which are important to reduce those problems in senior birds.
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[spiritbird]

I am feeding the birds herb salad now from Twin Beaks Aviary in Wisconsin. After 1 week of exposure my birds are eating it. I can't tell you enough about how healthy this product is for them. Suggest you go to the web page and read about the ingredients. I spoke personally with the owner and she said it is best to serve the salad by itself in a shallow dish so they can forage better. The birds are supposed to pick out what they need - called self medication. They do not need to be sick to benefit.

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[plax]

That's great information, Dianne. Thank you :)

[Marcus' Mom]

... and then next I'll replace the corn with sweet potatoes... and so on.

Hmmm... Marcus doesn't much care for sweet potatoes. He'll eat them, but it's kind of a hit or miss thing. But since I've been on this "Baking for Birdie" kick, I could make cake, bread or muffins with sweet potato. I can even make a sweet potato custard, but with 90% less sugar than I'd normally use in a sweet potato pie filling.

I'm gonna have some fun in the kitchen this weekend! :th_biggrin:

[plax]

Hmmm... Marcus doesn't much care for sweet potatoes. He'll eat them, but it's kind of a hit or miss thing. But since I've been on this "Baking for Birdie" kick, I could make cake, bread or muffins with sweet potato. I can even make a sweet potato custard, but with 90% less sugar than I'd normally use in a sweet potato pie filling.

I'm gonna have some fun in the kitchen this weekend! :th_biggrin:It all sounds yummy to me, Summer :D. Let us know how he likes each of your experiments!

[Minamommy]

Yes let us know how Marcus likes the custard and how you make it. Mina loves yogurt and stuff like that. If I could get sweet potato into her that way it would be great!

[Minamommy]

Dianne I got herb salad from my safe bird store. It may be twin beaks aviary. I didn't realize I needed to give it to her alone. I was sneaking it to her in her snack. Hoping it would go down the hatch with a nut or a pellet. I will try it alone. Thank you for the tip.