Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 12/28/2007

Question
Hi, its David, and I have a question.When ever I let my two budgies out of there cage, I want to give them some fruit (bannana pieces, apple pieces, pieces of lettuce),but they alway reject the fruit and run away from it, they never want to eat the fruit!Why wont my budgies eat there fruit and vegtables?

Answer
Hi again, David,

Birds won't eat food they don't recognize as food.  Therefore, you have to keep offering it to them every day until they get used to it.  They will eventually try it.  I haven't found that budgies like much fruit, but they do like things like cooked brown rice with mixed veggies mixed in, corn bread, other types of multi/whole grain breads, kale/collard greens/spinach, etc.  With the food, you have to try offering it to them in different ways, such as shredded, chopped into small pieces, diced, etc., until you find the way your birds like it (and each one may prefer it differently) and any pieces have to be smaller than the size of the bird's beak.  In other words, a bird won't eat anything that is too big for them to pick up or eat with their beaks.  So the size of any food you offer needs to be smaller than the size of a budgies beak.  Again, you just have to keep offering the foods on a daily basis.  It can take a few weeks or a few months for birds to switch to new foods, but do not give up!  Lettuce has no nutritional value...offer kale or other greens that have more vitamins.  Also, try offering the human food inside their cages in a food dish vesus by hand.  When you want to handfeed, use spray millet or something you know they like to eat.  This will make it easier for them to eat from your hand.

Chrys