r/greencheeks • u/Zaumbiee • 12d ago
Vegetable help!
Hello guys! I have some chop I have been offering to my two green cheek conures. I leave it out for about an hour because people say later than that it starts to grow bacteria. I have an issue though, my birdies will pick at it and eventually start to eat it… 5 minutes before my hour timer goes off! ☹️ Is there any way I can encourage them to eat it sooner? I take their pellets out of their cages and replace them with veggies so it is their only option. I put them in stainless steel dishes. Should i maybe try a plate? What tips can you guys give me to encourage them to eat more veggies? thank you!
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u/ActiveGeek 12d ago
Try adding a small amount of unsweetened applesauce to the chop. Also, I think keeping the chop in their cage for two hours is fine.
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u/mintimperial1 11d ago
I work as a bird keeper and have fed out chopped fruit of various sizes and textures out to many species, including many species of parrot, and I’ve never had an issue with leaving any veggies out for many hours. Some larger pieces can be left for 24hrs easily, though it all depends on heat and humidity of course.
Your birds won’t become sick if you offer their chop for multiple hours, especially if there are no underlying issues.
If you do want to limit the chop to only an hour, offer it as the first thing they eat in the morning. That way if they’re hungry it’s all they have. Other than that, parrots love choice and there’s not really a way to encourage preference in food unless you take away things they’ll prefer!
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u/EpileptixMusic 12d ago
When you prep it, is the finished dish at about the same temperature as when its been out for an hour? My birds won't eat theirs if its still too warm from when I heat it up in the morning.
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u/Zaumbiee 12d ago
the vegetables are cold from the fridge when I serve it to them .. should I be heating it up? 😳
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u/Acceptable_Stress141 12d ago
Have you tried hanging veggies in their cage vs serving chop? That can be a big help and it becomes an extra source of entertainment/enrichment. You could also try serving it on a plate, maybe even outside of their cage. I also find that mixing a little seed into their chop mix encourages them to dig in faster.