My old parakeet, who has been gone for many years, eagerly ate fresh foods, which I provided daily. My new keet, Pip, won't eat anything but seeds. I've tried tempting him with juicy bits of apple and shredded carrot, but no go. I'm worried that he'll be malnourished if he won't eat any fresh foods. Any suggestions?

The first thing Coco ate and still thinks she does is lettuce, it is mostly water but i sat and crunched some in front of her the noise def. got her attention. I clipped it to the cage. Sure enough after several wilted pieces and weeks later i saw little beak bites in the lettuce, so i changed it to spinach more nutricious. Sometime she shreds it like a toy but she does eat some. the next winner was brocolli on a string part toy part salad of course at first she cleared right over to the other side of the cage but then again weks later boom nothing but the sad chewed stalk on some hemp string. To this day the broccolli hanging toy/snack is her fav. We are still working on fruits and carrot. Don't give up it can be done.

Hey, thanks for the encouragement. I guess it will just take time. Just like some kids who don't like their veggies--hee, hee! I'll keep trying.

welcome to the forum.your not alone there are more then a few of us trying to get our birds to eat fruits and veggies.like coco mine might eat a little lettuce and some baby food.they pick at other veggies.please be very careful giving your bird apples.apple seeds can make a keet very ill.just keep trying; as long as your giving him pellets and some seeds he's ok for now,but keep placing veggies and fruit in his cage.

Hate to sound stupid, but what are pellets, and how do I use them? I never fed my other keet pellets-he ate so much seed and fresh stuff. Do I just put them in a seed cup?

Pellets , Ha I didn't know either till i joined. Coco doesn't eat them she picks out her seed but if you can get yours to eat pellets it is supposed to be very nutritious. Some argue better than seeds. Zupreem and Kaytee (def.)make them I will see if I can find a link.

http://www.petco.com/product/12566/ZuPreem-AvianMaintenance-FruitBlend-Bird-Diet-for-Parakeets.aspx

I looked at a Petco since you are in the states. but that is the same one I try and feed Coco. I have personally resorted to grinding them (Cetan suggested a coffee grinder) I used to take a sledge hammer lol, to crush them a mix them in so the are a powedery coating and Coco gets some in her mouth regardless when eating her seed, but many keets will switch over no problem.

My last bird lived for 10 years no pellets but it is rumoured to be healthy although there is some debate and I find it stinks liteally more than seed.You can find stuff on this site and by googling pellets, just make sure it is the parakeet size.

Thanks so much--I'll look for some pellets and see if he'll eat it. I already feed him Kaytee brands seeds, so maybe the store I got him will have the pellets as well. Crushing them up if he won't eat it is a smart idea. Thank you!

I have also heard that soaking them in fruit juice helps birds eat them as well. That is what my mother did with her Quaker parrot.

Hooray! Pip is now eating broccoli and dark green lettuce. He REALLY likes broccoli!