IndianRingNeck.com

Hi Guys,
Relatively new to the forum, but i wanted to ask.
How can i encourage my new IRN to eat his fruit and veg?

Ive only had him a few days, and he is about 4 years old (ex breeding bird from an aviary) - and he is my very first indian ring neck.
he is reasonably placid, and a little timid, but when he is with me he seems really calm.

ive got a food bowl containing parrot mix from my local safeway (In Australia) and some sunflower seeds,
and i have also put in his cage another smaller food bowel containing some grapes, apple, peas and corn kernels.

as he seems to like running around the bottom of his cage, i have also put a small (Uncooked but fresh) chunk of corn, placed a few grapes (Red and green) and a couple of strawberries, as well as fresh cut red apple pieces and some carrot down there for him to enjoy.

But i really don't think he has touched them.

any advice on how i can really get him into the fruit and veg side of things? i mean, whenever i have him out of the cage, i always try feeding him some of the aforementioned items, and i actually eat them in front of him to show him they're nice. but he will just kind of lick them, or pick them up, take one chew (to break it apart) and drop it, not actually eating it.

Another bird could teach him nicely. Or you can demonstrate. He might not try it the first time but he'll remember. Plus if he's picking them up that's a pretty good start. Another thing to consider is presentation. Make it a toy or stuff it into something he has to dig out.

Might want to dice the grapes. My second hand adult bird did well with me and my dogs for a model/rival presentation, and it was really striking how he would be mildly interested at best one day, and the next day just eat the food like he'd been doing it forever. He truly opened up, however, when he watched another bird eating the particular food. Followup the next day with the same food is important for him.