IndianRingNeck.com

Hello there,
Can anyone give some hints on how to make a fussy eater a little bit more adventurous and accepting of new foods?
I have a 2 year old ringneck boy, who has since I got him as a 3 months old baby been a fussy eater.
When I put an array of fresh fruit and vegetables out he only eats the same old favorites, corn, apple, grape, etc. and a lot of the other healthy but probably not so tasty things either get ignored or purposely thrown on the floor. What a joke?! At least he is having fun!!!
What has ended up happening is that I give him the same things over and over again, because I know he will eat them and not let them get spoiled.
I have heard that tame ringnecks tend to beg for food humans eat, but he has never ever begged for any of the food I am eating and basically looks at me like I want to poison him whenever I offer him any of the foods I eat and which he does not recognize.
Basically anything new is looked at suspiciously and considered scary. Even if I get him to try something new with a little bite, he does not like the taste and turns away.
I would really like him to be a bit more adventurous and start eating protein, like egg.
Any advise and suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks heaps,
Dorit

You can try warming or cooking some of the foods he turns his beak up to. Or chopping into small pieces, etc. Just change how it is presented. Sometimes this helps.

If you're trying to get him to eat something new, you have to not give him foods he already likes at the same time. Otherwise, as you've noticed, he'll just toss the other stuff while looking for what he likes.

Usually, Hane gets his veggies/fruits/sprouts/etc. on his playstand (since it's easier to clean so I have less worry about spoilage in the cage or a corner of the floor I missed lol). Sometimes I'll only put one type of food in his cup for him to try. Just a little bit, but enough that if he tosses the first chunk down to the dog that there is some more for him to try. Sometimes it takes offering the food multiple times for him to actually give it a real try. Lately, he is more likely to try something that he sees me put in his cup, rather than something that was already there. He also loves to eat warm food.

He is FINALLY willing to be given a big chunk of carrot and bite off pieces. I've been working on training him to exert himself more for eating. Anything harder he just didn't want to bite lol, and wanted them already diced.

The newest thing he tried was a Chayote Squash/Plantain mash that we made for ourselves with dinner. He gobbled that up quickly!

Cool. Thanks heaps, Melika.
I will try a few food tricks with Ruby and see whether this works.
Gosh, they are funny little creatures!