I am worried about our 9 month old male cockatiel's diet. He is very finicky and will not eat greens (lettuce, parsley, or any of the dark greens) and fruit -- forget it. On a daily basis, I try to give him all different kinds of greens and they are never touched. Are vitamins a good alternative - what is the best way to give vitamins. Do you have any suggestions as how to boost his diet.
Vitamin and mineral deficiency is one of the top 2 or 3 ailments most often diagnosed by vets. You certainly have reason to be concerned and your cockatiel is very fortunate to have such a concerned owner.
We don't recommend lettuce because we think it contains too much water and too little nutritional value, however, broccoli, collard greens, turnip greens and kale are excellent greens. Other fresh, canned or frozen veggies such as corn, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash and green beans are great.
How do you persuade him to eat these? Perseverance. Try holding off 2 or 3 hours feeding seed or pellets and instead place a piece of fresh corn, still on the cob, in the cage. If you can "camouflage" it to look like a toy, by hanging it from the top or side or place it, standing up, in the cage, his curiosity may get the better of him. Of course, you could use any of the other veggies instead of corn. If he isn't interested, don't give up. Try and try again.
We don't put a lot of confidence in the over the counter vitamins because there's just no way to know how much the bird is consuming, if any.
Just a reminder. Don't leave vegetables or fruits in the cage for more than two or three hours, as they can become a haven for bacteria.