How to convert birds off seed-only diet
While a diet full of fruit and seeds may seem delicious, they are equivalent to every day McDonald's in humans - high in calories and may not contain all the essential nutrients you require. Pet birds do not necessarily get as much exercise as their wild counterparts and therefore require a complete diet that has a correct balance of all the required vitamins and minerals.
This is why formulated diets are recommended for pet birds. Harrison's Foods also have uniform shape and colour, so the birds do not pick out their favourite bits and throw away the rest.
For nectar-eating birds, such as lories and lorikeets, we recommend Nekton-Lori. While Harrison's can be made into a wet mix for nectar-eaters, it takes a lot more effort to do that than the already powdered Nekton-Lori that just needs addition of water.
Many birds will eat a new food without hesitation. Some birds require some assistance (diet conversion). If a bird does not immediately eat Harrison’s, try these diet conversion methods.
What's worked for me was making little muffins from the bird bread mix and sharing it with the birds - they're social and want to participate in your dining experience.
Another tip that's worked well was to put some crumbs on white paper towels. Maybe it triggers some sort of cleaning reflex in them?
Never let your bird starve! Some parrots can be very stubborn and would rather starve than switch to an unknown food. It's not a matter of taste, but rather familiarity - don't know about yours, but my birds are very wary of any new things.
If you are struggling to get your bird to change its habits, get in touch and we can chat.