Freddie

[Canarybird]

I have been advised to feed my new budgie Freddie Broccoli. I have some Tenderstem Broccoli Spears which is a hybrid of Kale and Broccoli. Would this be safe to feed to Freddie and also my canaries? Any advice on suitable fruit and veg would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to do the wrong thing through inexperience. Thank you for your help.
Canarybird.

[maxollie]

Hi, and welcome to the community. Congrats on bringing Freddie into your home. Broccoli is a member of the cabbage famiky , and should never be fed to budgies. Kale, cabbage, bok choy, parsley, and other cabbage family veggies have a phyto nutrient in them that can cause esophogal tumors in budgies. A few years ago, I had a budgie die due to eating parsley, most every day, during the four years I had him. I found a couple of avian vets on line, who gave me this information about cabbage family veggies being fed to budgies.

You could feed fresh leaf lettuce and cilantro, and even frozen veggies including peas and carrots. Chop all veggies and or fruits up in very small pieces in a food chopper or chop a few by hand with a knife.

We have a member, user name 5borders who has vast knowledge of Canaries. He stops by now and then, and I am sure he will respond to your question of feeding canaries broccoli.

[Canarybird]

Thank you so much Maxillie. I am glad you told about the broccoli. I haven't used social media

[Canarybird]

Hello Maxollie. I must apologise I am having trouble with my tablet. My earlier thread to you was cut short. Thank you for your tip about broccoli and 5borders. I am grateful. Freddie is a very lovely but timid budgie and a very fussy eater. He has been rehomed twice in a very short period of time. I am gradually going change him over to a pellet diet as I have been told this is better than a seed diet for him. Any tips would be gratefully received.

[Canarybird]

Hi Maxollie. You seem so knowledgeable about our feathered friends and my cousin has asked me ask you something. My cousin has three hens and as a treat she frequently feeds them some Broccoli Spears and Broccoli and she now wonders if this could be harmful to her girls. Have you any idea? Hope you don't mind me asking you.

[maxollie]

When you say three hens, do you mean budgie hens, or chicken hens. From the info I got from those two vets I mentioned in my post, they seemed to be quite knowledgeable about all parrots, and said it was just budgies, both males and females who should not eat the veggies I mentioned. I do not mind answering you at all.

If it is farm chickens, they eat all kinds of different greens, like grass, and veggies that are scraps from foods we eat. I grew up on a farm, and remember my mom feeding potato peels, left overs, fresh veggies from the farm garden, etc. Farm chickens eat most any veggie, or leftover.

[maxollie]

I am hopeful Aaron (Gimaal) will see your post. He has vast knowledge of pellet feeding, and budgies as well. I am not into feeding pellets. Just my own preference.

[Canarybird]

Thank you Maxollie about your advice on the chickens which I have passed on to my cousin. she has asked me thank you.

[Canarybird]

Gimaal has been in touch with me and recommended the pellets I had already ordered Harrisons Super Fine. They came early yesterday morning and I added some to Freddie's regular feed and he picked out the pellets straightaway and ate them all Up. This morning I put the pellets to the side of his feeding dish to see what would happen and he went straight for the pellets again

[maxollie]

That is awesome that he took to the pellets so fast! Yaaaay Freddie! He really is a smart and happy bird and is settling in well!

[gimaal]

I am hopeful Aaron (Gimaal) will see your post. He has vast knowledge of pellet feeding, and budgies as well. I am not into feeding pellets. Just my own preference.

Just to clarify Ellen's generous and kind words, I'm not a pellet advocate per se. I wouldn't feed my birds most pellets with their preservatives, dyes, sugars, dried fruits etc. I endorse and use Harrisons because it's 100% organic and preservative-free, and I have been thrilled by the results--over 8 years now.

[Canarybird]

True to form Freddie is now bored with eating his pellets. I am am having to mix the pellets with some seeds as he started to go on hungerstrike. Do you have any suggestions? Freddie essilybgets bored with his food but I am determined to get him on his pellet diey. It id a

[Canarybird]

True to form Freddie is now bored with eating his pellets and is going on hungerstrike. I am having to mix some seed in with hid pellets tonget him to eat. Getting bored with food is Freddie's normal behaviour snd I sm determined to get him on the Harrisons duet permanently. At the moment ut is a

[Canarybird]

True to form Freddie is now bored with eating his pellets and is going on hungerstrike. I am having to mix some seed in with his pellets to get him to eat. Getting bored with food is Freddie's normal pattern of behaviour and I am determined to get him on a permanent Harrisons diet. Do you have any tips on how to win Freddie Iver?

[gimaal]

Are you sure he's on a hunger strike? Budgies can be stealth eaters and drinkers and he might have just gotten you to give him what he wants. Measure the food before and after to make sure he's not eating when you're not looking.

This is the one time a mirror can be really useful. If you put a small mirror above his food cup--or get one of those inexpensive food cups that already has an attached mirror (available in most pet stores and on line)-- budgie sees that good lookin' bird in the mirror hovering over his food and, presto, he gets competitive with him for the food.