Fussy Eaters

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Eclectus parrots are generally excellent eaters & will eat anything offered to them. The minority that are fussy eaters are usually those who’ve been raised on seed  or pellet diets only & converting them to a healthier diet can be very difficult. Eclectus that are on only pellets should not be offered additional vitamin supplements. Pellets already contain a large amount of added vitamin supplements in them & some pellet brands are known to contain extremely large amounts of vitamin D which can have devastating health effects on them. If Eclectus is on a seed diet you can add vitamin supplements to their water or seed mixes until your bird is converted but you should consult your avian vet to get the correct dose of vitamin sups as well as the exact types of vitamins your bird is lacking. Presuming any of this can put your Eclectus in danger of an over dose of certain vitamins. Alternatively you can soak the birds seed for 24 hours in water. 24 hour soaked seed is healthier for your Eclectus than dry seed. You can also soak the seed  in something like berry juice or carrot juice.
You can do things like hide pieces of food in honky nuts or any other edible nut shell.They can make a natural foraging toy.

Sometimes ekkies become bored with the food they eat & this can stop them from eating. Keeping their meals & food interesting will prevent this. You can do this by offering skewers, foraging toys, hiding food throughout their cages & play gyms, making all kinds of recipes & shapes.




You can also try adding a little peanut or almond butter to the foods they don’t particularly like to get them to try the new food. In most cases once they get the first taste of the new food they will be willing to eat it.


Hang leafy green veg like bok choy, kale etc...on their perches & branches. Hang edible flowers or safe foliage.


Allow them to join you for a meal. This can often encourage them to eat since they enjoy eating with the family & are curious about what we humans eat.

Supply your bird with foraging toys & ideas to get him interested in eating. You can visit the Parrot Enrichment Page to get lots of foraging tips & ideas.