The baby does not have the best diet. If it were up to him, he would eat 100% millet.
Trevor will eat a few grains of brown rice and he pokes at Roudybush pellets, but he ignores the other vegetables. Birdtricks had a post on a company called Sproutpeople that makes mixes specifically designed for birds. They also sell containers for growing the sprouts. So I picked up a kit.
The kits are so easy. You pour out seeds and rinse them every twelve hours. The grass is a really hearty blend.
I’ve bought other kits before but the grass was thin and developed mold. I kept trying to grow this other kit until I discovered that Conner would eat the gritty dirt and mold at the bottom of the container. Yuck! This kit, on the other hand, has only seeds so it’s much safer. And you know what? The baby eats it!
I even took a picture of Trevor nibbling at the grass but the camera setting was wrong and it came out blurry. I’ll get a picture someday. So when I leave the container inside the cage during the day, the baby will pick out the grass and eat the seeds at the bottom. This has got to be a better diet than millet and seeds. I’m so excited!
Cute! My two cockatiels love sprouted wheat grass. They don’t seem to bother with the seeds/soil, but they are “mature” (I use the word very loosely). Have you tried Harrison’s organic fine grade pellets for your ‘tiels? My two (actually all four birds) eat it and seem to thrive on it as their mainstay, though I supplement their diet with greens, apples, cooked vegetables, cooked grains, etc. My lovebird did not do well with Roudybush about 8 years ago at my first pellet attempt, but all of them have liked Harrison’s, which is my vet’s choice. (The hardest to convert was my lovebird, but she finally switched.)
Shannon, I haven’t tried Harrison’s. I realized that I misspoke in the post – I have both Roudybush and Zupreem pellets and the cockatiels prefer Roudybush. I’ll pick up some Harrison’s. Anything to encourage them to eat healthier foods, thanks!