Answer

Hi Danielle. Ah, the picky eater, been there, done that. It is a toughy, especially when they have been allowed unlimited seeds for that long. It's a long row to hoe to get them on to a good diet. But first off, stop with the grit. Not only does he not need it, it can be dangerous for him. Birds who need grit are the "softbills" like Canarys, Finches and a few others. Your Lovie is a "hookbill". As such, he hulls his seeds before eating them and does not need the grit for digestion. For a hookbill to have access to grit is dangerous, if they should ingest any. Enough of it can cause impaction anywhere from the crop, all the way through the digestive tract. Any kind of so called vitamin additives are pretty much useless. Their bodies simply don't absorb it properly and you are wasting your money. Getting all necessary vitamins from the fresh foods is best. I'm going to end this with a lot of links that are basically for Parakeets but they will apply to your Lovie, just the same. But, I will hit some of the high points for you. As for pellets, there are many good brands on the market. The secret is finding one your bird will eat. Pellets are a real hard sell to most birds because they are boring. The one I've had the most luck, (only luck) with for my Tiels is the LaFeber with no added colors. For them, I buy the Parakeet size because the Tiel size is a bit large for them. They bite one and half is eaten while the other half flies to the floor. If you want to try that one, I'd suggest Parakeet size or smaller if they have it. You can also try Kaytee or Zupreem. They have both plain and fruity flavors with colors. If the fruit flavor and/or the colors will entice him, that's great. Here is the LaFeber product Click here: Lafeber's Premium Daily Diet for Parakeets Here is an example of the Kaytee Click here: Bird Food: Kaytee Exact Rainbow Parakeet Pellets And here is the Zupreem Click here: Bird Foods: ZuPreem AvianMaintenance FruitBlend bird food for Canaries and Finches I know this one says for Canaries and Finches but if your guy will eat them, it would be much better than no pellets at all. For my larger parrots, I use the Pretty Bird brand because they have species specific formulas for my Grey, my Macaw and my Senegal. Here is an example of their product that would be right for your Lovie. Click here: Pretty Bird Mini Daily Select These links all take you to the Drsfostersmith.com web site. Of course you can buy these almost anywhere but I can almost guarantee that even with shipping, this is the cheaper source. Pet stores charge ungodly prices for the same thing. But also, with a flock of 9 total assorted species, I buy everything in bulk, saving that much more. With one little Lovie, you won't go through any of it very fast but if you have freezer or fridge room to store it, it will all last very well so long as it's sealed. You are right, he needs to be eating fruits, veggies, leafy greens and a lot more. He can eat almost anything you eat. Keyword being almost. There are some toxic foods and the lists I'm going to give you will help with that. The safest thing I tell everyone though is, if in doubt, don't. If you cannot verify the safey of any food, don't risk it. Ask someone first. The greens he can have include Kale, Endive, mustard, collard and turnip greens and Romaine lettuce. No ice berg because it has no nutritional value and no spinach because it has oxylates that can interfere with the absorption of calcium. Neither of those is toxic or anything like that but it's just better to leave them out. When selecting fruits and vegetables, if you are going to give him fresh, make sure it is a product of the U.S.A. Food products from other countries are not grown under the strict laws we have here about allowable fertilizers and other treatments. I know someone who, several months ago, suddenly had 6 Macaws drop dead within minutes of each other. The cause was traced back to some grapes from Chile which had a lethal dose of insecticide on them. Other things he can have include cooked brown rice, cooked and raw pasta, well cooked bean mixes, hard boiled or scrambled eggs and small bits of well cooked chicken breast with all fat and skin removed. Now, to the hard part; convincing him to try some of these choices. One of the best approaches is to have him eat with you. Nearly all birds are very flock oriented and eating is very much a flock activity. Try bringing him to the table with you and fixing him his own plate of as much variety as possible. Second best is to take a plate for you and a bowl for him and eat near his cage with him. As you eat, smack your lips and just go on and on about how "yummy, yummy, um that's so good". Basically act so silly over how much you are enjoying it that you hope your neighbors can't see or hear you. Birds love big reactions to things and the more positive you are about the food, the more likely he will be to try some. I surely won't try to kid you. It's very unlikely this will happen quickly. You may have to offer over and over, swapping the choices around, keeping it as varied and interesting as possible and keep your fingers crossed that he will eventually try even half what you offer. No bird likes everything but with persistance and consistency, he should eventually give up and find some of it that he likes. You want to make sure you don't leave the "wet" foods out more than a couple hours as it can grow bacteria. The greens can be clipped to his cage bars. He may see them first as a fun shredding toy but by getting them in his beak, he may also figure out they taste pretty good. My adopted African Grey came to me thinking parrots could live on sunflower seeds and peanuts. Both of which need to be avoided in bird diets. It took a while but with much patience, constantly sticking it in front of him, eating with him, and no small amount of wasted food, he finally eats a well rounded and healthy diet. I used to say that if you looked up "picky eater" you would see his picture. If he can be brought around, I'm convinced any of them can. Just keep offering and don't give up on him. Ultimately, his life could depend on it. Check out the info. at these links and let me know if you have any more questions about any of it. Good luck with little Mr. Picky. Patricia

Click here: Grit, Gravel and your Parakeet / Budgie

Click here: Hepatic Lipidosis

Click here: PetCareLibrary - Tumors in Parakeets (pvy.com)

Click here: Parakeet Medical and Safety Information

Click here: Parakeet Budgie and Keet FAQs and Info

Click here: Toxic and Safe Plants/Trees for Birds - Household Poisons

Click here: Birdsnways - Safe Plants & Trees for pet birds, pet parrots &exotic birds

Click here: Nutrition

Obesity & Diets (budgies)

Click here: The Basics: Intro to Budgies / Parakeets

Click here: The Budgie and Parakeet Place - Care, Training, Pictures and More

Click here: BUDGIE CARE SHEET

Click here: Bird Proofing Your Home: Household Hazards for Birds

Click here: Bird Proofing Your Home - Avoid These Pet Bird Hazards