Persuading parakeets to try a new food -- specificaaly, carrots
Sparrow 13
SF,CA,USA
My question is pretty much like it says in the header.
. I have been offering my budgies a little bit of raw carrot recently
-- I cut and quarter a 2" [more or less] section of carrot, then cut
the edges with a knife so it will be kind of "barbed" or bristly, then
hang the prepared pieces in their cages with a treat clip. So far, the
only reaction they have had to this is to eye it most suspiciously and
keep their distance. I have gone so far as to munch voraciously on
pieces of carrot for their benefit, holding forth with great
enthusiasm about how tasty it is -- which is a true labor of love on
my part, because I hate raw carrots! My own tastes aside though, I
know carrots are very good for them and that they would be better off
eating some now and then.
For what it's worth, they are all great fans of greenfood -- most
often romaine or redleaf, sometimes spinach [the universal least
favorite!], dandelion, or parsley.
Other than resisting the carrots, they eat fine: I give them a 50/50
pellet-seed mix, millet and an occasional dry rice cake for treats,
and greens of some kind every day.
How can I convince them this new, orange-colored stuff is food?