I've never hidden the fact that I do give my birds some seeds. However, their diet is not only comprised of seeds - there are plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits as well as sprouts and cooked grains and legumes. I always believed diversity was key.
I have had to convert a few of my birds to a better diet, some having joined the flock not knowing as much diversity or just being plain picky eater. It's always been a wonderful moment when you realize they are touching more and more of the food that is offered and it's even more elating when you realize they are barely touching the seeds anymore.
Lately, Léa has gone back to her picky ways, often only really wanting to eat the seed offered and that won't do. So we had to trick her into eating the other offered food. I'll admit that I've never really made the birds forage for their seeds - they have a small portion available at all times, just like they have TOPs pellets offered at all times. Yet, most of the flock will happily chow down the two fresh meals offered in a day (in the morning and in the evening). Léa wasn't doing this anymore so, as a fresh meal gets offered, the seeds are taken away. Since we've started doing this, she's been much better about eating the fresh food offered to her and has even started putting a little weight on! (Weight she could stand to gain.) At first she would let out a scream when we would enter the room after meal time was over for her seeds back. As time progressed, she's stopped doing that - she'll still indulge when the bowl is once again offered to her, but she doesn't seen as desperate as she once was. Funnily enough, the Boy always felt bad about taking the food away and would almost rush to give it back to her - while I kept saying she can wait. He was afraid of her starving but I doubt she would have gone down that path - and it seems I was right.
We'll keep this up as long as we have to. But I'm quite happy we found a relatively easy way to try and fix the problem.
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