Best bird treats according to redditors

pretzels

That sounds so freaking cute!

The coconut treats we have are like these. I guess they're normally for hamsters or something, but Iggy's previous owners used them and had some to give us. She loves them and they're small enough that we can give her a lot of treats without stuffing her with them or spoiling her.

Maybe things like this and this?

Yes I am using dried mealworms. Some of the experienced folks around here say they prefer live mealworms but they don’t mind the dried. You can also put them in a bowl with a little water to moisten them.

They also eat “no mess” nut mixes out of a standard feeder if the mealworms are gone. But the mealworms in a platform feeder were key to attracting them in the first place. I didn’t see any until then.

A blue bird house also helps during nesting season. We put one up this past winter and they took right to it!

Couple of notes: the worms also attracted starlings and they are ravenous. They’ll come in packs and eat all the worms up. Not everyone has this experience though. A friend does the same here but doesn’t see any starlings. That’s why the nut mix is a good backup food source.

Worms also attract other bully birds like cow birds and mockingbirds, blue jays occasionally eat them, but I find them much friendlier than the starlings. They let the other birds eat too.

Here are links to what I feed them. Bulk is the way to go because local stores charge 5X as much for smaller quantities. This 5 pound bag lasted me 2-3 months, until the hungry babies arrived. They keep raising the price, was $30, then $33 now $37.

5lb mealworms

This nut mix has smaller pieces than the local stores so there’s better feeder flow, no clogs from the larger pieces. Plus it attracts so many other birds too! Just make sure you have a squirrel proof feeder :)

lyric no mess nut mix

Let me know if you have any more questions. It’s been interesting to see the variety of birds that comes during the seasons!

Happy Hen Treats Mealworm Frenzy, 30-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008UAW6E0/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_SmAYtb17ZAWFVBC6

First thing I would do is check to make sure it isn't on the floor of the cage for another reason. Gently pick it up and look for obvious injuries or signs of disease. Sitting puffed up with it head under its wing is usually a sign of something physically distressing to the bird, and its important to rule out other issues before assuming its lack of feeding. If the parents know there is something wrong with the chick they may have tossed it out, or be refusing to feed it for this reason. If the chick looks ok then I would place it back in the nest with the rest of the chicks. If it continues to jump out there is not much you can do but try hand feeding if the parents refuse to feed it. Usually the parents only feed it for a few weeks more after it fledges so you starting uni shouldn't be an issue, I think you will have enough time to wean it by them. The Lafeber's Nutri-start is the hand feeding formula I would recommend: https://www.amazon.com/Lafebers-Nutri-Start-feeding-formula-11-Ounce/dp/B0002ARFRY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521578012&sr=8-1&keywords=lafebers+hand+feeding
if you decide to go that route, but be sure you understand how to properly hand-feed the chick before jumping into it. Good luck!

Where did you get your mouse from? If you got her from a pet store, chances are you'll have a harder time taming her than if you got her from a breeder. I also agree with /u/mewingoreos, she'll feel safer and more confident with a buddy or two.

When you are offering her food from your hand, how are you holding the food? Hands with grasping fingers can be threatening to mice, as they know you can grab them suddenly. Put your hand flat in the tank, palm up, with your fingers tightly together like this. Then hold your hand perfectly still for five or ten minutes and let her approach you. You can also try rubbing your hand in her bedding first to make your hand smell more like her.

Definitely find a treat she can't resist, preferably something she cannot just grab a large piece of and run away to eat. I've had good success with dipped millet from the bird section of pet shops, you can get fruit-dipped or honey-dipped (or even candy coated!). Millet is made up of tiny little seeds, so she has to keep coming back to you to get more delicious tiny seeds. Parakeet seed also works well, as does a large piece of fruit that's too big to drag away (such as an apple wedge or baby carrot) so she has to keep coming back to take nibbles.

Whenever you handle her, try to keep your fingers together as much as you can to avoid looking like a grabby hand. Use a fist and extend one finger to gently touch her side or back if she'll let you. Let her sniff your fist or climb on it if she's feeling brave. Etc etc. Try not to pick her up if she doesn't want to be as much as possible. With really stubborn mice, sometimes I've even sat with a hand in their cage while watching TV. They always come around eventually.

I need this because porker is out of treats and most of his toys are destroyed. This kind of covers both things in one :) The busier I keep him the less he pulls his feathers out. ...I don't know, fly casual

Thanks for the contest!

I also forgot to mention bugs. Chickens love bugs. We've gotten crickets from the petstore and earthworms from the baitshop.

Also, if you leave a piece of cardboard in the grass overnight it tends to attract crickets. Gather your chickens, and lift the cardboard and watch the hunt begin. Best way I've ever found to attract earthworms is a pile of wet leaves on cement for a few days.

We also keep a bag of freeze dried mealworms. When they're being difficult and don't want to come in for the night, shaking the bag will bring them all running.

Super Pet Habitat Defined Enrichment Pod, Hide N' Go Treat
http://amzn.com/B002LE88VQ

This is the one they have. I got them the one with the levers, too, but it doest work too well with their treats. Every Petco I have ever been to has had them on sale at nearly half cost. Apparently birds don't like them that much.

This worked for me as well, if youre worried about their feet you can cut the perch cover down to a 1 to 2 inch piece before putting it on, then they dont need to stand on it. Try also giving him a variety of chewable things. cuttle bones are great but theres also mineral blocks, wood toys, paper, and sticks from outside. try putting the millet in a holder like this one, my bird likes that thing a lot. Once he tries chewing one thing, he'll be more likely to try another.

Here is one of my older and larger, still living, pond snails, he has been in my tank for a few months and you can see the discoloration on his shell from his growth during this time.

I also have a huge amount of snail shells scattered around my tank from my smaller bladder and ramshorn (the eggs look the same, so I suspect a much smaller version of ramshorn) snails dying when they reach roughly the size of an airsoft pellet (~6mm I beleve).

Could I put a few slivers of cuttlebone under the sand for them to get calcium from assuming this is a calcium deficiency? That's the only thing I can think of right now.

This has been happening for quite a while and I have added a searchem copper-absorbing pad to the tank filter (aquaclear 20, so much room in there!) to get out any copper that may have been in food or pipes.

Tank parameters now: 195 TDS (happening even when tank was at around 350 TDS), nitrate, ammonia, and nitrite near zero, dosing with comprehensive and excel, 10 gallon tank, GH is around 6+. Not feeding with anything copper, mostly (non copper) algae wafers and blanched, blended, frozen and then thawed veggies.

Here's some links to products I mentioned and products my pigs like:

Small Pet Select Timothy Hay Pet Food, 10-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ID70IEU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_tr8Eub1AJRAQ7

Ware Hand Woven Willow Twig Tunnel Small Pet Hideout, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002H3BLCY/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_-s8Eub0ETWT7J

Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health Food for Guinea Pig, 5-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VB503Y/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Av8Eub1ERBJYN

eCOTRITION Snak Shak Treat Stuffer for Guinea Pig/Rabbit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000WAGVO2/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_jw8Eub001T4KZ

Kaytee Chew-Proof Water Bottle, 26-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HHQ70S/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_eA8Eub1MCZ8ZJ (I fill it almost completely and mine never leaks, but some reviews mention it leaking).

Kaytee Super Sleeper Cuddle-E-Cup, Colors Vary https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002ASBRM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_qY8Eub0PE7E4Y best to get two of things like this, pigs will fight over it if there's only one.

Oh wait no mine is the same brand and green package but doesn't say it is enriched. I'll find the exact one I have and link it. Yeah I have angelfish, guppies, loaches, 3 female bettas, and a bristlenose.

Edit: I can't find the exact one I have, but this is the one I've also used before. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01CDFJLCC/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1469210713&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=cuttlebone

Dried worms in a clear window feeder. Like everything else, available on Amazon.

The window feeder I have (it's like 3' from the bed) looks like this only has a removable tray. I'd wait for that one to get restocked or look locally.

Mealworms

https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Hen-Treats-Mealworm-Frenzy/dp/B01G3PDKFC/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_199_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Z613ZJ1ZM0JNXNXRM5F7

Best deal

We need treats for our new parakeet. Thanks for the contest!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UO7EIE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2IG7L0YF2F4VZ&coliid=I1OODI6DS300AV

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

I want to be friends with Hanners and Viktor

They both look fun, but I don't mind playing with Hanners at a park, looks like a fun loving dog!

I have baby chicks

I think they'll love these mealworms

Boom.

But no, gift someone else.

http://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Avian-Habitat-Defined-Enrichment/dp/B002LE88VQ?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s02

This one is pretty easy.

popcorn on a cob. My little guy loves them, popped or unpopped. It’s a little different then regular treats so it could make for a nice gift.

Toy making supplies could be good too if your friend is crafty. Pine/birch/maple/balsa wood are all safe for tiels, just don’t get any oak or cedar as those are toxic. Wood beads, popsicle sticks, sisal rope, wood rings, and coconut shells are some good materials.

I've had great luck with Harrison's. You could try either the High Potency Super Fine pellet. You could also try their High Potency Mash, it's pellet powder that you mix with water or fresh food. Along with that Volkman seed is great too. They have a Parrotlet-specific seed mix.

I agree with the other posters- your little tiel looks a little bored and ready to play! a bigger cage would be surely appreciated, and some toys.
Toys are kind of hard because you never know what they will be into at first- and even then their tastes change!
These comfy perches are a good place to start

they are a little easier on their feet. As for toys, I generally go with 3 types of different toys to give my birdie some variety: something to shred, something that moves (likes a swing) and something shiny.

Planet Pleasures has a lot of great bird toys (funny name but good bird toys...)
These shredders are great and perfectly safe

my baby tiel (well, less than a year old) is rather obsessed with this toy called 'falling beads' (3rd one down from the top) and it meets my criteria of something shiny and something that moves.

as for guessing your bird's mood, this article is very helpful

And finally, as for taming your bird and getting it used to you, have you tried feeding it birdie crack millet by hand through the side of the cage? I wouldn't normally give birds millet just to eat but it works as a 'treat', gets the bird to have a good association with you, and is useful for training later on down the road.

I hope this is helpful! Good Luck!