# What do you use for treats?



## llama86 (Nov 14, 2008)

I often read when training your 'tiels to use treats. The thing is, most people don't define what a treat is. I heard one person once say millet. Squawk will pick at different varieties of nutriberries if they're available when he's out, but if I offer him one he doesn't always go wild for it. He has no problem eating from my hand, it just depends on his mood. Does anyone know a surefire treat to try with him? Or at least suggestions I could try? His diet is composed of primarily original nutriberries, so it's not exactly a special treat.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I use either millet or sunflower seeds, both are hits with my tiels.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

I only use millet. You can try a sunflower seeds (just not many - they're high in fat) or unsweetened cereal.


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I just thought of another one my guys like, little pieces of almonds. Cookie in particular adores them.


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## llama86 (Nov 14, 2008)

What kind of sunflower seeds? The ones still in the shell? Should I get the human ones that are covered in salt, or the ones at pet stores designed for outside birds?


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

I mostly just pick them out of the regular seed mix and store them in a little container. For a special treat i'll buy the human ones, but definitely not with salt, just get plain ones.


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## llama86 (Nov 14, 2008)

Are they in the shell still?


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Spike likes millet for a treat. I have not tried almonds I wonder if he would like them. llama86 if you can find unsalted and unshelled sunflower seeds, I would get those. I always hated trying to open up sunflower seeds


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## moondust (Jan 16, 2009)

moondust has sunflower seeds in his normal food. so i am also trying to find a good treat. and moondust takes the seeds out of the shell so i don't have to anyway. these might not work for training but try to find mineral blocks at the pet shop and also try the KAYTEE products. moondust is eating them to get a healthier diet but he loves them. i bet that if i knew what i wanted to train him for, the treats would help me. there's all different kinds and he loves them all. he likes them so much i can put them in his normal food dish all though i dont do that often. tell me what you think!


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

llama86 said:


> Are they in the shell still?


Yeah, usually they are. Not sure if there's sunflower seed you can get without the shell.


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## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

millet and sunflower seeds here as well


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Millet for me!


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## Bea (Jul 26, 2007)

The human grade sunflower seeds are usually out of the shell.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Opps. I was wrong then. :blush:

I looked it up and they were all in the shell! LOL. My bad.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> Should I get the human ones that are covered in salt, or the ones at pet stores designed for outside birds?


Neither one! Salt is bad for birds (and for us too) and wild bird food tends to have microscopic nasties like mold that we don't want to feed our pets. Buy pet quality or human quality sunflower seeds. Seeds that are out of the shell can be broken/cut into smaller pieces. Small rewards are good because it takes longer for the bird to get full and lose interest.

The best reward is what your bird likes best - they're all individuals and different birds like different things. I mostly use dried canteloupe seeds for rewards. My birds don't get those in their daily diet so it seems special.


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## llama86 (Nov 14, 2008)

Where do you get canteloupe seeds? Do you dry them yourself or can you buy them?


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## llama86 (Nov 14, 2008)

Well I got raw husked sunflower seeds and raw almonds. I tried the sunflower seeds and he wouldn't go for them . He eventually ate two, then wouldn't have anything to do with them. I'll try the almonds tomorrow. I put some of the sunflower seeds in his food dish so he can "adjust" to them.


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## llama86 (Nov 14, 2008)

Well no dice still with the almonds or sunflower seeds. My conure wont go for them either. Oddly enough my conure will eat spray millet but isn't gaga for it. Squawk on the other hand loves it.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> Where do you get canteloupe seeds? Do you dry them yourself or can you buy them?


I dry them myself. I use a dehydrator since I have one, but it would be very easy to dry them in the oven. I've never seen canteloupe seeds for sale in a package by themselves, although some of the more exotic seed mixes include a very small amount of them.


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