How to Get My Parrot to Eat Pellets

Switching your parrot to pellets can feel like an uphill battle, especially if they’ve been raised on seed or only recognise a few different foods. The truth is, many parrots don’t immediately recognise something new as food, and that includes pellets. In the wild, parrots learn what’s safe to eat by watching their parents and flock. So when a bright-coloured chunk, or rather dull coloured block, of compressed food lands in their bowl out of nowhere, their first instinct is usually confusion, or even fear.

If your bird has snubbed pellets in the past, don’t panic. It's completely normal, and there are gentle, effective ways to help them make the switch without stress.

Why Won’t My Parrot Eat Pellets?

Parrots are prey animals, and that means they’re cautious by nature, especially with unfamiliar foods. In the wild, trying the wrong thing could be deadly, so it’s no surprise that many companion parrots instinctively avoid new textures, shapes, and colours. Pellets don’t look like food to them at first. They haven’t seen their parents eat it, and they’ve likely never seen anything like it in their environment.

So no, your parrot isn’t just being stubborn, they’re trying to protect themselves.

Tips to Encourage Your Parrot to Try Pellets

Here are some realistic, practical strategies that can help your bird accept pellets over time:

1. Serve Pellets Alongside Familiar Foods

Start by placing a small amount of pellets next to your parrot’s usual fresh or dry food / seed. Let them get used to seeing them as part of their mealtime routine. Gradually reduce the old food and increase the pellet portion over several weeks.

2. Soak Pellets in Juice

Try soaking a few pellets in a tiny bit of natural, unsweetened fruit juice—apple or carrot juice works well. This softens them and gives them a sweeter, more appealing taste and smell. Once your bird gets used to the texture, you can reduce the juice and transition to dry pellets if desired.

3. Pretend to Eat Them Yourself

Yes, really. Parrots learn by observation, and they are expert mimics. If they see you enthusiastically "eating" a pellet, making happy sounds, or offering it like a shared treat, they might just follow your lead.

4. Hide Them in Foraging Toys

You can mix pellets into dry mixes, stuff them into foraging toys, or blend them with a sprinkle of seeds to encourage exploration. At The Aviary Parrot Food, we often recommend mixing pellets with our dry mix, packed with freeze-dried vegetables, flowers, herbs, spices and botanicals, for a highly nutritious, enriching meal, instead of a seed mix. Making food fun goes a long way with parrots.

If you would like to continue using seed mix, avoid processed low quality, high volume bird seed mixes you find in pet shops, they’re often mixed with peanuts, dried fruit and a high ratio of sunflower seeds, and tend to be very low in nutritional value. Opt for a high quality, human grade seed mix with a larger variety of different seeds, such as those found at The Aviary.

Our Feeding Philosophy

At United Parrot Kingdom and The Aviary Parrot Food, we encourage a natural feeding routine:

• Morning meals should focus on fresh, raw foods, chopped vegetables, sprouts or soaked seeds and a little fruit.

• Evening meals can include a variety of dry options: A nutritious dry mix and high-quality pellets or small amounts of healthy seeds.
  We avoid artificial fillers and low-quality ingredients. Food should be as colourful, varied, and enriching as your parrot’s wild diet would be.

Be Patient—It Takes Time

Some parrots take weeks to try something new. Others might surprise you by crunching a pellet out of curiosity on day one. Every bird is different. Don’t be discouraged if progress feels slow. The goal is gradual, sustainable change, not a forced, stressful transition that will increase stress.

And remember: just because your parrot doesn’t eat pellets doesn’t mean they’re unhealthy. Pellets can be a useful part of a balanced diet, but they’re not the only option. What matters most is variety, whole-food species specific ingredients and meals that support physical and mental wellbeing.

Helping your parrot accept pellets is about patience, curiosity, and trust. Respect their pace, offer variety, and keep food fun and engaging. Whether they end up loving pellets or thriving on raw, whole-food options like our dry mixes, your bird will benefit from the effort you put into their nutrition.