pellet brand

[dw310]

I am currently feeding Morgan the Pretty Bird brand pellet called African Special. It is supposedly made especially for african greys and with extra calcium. Is this a respected pellet brand?

 

When I look at the Roudybush, they say to mix 2/3 of their maintenance pellet with 1/3 of their high energy breeder for an African Grey. Is that what you do?

 

What does Harrison's do to provide the necessary calcium? Are you supplementing this pellet?

 

Thanks so much for your thoughts!

[Codys Mom]

I just give Rudy the small size Roudybush and she also gets some Goldenfeast (Madagascar Delite )is her favorite and also I scrape off a peice of cuttlebone and add it to her veggies

[Luvparrots]

I also feed my grey Pretty Bird for African Greys. It is what my grey was weaned onto and although I have tried Harrison and others she prefers this brand. I, of course, also feed her various vegetables, rices, beans and fruits throughout the day.

[Greywings]

I would supplement any pellets with fresh foods never any extra vitamins or you risk hyper vitaminization which can cause many health issues.

[danmcq]

Greywings is right.

 

Most pellet manufacturers warn against any type of mineral or vitamin supplement.

 

Veggies, nuts, some seeds, legumes etc. are the way to maintain a well rounded diet whether you are feeding pellets or not.

[Elvenking]

I have tried Harrisons Coarse pellets and so far have not had any evidence of luck with them and Issac. The cubes I imagine are somewhat difficult for him to even figure out if it is food or not. I have tried wtting them but to no avail. I am just glad he does forage among his veggies, I see the entire bowl cleared out when i get hom most of the time and a pile of minced veggies on the floor of the cage, I hope that means he is eating at least 35% of it and not treating it as a toy. He looks like a million dollars so I assume he is getting something good.

 

Then again, he is still taking formula too. So I am not sure what is to come.

 

I will probably email a couple of other pellet companies to see if they will send me samples and i would recommend you try that as well. Take care.

[JillyBeanz]

I read with interest the comments by Dan and Jill. My breeder openly advertises on his advice pages that we use both Calcivet and Daily Essentials 3 to supplement their feeding regime. I was advised to use these, by my breeder and have done since I brought Harvey home.

 

My question here is - do you think this is a UK thing - as we don't receive enough natural sunlight to supply the D3 needed? I must add - it's very small the additions and only a couple of times a week.

[dw310]

Thank you for your thoughts. I realize that there is such a thing as too much Vit D, and too much calcium. I also know that most people in my part of the US are low in Vit D and thus must supplement, so I wonder if this applies to my pets as well--I assume it does.

 

Morgan likes the Pretty Bird, and my brother has used it for his birds (he breeds Greys--and is Morgan's breeder) for quite a long time, with no problems. I just see that so many are using either Roudybush or Harrison's, I thought I would check.

 

Morgan also gets a few seeds, and lots of fruits and veggies. I'm careful with the seeds, as I understand there is not a lot of nutritional value in them--though Morgan loves them!

[Lambert58]

Our fids (not just our greys...our sun conures and GCCs) came in low on calcium. We feed a 2-3 times a day schedule of harrison's fine + baby food cereal mix, so I'm now inclined to think just harrisons isn't enough to supply the needed calcium.

 

Our fids are moulting and growing new feathers, so we need all the Ca we can get. We are going to grind up oyster shell calcium tablets and add as many calcium-rich veggies as we can find (kale is great).

 

From what we've seen, and our fids get a balanced diet of harrisons and fresh fruits veggies + mash and are STILL low on CA... we need to add something to their diet, including ensuring they get exposed to full spectrum lighting or sunshine daily.

[Xtreme575]

I feed the Pretty Bird for Greys as well. When I first got Paco he was on Zupreem. I tried Harrisons (all sizes), Roundybush with zero success. He just ignored them.

 

Pretty Bird was love at first taste, and he prefers it over Zupreem now which I only buy if I forget to get Pretty Bird on time as I have to order it online. In addition I feed the Pretty Bird Birdy Banquest which is a cooked bean, rice, veggie, barley mixture fortefied with some vitamins. This is served with a mixture of steamed veggies (won't eat raw).

 

I have a follow up vet apointment in October, so we'll get a calcium test then. But from all accounts, the Pretty Bird for Greys is supposed to be a very good pellet and they don't use citrus sprays on the pellets either - causes liver damage.

[Jayd]

B) What are your pellets made of?

NOTE:I couldn't find info on RowdyBush!

 

HARRISON'S:

Ingredients: *Ground Shelled Sunflower Seeds, *Ground Hulless Barley, *Ground Soybeans, *Ground Shelled Peanuts, *Ground Green Peas, *Ground Lentils, *Ground Yellow Corn, *Ground Rice, *Ground Toasted Oat Groats, Psyllium, *Ground Alfalfa, Calcium Carbonate, Spirulina, Montmorillonite Clay, Ground Dried Sea Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Sea Salt, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, d-Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min.) 18%, crude fat (min.) 15%, crude fiber (max.) 6.5%, moisture (max.) 10%.

*CERTIFIED ORGANIC INGREDIENT

 

PRETTY BOY African Grey:

Ground Corn, Ground Oats, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Wheat, Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, Soya Oil, Olive Oil, Safflower Oil, Corn Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Choline Chloride, Natural and Artificial Flavors, DL Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Ferric Sulfate, D-Biotin, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Oxide, Niacinamide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, BHT (As a Preservative), Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Natural and Artificial Colors, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (Source of Vitamin K3), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Sulfate

 

Crude Protein (min) 14%, Crude Fat/Oil (min) 8%, Crude Fiber (max) 5%, Moisture (max) 10%, Ash (max) 4%, Vitamin A (min) 17,000 IU/kg, Vitamin D3 (min) 800 IU/kg, Vitamin E (min) 200 IU/kg, Copper (min) 10 mg/kg

 

Zupreem:

Garden Goodness® Mix

Ground corn, Soybean meal, Dried apples, Dried green

peas, Ground wheat, Dried red peppers, Dried tomatoes,

Dried green peppers, Wheat germ meal, Vegetable

oil, Sucrose, Dicalcium phosphate, Calcium carbonate,

Ground vegetables (carrots, celery, beets, watercress and

spinach), Iodized salt, DL-Methionine, Choline chloride,

L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, Natural mixed tocopherols,

Rosemary extract, Citric acid, Manganous oxide, Zinc

oxide, Copper sulfate, Calcium iodate, Sodium selenite,

Vitamin A supplement, Vitamin D3 supplement, Vitamin

E supplement, Vitamin K supplement, Niacin, Calcium

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein Not less than 14.0%

Crude Fat Not less than 4.0%

Crude Fiber Not greater than 5.0%

Moisture Not greater than 10.0%

 

I'm sorry but Pretty Boy isn't one of my favorites, my personal opinion, nor is Zupreem Fruit...

It was once quoted: "Bird cannot live on pellets alone"...:whistle:

Thanks

Jayd

Note: It will be easy to compare other brands of pellets not listed...

Post edited by: Jayd, at: 2010/03/31 16:29<br><br>Post edited by: Jayd, at: 2010/03/31 17:12

[Greywings]

My view is hmm if you plant a pellet what happens? Ok to use as a supplement but not real food. I realize I am most likely in the minority but that is ok with me.

[Jayd]

:laugh: Indeed, In the processing of pellets, heat destroys some of the benefits of the purpose of the pellet...A pellet is not at this time a all consuming supper food. Harrison's is close to being a complete food but is very unappealing and very hard to get most fids to eat, Pretty Bird is self explanatory, Zupreem and RowdyBush are a good compromise, most of the others are just plain chemicals...It's best to have Pellets at all times, seeds most of the time, lotsa;) veggies, and occasional fruit. For the Chiefs, add smashes and mashes ho-ho, etc... Jayd

[JillyBeanz]

When I first brought Harvey home he HAD to eat his pellets, I WAS shoving them down his throat because PARROTS ATE PELLETS!

 

One year on and he still hardly eats any pellets - and guess what - yip, he's alive, fine and healthy, with a beautiful feather coat and bright sparkly eyes. I put this down to the fact that he eats his fruit, veggies and seed - because when he was a baby back in Africa he couldn't reach the pellet tree - so didn't become accustomed to them.

 

I'm totally changing my ideas about pellets now though - I had a cockatiel that lived on seed alone - wouldn't eat anything else (perhaps a bit apple here and there - but that was it) and 17½ years later he crossed rainbow bridge - not a pellet passed his beak!

[Jayd]

Of all are fid's, only "ONE" eats pellets... I've tried "Harrison's" at great expenses, to no avail...

Yes, bird's survive with out pellets, but not everyone takes care of they're fid's the same!!!!So, the safest and most prudent thing to do is to have some pellet available for your companion...In the wild, CAG's eat up to 90% Palm nuts,:woohoo:They also forage in clay banks high in protein and animal waste!!!Also huge amounts of green foliage and fruits not available to us...90%palm nuts high in fats and protein!!! This thread wasn't intended to praise or trash pellets, but to show whats in different brands...Myself, I can see that if Spock would eat only 10% pellets daily, I'd have a lot less to worry about....

Jayd

[Elvenking]

For the love of god...can someone send me some Palm Nuts?!?! LOL.

[judygram]

Elvenking wrote:

For the love of god...can someone send me some Palm Nuts?!?! LOL.

 

LOL Stephen, we can't get the palm nuts here in the USA at least not like the ones greys have in their natural habitat, the best you will come to it is to get the red palm oil and give that, it has the same benefits and you can put it over the foods he readily eats.

[dw310]

I found some pine nuts at a local store and they charge $30 a pound!!!{Emotions-00020070} Thankfully, Morgan doesn't like them a lot. I bought about 1/2 cup and it was nearly $9! Ugh.

[crossfit]

Pine nuts are very different from palm nuts.

 

 

They are actually seeds and they come from pine cones specifically the pinion pine:

 

 

Palm nuts come from palm trees and actually the birds eat the fruit around the seed when in the wild. Both the seed and fruit are high in oil but in the wild, it is the red material around the inner seed that they tend to eat.

 

 

 

Post edited by: crossfit, at: 2010/04/01 03:13<br><br>Post edited by: crossfit, at: 2010/04/01 03:15

[Jayd]

:woohoo: Just give your baby 3 or 4 a day.. or as rewards. Walnuts, and Almonds are probably the best... Jayd

 

Post edited by: Jayd, at: 2010/04/01 03:13<br><br>Post edited by: Jayd, at: 2010/04/01 03:43

[Jayd]

In the wild a CAG eat Palm Nuts comprising up to 90% oil. If Red Palm Oil is not available, you can supplement 4 to 6 drops of Canola oil instead. A CAG should have 18% protein and 1!% good fat a day, [EFA's]

There' a big difference between Saturated Fat and Unsaturated fat which contain "Essential Fatty Acid"

Which our Grey's need!!!!!

 

Jayd

 

 

{Pamela Clark CVT, CPPC}<br><br>Post edited by: Jayd, at: 2010/04/01 03:54

[Xtreme575]

I was thrilled when someone posted about the Harrison's Sun Factor, and Dave responded that it is just Palm Oil. Living in Canada, even getting Palm Oil is nearly impossible! However, under the name Sun Factor I was able to get it at my vet's office, they carry all Harrison's products.

 

This morning I measures some out and put it on his cooked beans and added it to the steamed veggies he insists on over raw that get ignored. He ate it!

 

Paco eats no seeds at all, and not a whole lot of pellets either. He finishes all veggies I offer now if steamed, but does like to have a few pellets before bed.

 

Since discovering the steamed veggies he has lost weight, going from 490 kg to 476 kg, which is good, the vet told me to work on getting him back down a bit. I think it was all the pellets he ate before finding the joy of me cooking!

[Elvenking]

Yep, I got a pound of pine nuts at my local bird shop for about 11 bucks. He LOVES Pine Nuts. They are my leverage and rewards for pooping in the right place as well. And I do have the red palm oil.

 

The next time I make him a birdie omlette I am going to try some of the red palm oil.

 

I will have to try the Harrisons Sun Factor. Always looking for more options for Issac.

 

 

Post edited by: Elvenking, at: 2010/04/01 20:05<br><br>Post edited by: Elvenking, at: 2010/04/01 20:06

[JillyBeanz]

What if I smuggled you all a palm nut through the post! After all, you lot in the USA were kind enough to give us McDonalds.........:laugh:

[Elvenking]

Yes....smuggle Palm Nuts to grey owners...start a lucrative business.

 

Really....is there some law against selling Palm Nuts to people overseas?

 

<br><br>Post edited by: Elvenking, at: 2010/04/01 22:10