seed mix to pellet diet conversion

[hammco]

Im switching Timmy from seed mix to all pellet. Any tips or how-to???

[Barbara2]

I swore I just responded to this but it's not there?

 

Anyway. You might need to spend a little extra money and try some different pellets. I had all three of my fids on Zupreem Natural. (No artificial colors.) I decided I wanted to try one of the "better" pellets and got TOPs. The TAG and Hahn's didn't take to it but the Senegal prefers it so I will have to keep ordering it for my spoiled baby. I then tried Harrison's. None of them like that. So the TAG and Hahn's will stay on Zupreem Natural and I will order TOPs for the Senegal.

[Dave007]

Im switching Timmy from seed mix to all pellet. Any tips or how-to???

 

Bad idea. Pellets aren't as great as you would think. It's simply a bunch of hype. Lots of artificial ingredients. Yes, a portion is fine. Adding more pellets in a different dish is one way to add. They need parrot mix--seeds, nuts, veggies, fruits once in a while. They can survive quite well without pellets as thousands of greys have done for years and years.

 

Close your eyes for a minute and think of the tree lined african jungle where the greys are. It's a sunny morning and all the greys are now awake and squawking. It's time to eat. The signal goes out to fly and get food. They all leave. SO, do you think they're gonna fly past their normal food and start looking for that famous *pellet tree*?

[Luvparrots]

I only keep pellets in my fids cages as a "just in case" food. They really don't eat them very much. As Dave says all the other foods are what they prefer. If my fids don't like a meal I provide, then they can always fuel up on the pellets!

[Barbara2]

That is true, but birds in the wild don't have access to pellets, and they don't live as long. I think good pellets are advantageous but must be supplemented with good food.

 

ETA: He's talking about seeds to pellets. Pellets are certainly better than seeds only.

[JackTheTurkishGrey]

i also cant convince jack to eat from the harrisons in addition to his kiki seed mix,veggies and fruits. harrisons is usda certified organic does it also contain artificial ingredients?

[tbird]

I agree 100% with Dave

[Dave007]

It doesn't matter whether it's organic or not. Many birds don't like pellets or certain brands of pellets. You can't force a parrot to eat something it doesn't want. So, if you're so worried about his health because he won't eat pellets, then stop worrying. Varieties of different natural veggies is what gives a bird good health. Certain amounts and varieties of good parrot mix are beneficial. Nuts like almonds, walnuts, hazel nuts are packed with vitamins. Some people use these items like treats when they should really be given on a more regular basis with no strings attached. Some human foods are good. Chicken bones are good etc etc. Read up on the hundreds of people who can't get their bird to eat pellets. They're still healthy.

 

Barbara

 

**but birds in the wild don't have access to pellets, and they don't live as long***

You're right. They don't live as long in the wild but it has nothing to do with them not having access to pellets. In the wild they have access to just about everything they could possibly need for good health. Greys and other parrots are scavengers. They get lots of vitamins eating insects,grubs, left over food that other animals have eaten, left over material that's fallen from trees, leaves that have vitamins in them, different other seeds that aren't even in any commercial parrot mixes and countless other things. They eat a special type of nut that's surrounded by an oil that's packed with vitamins. They eat fruits that aren't touched by other animals. For years, people have been trying to imitate many things that birds eat in the wild. Pellets aren't one of them. They've been flavored, given fruity odors, shapes, sizes and yet so many still won't eat them and that worries many people because of all the hype that's been given out concerning pellets. Parrots did extremely well way before pellets were invented.

 

In the wild, a grey's average lifespan is only about 30 to 35 yrs and the reason is because of flock conditions, weather extremes, injuries, body deformaties, not being able to keep up with the flock, age, predators etc. Great food that they need? There's plenty of that.

At home, the lifespan of a captive grey is between 40 to 50 yrs old but I seriously doubt that you've ever seen a grey that old that's a pet. A 40 to 50 yr old grey is hardly ever seen even if it's in an ideal situation. When a person says that they have a grey that's truly 35 yrs old, people's eyes open up in wonder.

[munch]

I'm making the switch from a seed mix to pellets. I've read everything here and I hear what everyone is saying but my vet, who is also a blue and gold breeder since college, has an avairy, and had one of his macaws since high school (man is close to 60 now) said to switch her to a harrison's diet with veggie/fruit/nut supplements so i trust his word.

 

- Seems general consensus that seed mixes are bad even if some nuts are good

-birds in captive fed on seed diet, veggie/fruit/nut diet, and pellet/veggie/fruit diet have been compared. pellet/veggie/fruit diet birds have all done better in health and life span.

- my bird doesn't eat all the best veggies, she's picky so i'm going to give her a pellet meal to make sure she gets a more conprehensive diet since harrison claims to be nearly all inclusive (she won't touch a non-crispy leaf and will only carrots if i'm eating them. yams-she doesn't eat)

 

 

she has 3 bowls: pellets, veggie/fruit/nut, and water

 

now, i've only had my bird for a short while, only 2.5 months, so i don't know what i'm talking about but this is the way we are going to go for now on the vet's advice.

 

to make the pellets tastier for her i have a variety of things to alternate:

- mix it with warm water (she likes mushy food)

- add a little juice (mushy and a bit tastier)

- mix it with eggs, her favorite

 

suprisingly, she doesn't seem to hate it.

[Birdnut]

I don't think seed mixes are bad, per se, as long as it's a high quality seed mix and fed in small amounts as a treat.

 

Moussa gets the homemade mash, pellet, veggie, fruit, nuts, occasional hard boiled egg, occasional bit of hard yellow cheese, seed treat, and people food diet. I also feed the Harrisons (High Potency), and Moussa eats it readily.

[hammco]

Timmy actually enjoys the pellets, only in the afternoon tho. That is because he picks thru all day and gets his favorites out of the bown first! I give him half seed mix/half pellets and sometimes he eats what we have for supper, but he has to really like it. He gets fresh veggies and fruits as treats every day but usually dont eat too much

[Mama CJ]

I had an avian vet tech tell me last week that I should only feed Harrison's pellets and nothing else. He said no fruits, no veggies, no nuts....only Harrison's. He tried to convince me that the pellets were better, safer and more healthy than fresh veggies. When I asked about where to buy this magical food, he said "Oh, we sell it here. Only vet offices sell it".

Ummmm, I just have a hard time believing that pellets should replace all other food. Variety seems healthier to me. Mille has a limited list of veggies/fruits that she'll eat so I use pellets to supplement her diet. I also trick her by making a yam based mash with carrots, broccoli and other veggies hidden it it. She doesn't like nuts either. So I get to experiment in the kitchen until I find healthy foods she'll eat. Fun for both of us!

[Barbara2]

I supplement with Harrison's but I buy it online. (I ordered it yesterday and it will be delivered on Monday. And that's just normal shipping.)

[judygram]

I had an avian vet tech tell me last week that I should only feed Harrison's pellets and nothing else. He said no fruits, no veggies, no nuts....only Harrison's. He tried to convince me that the pellets were better, safer and more healthy than fresh veggies. When I asked about where to buy this magical food, he said "Oh, we sell it here. Only vet offices sell it".

 

 

Bull butter! If this is where you take your fids then its time to find a new vet for he doesn't know squat and lies to boot, pellets should be a "part" of their diet but not replace the veggies, seeds, nuts, legumes and fruits they get each day and besides the Harrisons pellets are available from lots of sources other than from a vet.

[Mama CJ]

Bull butter! If this is where you take your fids then its time to find a new vet for he doesn't know squat and lies to boot, pellets should be a "part" of their diet but not replace the veggies, seeds, nuts, legumes and fruits they get each day and besides the Harrisons pellets are available from lots of sources other than from a vet.

 

Thankfully I have NOT taken my fids there. It was during a phone call, and I didn't make an appointment to take them there! There aren't many avian vets in my area, but he isn't the only one.

[thenabrd]

mamacj i use dr mohan in reynoldsburg. he's wonderful and so is his "part time" partner. i can't remember the partner's name at the moment (serious brain freeze, lol), but the partner also has a practice in the cleveland area. i hope this helps!

[Dave007]

Just remember that it was a vet tech and those people are trained to sell the products sold in the office. It not only happens in Avain vet places but also in general non vet offices ( dogs and cats). That's why the products are there in the first place.

Edited January 22, 2011 by Dave007

[danmcq]

I like Judy's response. Couldn't have said it better.

 

If you go to Harrison's website, you will note that they recommend offering veggies and small quantities of fruits.

 

Does the vet tech understand that pellets do not grow in the wild? I wonder why the wild birds didn't die off long ago without them....

[Sarconastic]

bull butter.....ROFLMAO. I about fell off my chair at that. I love it. I was stationed in Virginia for a while and can just hear your accent and emphasis on that Judy. Very well put. Kudos.

[Val27]

What about the seed mixes that contain peanuts? Should I pick the peanuts out or is the whole mix bad if it has a peanut here and there? I guess variety is the key when it comes to what to feed. How long do greys live as pets, on average? I'm sad. I thought it was possible for them to live 40+ yrs. What is a reasonable age if well taken care of? 25? 30?

[Dave007]

Parrot mixes aren't affected by peanuts in them. All mixes have some peanuts in them even tho they're sometimes hard to see. What you SHOULD get rid of is all the unshelled peanuts in the bag. They're raw and the shells can carry bacteria and fungi on them.

The best unshelled peanuts to give a bird ( if you want to) is human grade roasted unshelled peanuts that are in supermarkets. They're not raw and don't carry bacteria and fungi. They're consumed by people.

Don't know why you're sad. Even well taken care of birds can die from other causes or birds not well taken care can live extremely long lives. The average documented age for greys is 40/45 yrs. The reason for that high number is because they don't live outdoors in the wild. In the wild, the average age is about 30 yrs. Ages of captive birds and wild birds is always different.

 

***25? 30? ***

 

I think you're going to a low number. Most last much longer than those numbers you're thinking about

Edited February 10, 2011 by Dave007

[Val27]

I sure hope my grey lives to a ripe old age. I take very good care of all my pets and love them so much. Nothing more painful than losing a loved one, pets included. Thankyou for clearing up the peanut issue. Finney does LOVE peanuts for a special treat. I have bought the ones in the grocery store before since they are cheaper than the ones at our local pet store. So much to learn from everyone. Thankyou again.