Butttaxi Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Hey All, I saw this stuff at the pet store and I was going to pick it up but I wasn't sure if it would be bad to give our birds. I wanted to get your opinion, would this be an ok pellet to get Rorschach? http://www.zupreem.com/our-food/birds/fruitblend™-flavor-premium-bird-food Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vamppire Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 This is Spencer's pellet which was recommended by our breeder and also given the thumbs up by my avian vet. It is my understanding that this is one of the top pellets brands available... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenabrd Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 its the one i use for our 2 birds. they go through phases though when they'll eat it and then they won't. i always have some available in their cages, just "in case", lol!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butttaxi Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 Do you use the FruitBlend or the natural stuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenabrd Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 i use the fruit blend. i sometimes think the bright colors spark their interest. athena has gone through an anti red stage, then an anti orange stage, etc. but has always been on an anti yellow thing! with the size i use for her, the yellow is "banana" shaped and the rest are ball shaped. so i don't know if its a yellow thing or a shape thing, lol!!! kallie seems to like the red and orange the most at this point! of course, that's when she's not having fun grabbing a foot full and then letting them drop piece by piece to the bottom of her cage so she can hear them hit then watch them bounce, hahaha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butttaxi Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 hahah yeah Rorschach has his picky days and you will find more of his veggies on the floor then what he ate. Currently he is eating veggies, fruit and seed pellet mix and I am wanting to take away the seed and only use as a treat. Our pet shop doesn't have a lot of variety but they got the FruitBlend in and thats what they feed their birds. I have smelt it and it smells so good. I wanted to get other opinions because I know there are artificial colouring that some may disagree with giving their birds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenabrd Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 well, i've had athena almost 8 years now and she's shown no problems with it. her weight stays where its supposed to be and her other things always check out with our vet, who also has this brand/style included with some of the things he sells as well. i also like that at the pet store, if money's a bit tight sometimes, this is also sold in bulk at a much better price than by the bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butttaxi Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 it's the price is why I wanted to purchase at the pet shop because online I will be charged like an additional $10 or something for shipping costs. I am starting to love our pets Unlimited here because whenever I ask if they have something they don't but will have it my next visit Like the harness that everyone here loves... I asked if they had any harness' but they said they did not. When I went in the other day to get a shower perch I was talking to a man about his new baby grey and we were discussing harness', I was saying they didn't carry them here but he said they do and took me to where they are. I was excited and they cost the same as they cost online so I am not paying more or less for it. I didn't get it yet but hopefully will be able to get one next visit. I try going at least once or twice a month and I can easily spend 2 hours talking to Nibbler (Jardine parrot) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vamppire Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Spencer went through his "don't like this color" stage but now I believe they get equal treatment, whether its to eat or to literally just grab foot-fuls and drop them on the floor for the fun of it. lol. I believe fruit blend is naturally colored, not artificially. It does color his poo sometimes, so don't panic if you see an orange or red dropping. Do a google search and you'll see a lot of people use and recommend this brand. I know some people around here don't like Drs. Foster & Smith, but they often have a great price on this food and offer free shipping over $49. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vamppire Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Hmm, actually it might include both natural and artificial colors. Sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butttaxi Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 I read on their site that it had natural and artificial colouring. I have also read other comments from people online who love it, I just wanted to check with everyone here. I think I will pick some up next time I am at the store, I'm sure he will love it, he is pretty great with trying new things and it will be pretty funny to see if he has a colour preference hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Pellets in general; due to the fact that, #1: the main ingredient in pellets is fillers, (corn, rice, etc) #2: large amounts of supplements, natural and artificial, are added to this mix, #3: it is processed at high temperatures which destroys the nutrients and the supplements which is why they put so many, #4: some pellets contain BHT and other preservatives that are carcinogenic and even known to be poisonous to humans if enough is ingested. Pellets that have artificial coloring; the coloring is unknown as to what the long-term effects can be. Summation: It is safer to feed your fids organic natural pellets, such as Zupreme Natural and Harrison's'. I personally don't use Kaytee products because of the ingredients. Ads or advertisements saying "nutritionally complete diet" is basically true. But if you travel to the natural habitat of your fid, you won't be able to find any pellet trees. They are far and few between. It is even harder to find the fruit pellet trees. So, for a parrot, especially a Grey, pellets should not be the main, let alone only, component of their diet. A parrot get's 99% of their D3 from sunlight or UVB indoor florescent bulbs, so all the added D3 in pellets won't help at all.Pellets should be fed as a small part of their overall diet. A Grey's diet: A parrot, especially a Grey should be fed in order of priority, fresh dark green leafy veggies, orange veggies (carrots, bell peppers, etc), legumes and rice, (remember that beans and rice make a complete protein), split peas and lentils, cous-cous, pasta, very,very little fruit (Greys-one small piece every few days...fruit pellets are not a good choice for Greys), nuts and unhulled sunflower seeds (minimum-one almond and two tablespoons sunflower seeds a day) and a seed mix (without sunflower seeds) and pellets, 1/4cup daily. All fresh food should be removed after 3-4 hours. This should be supplemented with an 1/4 slice of extremely hard-boiled egg or scrambled dry egg a couple of times a week. A teaspoon of low-sodium albacore tuna or salmon (cooked) once or twice a week is a good supplement. A cooked chicken drumstick cleaned with most meat removed is an excellent source of nutrients for them as they eat the bone and the marrow. A half teaspoon of pro-biotic yogurt is good for them too. Wash all their veggies, water and food bowls in organic apple cider vinegar. Some of the needs of a Grey is natural or artificial UVB to promote D3. The above listed veggies and foods to promote proper nutrition, nuts to supply EFA's (Essential Fatty Acids) along with sunflower and assorted seeds supplying EFA's and amino acids. Fruits are basically non-essential and are used as a treat sparsely. My Vet Sells:(vets, bless them) A vet's priority besides taking care of our fids is to make money. This is what they are in business for. In some vet's offices and in your family doctor's offices, you will see posters and ads from pet suppliers and ads advertising medicine. A vet, the same as a doctor, receives a kick-back advertising and selling said products. Over the years, I have asked many vets how they determine of all the products they advertised, why they chose those to promote.Basically, they all answered the same way; if it looked good and it meets all the requirements including the promotional aspects, that's the one they chose. This is especially true of vets who treat more than one animal. (This is not true of ALL vets) What do I do?: A simple diet would be seeds and natural organic pellets 24/7 (Totally Organic Pellets-TOP's, Harrison's, Zupreme Organic, Roudybush). Assorted of the veggies listed above placed in the cage each afternoon and all remaining foods given as treats. A more complete diet would be a warm Mash/Smash morning and evening meal with veggies in the afternoon balancing and rotating all suggested veggies, etc. Yes! You can feed your fids pellets only but as far as being totally healthy to ensure a long and prosperous life... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butttaxi Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 Thanks for the information. I don't want to just feed him pellets, I will still continue with his regular diet I just want to not offer as much seed but always have something he can munch on between meal times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly Yokum Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 It is all natural and it is what I give my Macaws Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eshana Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 (edited) The breeder I got Shelby from was feeding him the fruitblend zupreem. I kept Shelby on it for a while, but I disliked the way it colored his droppings. Droppings tell a lot about birds, and I didn't want the color to compromise my being able to get him to the vet on time if he's sick. I have been weaning him off of the fruitblend onto the natural, also by Zupreem. He didn't like it at first (he hated the yellow banana pieces, and always left those over and the color of the natural is similar), but he's been eating more and more of the natural every day. Sure the colors look fun, but I myself don't like putting artificial coloring into my body, why give it to my bird? Even if the food does smell like fruit loops. Edited April 3, 2011 by Eshana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly Yokum Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 My vet told me that with that they will be healthy, and with that not to worry if he wouldn't eat his veggies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butttaxi Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 Rorschach eats his veggies so I am not really concerned with him only eating the pellets. He eats really good and even has a bit of what we have as long as it is birdie health approved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 (edited) It is all natural and it is what I give my Macaws My vet told me that with that they will be healthy, and with that not to worry if he wouldn't eat his veggies. 1: it is not all natural, it has synthetics and chemicals. The coloring is chemicals and synthetics. 2: I would suggest you seek another vet because if you feed pellets only, that is not a complete and sufficient diet. It sorely lacks EFAs, corn is the main ingredient in most pellets which has no nutritional value and is strictly a filler and the other ingredients are chemical supplements, artificial coloring and processed vitamins, etc. 3: it has been shown in Macaws that are fed pellet-only diets to have a stunted growth problem. Worse so in their off-spring resulting in body disproportions, including large head in relation to the body. Sincerely, Jayd ngredients: Ground corn, Soybean meal, Ground wheat,Vegetable oil, Wheat germ meal, Sucrose, Dicalcium phosphate, Calcium carbonate, Ground fruit (bananas, oranges, apples and grapes), Iodized salt, DL-methionine, Choline chloride, Ascorbic acid (source of Vitamin C), Natural mixed tocopherols, Rosemary extract, Citric acid, Natural and artificial colors, Artificial flavors, Manganous oxide, Zinc oxide, Copper sulfate, Calcium iodate, Sodium selenite,Vitamin A supplement,Vitamin D3 supplement, Vitamin E supplement,Vitamin K supplement, Niacin, Calcium pantothenate, Pyridoxine hydrochloride,Thiamine, Riboflavin, Folic acid, Biotin,Vitamin B12 supplement. Guaranteed Analysis Crude Protein Not less than 14.0% Crude Fat Not less than 4.0% Crude Fiber Not greater than 2.5% Moisture Not greater than 10.0% Edited April 3, 2011 by Jayd posted ingredients Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eshana Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 When I discussed this food with my vet, who has been working with birds for over 30 years, she said that any food/toys/etc that have dye in it should be avoided. And, like I said, a lot can be told from a birds droppings, and they can be compromised by the type of dye in the zupreem food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 When I discussed this food with my vet, who has been working with birds for over 30 years, she said that any food/toys/etc that have dye in it should be avoided. And, like I said, a lot can be told from a birds droppings, and they can be compromised by the type of dye in the zupreem food. Your assessments very true. Being able to see changes in your fid's droppings as earliest as possible is of utmost importance. This holds true for all pellets that use dyes...Thank you....Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I have always fed Josey the Harrisons pellets and she readily eats them, I have avoided the ones colored up for I have always hesitated about what they use to color them up. Lori, why do you say that a lot of the members here do not like www.drsfostersmith.com? I order from them on a regular basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jules420_91 Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 My Amazon Tarzie has been living on Zupreem Fruit Blend pellets for 6 yrs. I tried every brand of natural pellet on the market with my vet's assistance. Tarzie lost so much weight that we decided since she ate the Fruit blend pellets well & they offer complete nutrition to put her back on them. My breeder feeds Zupreem Fruit blend to all of his birds & the vet who visits his store each week told us they were a good quality pellet for Louie as well. It comes down to your own personal choice, what your bird likes & what your vet recommends. All I know is my birds love them & they are both very healthy. I do feed them my own home made version of chop on a daily basis as well. I don't find the colour comes through in their poop. It looks the same as it always did with the natural pellets but there is more of it because Tarzie actually eats them.LOL. I do not believe for a minute my avian vet would ever recommend anything that would harm my babies. Julie, Greg, Tarzie & Louie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eshana Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 (edited) hm...I wonder why certain birds show the dye in their droppings when others don't. Perhaps some birds are more sensitive to it than others? I suppose it just has to be used on a case by case basis. If you do find it compromises the droppings, however, I would not use it. Edited April 3, 2011 by Eshana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayd Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 Research what you feed your fid's, check the ingredients, and feed what you feel is right. If you don't know what a certain ingredient is, research it...If by not feeding your grey a certain product will increase there life in the long run, it's worth investigating. Research and see what the "known affects" mean to our fid's.....No Vet would argue that fresh isn't the best in the long run....Remember, as in all, there are Vet's that care and those that don't and those that don't specialize in diet..It's not a matter of a Vet intentionally wanting to harm any ones bird, some just don't know, or haven't fully researched it. In the archives of this Grey't Forum you can find many threads and posts relating to misinformation by both Vet's and breeders... Study what your Grey "Needs" in his diet... Every one's post's are grey't.... Jayd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I give my African Grey Pretty Bird for African Greys. Her poops are their normal colors, no rainbow shades here! I have tried other brands, Harrison, and Zupreem and none of my fids like them. I make my own everyday food for my parrots, and pellets are just an "if you don't like the menu you can eat pellets" thing in my home. A supplemental more or less. I prefer fresh veggies for my little friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now