Harrissons Food problem

[Asim]

I got a 7 months old African grey. He was on a mixed seed diet (sunflowers, peanuts, corns), I got him on the Harrison's Adult Liftetime coarse. I put like 10 pellets it in his bowl overnight and saw in the morning that the bowl was empty, but also some had fallen on the bottom of the cage.

 

Do you all have this issue, do they just nibble on the pellets and drop most of them down? How is this better than mixed seed diet if the parrot isn't getting enough nutrition.

 

I gave him half a carrot and one of those really large green chillies so he would eat something. I heard bad things about a seed diet so I am planning to take him off that. Today morning I made a thin solution of cerelac baby food which he loves too so that he doesn't starve out. But I was hoping his base food would be the pellets like it were the seeds before.

 

He normally eats everything just giving me trouble on this.

[katana600]

We use the same pellets, it could be they are a little big for him to crunch up as well as being unfamiliar. I am wondering if you can either break them up a little or put something tasty on them to wet them and mush them up a bit first thing in the morning. It is very common for them to drop food and waste quite a bit. It is a lot harder after paying premium prices to see it land in the trash. The way I think it is better than mixed seed is because much like our kids, if we leave them to choose their own diet, they will eat the junk food. Then they will become very vocal about refusing to eat what they need nutritionally. If you keep the pellets in his dish he will soon eat them when he is hungry. Once that is established and he is eating vegetables, sprouts and trying new things, then the sunflower seeds, pine nuts, almonds and things like that are treats that you give him to supplement his diet and he will know the difference.

 

When ours were young, we cut up zucchini, spinach, carrots, cooked sweet potatoes and other veggies in about a 1/4 inch dice. We kept pellets in one dish always, then put the veggies in the cage in a separate dish in the morning and took them out a couple of hours later to avoid spoilage. We also buy a "soak and simmer" bean and grain mix. I will soak that overnight and then rinse and simmer for a couple of hours the next day. Our parrots like a little palm oil so I use about a quarter cup in a two pound bag of the dried bean mix once it is cooked. Then I package it in the tiny zip lock snack sized bags. I put a week's worth in a heavy duty freezer zip lock and freeze a month's worth at a time. When I take one out of the refrigerator, I get a new one from the freezer to replace it and it is thawed by the time we use it the next day. I heat it in the microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds. Stir it to make sure there are no hot spots and check to see that it isn't too hot for him. When ours were little, this warm mix was what I liked to give them right before bed time and it would hold them over for the night.

 

The pellets are a mainstay, but variety is good to teach your little one and seeds have a place in that variety too.

[cheebamaster]

I wouldn't worry to much about them wasting pellets. They eat what they want and try to make a mess Just keep a fresh supply available and I'm sure your grey will chomp down what he/she wants.

 

On a side note...my vet who is quite reputable was telling me that Dr. Harrison created the "high potency" Harrisons foods specifically for African Grey's who tend to be a bit more deficient on things like vitamin A and calcium than other birds. He highly reccomended to me to get the high potency course instead of the regular adult course.

 

To each his own of course, but I thought I'd share

[Greywings]

Link to more ingredient information= https://companionparrotonline.com/Diet_Ingredients_Parrots.html

 

I do not necessarily agree with all of this it is an extensive breakdown.

Edited May 29, 2012 by Greywings

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

My birds favor " Harrison's diet". Doesn't mean that is the best. Zupreems is also great. I also add freezedryed fruits and veggies, as well as offee fresh fruits and veggies. My birds eat like crazy, since they " flock" together to eat. No fighting, but they challenge each other for fresh fruits and veggies. We laugh how " Kiki", is designated to try something new. Everyone steps back..;. she takes the challenge! LOL! Nancy

[carlsjr]

I wouldn't worry to much about them wasting pellets. They eat what they want and try to make a mess Just keep a fresh supply available and I'm sure your grey will chomp down what he/she wants.

 

On a side note...my vet who is quite reputable was telling me that Dr. Harrison created the "high potency" Harrisons foods specifically for African Grey's who tend to be a bit more deficient on things like vitamin A and calcium than other birds. He highly reccomended to me to get the high potency course instead of the regular adult course.

 

To each his own of course, but I thought I'd share

 

I do becuse it gets expensive. i also feed my grey harrisons and she does the same. munch on some of the kibble and drop it and go back to her bowl to get another kibble.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Thanks carlsjr. Always follow your vets suggestions! Nancy