Pellets?

[Hobbit]

Back in our "bird days",pelleted food was a new thing,and like most new things,most bird people feared the unknown and untried. Now that pelleted food has been around for quite a while,I'm wondering what are your thoughts on them?

Once Hobbit is weaned,we plan on feeding a good quality seed mix,(not the junk seed),cooked food,plus veggies,birdie bread,and some fruit. However,I was thinking of offering pellets sort as a supplemental treat.

So,please share your thoughts, tips, which brands are best,etc. Thanks!

[roxynoodle]

I like pellets because I know they are properly nutritionally balanced meaning my birds are getting the right amounts of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals with each one they eat. I also feed Nutriberries for the same reason and because the birds really like them.

I don't actually feed seed at all because my birds don't need it for any reason. Some species are supposed to have seed, but none I own.

I also feed veggies and other healthy foods daily along with some fruit.

As far as which pellet, that can depend on the bird as far it's nutritional needs go, and I feel any pellet is better than no pellets for picky birds. My Grey is on Harrison's High Potency because Greys need extra protein, fat and calcium compared to some species. My amazon eats it as well as he seems to do best on it with his fatty liver disease. When I give him other pellets he has a lot of excess urine. My conure eats Zupreem because she likes it best.

I do caution feeding seed to birds who don't need it in their diet as that is why my amazon has fatty liver disease. Seed is high in fat and low in nutrients for the most part.

[Boysmom]

I feed Roudybush maintainance and pretty parrot pellets mixed. I feed seeds, but only a tablespoon or two and only on Sunday's as a treat. I also feed fresh fruits and veggies twice daily.

[aliray]

I also use a high quality seed mix with fresh food, fruits,. birdy bread , veggies, nuts, grains etc

[Animalman2046]

I feed my conure roudy-bush crumbles, zupreem fruit blend, harrison's fine pellets and a little of volkmans seed plus the fresh fruit and veggies daily. My conure Ziggy seems to like it all. Pellets are a great way to go.

[ShellyBorg]

I keep pellets in the cages all the time. Seeds are treats and they get cooked foods, eather bird or healthy human twice a day.

[Hobbit]

Thanks everybody! This is really good to know. Now for my next question about pellets.... I see you mentioned Roudybush, Zupreem, and Harrison's . I have been online for a good chunk of the day reading about the different brands of pellets available. So far,Harrison's has stood out for being Organic,and human grade. So could you tell me why you like one brand over another?

Audrey is feeding both Zupreem and Harrison's.....maybe it all comes down to which pellet the bird likes best. Now I'm considering doing what all of you have suggested,give pellets along with cooked food,veggies,birdy bread,etc. and seeds as a treat.

[roxynoodle]

Well, for the birds I've converted from seed to pellets:

Rowdy, my Nanday conure: originally I had her on Harrison's as well. Then I got my Blue Crown who was the hardest bird to get converted to pellets. The Zupreem Fruitblend was the only one I could get her to even taste so I converted her to that. Then I put Rowdy on it as well to make things easier for me. Well, 10 years later Rowdy doesn't want to eat Harrison's anymore. So I've left her on the Zupreem.

For Pete I had both the Zupreem and some Harrison's here so I just gave him some of each and waited to see if he would eat one or the other, and he started eating the Harrison's right away so I converted him to that. He does do a lot better on the High Potency formula than the Lifetime one though with his fatty liver, so that is why he's eating the HP. In general amazons should eat the Lifetime formula as they do not need higher protein or fat, unlike Greys.

If you email Harrison's and Roudybush they will probably send you some free samples if you would like to try both and see if your bird prefers one over the other.

[Animalman2046]

Hobbit it all comes down to what your bird likes best and what is will eat well. Only give seed as a treat and do not mix it in with the pellets as the bird will eat the seed and it is hard to tell if it is eating the pellets or not. If you put the pellets in a different cup you will be able to see it eating from it. Also no matter how good the seed is, it is only junk food with little or no nutritional value. Harrison's is a great pellet and so is roudy-busy. But any pellet is only as good as the fresh fruit and veggies you feed it daily. Good luck!

[roxynoodle]

Well, I'll complicate it more. Lafeber is the only company who adds the necessary omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to their pellets.

So, since I'm not feeding their pellets I also give my birds Nutriberries and walnuts so they get the omega fatty acids, lol!

Other sources of omega 3/6 fatty acids are: flax seed, red palm oil and canola oil. So if I cook an egg for my birds, I use canola oil. I also put it in the boiling water when I make them spaghetti. Anything I cook that requires oil I use canola oil just to give them that little extra :)

Also many people find this complicated but Nutriberries are also pellets. The difference is they aren't all ground down to dust and formed into a shape like say, Harrison's or Zupreem. Parts of them are, little round things to look like seeds to the birds, which is why they say on them "26% pellets". But as a whole if you compare ingredients and nutritional analysis you will see that the whole Nutriberry really is a pellet. For some species they could be the main diet (like amazons). However, as a whole they aren't really high enough in protein for Greys, conures and macaws. They also aren't high enough in fat for Greys. So that is why I feed both other pellets and Nutriberries; trying to get the right amounts of protein and fat for my Grey and conure, but also to make sure they are getting those omega fatty acids.

I have done a lot of research on feeding my specific species of birds, lol! Also my vet is one of the nutritional consultants for Lafeber and we spend a lot of time talking about nutrition and the best diets for each of my brds.

[roxynoodle]

Ok, let me address the fresh veggies and fruit. The pellets (and supplemental omega fatty acids if your pellets lack them) will provide everything your bird needs. What the fresh veggies and fruit will do is provide some of those things in fresher cells. So the vitamin A that comes from an orange veggie like carrots might be better and easier absorbed by your bird. They also provide important variety, which birds really enjoy. I admit, I wouldn't want to eat nothing but a bowl of brown pellets all day :)

[alnoble89]

Mine always have their pellets that they can eat. They eat a mix of Higgins in-tune, Hagen Tropican, and Harrisons. Mixed in with their pellets they get MSBS bountiful harvest and dried fruits and veggies. They also get fresh fruit and veggies each day and hot oatmeal with some pureed fruit or veggie mixed in and nutri-berries at night. We also have several cookable goldenfeast and higgins foods, and birdie bread. I try to keep a lot of variation in my guys food.

[Sandy]

Oh my the pellet discussion. LOL
Well the only pellets I can get either of our birds to eat is nutriberries.
Bosley the amazon is got to be the pickiest bird, he doesn't like fruit and only likes some veggies. The only nut he will eat is cashews, drops all others. He does like meat and fish and pasta.
So just to get what he needs he gets nutriberries and he only likes them handed to him as a treat not at his cage. And he only likes the Garden Veggie or the El paso flavour. When I make birdie bread, he will eat it warm from the oven, doesn't like it a day old or even frozen then thawed.

Our African brown head is a bit better, she eats her fruits and veggies, beans and grains. Still the only pellet she will eat is the nutriberries. And she gobbles down the home made birdie bread.

The best pellet is the one they will eat.

[roxynoodle]

My amazon will only eat tropical fruit Nutriberries and the rest are poison according to him, lol!

I don't know if BHs need that extra protein that Greys do, but since she eats beans you've got that covered. My conure also likes beans so I don't worry that her 2 choices are lower in protein :)

Yep, the best pellet is the one they will eat!

[Sandy]

LOl
They are funny. Bosley thinks fruit is poison! All kinds, fresh, dried it doesn't matter.
I will give him credit, He tries when I am eating it, but the faces he makes as he backs away.

Our BH does need extra protein like the Grey, but she's a good eater so I prertty sure she is getting everything she needs.

I'm Ok with Nutriberries being the only pellet they like, I've tried most of the others now and I've made a lot of birdie bread with the leftovers. I also probably have the healthiest outside birds and squirrells now too.

[keepsmiling]

I feed Harrison's, TOPS, and Caitec pellets. I am not a fan of anything Lafeber, particularly Nutriberries and Avicakes, as they have Propylene Glycol in them. I give a tiny amount of seed, which is mostly pumpkin seeds, a little safflower, NO sunflower seeds. My birdy bread{recipe in the nutrition/recipe section},fresh vegetables, a little fruit, and nuts. I also give them star anise as a treat.