Pellets ?

[SharonM]

I've been thinking ( yikes!) more and more lately about pellets. The idea of them never appealed to me, but I'm starting to change my mind a bit.
I understand the argument that they're "boring", but Eephus just does not get overly enthused about anything but junk food. I buy, chop, slice, dice and throw away an outrageous amount of fresh foods. I don't think he could be any more "bored" with food. I'm just not convinced he's getting adequate nutrition.
Do y'all think these pellets are in fact as nutritious as they say ? Because if they are, and I fed Eephus mainly that (I think they're supposed to be 75% of their diet) and added some fresh fruits/veggies and (of course) his in-shell nuts, it'd be SO much better than his diet now ...
Of course, I'm assuming he'd like them. But I don't want to try them unless I'm certain they'd be good for him. So, everyone, let me know what you think of Pellet Diets.

[Deja]

I've always fed pellets. Now, I know they say (whoever those invisible *they* are that we all get constant advice from!) a pellet diet is the best, but I just think that our birds deserve some variety. If you look at them in the wild they aren't eating the same pellet every day! They are foraging for whatever will sustain them.
As far as brand- I like Zupreem. It smells like Froot Loops and my birds like it. I mentioned in another thread that Dante is a dunker... he dunks his pellets in his water and makes an icky soup out of it!
Seeds are not good. They just don't have the nutritional content that our birds require. The occasional seed treat is fine! Everything in moderation, I think, applies here. I try to keep them off sunflower seeds. Empty fat calories, and they get addicted to them, love them and pick them out of any seed/nut mixture -and leave the rest. (I am going by Dante here because he's my picky problem eater) He'd live on sunflower seeds alone if it were up to him!
I also like Lafeber's Nutriberries - read the label. There is no waste and they are loaded with vitamins. I supplement the pellets with the Nutriberries.
Then I will offer my home made Mush - the rice, pasta, legume and bean mixture and serve it warm. I always get a huge.. "mmmm mmmmm!" as Dante gobbles this up and gets his beak covered in mush.

Sweet Potatoes- baked and scooped out into their dish, or boiled and sliced up - no matter how you do it- Sweet Potatoes are full of vitamins and minerals and that ever needed beta carotine that keeps our birds in good shape and color. Again, served warm and my picky one will gobble it up and give me the vocal voice of approval!

Coming back off my tangent to the original question- Yes I think pellets are good and if your bird is a picky eater pellets will ensure his nutritional needs. You can also look into the LaFeber products. My birds really love the Nutriberries! I give them a few "berries" on top of their pellets and the berries are always the first to be eaten.
When you change to an all (or majority) pellet diet, don't be alarmed by the color of their droppings! They will change from green to brown. This is normal and lets you know that the pellets are being eaten!
Changing to a pellet diet has to be gradual. Try offering some from your hand as treats. Start adding them to the usual food gradually- then decrease the old diet and increase the pellets until they are the main food.
You can still offer all the fresh fruits and veggies you are used to offering. When they eat the fresh stuff, they eat less of the pellets so it balances out.
I would give them a try, especially if you are worried about his eating habits!!

[Becki]

I may be totally out of my league here, but with my chinchillas they will eat every supplement or treat you give them and ignore thier pellets. So, they get straight pellets and hay in the interest of nutrition, might be boring but I know they're getting what they need. Seems like that would make sense for birds too.

[Deja]

It does Becki, and many people choose this route, feeding pellets only. It's total and complete balanced nutrition. The philosophy being- when they are hungry enough, they will eat it!

There are some birds who are stubborn enough to eat just enough of the pellets to sustain but not thrive. That is why good breeders wean to pellets and future owners can suppliment from there. If the bird is used to pellets right from the get-go the owners job is simplified tenfold!

With birds having such a high intellegence, they tend to bore easily and they do need variety- only to challenge them and keep their minds busy- or problems such as self mutilation and other stress related behavioral issues can develop.

They do need to be mentally challenged- even when it comes to the way we present their meals! An example would be- putting their fresh fruit on a skewer type device and hanging it - the bird has to work for that fruit! Or- putting their nut treats inside blocks of wood. They have to figure out how to get those nuts out of there!

I think the fact that birds are such social and integral parts of families we tend to think of them more as children ( the larger breeds do have the intellegence of a human toddler!) and we jump through hoops to try and please them.

I am not saying this is right or wrong... I just think it's how most people view their birds. Diet and nutrition has been a perpetual debate forever with bird people.

If a parrot will eat a pellet only diet, it will be healthy no doubt. Birds in the wild forage and eat a variety of textures and colors- I think most try to mimic this in captivity- and the birds enjoy it!

There is something so heartwarming and binding about your parrot on your arm sharing your popcorn while you cuddle and watch a movie!
Until he pulls your earring out, runs down your leg, hops onto the floor waving it at the dog, screaming "hey!!" "No!!" "Bad Dog!!"

[Becki]

I can just imagine one of those big guys yelling "bad dog"! I want a big bird so bad! I totally know what you mean about them being part of the family though, Sharon just sounded like she was feeling a little bad for feeding Eephus something 'boring'

[Deja]

I think Eephus sounds like a picky eater! I have one too.. we should compare notes! Dante is *so* picky!!

Becki- Dante - for all his mighty behavior is a mini-macaw- he acts like a huge one though! HE is the one that yells at the dogs!! "NO!!" "HEY!!" "BAD DOG!!" in a grumbly course macaw voice...

Jack rolls over belly up for him!! It's too funny! I need to dig up a picture of that! Or, better yet - take a new one.

[Jodi]

I've heard good & bad things about an "all pellet" diet. But I tend to agree with Deja... Addin pellets to his food would be great.

Personally, I wouldn't feed just pellets. But adding some to his food would add a lot of nutrition if you really think Eef isn't eating much of his fruit & veggies.

I know most of the foods that Eef loves and I know you've been worried lately about his eating....but he does still eat some of the food you've been feeding him right? Like his sweet taters? pasta? eggs?

I would try adding some pellets to his diet....see if he likes them (some birds won't touch them!) and then go from there. They do have a lot of nutrition and are packed full of vitamins.

As far as trying to get him to eat his fresh foods...try adding some cinnamon to sweet tates, salt-free lemon pepper to fresh cooked green beans, Mrs. Dash to potatoes, all natural, sugar free marmalades to wheat toast, etc. I know you do a lot of that because you've given me great ideas before!

Oh god, did I ramble too much????

[SharonM]

He still eats all his favorites : French Toast, Scrambled egg (with veggies mixed in), of course sweetaters. But, sweetaters only when I hold the spoon for him (or he holds the spoon), he won't eat them on his own out of a bowl He had some fettucine alfredo for lunch today.
It's the fresh veggies and greens that he just won't bother with ... maybe I'm just a worry-wart.

Deja, thanks so much for the recipes - when I go grocery shopping tomorrow, I'm gonna get everything I need to try them both out. Maybe, just maybe - I'll get him to eat them.

May not have mentioned this before - Eef's a BIG seed junkie. It's what he lived on for at least a year and a half before I got him ... I give them sparingly, usually when he's done well with his good foods, and he dives in like he's starved. One of these days I'm going to try sprouting, if he'll eat them, I'll do away with the seeds. I think I will try some pellets, we'll see what he thinks of them.

[kittygurl823]

Hi all
I feed pellets to my umbrella cockatoo, Angel. We got him as a baby and we handfed him, it was really neat. We started him on pellets they reccomended at the store we got him at(a specialty bird store) It's called Pretty Bird. She highly recommended that. He loves it. He eats his nut/fruit mix with it. Since we weaned him, he was never on seed so thankfully we didn't have to transition him over from seed. Our little birds on the other hand, aren't this way. We also have 2 cockatiels and 2 parakeets.. the cockatiels eat some pellets, but the parakeets throw it out of the cage, they just won't eat it. I really want to try those muffins b/c I want my little birds to be eating more good stuff, and they won't eat fruit or anything good I put in there! Angel eats all the good stuff, he picks out the raisins thou, he hates those! lol And on certain days he hates "green pellets" and picks through and leaves those. lol.

[Deja]

Jackie!! That's so funny because sometimes I notice Dante eating only one color pellet - and beaking through the rest, shoving them around! It's weird because they all taste the same Birds can be so quirky!

Sharon- aaah! I understand a little better now, that Eef was a seed fed junkie before you had him! You are lucky that he eats as well as he does! I have heard of some birds that were seed fed only and maybe because their people weren't persistant or creative enough - lived on seeds Not good

I know if Dante had the chance he would live on sunflower seeds. Why do birds get so addicted to *sunflower* seeds?
We use them as hand fed treats when he's *performing* his little tricks He'll actually stick his head into my husband's shirt pocket looking to see if he has any in there!

I was much more experienced by the time I hand fed and weaned Daphne (Citron Cockatoo).... she would eat *anything* I offered her. She was not a picky eater at all - the difference between her and Dante was like night and day.

Oh, Oh! Sprouts!! Great idea Sharon- I forgot about the sprouts. I give Dante and Dweezil sprouts sometimes and they love them! I've sprouted my own on occasion.... but it's so much easier to just buy them fresh. I'm lazy

OK now I am rambling....(as usual!!)

[Dena]

I use Harrison's. I have tried different pellets and my Senagal (yes also named Dante to make everything confusing) prefers the Harrison's and of course the most expensive if I give him some seed and pellets to pick during the day he always goes for the pellets first of course unless there is a peanut in the midst! My parakeet I still sometimes try people food but wont even touch it and completely forget about pellets it looks like someone dumped sprinkles on the bottom of the cage. My parrotlet I really never gave them to her, because of their metabolism seed (I was told this by the breeder) is okay to give along with LOTS of people food. You would never believe how much a tiny little bird could eat - especially birdie corn bread!

[Deja]

Dena- Harrison's! That is the name of the really high quality pellets I was trying to think of! It's impossible to find around here- where do you get it from??

[Linda Lee]

My birds have always eaten pellets. The senegal and cockateil were started on those green lafeber pellets that looked like rabbit food. They looked so boring but I felt that feeding pellets was the best for them so I changed them over to Zupreem fruit shaped pellets in very bright colors. Both birds just loved them and have been eating them for years now. Once I brought home a young African grey that ate nothing but junk food and seeds, and when I say junk I mean it! This bird store was feeding him potato chips and prezles and all sorts of garbage on a regular basis. The poor bird was plucking it's chest feathers out and staring at the back wall at this shop. When I got it home I put him on the Zupreem right away and he loved it! At first he only ate the red pellets, but that was OK with me, later he tried a different color and shape and so it went. To make a long story short ~his health , feathers and new found confidence came to him. I found him a great home with a young couple and he was their only pet and recieved tons of attention. I'm very sure I gave them a good lecture about keeping him on those pellets along with some fresh veggies. I highly recommend Zupreem, if my fussy little cockateil will eat them they got to be good. I also feed seeds in small amounts, but I still see my cockateil go to the pellets before the seeds!

[Dena]

Oooh sorry Deja, for some reason this post never came back to me as newly posted to happens sometimes I guess. I will actually go to Paterson's bird store for them, they are in Totowa. They are overly priced on things but so far they are cheaper then ordering from them directly. It's $30 for a 5lb bag and my Dante will not eat any other pellet and be happy about it. I have tasted all of them myself (come on I know all you birdie people have dipped into your birds food from time to time) They actually taste pretty good. Their power treats are really good so no wonder the birds like them. There is also a store in Franklin Lakes and her prices are about the same from what I remember but I am not used to that area like I am the Totowa area.

[kittygurl823]

Hey!
I just got Harrisons today! Angel has always loved his Pretty bird food, but I noticed in the last few wks all he wanted to eat was the "goodies" like the dried fruit mixes, and not his good stuff. So we happened to go into this new bird store today, and were talking to a lady who deals alot w. cockatoos. She said Pretty bird was good food, but they need some more variety and we all know the too's can be picky She said Angel prob needed a change and try something different. She gave us Harrison's and Lafabers and said to mix it, and I just put some in his bowl now and he seems to love it! He's eating it as we speak!! I told her my little birds won't eat anything but seed, and she gave me a freshmix (one for the tiels and one for the keets) of Lafabers, Pretty bird pellets and some fruit and veggie mix, I really hope they will eat it!! I really want them to eat the good food, they just want the junk food! Birds are sooo picky aren't they!! We paid $26.89 for the 5 lb bag at this store. I guess all stores have different prices? This food seems really great!!!