Best Seed Mix/Brand? And a mineral block question...

[Rowdy]

In your opinion, what is the best seed mix brand currently available out there? (Mixing my own isn't currently an option as I do not have access to a variety of seed.) Which mix and brand do you use?

I'm currently feeding my flock the Hagen VME Staple Budgie mix and I add in several human-grade sunflower seed a day per each bird; but I would like to start feeding them something with more variety.
Hagen mix Ingredients:

white millet, canary grass seed, oat groats, red millet, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), calcium carbonate, orange oil, ferrous carbonate, zinc oxide, manganous oxide, niacin, vitamin e supplement, d-calcium pantothenate, copper sulfate, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin a supplement, thiamine mononitrate, calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, vitamin b12 supplement, sodium selenite, vitamin d3 supplement.

I ordered 1lb of the Golden Gourmet: A Taste of Australia, so we're going to give that a try. Opinions on this mix?
Ingredients:

Bee Pollen, Roasted Cashews, Almonds and Soybeans. Raw Sunflower Kernels, Canary Grass Seed, Japanese Millet, Canola Seed, Flax Seed, White Proso Millet, Golden German Millet, Black Sesame Seed & Natural Sesame Seed, Red Siberian Millet, Currants, Organic Blueberries, Sterile Hemp Seed, Niger Seed, Caraway Seed, Organic Whole Oats, Carrots, Wheat Germ, Whole Egg Solids, Whey, Organic Papaya, Rasp-berry Seeds, Cranberry Seeds, Organic Cranberries, Pineapple, Ground Star Anise Seed, Cantaloupe Seed, Apples, Paprika, Freeze Dried Corn & Freeze Dried Peas, Parsley

I really REALLY like the variety of seed in the Aviseed mixes! But they're not available in the States at the moment.

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I also have another question- what mineral blocks or other supplemental things to do you put in your bird's cage?
I always have a cuttlebone available at all times for all of the birds. Ozzie and Harriet have one of these mineral blocks in their cage: Premium: For All Birds Sun-Ripened Pineapple Mineral Treat, 3 Oz: Dogs : Walmart.com

MSBS had the Manu mineral blocks on sale too, so I ended ordering one for each cage. Has anyone ever heard of or used these before?

 

[blewin]

We give Buddy a custom blend from our local store that contains Australian Blend (Mix?), dehydrated greens, seeds, and pellets. The Australian blend seems close to the Taste of Australia you mentioned. She's healthy, despite her refusal to eat veggies. The one thing that you want to keep in mind is that 'tiels are not big fruit eaters, so any dehydrated fruit are likely to be ignored.

 

[Aubrey]

I like higgins. They were recommended to me.

This is what I use for my pionus I supplement with some nuts too.

:: Higgins Premium Pet Foods ::

 

[Mizzely]

I've been pleased with the Higgins Yucatan mix.

 

[MandaExotics]

I use cuttlebone, which my cockatiel loves. Mineral blocks are fun perches to look at for my cockatiel so I can't help you there. I mix a pellet mix and a seed mix together for main seed/pellet diet. My cockatiel's favorite is Volkman seed mix with Roudybush (She'll eat the original kind in pet stores but I usually specialty order the rice blend). The Golden Gourmet and Higgins look pretty good. My birds enjoy the Mayan mashes Avian Organics or Higgins sells. Bean sprouts win over everything though.

 

[Monica]

I was doing 50% Harrison's Adult Lifetime Fine with 25% Kaylor of Colorado Sweet Harvest Cockatiel/Budgie No Sunflower Seed with 25% Goldenfeast Petite Hookbill Legume/Australian Blend.


Currently though, switching things up to see if it might help one of the birds, so have 50% Pretty Bird Natural Gold and 50% Golden Gourmet A Taste Of Australia. (only because Kathie stopped carrying Goldenfeast) I haven't picked up any more Kaylor of Colorado, so haven't mixed any of that in with the Golden Gourmet blend.

 

[iamwhoiam]

I use Volkman's Avian Science seed products. For cockatiels (don't have any now) Avian Science Super Cockatiel w/o sunflower seeds.