How bad really is a Roudybush only diet?

[April]

Ok,so as some of you might remember I have been trying for years to get Nala to eat something other than pellets but Iv had next to no luck. I have been buying Kathies mix,and for almost a year now she has eaten just the cashews and saffron seeds I think they are and thats it.

I know the whole keep on trying and trust me I am,but after almost 5 years I dont know if it will ever happen.

Basically I would like to know,if Nala continues to eat basically a diet of 99% mini Roudybush will this hurt her in anyway or shorten her lifespan?

Im at least happy that I was able to wean her off of the horrible seed and fruity zupreem she came to me on. Surely almost stright Roudybush is better then what she used to be on?

Thanks for any help

 

[suileeka]

It's not ideal, for sure. But I think it's *very* hard to say for sure how it will affect any given individual. How active is she? My concern would be the high protein levels in the regular Roudybush diet. Have you ever tried the Roudybush Soak and Feed varieties? I wonder if maybe that would help as a bridge to aid her willingness to eat other food?

 

[April]

It's not ideal, for sure. But I think it's *very* hard to say for sure how it will effect any given individual. How active is she? My concern would be the high protein levels in the regular Roudybush diet. Have you ever tried the Roudybush Soak and Feed varieties? I wonder if maybe that would help as a bridge to aid her willingness to eat other food?

She is very active,much more then she was when I got her all those years ago . I have never seen the Soak and Feed,Ill have to look into that.

 

[Kolkri]

Can you get her to eat any wet foods?

 

[April]

Can you get her to eat any wet foods?

Nope,she wont touch anything but the Roudybush and 2 things in the mix. She will either totally ignore the food,or take it out of her bowl piece by piece drop it and then poo on it.

 

[Bokkapooh]

An all pellet or seed diet will harm the kidneys and they say the liver, eventually. The kidneys need a lot of good moisture (from foods and water consumption) to work good. Does she like formula? Have you tried mash? What have you already tried and has it been consistent(daily offerings)?

 

[love4birds]

I think it depends on the individual bird how bad an all-anything diet is, too.

How about a standard small-bird seed mix (just seeds and grains)? From there you can start sprouting the mix, most birds love germinated seed and it's very good for them. Sprouts are also a great place to start getting birds to accept fresh foods.

My parents have Olly their CAG who only eats Harrison's pellets. Three years and he still won't touch anything else really. But he won't even try seeds and nuts...

Edit: I should add that Olly will be 19 in November and he is not very active like many greys. He is also a feather picker, but we figure that's more from habit than diet.

 

[Renae]

Pellets are not going to provide all the nutrients that she needs, nor will they back up the nutrients, this will be the problem with her being on a mainly pellet based diet.

What about buying organic pellets at least for now? (Totally Organics Totally Organics TOP Organic Bird Pellets I see this one recommended a lot)

ETA: Megan suggested something great to try.. sprouted seed, it is very healthy and it would definitely be worth a try, you never know!

 

[April]

An all pellet or seed diet will harm the kidneys and they say the liver, eventually. The kidneys need a lot of good moisture (from foods and water consumption) to work good. Does she like formula? Have you tried mash? What have you already tried and has it been consistent(daily offerings)?

That's what I feared but Im at a total loss here,she just wont even try anything. If I try to hand it to her,she just bites me and throws the food down. If I leave it in a dish,she just does what I posted above. I have never tried formula,and I tried a mash but she wouldnt even go near it. Yes,I have tried for weeks to get her to try something new,but since she wouldnt go near it I stopped. I hate to say it,but I dont have the money to buy tons of fresh food that just goes to waste everyday. But for at least a month,I would try a mixture of fresh foods every single day and not once did she touch it.

I feel like a bad parront,but I cant exactly force her to eat the fresh food,short of poking it down her beak.

 

[Bokkapooh]

What about cooked veggies? Steamed veggies? Formula?

 

[April]

Pellets are not going to provide all the nutrients that she needs, nor will they back up the nutrients, this will be the problem with her being on a mainly pellet based diet.

What about buying organic pellets at least for now? (Totally Organics Totally Organics TOP Organic Bird Pellets I see this one recommended a lot)

ETA: Megan suggested something great to try.. sprouted seed, it is very healthy and it would definitely be worth a try, you never know!

Thanks for the link,Ill look into Tops but so far Zupreem Fruity and Roudybush are the only pellets she will eat. She wont eat the small Pretty Bird pellets in Kathies mix or the Zupreem Naturals.

 

[Coco's Momma]

April, will she drink juice do you think? Like out of your glass for example?

 

[April]

What about cooked veggies? Steamed veggies? Formula?

I tried steamed and cooked,Iv cut them into tiny pieces,strips and chunks and not a smidge of intrest. Formula I have never tried.

 

[April]

April, will she drink juice do you think? Like out of your glass for example?

Yes! She loves Orange and Apple juice. I did wonder if I was to turn most of the fresh food into juice,if that would work. But Iv been told its not as good as her eating the solid pieces.

 

[Coco's Momma]

Yes! She loves Orange and Apple juice. I did wonder if I was to turn most of the fresh food into juice,if that would work. But Iv been told its not as good as her eating the solid pieces.

It may not be 'as good', but it is certainly vitamins and a way to foray into a change of diet. Apples and the one fruit that are good to juice with vegetables. So I would start with something very straight... juice apples (best if you have an actual juicer, and the low-end ones are not terribly expensive and good for humans to drink too.) Start by juicing a couple of apples and a carrot. Stay away from citrus and tomatoes. From there, you can move up to different types of vegetables. This is a way to alter her tastebuds. You don't want to offer too much, just tastes, and you can drink the rest.

 

[Bokkapooh]

You will need to try longer than a month. And you would only need to offer about 1/4 cup per day. You can get bags of frozen veggies. They're cheap and offer 1-3 fresh stuff. Try offering them heated (VIA microwave, etc). Saving her from potential future health issues by "wasting" money on food that will be dropped to the bottom of the cage that she may eventually eat, will save on potential future vet bills regarding kidney and other issues $5-10 every week or two on fresh is a lot cheaper than an emergency vet bill due to whatever.

 

[love4birds]

I thought juiced veggies/fruit were actually more nutritious... something about the vitamins and whatnot being easier for the body to process?

 

[suileeka]

Have you ever tried mixing up some of her pellets with apple juice? Will she still eat them if they're moist?

 

[Coco's Momma]

The next thing I would do, April, is select a "cup" that will from here on out be the 'special cup'. So when she sees you coming with it, at the moment it has tasty juice treats. Eventually, it will have other tasty treats.

 

[April]

You will need to try longer than a month. And you would only need to offer about 1/4 cup per day. You can get bags of frozen veggies. They're cheap and offer 1-3 fresh stuff. Try offering them heated (VIA microwave, etc). Saving her from potential future health issues by "wasting" money on food that will be dropped to the bottom of the cage that she may eventually eat, will save on potential future vet bills regarding kidney and other issues $5-10 every week or two on fresh is a lot cheaper than an emergency vet bill due to whatever.

I though frozen was bad for them because of all the salt they use to keep it with. If thats the case,I can easily buy some bags of frozen and keep trying with those