Pellet advice, please...

[Lwalker]

I was in a store today that specializes in parrots. I got to talking to one of the owners and told her about Cricket's barbering. Since he is so young she suggested it is probably a diet problem and asked what I feed him. I have been giving them a lot of nutiberries lately as I thought they could be a main food. The shop owner said he is getting too many seeds that way. She also told me that the pellet I feed - Tropican Lifetime Formula - is not good and that I should switch to TOPS at best but at least to Zupreem. (Watson came to me on Zupreem Fruit Flavour and I switched him to Tropican on the advice of another store owner).

So...I know to factor in that these are sales people, but is Zupreem better than Tropican or vice versa? And might they affect barbering? I have to have TOPS shipped and dont want to rely on that. Roudybush is the same.

I did get some TOPS while there. They look so different and the boys are carefully picking around them...can you wet and mush them?

I should say that they get a variety of fruits, vegetables, quinoa, oatmeal etc. every night. Pellets available all day and usually nutiberries for breakfast - 3 or 4 each, but I will cut back on those now.

They are both almost two but neither has had a big molt yet.

 

[aooratrix]

Some of the best on the market are Harrison's, Roudybush, and Zupreem natural. I recently switched to the Zupreem as you can soak it and all mine will eat it. That's the bottom line: the best pellet for your bird is the one it will eat. I'm also feeding Red Palm Oil daily. I like to soak some pellets in hot water, drain them, add more hot water to heat them up, and add some RPO. I add it to chop. @Macawnutz taught me that as she she feeds her birds that way in the morning. I've already noticed improvement in Harry's beak condition.

Mine get Zupreem Natural as their staple and get "snacks" of Harrison's, Caitec Oven Fresh Bites, & Higgins InTune throughout the day. I tried TOPS, but mine won't touch them. However, all birds are different. I'm basically adding it to chop and bird bread, as I'm stuck with it.

 

[JLcribber]

Other than TOPS and Harrison's the basic ingredients in just about all commercial pellets are the same. My rule of thumb is the best pellet is one they will actually eat. Many birds will not eat TOPS or Harrison's. My suspicion is that because they are organic that they lack in some flavour because they don't have any other things in them like sugar etc.

I also use the Zupreem natural for the same reason as you can soak them in cold water and they don't turn to mush. They stay well formed and get spongy like bread. I can get "all" the birds to eat them that way.

 

[Lwalker]

Thanks. They eat Tropican and Zupreem. It is hard to find anything else around except seed mixes. I haven't tried Harrison's. I guess the main thing is to cut back on the nutriberries because of the seed content. Just when I bought a bucket, LOL!

The only seed I give apart from that is flax and occasionally pumpkin seed or sunflower (special treat only, already shelled) and some millet? Should I stop all seed and millet? I am not sure how seed relates to plucking/barbering but will start researching

 

[Denice]

When my bird came he was on an all seed diet, I wanted him to have pellets in his diet, I ordered Tops. The first couple times he did what you are saying and just side stepped the pellets. So in the morning before he got seeds or chop I put a small amount of pellets in his feed bowl with with like a 1/2 teas of all natural applesauce mixed up. I kept reducing the applesauce until he knows now he gets the pellets first, and when I see he has eaten most of them I go ahead and give him chop and a mix of seeds and pellets for the rest of the day. It only took about a week to get him eating them plain.

 

[Mizzely]

Honestly Tropican and Zupreem are very similar. I wouldn't stress two moments between the two of those. In a similar vein you have Lafeber pellets, roudybush, and Higgins inTune. Harrison's is a higher quality but less palatable offshoot from these. Harrison's, Lafeber, and Roudybush were all created by vets. Roudybush and Harrison's probably have the most extensive and dated research done with them of those available on the market.

Then you have caitec oven fresh and goldenfeast which offer Ingredient lists that sound amazing to discerning owners but have a lot less vet backed science behind them. Not to say they aren't good, just that the track record isn't there yet.

Nutriberries claim they can be an entire diet but my birds still pick and eat what they want off from them, so while I do feed them, they only get two a day and aren't the foundation for their diet.

As for TOPS, it is not a complete diet and should not be fed as the sole pellet. It has great ingredients but is lacking essential nutrients that are very hard to get into birds otherwise - vitamin D, iodine, etc. It has no vet backing.

 

[aooratrix]

Unlike some, I'm not anti-seed. Most birds eat seeds in the wild. It's good engagement for them, and if you buy quality seed, some nutrition is available. My macaws get about 1/4 tsp a day of Higgins safflower gold. Morgan gets none: different dietary requirements.

 

[Lwalker]

Thanks @Mizzely
I am always wary when the people selling the product give advice - especially when they push the most expensive product. And, some of the other advice the store staff were giving out didn't sit right with me - although it was on controversial topics.

I found pellet-berries online too. They don't seem to have seeds so might be better for Cricket. My local store would order those in for me.

 

[aooratrix]

I am not a nutriberry fan, even though some have a lot of success feeding them.

 

[Lwalker]

Unlike some, I'm not anti-seed. Most birds eat seeds in the wild. It's good engagement for them, and if you buy quality seed, some nutrition is available. My macaws get about 1/4 tsp a day of Higgins safflower gold. Morgan gets none: different dietary requirements.

I was mixing in some seed, it is just my vet, and now this person, suggested reducing seed intake may make a difference in Cricket's feathers. We will be going back to the vet in a few weeks but he is still barbering . Seems he doesn't want any red feathers.

You can see here - Cricket is on the right. Watson (on the left) has great feathers - no problems there.

 

[Mizzely]

I've tried pellet berries because they eat nutriberries and Lafeber pellets... but the have no interest in the pellet berries! Weirdos lol

 

[Pipsqueak]

Mine eat everything, lol. I feed fresh in the morning, fruit, mashed sweet potatoes, oatmeal with fruit, vegetable chop. Since they eat so much fresh I don't offer much pellets at all.

 

[SueA555]

Roudybush has a new California blend of pellets, and some dehydrated fruits and veggies. Joey has never been enthusiastic about pellets, although he's been eating them for 18 years. He really likes the new ones.

 

[SamandWilley]

My lovebirds started out on Zupreem naturals, so I have continued to feed that to them. I mix in some Harrison's high potency, following the directions that they should start with those. Some days they eat more of one, other days they switch. I have been thinking about trying another brand after a while. Is it bad to mix and match and switch?? I haven't found the 'perfect' diet for my birds yet, but I do know that the Red Palm Oil has made a BIG difference in their feathers! I have been lectured about using pellets and lectured about using seeds. Sigh. I have been sprouting seeds and they seem to like them okay. Just not as much after the roots start. Silly birds!

 

[Lwalker]

I have never used red palm oil. I will look into that.

 

[SamandWilley]

I have never used red palm oil. I will look into that.

I must have had a different thread in mind!! I was thinking we discussed this earlier in the thread. Just make sure you get the least processed that you can. It doesn't take much. It is very rich and, well, red! I add a tiny bit to their cooked grains and they love it.

 

[Denice]

I think you have to consider the individual type of bird, my bird is technically a parakeet and he needs to eat some seed, I don't think there are many birds that would do well on an all pellet diet. So they key I guess is to assess your birds needs and try to meet them as best you can. I offer Moto, pellets, a high quality seed mix, chop, and an array of different foods like fresh herbs from my garden, sweet potato, apple, pears, banana, mango, celery, peppers, etc...His all time favorite so far is a pepper cut in half with the seeds still inside, he plays with it, eats it, and just has a ball. I have some squash growing in the garden and I can't wait to see what he thinks of that. I made some quinoa for us the other day and offered him some, thinking he liked the cooked rice I gave him ( just a pinch) but he didn't touch the quinoa, I may try mixing it with some sweet potato, pellets and other seeds and make a cake out of it.

 

[safehaven]

I am surprised she said tropican is not good, that is one by hari correct? I use a few food blends and tropimix is one, as well as Roudybush, Higgins sunburst or safflower gold and nutriberries. All are blended daily as a mix.

 

[SamandWilley]

Oh, I agree!! Birds are so different. My budgies LOVE greens. My lovies will hardly touch it. The lovies also will not even get close to anything with peppers in it, seeds or no seeds, but they love cayenne seasoning. Later this year, when they become available, I am going to see if they will like a fresh cayenne! You just have to experiment....

 

[ode.to.parrots]

I was mixing in some seed, it is just my vet, and now this person, suggested reducing seed intake may make a difference in Cricket's feathers.

Perhaps you could try feeding them sprouted seeds? That way you don't have to completely eliminate seeds from the diet, but sprouted seeds would offer them more nutrition.

I also saw that you were looking into pellet berries. I have those for my tiels, and they seem to enjoy them! I offer it as an occasional treat, since dates (one of the main ingredients) is high in sugar (natural sugars, but still). However, I do prefer these over nutriberries, since the ingredients are more natural and they don't contain weird stuff like gelatin.