Seed mix.

[Josie]

I feed Zuko a mix of seed mix and fresh fruits and veggies every day. (Also started on egg, and will try pasta soon!)

I've noticed that he picks all the sunflowers out, and eats those first. Only then will he try anything else. I read that some people like to take out the pieces of dried corn, and I noticed that Zuko tries with all his little heart to get them open, but he either loses his grip or they fly out of his mouth.

I decided today to take the premixed seed mix and pick out all the sunflower seeds, peanuts, and dried corn. (and dried peppers, he just throws them. )

This is what I found:




It's mostly sunflower seeds and corn! It also had lots of colored/dyed seeds.
I'll probably give the sunflower seeds as a treat. There are so much of them though! The container is still half full, and visibly is still mostly sunflower seeds.

I bought this seed mix the day I got him, and even though I did lots of research beforehand, I've learned so much more since I've been on this site. I'm going to finish out this container, then start making my own seed mix, or switch to pellets. I'm also going to start making mash and birdy bread to offer along with his fresh veggies.

His health is really important to me. If anyone has any recipes (for mash, birdy bread, anything!) or their birds favorite foods, please let me know. I'm going to start collecting recipes for my next shopping trip.

 

[waterfaller1]

I have a couple good recipes, one for mash. The other for birdy bread, and you use some of the leftover mash in the bread. I do not give my parrots any seeds.{except a few pumpkin} The seeds you are giving him do not even come from where he is from. Look in the grocery store on the aisle that sells cooking oil. What are these cooking oils made from? Sunflower-safflower-corn-peanut. You are essentially feeding your bird fat.
I can find the recipes if you like.

 

[~birdybea~]

It's always alarming to see just how much "treat" food ends up in "premium" mixes! You might do better to buy a budgie seed mix (they don't usually have sunflower seeds, peanuts, etc) and then just buy the other things separately in more useful (aka smaller) quantities to use as treats.

 

[Josie]

@waterfaller1 - I knew it wasn't the best, but I didn't know it was that bad! We bought it the day we got him, and my fiance bought it because it said 'Parrot Seed' on there. He's learned a lot more since we got him too.
He really only goes for the seeds after he's eaten most of his veggies, which is good. Do you feed your fids just the mash/bread/fresh stuff? I was thinking of doing that with Zuko, but I see a lot of people add seeds or pellets as a staple along with the mashes and breads. Some recipes would be wonderful if you have them handy. I'm currently browsing the stickies for recipes as well.

@ ~birdybea~ - Yeah, it is. I noticed when we got the seed mix that the top 4th looked to be all sunflower. D: I heard cockatiel and budgie seeds were better. I may look into pellets too. I have a lot of reading ahead of me!

 

[waterfaller1]

http://forums.avianavenue.com/feathered-food-court/25405-mish-mash-attempt-w-pics.html
http://forums.avianavenue.com/feathered-food-court/25438-birdy-bread-success-lots-pics.html

 

[Josie]

Thank you very much! I really appreciate it.

 

[Karighan]

Pellets are what, ideally, your bird should be eating. Not seeds. Seeds can lead into fatty liver disease; you can buy pellets, and mix seeds into it, along with the fresh veggies and fruit to entice him to eat it.

 

[waterfaller1]

My birds get lots of different choices. Almonds in the shell presently, and at other times hazelnut, walnuts, and Brazils when available. Bountiful harvest with no pellets from Kathie at My Safe Bird Store. Unpellet from Lucy Towbin at Pheonix foraging rolls, Bonito Loco from Goldenfeast, and pellets-Tops, Goldnobles,Roudybush,Hagen Sticks,Harrisons coarse,Pretty Bird Natural Gold, fresh fruits and veggies, organic veggie pasta, and my birdy bread{which you can change in lots of ways} Sometimes the mash...but they prefer the bread, with the mash hidden in it. And anything else healthy I can come up with.

 

[Josie]

Thanks again for the input!

I'm definitely making a batch of mash and birdy bread this weekend. I'll continue to look at recipes as well. :3

 

[Kermit]

Littlefoot(my IRN) eats harrison's and some zupreem for pellets and lots of birdie bread(i have a really simple recipe that can be changed alot) and he also eats Bountiful Harvest for small birds from Kathie at my safe bird store and some goldenfeast Central American preservation(it has a little bit of seed in it), and he gets 1 nurti-berri a day

 

[birdlady]

Yes definitely not a good mix!

I feed kathie's bountiful harvest to my birds (mysafebirdstore.com). They get hagan tropican sticks, mash, birdie bread, fresh fruits and veggies, etc....

 

[javi]

An ideal diet would be sprouts and veggies being the main part, then pellets and lastly seeds. My tiels have access to seed all day as they are seed eaters in the wild but they eat all the fresh foods and pellets too. The bigger birds have pellets and fresh food available at all times and only seed at night. This way I know they eat all the good stuff and not too much of the less than ideal stuff. Since my birds eat so healthy I allow them the sunflower. They dont get enough that it is the main staple of their diet so it does no bad.

 

[lotus15]

I feed my guys a TON of seeds-- freshly sprouted ones, that is! They get a big, healthy helping of freshly sprouted seeds, grains, and some legumes every morning and chow down, along with lots of fresh veggies (leafy greens in particular) and some fruits.

 

[brdfvr]

Yes definitely not a good mix!

I feed kathie's bountiful harvest to my birds (mysafebirdstore.com). They get hagan tropican sticks, mash, birdie bread, fresh fruits and veggies, etc....

I was just going to suggest bountiful harvest!

 

[MacDaddie]

I have seen a lot of mixes, but none really compare to Bountiful Harvest from My Safe Bird Store, I think Kathie has put a lot of effort into producing the blends, they're remarkably clean, and are an excellent value when you look at what is in it.

 

[Angela_tiger_1999]

yup its bountiful harvest here too!! Emma just loves it and it has a ton of great stuff..also you can't beat the price His pellets are Harrisons, and then fresh veggie's and sometimes fruit. Oh and he loves the momma's birdie bread that I get from Kathie too!

 

[jmfleish]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeding seeds, even sunflower seeds. You just don't want it to be a major part of their diet. I feel that seed is essential to the physical and emotional well-being of every parrot. I have run into the problem of many mixes being more than half sunflower seeds though and it's disheartening because it's just a cheap filler. You can make your own seed mixes too.

 

[javi]

Agree 100%

 

[Josie]

Update!

We went to a pet store today that had lots of bird food, toys, cages, etc. They had a wall lined up that was all dispensers for pellets and seeds, so we got a few days worth of Roudybush pellets to see if he'd try them. He thinks they're treats! He loves them. I'll take a look at Bountiful Harvest too.

I'm thinking of mixing some of the seeds into the pellets, but I know he'll just eat all of them in one day and the pellets for the rest. He does get fresh fruits and veggies daily though, so maybe I'll "garnish" them with some seeds.

I've been doing a lot of research on diets, and I have been wanting to make a list of seeds and their qualities so I could make a good seed mix. I'll probably still do that, even if they are just a garnish, or a few-times-a-week thing.

Thank you all so much for your input!

 

[jmfleish]

Congratulations on the pellets. You are correct in wanting to give the seeds after main meals as treats so he doesn't fill up on them and not eat his regular food. As for bin storage of foods in pet stores, while it certainly won't kill your bird, I would steer away from it and buy only pre-packaged pellets and mixes that normally would come in their own bag. With the bins, you have no idea how long the food has been sitting around and contamination is higher.