Success!

[taxidermynerd]

Hi all!

Today is a happy day! I managed to switch Chirp over to pellets!

Yesterday he was sitting on his new playstand (I made him one out of PVC) and while I was looking at something on my laptop he had gone back inside his cage. I looked and he was at one of his 2 food bowls eating! And wouldn't you know it, it was the one with the pellet mash in it! I had taken 2 teaspoons of Zupreem natural pellets and 1 teaspoon of water and mixed it together into a mash, so he has an easier time eating them.

I took the bowl out and put it on top of his cage, along with his water bowl, and he kept on eating! He's also eaten some today. He had the option to go for the pellet mash with 1/2 a tsp of Zupreem Smart Selects seed mix in it, but he went for the pellets mash instead! I'm so incredibly proud of him.

I'm probably gonna have him go without seed (except for controlled treats) for a while, just to make sure it sticks, but I think we've done it!

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Good boy chirp! I'm glad he likes it, and you must feel so happy!

 

[Newbie GCC]

Good job! Way to go, Chirp!

 

[Clueless]

Yay!

 

[CrazyKozmo]

Great job! For me, it's always a relief when a bird converts to pellets and fresh foods!

 

[expressmailtome]

That is great!

 

[taxidermynerd]

Good boy chirp! I'm glad he likes it, and you must feel so happy!

Good job! Way to go, Chirp!

Yay!

Great job! For me, it's always a relief when a bird converts to pellets and fresh foods!

That is great!

Wow, I'm glad everyone is as excited as I am!

Next step after I get him set on eating pellets every day for a while is fruits and veggies. I have some chop made up already...

EDIT (which is slightly ironic because edit is the latin word for eat): Looks like somebody enjoyed his breakfast!

 

[Monica]

It's great that he's eating pellets! Just be sure that he doesn't remain on a pellet based diet for long! 50/50 pellets and seeds (or sprouted seeds) is good (that is, his diet shouldn't consist of more than 50% pellets), with as much fresh foods that you can get him to eat!

 

[taxidermynerd]

It's great that he's eating pellets! Just be sure that he doesn't remain on a pellet based diet for long! 50/50 pellets and seeds (or sprouted seeds) is good (that is, his diet shouldn't consist of more than 50% pellets), with as much fresh foods that you can get him to eat!

How should I incorporate the seeds/sprouts into his diet? I don't want him to revert back to seeds and stop eating pellets. Would offering seeds during the day as a treat be okay?

Also, what would be a good sprouting mix? Where do you get the stuff, can you just get it at the grocery store? I saw a really good video on youtube about sprouting seeds for your birds, the link is right (here), would something like that be good?

Right now, he's having pellet mash with stuff mixed in (today was shredded carrot with a pinch of ground almonds), and Chirp seems to really like it! I'm thinking maybe mixing seed in would be a good way to get seeds in until I can get ahold of a sprouting mix. That way he'll have to eat bits of the pellets with seeds and veggies and stuff!

 

[alshgs]

Yay! That was the best thing ever....when all of mine ate pellets happily

 

[Monica]

If you fed enough seeds (or sprouts) and pellets to last one day and no more, you could do that... or feed them on alternating days. Pellets one day, seeds the next, etc.


Although pellets may be healthier than seeds, small birds still require seeds in their diet! Offering seeds as treats is not enough. If you don't want to feed dry seeds, then feed sprouted ones instead!


I haven't used the products mentioned from Avian Organics, but I have heard many people talk highly of the TOP's sprout blends. I've purchased from China Prairie but I know a lot of people also like Sprout People.

1. Sprouts
   
2. Sprout Kits & Samplers - For Non-Humans
   
3. Avian FRESH Diet Parrot Food
   
4. ParrotXpress On-line Parrot Store - SPROUT SEED AND MIXES
   
5. Best Bird Food Ever
   
6. Our Products | TOP's Parrot Food
   
7. Organic Birdseed | Bird Seed Sprouting Seed by Handy Pantry

You can indeed make your own sprout mix! I find it cheaper to buy pre-made mixes though, because if I try to duplicate something, it's going to cost more! I have a similar list to that website here...

Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum


It looks like Jen's sprout mix is a good one! China Prairie is cheaper, but it also has less seeds in it. (I have a preference in buying in bulk)

 

[taxidermynerd]

If you fed enough seeds (or sprouts) and pellets to last one day and no more, you could do that... or feed them on alternating days. Pellets one day, seeds the next, etc.


Although pellets may be healthier than seeds, small birds still require seeds in their diet! Offering seeds as treats is not enough. If you don't want to feed dry seeds, then feed sprouted ones instead!


I haven't used the products mentioned from Avian Organics, but I have heard many people talk highly of the TOP's sprout blends. I've purchased from China Prairie but I know a lot of people also like Sprout People.

1. Sprouts
   
2. Sprout Kits & Samplers - For Non-Humans
   
3. Avian FRESH Diet Parrot Food
   
4. ParrotXpress On-line Parrot Store - SPROUT SEED AND MIXES
   
5. Best Bird Food Ever
   
6. Our Products | TOP's Parrot Food
   
7. Organic Birdseed | Bird Seed Sprouting Seed by Handy Pantry

You can indeed make your own sprout mix! I find it cheaper to buy pre-made mixes though, because if I try to duplicate something, it's going to cost more! I have a similar list to that website here...

Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips | Avian Avenue Parrot Forum


It looks like Jen's sprout mix is a good one! China Prairie is cheaper, but it also has less seeds in it. (I have a preference in buying in bulk)

Yikes, everything is so expensive! I can't afford any of this, unless I manage to find it in person. I guess I'll just have to look and see. Thanks for all the resources though. I'll update if I can find any of this stuff in person, especially the TOP's sprout mix.

 

[Monica]

Any chance of local bird stores??? And maybe those stores having something you could buy?

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I love the sproutpeople little bird mix, and so do my birds. I like their easy sprouter too. It's just that-super easy. Also, their sprouts are always fresh. My four birds eat sprouts every day, and they go through about 2 lbs in a little over two months. My vet considers sprouts a veggie, not a seed. She said that once it sprouts it's a plant.

 

[taxidermynerd]

Any chance of local bird stores??? And maybe those stores having something you could buy?

I looked at the TOP's page on where you can buy their stuff (that sprouting mix seems like it would be good for Chirp) and there is a store around here (well, half an hour away but whatever) that carries their products and if they don't have it, they could probably order it, so I'll have to look there. It's about the only pet/bird store around here that has more than your typical Petsmart would.

Also update! I just checked on Chirp's food bowl and he ate almost all of his pellet mash! I guess he must've really liked the grated carrot I put in there!

 

[taxidermynerd]

Update once again!

So a couple of days ago, I took some carrot and broccoli and threw them into my mini-food processor, which cut them up into perfectly sized bits for small beaks! I've started mixing them into Chirp's mash (so 2 tsp of pellets, 1 tsp of seed mix, 1 tsp or so of veggie mix, and 2 tsp of water) and he's been eating it! Earlier I think he realized he was eating veggies and actually enjoying it, and he got all grumpy with me! I think what he's thinking is along the lines of "Veggies? Oh noes! I've been eating not seed!"
But he's eating veggies, and that's what matters. I'm probably gonna try some other veggies, and just experiment to see what he likes! I'm also gonna pick up some seed mix next time I go out. I think Zupreem has one that's just seed, so I could potentially try sprouting with that, and see if Chirp will eat sprouts!

We're making leaps and bounds of progress!

 

[Monica]

Stay clear of seed blends like Zupreem, Kaytee, or any other brand. A lot of them contain dyes and preservatives. All this stuff can make seeds go bad.


You're better off going to a bulk grocery store or feed store and *maybe* buying seeds there. You don't need dyes or preservatives. Just plain seed.

 

[taxidermynerd]

Stay clear of seed blends like Zupreem, Kaytee, or any other brand. A lot of them contain dyes and preservatives. All this stuff can make seeds go bad.


You're better off going to a bulk grocery store or feed store and *maybe* buying seeds there. You don't need dyes or preservatives. Just plain seed.

Huh, I didn't know there were dyes and stuff in the seed blends! I think the pet store nearest to my house has a bulk section, I'll have to see what I can find! I know they have various seed mixes with pellets and things in, but I wonder if they have any that are just straight seed like millet and canary grass and stuff. Guess I'll just have to look and see!

Edit: Forgot to add, what do you mean by *maybe*?

Also just remembered there's a store down the road that sells organic stuff, they probably have seeds and things I could sprout from. They're a little bit pricey, but if I needed to I could easily get stuff from there.

 

[Monica]

Most seed blends do have, at minimum, preservatives. Look at the labels!

 

[taxidermynerd]

Most seed blends do have, at minimum, preservatives. Look at the labels!

I guess that makes sense, considering that most companies/brands care more about selling their product than they do about what they're putting in it for birds to consume.