Switching pellets. Please help!

[JoJo&Loki]

So, I HAD what I thought was the “ideal” food plan for my 2 budgies. Until Goldenfeast discontinued Goldn’obles III without warning. I’m currently researching my options (again) and I have some concerns/questions.
Current food plan-
Goldn’obles III and either GF Australian blend or Petite Hookbill Legume blend every morning topped with GF Gardenflora(mostly dried greens/herbs). They’ve been getting this every am and they LOVE it.
I also clip a veg or 2 in the cage to nibble on, so far broccoli is the fave.

Later in the day I’ve been serving a Unapproved Vendor chop option along with seeds I’ve been sprouting... also from Unapproved Vendor, currently using the Gourmet Grains.
(Please note this is just a general guideline of what I do daily, obviously I vary it some days, offer things like egg occasionally as well as Avi cakes /Nutriberries, and millet or treat stick occasionally. I also hang oat sprays through the cage roof to nibble on.
Since switching to this “meal plan” I’ve noticed shinier feathers and more energy- it’s been great! Now GF had to go and ruin it.
I’m currently considering switching to Harrison’s as it’s 1 of the few remaining brands I have yet to try (they refused several before the GF).
that doesn’t have corn as main ingredient.
My 1st question is for anyone who knows the size / texture of GF: would I be better off starting with the Harrison’s mash or the super fine? I feel the mash would be easier for them to accept but I read they can pick through the mash, so in that aspect would it be any better than the seed? If anyone has used the Super Fine and the GF III are the sizes comparable? I think they like the small size of the GF.

Question 2: Do I start with high potency or adult lifetime? (Since they’re already eating a pellet diet) Is there a taste difference in the two? Not sure if the HP has a stronger taste and they may refuse it.

Question3: Do you see any nutritional gaps in their diet? I have another Unapproved Vendor order coming soon with more chops, better balls, sproutables and the Daily Advantage shaker.

Sorry for the long post, I just want to give them the best chance possible at long, healthy lives! I have 1 more bag of the GF to work with while figuring this out, just trying to plan ahead

 

[Lady Jane]

doesn’t have corn as main ingredient.

I have done the search already and I would say 90 percent of bird foods have corn. Harrisons extra fine pellets has corn listed as the first ingredient also. Not sure about TOPS but its worth checking. What you are feeding now sounds really good. As far as pellets go without corn @Mizzely would know. I also search for a food without flax but very hard to fine a flax free bird food. I think the
GF Gardenflora has quite a bit of spinach so you don't want to overload the Oxalates.

 

[JoJo&Loki]

Thank you! I know you use the GF III also, so I’m sure you understand my frustration
Maybe it’s just the Harrison’s mash, I’ll check the pellets but the mash states these ingredients-
*Hulled Grey Millet, *Ground Hulled Wild Buckwheat, *Ground Soy Flakes, *Ground Hulled Sesame Seeds, *Chia Seed, *Ground Alfalfa, Calcium Carbonate, Montmorillonite Clay, Monocalcium Phosphate, *Ground Dried Sea Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Sea Salt, *Ground Whole Anise, *Algae Meal, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, D-alpha Tocopheryl acetate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, d-Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Carbonate.
*CERTIFIED ORGANIC INGREDIENT

Also thanks for the tip on the Oxalates, I usually just sprinkle a pinch or 2 over the bowl but I’ll definitely watch that.

Another option I’ve been considering is getting the Unapproved Vendor bitty bites and crushing them in the food processor. I just really think they need a very small pellet. Picky little birbs lol

 

[tattoosiva]

Wow, I wish I could help you with more of your questions. My 4 conures were eating roudybush for years but suddenly they decided no more. Hundreds of dollars in pellets later, we got a Harrison's gift basket that they refused everything in but the adult mash they loved.

I think mainly because of millet and buckwheat as some of the main ingredients, they get it dry and it's so fine they really can't pick and choose. Breakfast is a plain bowl with an assortment of vegtables and fruits, oatmeal on the side.

Dinner I add some goldenfeast Australian blend or lugume blend and cover the top of it off with more mash, so it's more a foraginng dinner. They actually sit around the bowl for 30-45 minutes and clear it.

They are now big fans of waileys, they adored the bitty bites so much we got 8 pounds and orderd 4 more last week but be warned, they were the PB+J one that were an easy sell because peanut butter. They also have an aversion to fresh vegetables but are loving the summer mix more than the freeze dry mix I usually get from Amazon. They are crunchier and my guys are dippers and they don't disolve the moment they hit water.i

We also went from sunflower seeds to safflower seeds to our now 2nd 5 pound bag of gourmet blend unsprouted as their bedtime treat. Who knows, maybe the novelty of new, exciting food will wear off
But I always try to introduce new foods

It sounds like your trying to give the best diet, shrug off the rejections, rejoice over the acceptance and enjoy the ride. As long as their happy, healthy and eating, your good, I'll let others chime in with their "But",
Unless their sick or have medical problems from their diet, food is a big part their day and ours, enjoy it.

 

[Lady Jane]

I did not buy the bitty bites because when I put dry food in a processor, even for a few seconds, it seem to end up as a powder. I wish they were smaller. I asked Marsha and she says they are most likely too large for budgies but one can use a coffee grinder or something like that. I bought several 1 pound bags of Golden obles III on Amazon while there was still someone selling them.
Roudybush also has corn as first ingredient.

 

[Mizzely]

This may help Pellets for Parrots

The ones without corn besides Goldenfeast are Caitec, Hagen Alternative, and FM Brown Zoo Vital

 

[JoJo&Loki]

Thank you all for your help, I appreciate it!
Hopefully I’ll find something I approve and they accept lol

@tattoosiva I love your “foraging dinner” I’m going to try that one! And I have fun with the Unapproved Vendor, I’m loving trying all those goodies different ways. Pellets on the other hand cause me nothing but stress, finally found 1 that worked and it’s discontinued a month later

 

[JoJo&Loki]

Wow @Mizzely thanks for that link, and for taking the time to research the pellets and lay it all out for us!

@Lady Jane I was thinking that may happen with the food processor. Ughhh

Not sure if I can even find any more GF bags still. I was so mad last week, I only got the 1 cuz I knew my birbs would need it soon. GF really angered me with how they handled this. Just out of curiosity, have they even responded to your call or email yet?

 

[Leanna]

So Milo's on an eckie diet but the caiques eat tops small pellets. Harrisons is great and it's what my vet recommends but it's kind of plain and unless you start a bird on it, they have a tendency to turn away from it. My vet says that TOPs is another great brand. Their favorite is Oven Fresh Bites but they wasted so much that their bowl would be empty in an hour. I switched to the tops small pellets to cut down on waste.

TOPS doesn't have corn as well. I like the ingredients a lot. For me, I feed tops with fresh vegetables, fruits and sprouts everyday. It's easier for me because Milo's diet is all fresh.
Ingredients: Organic alfalfa, organic hulled millet, organic barley, organic rice, organic sunflower seed hulled, organic sesame seeds unhulled, organic quinoa whole, organic pumpkin, organic buckwheat hulled, organic dandelion leaf powder, organic carrot powder, organic spinach leaf powder, organic purple dulse, kelp, organic rose hips powder, organic rose hips crushed, organic orange peel powder, organic lemon peel powder, organic rosemary whole leaf, organic cayenne ground, organic crushed red chili peppers, organic nettle leaf, cinnamon.

 

[Leih]

My flock eats Roudybush mini, but we recently switched to crumble. I think there's less waste. They get a little Harrisons adult lifetime fine too, but boy is that stuff expensive!

 

[JoJo&Loki]

@Leanna I like the Tops ingredients also. My only fear is even the “small” is much bigger than they’re used to. I saw a comment while reading reviews they are supposedly coming out with a smaller pellet by end of year. I hope that’s true, if so I’ll try Tops for sure!

@Leih Roudybush was my very 1st try, as my vet recommended. Jo wouldn’t go near it though. It has been awhile ...but I used the majority of it up trying to find a way for him to at least try it, with no success.
Why does there have to be an issue with every single pellet for me!!??! I’m getting mad at Goldenfeast all over again just thinking about it

 

[Leanna]

They have mini pellets?
TOP's Mini Pellets – TOP's Parrot Food

 

[Lady Jane]

We are after pellets with no corn. I looked at Caitec, and did not see the size for tiny birds like ours. Roudybush is totally off he chart for me due to the corn listed first, or any corn. Its a cheap filler. I bought Tops before but my birds let it sit and sit and sit. Tried for several days but no eat. There is nothing said that one must feed pellets if the diet is good. By good I mean well balanced.

 

[Lady Jane]

This is the only place I could fine Hagen Alternative and I like the sound of it but have no idea if they have small to tiny sizes.
Hagen's (HARI) Alternative Formula Pellets offer better nutrition for Mature birds -

 

[JoJo&Loki]

There is nothing said that one must feed pellets if the diet is good. By good I mean well balanced.

I was wondering about this! The GF blends they eat have 40 -50 ingredients. The Unapproved Vendor chops and sprout mixes are also pretty stacked with the quality items they’d be getting from pellets. They do eat pretty much all of it...technically the pellet is just a condensed version of the other stuff. Obviously I’d have to continually monitor that they aren’t neglecting any particular foods when eating...
I just hate messing with what works. Just last week my mother in law asked me “Have their feathers always been so bright?” That made me SO happy, and I know it because of the diet.
I don’t know if I’d be confident they’re getting everything without the pellets or not...
I will say since adding the Unapproved Vendor even Jo has been up for trying new things every day! He never even nibbled the broccoli before...
I still have a bag of GF III to go at least until I have to have this all figured out

 

[Lady Jane]

The difference is that pellets have most of the vitamins our birds need. I say most as a precaution because I am not 100--% sure.
The Caitec company is located in Canada. I tried calling customer service but my phone is not for out of country.

 

[Leih]

Hagen must have a small bird version , I know @Zara feeds her it to her lovebirds.

 

[Leih]

Although she's not in the US so that won't help distribution.

 

[Leih]

I often buy from My Bird Store - Discount Exotic Bird Supplies - mybirdstore.com if you've ever purchased from them. They have foods in bulk, too, so you could buy a smaller amount to try. They're in NJ.

 

[Zara]

I almost bought the smallest Harrisons pellets (I think they are called crumbles), but it is easier for me to get hold of Hagen.

I use Tropican. There´s a small and a larger size. The small is perfect for my lovebirds. About 3mm diametre. Smells like bubblegum... tastes like powder with a hint of bubblegum