Thinking about switching pellet brands - thoughts?

[Nissili]

My birds (currently 2 budgies and a finch) are all on roudybush right now, though I recently introduced mixing in a little zupreem so they would be familiar with it in the event roudybush ever had a recall or, heaven forbid, be discontinued.

...And as fate would have it, my store is discontinuing roudybush. :/ I can order it online, of course, but if I have to order online, I might as well consider all my options again - as I'm debating Harrisons. The biggest thing that kept me from getting that to begin with was that roudybush was something I could pick up in store (and I am under the impression they're very similar in quality, because I'd rather my bird's food be less convenient but healthier, unless the difference is very minute) but I'm starting to wonder.. It's been a little while since I've looked into pellet types, any thoughts on what the "best" would be nowadays? I hear zupreem isn't too bad, though my store doesn't carry the non-colored version for anything smaller than a cockatiel.

So, should I start the move to Harrisons? Or is there a better food that's been under my radar as of late?

 

[Mizzely]

"Best" is what ever your bird eats! Currently my favorites are Harrison's, Hagen Tropican, and Caitec Ovenfresh Bites. My birds won't eat Harrison's though!

Downside with Zupreem is sugar and dye

Here's a list of pellets in the US: https://www.lilmonstersbirdtoys.com/pellets-for-parrots

I won't feed Kaytee because of personal issues with the company, and TOPS and Goldenfeast are only complete if your birds get unfiltered sunlight year round as they contain no Vitamin D3 and it can't be supplemented with food.

 

[camelotshadow]

I'd say you are lucky your budgies eat pellets but some seed is not bad for them too.

Its good to be able to pick up a pellet. Harrisons. higgins. goldenfeast, tops all hard to find in reg bird stores.

My better local bird store Perfect bird has alot including harrisons & tops 4 lbs!)

I order from Dr foster smith. Free shipping for $19

They have all the above except goldenfeast & tops

 

[Nissili]

"Best" is what ever your bird eats! Currently my favorites are Harrison's, Hagen Tropican, and Caitec Ovenfresh Bites. My birds won't eat Harrison's though!

Downside with Zupreem is sugar and dye

Here's a list of pellets in the US: https://www.lilmonstersbirdtoys.com/pellets-for-parrots

I won't feed Kaytee because of personal issues with the company, and TOPS and Goldenfeast are only complete if your birds get unfiltered sunlight year round as they contain no Vitamin D3 and it can't be supplemented with food.

I won't do kaytee either - I'm super bummed my store will only really have zupreem as a pellet option now that they're getting rid of roudybush. Here's hoping they replace it with something good, though, as I've yet to encounter someone willing to order their bird's food online when they walk in to get the entire setup in one day, so the bird is always started on something the store carries.

Also, thank you for that helpful link! I'll have to give it a proper full read after work today, and I'll be sure to send it to my work group chat so we all have a better reference for bird food options c:

I'd say you are lucky your budgies eat pellets but some seed is not bad for them too.

Its good to be able to pick up a pellet. Harrisons. higgins. goldenfeast, tops all hard to find in reg bird stores.

My better local bird store Perfect bird has alot including harrisons & tops 4 lbs!)

I order from Dr foster smith. Free shipping for $19

They have all the above except goldenfeast & tops

Not to worry, they get seeds as well, but in a much smaller portion. After my late budgie Alder suffered from serious vitamin deficiency, which we're 99% sure caused seizures, we made a very determined switch in diet. Thankfully, she helped encourage hazel to try pellets, and after she passed, and more recently, lemon was introduced, hazel taught lemon pellets are food too.. quite a relief, since they're both pet store budgies who spent far too long on a kaytee seed diet (since they just pick around the pellets). I know harrisons is available in a store up in portland, but as I lack a car (or a license) I can't be making that trip often, so ordering online works better for me at this point.

It's looking like I'll probably do Harrisons - here's hoping the beans accept them, they can be a little picky sometimes - so much so, they weren't actually very keen on trying a seed mix when I re-introduced it into their diet, lol.

 

[faislaq]

Currently my favorites are Harrison's, Hagen Tropican, and Caitec Ovenfresh Bites. My birds won't eat Harrison's though!

Downside with Zupreem is sugar and dye

Here's a list of pellets in the US: https://www.lilmonstersbirdtoys.com/pellets-for-parrots

I won't feed Kaytee because of personal issues with the company, and TOPS and Goldenfeast are only complete if your birds get unfiltered sunlight year round as they contain no Vitamin D3 and it can't be supplemented with food.

Ah, thank you. lol I've seen you say "except Kaytee" on other threads but I wasn't sure why from reading your comparison. Some things you can't learn from a label. Oh, and I appreciate you listing your favorites.

I'm glad you specified unfiltered sunlight. A lot of people don't know that windows filter light so even if a bird has plenty of sunny windows they would still need to get Vitamin D3 somehow.

 

[Mizzely]

Ah, thank you. lol I've seen you say "except Kaytee" on other threads but I wasn't sure why after reading your comparison. Oh, and I appreciate you listing your favorites.

I'm glad you specified unfiltered sunlight. A lot of people don't know that windows filter light so even if a bird has plenty of sunny windows they would still need to get Vitamin D3 somehow.

They handled a recall that killed lots of baby birds very poorly, and they have or used to have a few baby bird farms in the US.

 

[faislaq]

They handled a recall that killed lots of baby birds very poorly, and they have or used to have a few baby bird farms in the US.

Wow, I would have steered clear of them anyway knowing that our resident pellet lady wasn't comfortable with 'em, but that's worse than I thought.

 

[Matto]

Roudybush is a very good pellet. I've heard good things about zupreem naturals and harrison's too. But Harrison's is just so expensive.

Honestly, as long as your birds like Roudybush I would stick with that.

 

[aooratrix]

My birds get Caitec Ovenfresh Bites, Harrison's pepper, and Higgins InTune.

 

[Lady Jane]

I believe this brand of pellets have the best ingredients of all on the market for little birds. Read them for yourself and decide. They have no fillers such as corn.

Small Beak – Goldn’obles III | Goldenfeast Direct

 

[Nissili]

So many options.. On one hand, I'm really glad to see different bird food options out there to pick from (and have other things to try in the event my kiddos don't like what I first offer) but on the other hand, it can be so hard to decide where to start!

I'm trying to find goldenfeast's small bird in stock somewhere without roughly 20$ shipping.. Though, if I must, I must, it does have a pretty impressive ingredient list, but I'll still be reading over my other options, so I can make myself a top 5 favorites or so in the event I have to try different things. I've been trying to expand the beans' diet in general, but budgies can be so picky sometimes. At least with Alder, I could sneak things into her diet once in a while in the mashed potato trojan horse, lol. Here's hoping later down the line, Hazel and Lemon trust me a little more and I can offer them things without being given a serious look of suspicion.

..Is there such a thing as going overboard on a bird's diet? Like, too much variety? I feel like there wouldn't be, but it's worth asking, haha.

 

[Mizzely]

Just remember that if you do Goldenfeast they need unfiltered sunlight regularly, a separate Vitamin D3 Supplement, or feed it alongside another pellet with D3. Sunlight through a window blocks UVB, sunlight bulbs aren't effective enough, and there is no readily available vegetarian food source that contains D3.

I currently have a mix of about 6 pellets for my birds because they change their minds so often on what they like.

 

[faislaq]

So many options.. On one hand, I'm really glad to see different bird food options out there to pick from (and have other things to try in the event my kiddos don't like what I first offer) but on the other hand, it can be so hard to decide where to start!

Right?? I love the ingredients on the TOPs and the Goldenfeast but the lack of D3 worries me be cause the only light our birds get are artificial or sunlight through the window, so I know that ain't cutting it, but I think I would like to try mixing one of those with one of the "complete" pellets.

Since we've started soaking the pellets even the littles have started eating some. Not much, but it's progress.

 

[Nissili]

Just remember that if you do Goldenfeast they need unfiltered sunlight regularly, a separate Vitamin D3 Supplement, or feed it alongside another pellet with D3. Sunlight through a window blocks UVB, sunlight bulbs aren't effective enough, and there is no readily available vegetarian food source that contains D3.

I currently have a mix of about 6 pellets for my birds because they change their minds so often on what they like.

Even though I'm already mixing 2 pellets... it already slipped my mind that I could mix my options together! : O Genius, I say.

I imagine opening the window would help remove the filter, but then my concern is temperature, because it's rare to find a day with a good temperature to open up the windows when it's sunny at my residence. Would you say a sunlight bulb would be worth trying as an addition to mixing their food with something that has the D3 supplement, as it would be mixed with something that lacks it, lowering the average amount they'd get?

I worry so often that my kids aren't getting all the nutrition they need, or that there's some big puzzle piece I'm missing in their care, haha - all the feedback is immensely appreciated.

 

[Mizzely]

Sunlight bulbs are garbage. They don't emit UVB past 6 to 12 inches, and at that range you risk cornea damage. If the window has a screen, it also filters UVB.

So if sunlight isn't an option, feeding ANY other pellet except TOPS alongside the goldenfeast will supply some D3. Or you'll have to manually supplement D3, preferably under the direction of a vet.

You can't over supplement sunlight as the body simply stops converting UVB to D3 and the odds of overdosing D3 when feeding even a 100% pellet diet is very low.

 

[Nissili]

Sunlight bulbs are garbage. They don't emit UVB past 6 to 12 inches, and at that range you risk cornea damage. If the window has a screen, it also filters UVB.

So if sunlight isn't an option, feeding ANY other pellet except TOPS alongside the goldenfeast will supply some D3. Or you'll have to manually supplement D3, preferably under the direction of a vet.

You can't over supplement sunlight as the body simply stops converting UVB to D3 and the odds of overdosing D3 when feeding even a 100% pellet diet is very low.

Excellent to know, thank you. That reminds me my kiddos should get a regular checkup soon - so thank you for that reminder as well! I didn't think the screen would filter UVB too, also excellent to note!

 

[Mizzely]

Happy to help!

 

[iamwhoiam]

I use Caitec Oven Fresh Bites. Switched from Zupreem to Roudybush a few years ago and that was a failure. No one liked the Roudybush. 80% of my birds like the OFB and I keep trying with the other 20%.

 

[Denice]

I use Tops Pellets, I know they are expensive but I love the ingredients, all natural and balanced. My ringnecks eat those, my little parrotlet won't eat them "yet" she came on Roudybush nibbles and I still have her on that, but I always put a few of the Tops in her dish hoping she will learn to like them.

 

[Lady Jane]

Once per week I add Cal-D-Solve to the chop or seed blend. Why? Because it has D3 in addition to other minerals. Unless our birds are in an outdoor aviary they probably are not getting enough natural D3 from the sunshine. I do take them out for a spell in a small cage and sit with them for about 15 minutes in the sunshine, but as you say the weather cant be too hot or too cold. Its in the 90's tomorrow. If you are a prime Amazon member some of the goldenfeast blends can be shipped to you much less than $20. The Australian blend is one of them and it is packed with nutrients and small enough for little birds.

Here is another blend I buy Amazon.com : Goldenfeast Petite Hookbill Legume Blend 64 Ounces : Pet Food : Pet Supplies

https://www.amazon.com/Goldenfeast-...ldenfeast+bird+food&psc=1&smid=A3DEL5V7AKSZGT

This one is Free shipping and is a pellet for small birds. https://www.amazon.com/GOLDNOBLES-B...334625&sr=8-36&keywords=goldenfeast+bird+food