Pictures Can lovebirds eat these?

[Arisa]

Can lovebirds eat cockatiel food such as this: Higgins Vita Seed Cockatiel Food at PETCO

Or they require a different type of seed mix?

 

[expressmailtome]

Cockatiel seed is fine for lovebirds. Some people disagree with using vitamin enriched seed, but in the end that is up to you.

Matt

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

Bumping up to all you lovebird owners...

 

[Cockatoo-Dust]

Yes, they can eat cockatiel seed. It's pretty much the same stuff in the lovebird seed anyway.
Although, the only thing i don't like about cockatiel seed mixes is that they sure do have a lot of sunflower seeds in them.
I give my lovie, cockatiel, and budgies this, and some pellets (even though the only bird who will eat pellets is the lovie) - encore cockatiel food - Google Search

 

[maddie]

My petstore gives a choice of parakeet/cockatiel seed mix with and without sunflower seed. I usually buy 1 pack with sunflower and 2 packs without, and then I mix them. My lovies like this mix. If I add anything else, it will be left over in the bowls. So I gave up futher experiments.

I have some Harrison pellets which, despite my best intentions for their health, they do not like either. So I put the pellets in the coffee been mill and grind them to dust and I add that as well. OK, so they won't be enjoying the pellets, but as dust coating the seeds, there's a chance that some of the good stuff may go down anyway. At least its better than just throw it out.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

I think you could provide some of that seed mix to them as part of what you offer, sure. Higgins is known to be good. I typically buy some Higgins seed mixes for mine as well.

I try to get them to eat Harrison's pellets (HA! - got some of the mash recently), but I also provide mixed seeds and other things (I try to trick them into eating some of the cooked food by mixing in corn and peas and other things they favor). I also give them birdy biscuits, and am planning on seeing if they will even eat birdy bread. I recently got:

A-HWCS4 Higgins Worldly Cuisines 4 oz Sampler - HIGGINS WORLDLY CUISINES

D-BHBS Bountiful Harvest Blend for Small Birds PER LB. - SMALL BIRD FOODS/TREATS

D-HIG70708-B Higgins Small Fruit & Veggie BULK PER LB. - SMALL BIRD FOODS/TREATS

D-HIG70709 Higgins ProTeen Egg Food Bulk By the Pound - SMALL BIRD FOODS/TREATS

A-SS36034 SunSeed Trail Mix Papaya/Nut 5 oz - SMALL BIRD FOODS/TREATS

B-GGCN Golden Gourmet Chopped Mixed Nuts 4 oz Bag - *NEW* ITEMS

B-GGSS Golden Gourmet Sesame Sticks 3 oz Bag - *NEW* ITEMS

 

[Irishj9]

my lovebirds eat everything

 

[fluffypoptarts]

my lovebirds eat everything

I ENVY YOUUUU. Twinkie thinks everything is to be tossed out or rolled all over his cage. Except corn & peas! Corn & peas are to be savored

 

[Caryatid]

I am always glad to find threads like this because I have no idea what brands are considered "good" besides Harrison's.

What ratio of seed/ pellets is even considered "ideal" for lovebirds, anyway? I give Roger fresh veggies in the evening, which he occasionally picks at (yesterday he seemed to eat a few of the sprouts!). I switch to pellets at bedtime, which he will eat with fervor after having the healthy things forced upon him. I give a mix of pellets and seeds in the mornings before work, but I know that he only picks out the seeds during the day. If I don't give him seeds in the morning, though, he puts up a very loud fuss.

 

[zvezdast]

I feed my lovie Goldenfeast Legume Blend, Harrison's Adult Lifetime, and Roudybush Daily Maintenance. I make my own chop and sweet potato/carrot mash and freeze them.

In the morning in one dish she gets just under 1/2 tsp of seeds, 1/2 tsp of pellets mix, plus pellets wrapped in paper for foraging. This is usually almost all empty by the evening.
In another dish she gets thawed chop and fresh veggies (I never had issues with veggies going bad or slimy by the end of day - maybe because they are not cooked), and a slice of apple and some other fruit on a skewer. She also has dried veggies and fruits in a foraging wheel.

In the evening I mix what's left from the two dishes, add another 1/2 tsp of seeds, and a tiny ball of sweet potato/carrot mash - which she devours! I also place another dish with just pellets.

I avoid seed mixes with sunflower seeds. Occasionally I feed some nuts. She also gets about 2 dozen millet seeds while we play tricks. I used to feed broccoli, peas, spinach, birdie bread, whole grain toast,.. but don't right now to minimize protein and hormonal behavior.

She is 10.5 months old and has 47-48 grams (Fischer's are a bit smaller than peachfaced lovebirds)

 

[pinkdagger]

Most seed mixes are essentially the same. I wouldn't have a problem feeding something like that as a small part of a lovebird's diet.

My brother used to feed my lovebirds sunflower seeds by the handful, so I avoid them like the plague now in case it rekindles that addiction. I feed about 1/4 of their dry food as a sunflower-free seed mix, and then 1/2 is Roudybush Daily Maintenance and the other 1/4 is a mix between Harrison's High Potency, TOPs, Goldenobles, and Zupreem Naturals. I'm waiting for Roudybush to produce more Rice Diet (it seems to be on a shortage with semi-local suppliers, or obscenely expensive elsewhere) before I make it 1/4 of their diet again since they like it. Their fresh food consists of dark leafy greens and homemade chop (using the vegetables, fruits, and beans the birds won't eat fresh/cooked) and topped with sprouts.

 

[maddie]

I ENVY YOUUUU. Twinkie thinks everything is to be tossed out or rolled all over his cage. Except corn & peas! Corn & peas are to be savored

Oh yes, corn and peas. And a teeny tiny bit of broccoli. But not too much! And NO other greens whatsoever can be trusted!!!

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Oh yes, corn and peas. And a teeny tiny bit of broccoli. But not too much! And NO other greens whatsoever can be trusted!!!

Yeah, what the heck is with the prejudice against green things?! LOL. Twinkie seems to detest kale, spinach, or any other leafy green. He immediately picks it up and flings it away! Like, "UGH, somehow this leafy foulness got into my bowl, sheesh. Mom is obviously not paying attention to quality control here!!"

 

[Cockatoo-Dust]

Yeah, what the heck is with the prejudice against green things?! LOL. Twinkie seems to detest kale, spinach, or any other leafy green. He immediately picks it up and flings it away! Like, "UGH, somehow this leafy foulness got into my bowl, sheesh. Mom is obviously not paying attention to quality control here!!"

Percy must be the only lovie in the world that loves leafy greens ......