Converting from seeds to pellets

[Em.gnzz]

Hello! I have 6 little budgies who I love very much, last week I went to the vet and they recommended switching them to pellets. However I have tried several times.
I've tried:
- The slowly adding more into the bowl method and it didn't work.
- I've tried grinding it into smaller pieces and it also did not work.
- I've tried switching it at night so they can forge on it and it doesn't work.
Everyone around me keeps telling me to just give it to them and they'll eat it eventually. But I know starving them is not the solution, and solutions or recommendations please ?

 

[ParrotNuts]

@Monica's Converting Parrots to a Healthier Diet - Tips is a good read

 

[Lori D Pert]

Pellets are not a natural food for budgies so eating them takes some coaxing. It may take many different brands before you find one that your birds may try. Grinding them may work if you sprinkle them in with seed or chop. Persistance is the key but also birds need seeds. Pellets alone are not enough. Budgies need about 25 - 30% of their diet from seeds.

 

[Guava123]

Hello! I have 6 little budgies who I love very much, last week I went to the vet and they recommended switching them to pellets. However I have tried several times.
I've tried:
- The slowly adding more into the bowl method and it didn't work.
- I've tried grinding it into smaller pieces and it also did not work.
- I've tried switching it at night so they can forge on it and it doesn't work.
Everyone around me keeps telling me to just give it to them and they'll eat it eventually. But I know starving them is not the solution, and solutions or recommendations please ?

You can mash up steamed sweet potato or hard boiled eggs and mix in with pellets, you could cook an egg and add pellet powder on top, you could bake birdie bread.
Out of curiosity-what brand of pellets are you feeding them and what type of pots and pans do you own?
Tops and Harrisons are recommended, but Harrisons I've heard is more expensive. Tops doesn't have D3, which means you want to take your birds into sunlight via harness training, in a carrier, or harness training. Harrisons has corn. Some people recommend trying out a fruit pellet first, because it has sugar which the birds will like, but I'd avoid it until later. Some also recommend just trying any pellet that they will eat at first.
Tops' recipe for birdie bread is a cup of the crushed pellets, a tsp of baking powder and baking soda, a beaten egg, a cup of applesauce (you can substitute with fresh chop.)
As for diet, everyone recommends also giving them a diet of fresh vegetables (the ones that are safe)
BirdTricks and ElleAndTheBirds have recipes for chop.
Good luck!

 

[BirdWorld]

take your birds into sunlight via harness training, in a carrier, or harness training.

Budgies cannot be harness trained. They are so tiny that wearing a heavy harness can be dangerous for them.

 

[Guava123]

What about the aviator?

 

[The_Mayor]

Another thing that I haven't seen suggested yet. If you have several feeding containers, move the one containing the seeds to a location they can reach but don't like as much and leave the one with the pellets in the spot that's the equivalent of on the couch in front of the TV.

I happened on this - to get them to move around more, I'm slowly moving my Bourke's food towards their cage floor. But, I didn't want them to go hungry if they didn't feel safe eating at a relatively lower height or that bowl was awkward for them to get to for reasons I might not recognize. So, I'm moving their seed tray progressively lower, while the feeder with the pellets stays at the high location where they like to hang out and watch me work. That means, at least for my two, that they default to going to the pellets and then navigate down to the seeds when they really want seeds.

 

[The_Mayor]

Replying to myself because that's how I roll.

Of course, the biggest challenge is finding a pellet that your birds actually like.

It just occurred to me to wonder whether any of the vendors here would consider putting together pellet sample packs, so you could try them out for a week or two and see what your birds will actually eat.

I say that as a person who bought a two pack of Zupreem fruit pellets only to discover that my guys really just don't like fruit - or at least none of the fruit I've offered them. The pellets, not surprisingly, were not a hit, although they did give me some much needed cardio when one of my birds got some of the red pellet stuck to her face and a little on her feathers.

 

[BirdWorld]

What about the aviator?

Nope. Harnesses are just so heavy that it puts a lot of strain on a tiny budgie. I think lovebirds are the smallest birds that can safely wear one

 

[Guava123]

Oh, good. I know a lovebird.

 

[Aves]

@Mizzely has a good method of offering pellets all day and the seeds at certain timeframes and then slowly decreasing the time.

 

[Mizzely]

Replying to myself because that's how I roll.

Of course, the biggest challenge is finding a pellet that your birds actually like.

It just occurred to me to wonder whether any of the vendors here would consider putting together pellet sample packs, so you could try them out for a week or two and see what your birds will actually eat.

I say that as a person who bought a two pack of Zupreem fruit pellets only to discover that my guys really just don't like fruit - or at least none of the fruit I've offered them. The pellets, not surprisingly, were not a hit, although they did give me some much needed cardio when one of my birds got some of the red pellet stuck to her face and a little on her feathers.

Most of the pellet manufacturers will send samples. Zupreem has a money back guarantee if your bird doesn't like it

 

[mak]

Just a suggestion (don't know if it will work), if you train your budgies and give treats (especially if you clicker train) you can offer a pellet in place of a treat. Your budgie might try it because he thinks it's a treat.

 

[Monica]

The diet should be about 50/50 seeds to pellets as they *DO NOT* do well on a pellet based diet.

Fresh foods are also important, primarily vegetables. Fruits not so much... but you can feed sprouted seeds, some chopped nuts and a variety of leafy greens! And other healthy vegetables!