Just not working with the switch to Harrisons

[Bokkapooh]

It would be great to feed all fresh diet, I would stress out worrying about them not eating the right stuff.

I am all for the FRESH diet(my birds get 50% of their daily diet as fresh and cooked and mash). However, even with my veggie loving birds, they do get picky time-to-time and will totally ignore a certain food they have eaten and love in the past.

Thats a bird for ya, they pick and choose what they like. So I do feed pellets(20% of their diet), in small amounts, and the seed/nuts they get also in small amounts that matches the pellet intake, both at 20%. I want to make sure that if they do decide (which they do at times) they dont like something "out of no where", that their diet is still very complete so I add pellets.

I personally think even a bird on an all fresh diet, can get sick and become vitamin deficient and other health problems. Buying an all organic and raising your own organic food is not only expensive but time consuming too! Not many people can feed an all organic fresh veggie/sprout/fruit diet (with organic nuts and seed). And non-organic produce can be very low in nutrition because of how its raised and grown.

My birds get mainly organic, but I'll be honest, a lot of stuff isnt organic. And because non organic foods arent high quality and can have so much nutrients taken out of them, I feel its best for my birds (who can also one day decide they dont like a certain produce I offer) to feed atleast some pellets, so I feel they are getting some of the nutrients they may have missing out of their diet.

 

[Bokkapooh]

And as for switching to harrison? Have you tried keeping the harrisons in the cage all day long and then just for 1 hour feed them their other pellets they like?

I find its easy to switch to harrisons with this method, like it is to switch a seed eater off of the seed and onto a better diet.

Also you can do it cold turkey too IF they are already eating fresh foods (veggies, fruits, sprouted seeds and beans), and other healthier (non seed or nut) foods. I use this method of "cold turkey" with many of my seed eating birds that come in. If they are willingly eating other healthy foods as well as their seed diet, I take out the seed, replace it with pellets, and keep offering the fresh diet they are eating, and they will very shortly, eat the pellets I offer (within 1-3days) and they wont starve because they are already eating other healthy foods. I use this method for switching seed eaters and certain pellet eaters, to the diet I want them to be on.

 

[birdlvr466]

Chris I wouldnt get hung up on this. There are other good pellets out there and personally pellets are only a small portion of my birds diet. My guys like Roudybush Calfornia blend and also the Roudybush soak and feed has been a HUGE hit with all three. Dont stress over it. You feed your birds a good diet. If I were a bird I wouldnt want to eat pellets either.

 

[idrial]

I think it is a little harsh to jump to the conclusion that if you aren't eating enough veggies yourself to provide variety to your birds, then work on your diet too. One thing that both people and birds share is that there is no consensus on the "perfect" diet. For example, birds do not gain much benefit from foods with vitamin C, while humans do. I don't know about everybody else, but I am constantly refining my diet to deal with my own set of personal issues.

Even still, what you are eating might not be in the correct proportions for a bird to stay healthy anyway. I for the most part feed very similar foods to my birds that I myself eat, but my diet is very odd for a human (especially an american). I would be worried that my high vitamin B/magnesium/calcium diet might mess them up. I think *variety* is key. Pellets are just one component of a good diet... and it pays to be picky about which pellet you are willing to provide. I refuse to give them a wheat/soy based pellet.

My overall approach to their diet is a mixture of:

Roudybush rice diet pellets
Goldenfeast
Herb Salad (new addition)
Fresh fruits/veggies
Mash (wheat/gluten/soy free)
Avian Organic snacks (new addition)
Honey pollen

 

[itzmered]

Yes I have tried only offering that and they wait until their other food is put in there to eat Not worth the hassle any more. There are other good pellets out there

 

[Bokkapooh]

Yes I have tried only offering that and they wait until their other food is put in there to eat Not worth the hassle any more. There are other good pellets out there

I agree, and as long as they are eating a variety of everything else, they are fine

 

[harrisons]

In regard to the original question - any bird can be easily switched to Harrison's with proper diligence. The habit of "giving in" is basically what keeps these birds from switching. Birds will hold out to get what what they want - which is a cycle that needs to be broken.
Birds aren't too different from children. Why would a child eat health food when they have candy bars available to fill up on if they hold out?
Patience is key.

In regard to other "organic" diets that keep popping up. I challenge folks to question whether these foods are even organic at all. They do not display legally-required certification proof on their packaging. There is no USDA seal. Plus none of them are balanced.

 

[itzmered]

I did use proper diligence. I worked with them for several months on a daily basis trying to get them to eat it. Not working and there are other good products on the market that I know they will eat. I am satisfied that I tried every thing I could and will move on to something else