New Bird, New Species - need some advice please!

[Barnaby Rose]

Hey guys... Ok, so I am about ready to bring Oliver home (a brand new baby Timneh African Grey), and although they may seem stupid, I have some quick general questions.
So right now we only have one parrot, Emma, and she is an Eclectus, so her diet is very specific. No seeds, no nuts, no millet or grain or etc - she has a strict daily diet of fresh vegetables of all kinds, occasionally fresh fruit and cooked foods, and a pellet mix of ONLY the 'TOPS Outstanding pellets', which were reccomended to me not only by my vet, but by the lady who sold her to me as well, as they are supposed to be 100% organic and natural and no fillers or seeds/nuts or etc.
Anyway here's my question. Oliver my Timneh obviously doesn't have to have as 'strict' a diet as Emma does, but I do want to make it the best I can possibly make it but I have one slight issue - I am DEATHLY allergic to nuts. All nuts. As far as I know I do actually have to Injest it, but it may even be as severe as airborne or just touching or etc, I have never taken the chance. Now, I know that TOPS are supposed to be an excellent pelleted food.. So can I keep it real simple, and put Oliver on the tops as well (obviously with fresh veggies every day and fruits and cooked food and etc), but keep him off of the seeds and nuts and everything as well? Is this a 'complete balanced diet'? Could it be any better in ANY way, or for that matter is 'TOPS' really the best I can be using not only for him but for Emma as well? If it helps, I can't use Harrisons, or anything else that may or may not use nuts so keep that in mind.
Thank you guys so much in advance, you have no idea honestly how helpful this forum and everybody on it have been during all of this!
B

 

[JosienBB]

In my opinion, TOPs is not a balanced diet and should not be fed exclusively (as a pellet) to any bird other than an eclectus. It lacks the fortification in other pellets, and most importantly does not contain Vitamin D, which you cannot get from eating vegetables. I'm not sure what to suggest instead due to your nut allergy, but I don't think Roudybush uses nuts. Best to check though first. Too bad Roudybush Rice Diet was discontinued.

 

[karen256]

Some pellets (like Harrison's) have peanuts in the ingredients so you do want to check and be sure any pellets you use don't have nuts in them.

I've never heard that Eclectus can't have seeds/nuts and I believe a lot of owners do feed them unfortified seeds, just not as a large part of the diet. They do need more veggies and don't do well with processed/fortified pellets and seed mixes.

Anyway, Greys do need a little more fat in their diet and some nuts are good for this, but there are other options. Wild Greys eat a lot of palm fruit/palm nuts and some high quality, cold pressed red palm oil is a great addition to their diets. I don't think it would trigger a nut allergy (after all, palms are not related to nut trees). Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, oat groats, ect. also make nice non-nut treats.

 

[Barnaby Rose]

In my opinion, TOPs is not a balanced diet and should not be fed exclusively (as a pellet) to any bird other than an eclectus. It lacks the fortification in other pellets, and most importantly does not contain Vitamin D, which you cannot get from eating vegetables. I'm not sure what to suggest instead due to your nut allergy, but I don't think Roudybush uses nuts. Best to check though first. Too bad Roudybush Rice Diet was discontinued.

Thanks for replying.. Yeah I totally agree I don't think TOPS is a 'complete' diet either, but under recommendation from my vet what I have been doing is giving her the TOPS, fresh veggies every day, fresh fruit like once every couple days, quinoa and sweet potato and stuff every couple days, and I have been mixing in this Avian vitamin/mineral supplement thing with her wet foods or even her water some times once a day, which I am hoping provides adequate vitamin A and D, and also the added calcium (it says it does anyway). What do you think? If different, what do you think about the exact same thing for Oliver..?
Thanks again!

 

[Mizzely]

Well if you are adding generic vitamins to her diet, I believe that sort of defeats the purpose of feeding a non traditional pellet. My understanding is that it's the manufactured vitamins in pellets and fortified seeds that pose a threat to eclectus.

Most of those generic vitamins degrade quickly in a liquid suspension, and because the delivery method, it's hard to know if they are getting enough or too little.

Unfiltered sunlight for at least 30 minutes a day 5 times a week would be the best way to naturally supplement vitamin D.

 

[Shyra]

My timneh won't touch nuts. The only seeds she will eat are safflower seeds. She also eats very few pellets. I add a lot of freeze dried and dried fruits and vegetables into her dry dish with a couple of types of pellets and some safflower seeds. (My birds get two cooked meals a day as well.) I have to agree with others about the importance of making sure your birds get enough vitamin D3. If you can't supply it through pellets make sure they are able to get plenty of unfiltered sunlight as Shawna said. I've had health problems in the past with my macaw when he wasn't getting enough D3, K, etc. I also agree that putting vitamins in water isn't the best way to go. A lot of birds won't drink if something is in their water.

You're going to love having a Timneh. They are such fun birds.