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Still confused about food

Kestrel

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Hi everyone,

I'll try to keep this quick but I have a few questions. I'm gearing up to bring my baby cockatiel home. (Will be 8 to 10 weeks old when I bring him home dependent on how the weaning process goes) The breeder is weaning him onto seeds (despite that she told me she would wean onto pellets-I know, annoying but it is what it is...) so I want to get him onto a seed, pellet mix right away when he comes home.

I'm leaning toward the Harrisons brand, the high potency one that is recommend for young weaning birds. But my understanding is that cockatiels still need seed because they are grainavors. So I also found a seed mix by volcom that has no sunflower seed in it. (Going to use sunflower seed as daily treats).

Is anyone familiar with those brands and if so did you have good luck with them? If not is there a brand you'd recommend more?

Also, in the reviews for Harrisons some people reported having trouble getting their birds to eat Harrisons (but maybe their birds were much older and set in their ways, they didn't say). Since my bird is so young do I need to worry too much that he wont eat it, or should I reasonably expect that he will be fine on it? How will I tell if my bird is actyally eating it (maybe stupid question)? Or should I just try a different brand at first?

My goal is to for him is to be on 50% pellets, 30% seed and 20% fresh veggies/fruits. Is there anything I'm missing from my diet plan?

Lastly, if I have a mineral block in the cage do I still need a cuddle bone as well?

Thank you in advance!
 

Zara

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BeanieofJustice

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I don’t have cockatiels so I’m not sure about the seed mix but, I started my adult macaw on Harrison’s and it’s now the only pellet that he likes. You’ll be able to tell if they’re eating by checking in the food bowl, if you know what you’re putting in there you can keep track if anything disappears.

I have a young Conure I plan to start on Harrison’s (figure it’s what my vet will recommend anyway) and I started with HP mixed in with the pellet the store was feeding him. My macaw is on Harrison’s HP permanently. He took to it (after being fed mostly seeds) very quickly, though I have heard about other people’s birds not eating them.

You can contact the companies to give you samples so you can see what your cockatiel will eat without having to spend money on a bag that you can’t use. I emailed them when I got Sam Axe and almost all of the companies sent a great mix of their feeds so I could try them with him.

Congrats on getting your cockatiel soon!! That’s exciting!
 

Ripshod

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Forget about the mineral block, with a good diet tiels don't need it. Keep the cuttlefish bone, he can use that to polish his beak.
Why not go for a 'complete' food. I use a seed mix from Hagen that has all the seeds, pellets, veges, dried fruits, vitamins and minerals, plus a probiotic. Build from there, a chop based on quinoa, brown rice and egg has loads of good stuff, including the protein and calcium he'll need to build up his bones and muscles. You can even clean the eggshell of dirt and membrane, grind it down to a powder and add it back into the chop.
Once he's eating the basic chop start building one ingredient a week. Beans are always loved, pinto and red kidney especially. I also think spinach or kale are essential in the diet.
Take it slowly, don't be too keen to throw new foods at him.
They are not keen on fruit so don't even bother. Tie some fresh parsley inside the cage where he can reach it easily. Swap for alfalfa occasionally, and a chilli near the seed bowl is always welcomed.
Rather than a 'what should I feed my bird' we should have a 'what not to feed my bird' sticky.
 
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Farlie

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QUOTE: "Why not go for a 'complete' food. I use a seed mix from Hagen that has all the seeds, pellets, veges, dried fruits, vitamins and minerals, plus a probiotic."
Now, that's the way to go! :)
 

Kestrel

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Hey sincere thank you to everyone for the help! To be honest, I'm still confused though, LOL. It seems the more I learn the more questions I have and I still find myself undecided. I know it's probably just me being overly paranoid I will mess up, I tend to overthink stuff. But hey, admitting it is the first step right? :roflmao:

So I called my avian veterinarian today and made an appointment for a about a month and a half from now. They said they would come up with a diet plan to meet my birds personal needs but for the first month I have him/her they want me to just stick with what the breeder is feeding so as not to stress the baby out. I think this will be the best thing. Apparently they can tell if the baby is deficient in something largely by looking at and examining him? And thus will come up with a diet plan to move forward with. Also they have a loyalty program where if I bring him in for a yearly exam they will give me $20 off my next office visit. So since that is my plan anyway, it's probably the best way to go.

Anyway I just wanted to say thanks again though. This community is awesome and has been really helpful. I really appreciate all of your time! :heart:
 
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