Transitioning Amazon off seeds

[M&M Ninja]

I can't believe I am saying this, but I'm in the stages of adopting an Amazon. While repeatedly visiting a nearby sanctuary, a 19-yr-old BFA decided I was a pretty okay person. I've since stopped by to see her a few times, and we're getting to know each other. She's very cool. (And I don't say that lightly.)

Current tasks: I'm looking for the largest cage possible and planning out her diet transition.

She is currently on the most delightful garbage seed ever. It's full of sunflower seeds and safflower seeds. Visitors to the park feed peanuts in the shell, apple and bread. Copious amounts of each.

My plan is to transition her to Harrisons or Tops as her main pelleted food, but I think it would be really great to get her on veggies as well.

My conure switched easily to Harrisons (hates Tops), but she only picks at veggies a little bit. And only when I'm eating them in the evening. If I give her veggies in the morning, she basically ignores them until pellet time comes later.

Please share your stories and any tips you have for what worked or did not work with getting your Amazon on a healthy diet. Also, what are your preferred training treats? My current plan is to use safflower, sunflower and pistachios (but only once those are out of her regular diet).

 

[alshgs]

@Clueless

 

[Mizzely]

While I definitely don't want to discourage you from trying "better" pellets, I've had much better luck with Zupreem as a conversion tool, and then most of my birds have been willing to switch to something else afterwards.

Not an Amazon, but my Jardine's was a seed junky when he came here at age 19. Harrison's, TOPS, and Roudybush were hard NOs. The only pellet I could get him to eat at first was Zupreem Fruit Blend. After 3 years on that he would eat Harrison's for a while. He also would only eat the seeds from Nutriberries and leave the pellets behind.

Now he will occasionally eat Hagen Tropican and Harrison's, but he mostly eats Zupreem and Nutriberries (the whole thing, finally!).

You may just have to try several things and see what works

 

[MommyBird]

My Amazons will eat Zupreen Naturals and they like the shapes in Zupreem Pasta Blend- Parrot Conure (Meduim) size. They also like TOPS large. They did like Caitec but who knows when or if that will be back.
Mine like raw crunchy whole foods like sugar snap pea pods, a brussels sprout cut in half, broccoli floret with stem, celery and carrot sticks, and whole minipeppers preferrably red. For very occasional treat because of oxalates if you can get the thick red stem of a redbeet leaf they love that (I plant them in my garden so I have them).

 

[Emma&pico]

I agree with @Mizzely best is what they will eat you can afford and are available so it suits you all

I find pellets a mind field one of things that drive me insane in bird care pickles breeder said he should stay on seeds for a few months to build fat but all my others I’ve transferred straight away well after a week of settling in I’ve offered normal foods they are used to for a week with pellets in foraging toys then swapped seeds into forging toys pellets in bowls

when I am transferring from seeds to pellets they get seeds night into morning in bowl veggies in afternoon then pellets from 15:00/16:00 until just before bedtime 19:00/20:00 then seeds back in bowl so they can fill up for bed and have some left for morning the whole time seeds are available in foraging toys when I know they can use them too so they have options to eat pellets or seeds the whole time

I would also suggest having two types of pellets they will eat as if out of stock you can get stuck with just one if that’s all they will eat

 

[M&M Ninja]

While I definitely don't want to discourage you from trying "better" pellets, I've had much better luck with Zupreem as a conversion tool, and then most of my birds have been willing to switch to something else afterwards.

Not an Amazon, but my Jardine's was a seed junky when he came here at age 19. Harrison's, TOPS, and Roudybush were hard NOs. The only pellet I could get him to eat at first was Zupreem Fruit Blend. After 3 years on that he would eat Harrison's for a while. He also would only eat the seeds from Nutriberries and leave the pellets behind.

Now he will occasionally eat Hagen Tropican and Harrison's, but he mostly eats Zupreem and Nutriberries (the whole thing, finally!).

You may just have to try several things and see what works

I've heard others say the same, and I am totally open to using Zupreem as a stepping stone to a better overall diet. I'm playing the long game!

My long-term goal is no added sugar for the birds. Natural sugar in the form of a fruit snack is great, but I want to reduce their taste/preference for everything being super sweet. [I guess both of these statements stem from how the humans/dog in my house have switched to eating.]

 

[M&M Ninja]

My Amazons will eat Zupreen Naturals and they like the shapes in Zupreem Pasta Blend- Parrot Conure (Meduim) size. They also like TOPS large. They did like Caitec but who knows when or if that will be back.
Mine like raw crunchy whole foods like sugar snap pea pods, a brussels sprout cut in half, broccoli floret with stem, celery and carrot sticks, and whole minipeppers preferrably red. For very occasional treat because of oxalates if you can get the thick red stem of a redbeet leaf they love that (I plant them in my garden so I have them).

Thanks for the data! I have a Tops large sample that I'll be able to try right off with her.

I like the raw crunchy whole foods advice as well. That's so easy to do. I've tried a few different chop approaches, but I don't eat a wide variety of veggies, myself, and it has been discouraging to buy a ton of bird veggies and waste them. My conure likes whole sugar snap peas and baby carrots, so it has been nice to have little waste with those.

 

[M&M Ninja]

I agree with @Mizzely best is what they will eat you can afford and are available so it suits you all

I find pellets a mind field one of things that drive me insane in bird care pickles breeder said he should stay on seeds for a few months to build fat but all my others I’ve transferred straight away well after a week of settling in I’ve offered normal foods they are used to for a week with pellets in foraging toys then swapped seeds into forging toys pellets in bowls

when I am transferring from seeds to pellets they get seeds night into morning in bowl veggies in afternoon then pellets from 15:00/16:00 until just before bedtime 19:00/20:00 then seeds back in bowl so they can fill up for bed and have some left for morning the whole time seeds are available in foraging toys when I know they can use them too so they have options to eat pellets or seeds the whole time

I would also suggest having two types of pellets they will eat as if out of stock you can get stuck with just one if that’s all they will eat

I want to switch right away. I don't know if it's a good idea, but my plan is to immediately drop to 50/50 old food/new food. Give her a few days and then 25/75. I like your idea of letting them have seed in foraging toys. That feels like a nice way to say, "I'm not trying to deprive you, but I want better for you. And if you'll work for it, you can have it."

 

[Emma&pico]

I want to switch right away. I don't know if it's a good idea, but my plan is to immediately drop to 50/50 old food/new food. Give her a few days and then 25/75. I like your idea of letting them have seed in foraging toys. That feels like a nice way to say, "I'm not trying to deprive you, but I want better for you. And if you'll work for it, you can have it."

That’s my way of thinking about it

 

[Mizzely]

I've heard others say the same, and I am totally open to using Zupreem as a stepping stone to a better overall diet. I'm playing the long game!

My long-term goal is no added sugar for the birds. Natural sugar in the form of a fruit snack is great, but I want to reduce their taste/preference for everything being super sweet. [I guess both of these statements stem from how the humans/dog in my house have switched to eating.]

I also prefer no sugar, but that's not my reality with Ripley. Trying to force the issue was making him lose weight and his feather quality deteriorated so Zupreem is it My ideals were not compatible with his health unfortunately!

 

[M&M Ninja]

I also prefer no sugar, but that's not my reality with Ripley. Trying to force the issue was making him lose weight and his feather quality deteriorated so Zupreem is it My ideals were not compatible with his health unfortunately!

You do what you gotta do! Zupreem isn't the "purest", but it's far from the worst. And if your bird eats it, you get to go about your day knowing your parrot is fed and healthy. There are other arenas where sugar can be cut/reduced.

My TAG ate Zupreem (nut and fruit) his whole life, and my conure was on the fruit blend until I finally read the label (a few months ago). I wish she liked Tops, because I'm not a fan of all the added vitamins, but I'll settle for her eating the Harrison's reliably.

 

[Clueless]

Mine were on a worse diet. Sunflower seeds, peanuts, junk seed mix (AND I know that Secret had shared orange marmalade on toast with previous owner).

Ever hear of monkey biscuits? I was told to soften them with warm water (or was it juice?) and I did that for a while. I started keeping 2 types of pellets in each of their cages. Roudybush and zupreem BOTH in a separate bowl in the cage so they had an option. The amazons would switch off and on with each bowl until they finally landed on roudybush maintenance (other bowl was left alone so I quit using).

Roudybush pellets can be softened I think.

I buy organic veggies but usually like carrots, mini organic peppers, broccolli, etc. But what YOU like and give them pieces cut in different ways. Secret actually likes her peppers when we are eating dinner.