Food question for bird owners

[AngelZoo]

What pelleted food brand do you prefer to feed?

I'm looking for something new for Corbi, my keet. He's on Browns Zoo Vital right now, and he's just not doing as well as he used to on it when he was younger.

Any suggestions are welcome! :) I really can't decide what to buy next?
What should the first ingredients in a pellet diet be? What should the protien/fat/fiber percentages be? Thanks!

[Jessica12345]

zupreem. :) she really seems to like it!:D

congrats on the new birdie!:D

[AngelZoo]

hee hee, Corbi's not new, I've had him for 2 years.
I'm just looking for a new FOOD for him. ;)

[CathyBogart]

There's no "other".

I don't have birds, but we feed Volkman at work.

[popcornbird]

I started feeding my birds pellets about 5 months ago. I used to feed them seeds along with veggies, bread, rice, etc. but I felt I should start with pellets too. I got Zupreem but they didn't touch it. After much efforts, I went and got Kaytee. They LOVE it. My birds are very open to trying new foods, however, with seeds and pellets, it HAS to be Kaytee and nothing else. They protest if it isn't Kaytee! :eek: They love Kaytee pellets. Now that they are doing good on pellets, I think I might try Zupreem. The Zupreem pellets they sell at Petco looks similar to Kaytee Exact Rainbow pellets. They like Kaytee Exact (the plain one) better than the fruity one, but Petco was out of that last time so I ended up bringing the fruity one, and they were fine with it. They didn't like the Zupreem fruity one though. I asked this question on the Tiel Talk board I occasionally visit, and they said they believe the best are Harrisons and Zupreem, but added that Kaytee is good too. They don't sell Harrisons around here and there's only one type of Zupreem at Petco, but there is so much Kaytee variety everywhere here.

[tikeyas_mom]

none of the above. I feed mine a bunch of different mixes.

[Mich]

I have Bourke's Parrots.......they are of the Neophemas variety. A grass parrot. I know none of the seeds mentioned. My birds breed freely, and I have always found good homes for them. I have trouble in preventing them from breeding. I don't like to feel the female will get worn out, as it is not in the laying of the eggs, but the raising of the young that is the hard work. They don't breed in Winter. But will do so from October to April ( here in the warmer months)
Feeding them is the same as tiels...in Winter you must change their diet to a more oily seed, like adding linseed and black sunflower seed to enable them to put on fat to keep warm. In Summer you cut those two out, but feed a little of the light coloured sunflower seed in their mix. Summer I give a little greens, but grow my own wild grass seed and give it to them fresh.
You own a bird, love it, and take the time to do a little research on what they would live on in the wild.............believe me, it will make the world of difference to you feathered friend.

[cmounsey]

I feed a pellet called Mazuri pellet. I also feed veggies, fruit, beans, corn, rice and pasta mix and seeds and nuts. I think variety in a birds diet is good.

[Mich]

Wow! you really give your birds a diverse type of diet. I would love to know what type of birds you have. The food makes them sound very interesting.

[popcornbird]

Mich, just wondering if you can tell us a little more about your birds? ;)

I have two sweetie pie cockatiels, and I feed them pellets, seeds, veggies, whole wheat bread, rice, nuts as treats, millet of course, popcorn with no salt/butter as a treat on occasion, etc.

[Mich]

Oh! My you do feed your birds so well, they would never leave home. . . . . . I do find, even though they have been aviary bred, that they love the wild grass seed, and I grow them in many pots ( about 8inch across. and whenone is empty I leave it a few days before putting in another.

What about 'grit'? you didn't mention grit, they have to have it as it helps to crunch the food in their crop. ( not babies, I mean older birds). I save my hen egg shells when I am cooking, and place them in a bag in the freezer. Then when I am going to make something in the oven, I put a layer of foil on a metal baking pan and put the frozen egg shells on it,..sort of seperate them. Cook on med/high for 30 mins..let cool and crush them with a rolling pin. Not so they are dust, but small. My house tiels would come and help me ( well eat the shells ) It is a good form of calcium as well as the grit. But small grit is good to have in a "D" cup for them as well.

[popcornbird]

For calcium, I have cuttlebone in their cage. I've heard so much controversy about grit that I stopped putting it in the cage for the tiels. I read on so many websites that its dangerous and you should never give it, and on the cockatiel forum I'm on, people said if you're feeding them pellets, seeds, veggies, all the proper nutrition, and cuttlebone, its very unneccessary. Many said its dangerous. :confused: All I know is that I don't give them grit anymore because of all the stories I've heard. I give the tiels hard boiled egg with the shell every now and then.

[AngelZoo]

Mich: I was told not to feed only seeds to them because it's not good enough, and often the birds just get too fat on them.
Corbi right now gets Browns Zoo Vital (rainbow pellets), Lafeber's Avi Cakes, 8 in 1 Greens (seed mix), and millet.

He wont eat fresh foods, I've been trying in soooo many ways for 2 years now, and he just wont touch anything, lol

All those foods I mentioned above are pellet diets I believe, which are the main part of his daily foods.

I used to give grit to my last keet Loki when I first got her, but then I heard so many bad things about it, and that it wasn't needed for them, so I stopped giving it to them.

Check out my post on the 8 in 1 Avizon pellet food I picked up! I'm hoping it's the answer I've been looking for.

[Mich]

Please tell me of the dangers to them re: grit? I have only ever had a "D" cup of very fine grit for them, but ...they demolish the eggshell and leave the grit........but was told to put it in. So, there must be something about it, as Tiels will not eat what is not good for them.
Yes, in Breeding season, I do boil eggs for them, but boil them for longer than normal ( another thing I was told ) and I smash up all of the whole egg, but only leave it in the aviary from morning till late afternoon, then I remove it........due to salmonella. I have to tell you I have not lost a bird from food poison ing ever. Have you seen the Bourkes Parrot? If you hae a chance, look it up, as I have them, they are fatter than a tiel but not as tall.

[Mich]

not sounding to be a bumbumb.but where is this site you are talking about?
I would really like to know, as I have small grit ( it is like ground up sea shells, only tiny - are we talking about the same grit?)
As I said, I would like to know, as I would hate Me to be the cause of any suffering to any animal or bird...especially my own.
thank you angelzoo.

[cmounsey]

I have had birds since I was 10. My first bird was a budgie and he lived to be 10 years old. After that I had a cockatiel and it just kind of snowballed from there! I raised birds (finches, tiels, budgies and parrots) for about 6 years. Last year I got out of it for health reasons. Right now I have a meyers parrot hen that is 9 years old and a 2 month old blue and gold macaw baby that I am hand feeding for myself. I have read lots and lots on diet and no 2 people think alike!

As far as grit goes, I have always heard you should not offer grit because in some cases the birds would gorge on it and not be able to digest the grit. But, before all the grit controversy, I have offered it to many birds and never had a bird gorge on it. I think it may have happened a few times and therefore it is something that is cautioned against now.

AngelZoo, you might try offering fruits and veggies and such first thing in the morning. Remove the normal food and put in the stuff you want your bird to try. Also if you eat it in front of your bird and make yummy noises that might intice your bird too!

[Mich]

You can tell you are a bird person, just by listening to you.( well by what you write) I too began with a budgie, which developed into a great love of birds..........only not as great as the macaw.
I have had lots and lots of Finches, not only the ordinary Zebra which flies around up north wild, but the fancy ones, and have had great success in selective breeding. A personal problem ( not health ) saw me giving them all away to other breeders who I knew. I have missed them, and am going to begin again soon with the African Fires. I still have some Bengalese in one of the aviaries, with my small parrots. A few Cordons in another aviary, as well with some small parrots. I always followed the rules in giving grit in "D" cups, but found they did not eat it, but loved the baked egg shell, which is always there. Never lost a bird.
I too have hand raised many birds, including the Indian Ringnecks.
These are magic to hand raise. The tiels, they are cute and have hand raised many as pets, and given to my family's children.
I used to mix my own seed I bought in bulk, and they all had a variety of many fresh and dried food. You are right in saying not one bird person will feed the same thing to their birds, and in many good books the Author will say exactly what you said. It is nice to meet you.

[cmounsey]

I too have missed my birds. When I got out my hubby told me I could have any kind of bird I wanted. I asked for a hyacinth LOL. I had weaned a blue and gold a couple of years before and it was the sweetest thing. I have a friend that raises them and that is where my Hannah came from. I had kept the meyers parrot as she had divorced her hubby several years earlier and was handfed. She is very sweet to me, but as a breeder was not very nice at all! What kinds of birds do you have now?

connie

[Mich]

The small parrots I have are Bourkes Parrot ( Bourkii ). They are of the Neophema, but in a lot of bird books, the Bourkii should be of a breed of their own. Along with the rest of the Australian grass parrots these birds so easily blend into their surroundings. The Bourkes parrot is silent during the day, but at dawn and dusk, they "trill" quietly. They only feed at that time also. I love them. I have Normals,and Rosa's ( salmon pink with tinges of pale brown on their wings). . and some split Rosa's along with some split Creams.

In the coming Spring ( here is September ) I hope to obtain a full Cream male and female. Put the male with my Rosa female and hope to get a Pink and some Creams, along with split Rosa/Creams. The female Cream I will put with the Split Cream/Rosa male, and hope to get Creams and Pinks there also.

[cmounsey]

I am familiar with the Bourkes, I think they are pretty birds. Do you have a website or pictures of your birds you can post? I would love to see them!

[Mich]

Sorry, no I don't have any pic's of mine. I don't have a scanner. My daughter scanned my dog for me.

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by cmounsey
I am familiar with the Bourkes, I think they are pretty birds. Do you have a website or pictures of your birds you can post? I would love to see them!

We need to see pics of yours!!! :D What kind of birds do you have?

[cmounsey]

Here is the newest picture of my Hannah, she is 6 weeks old in this picture.

http://www.boomspeed.com/conniem/Hannah18.jpg

Hope this works!

[cmounsey]

Here is my Meyers parrot Miss P here she is at summer reading enjoying a walnut.....She is 9 years old this year.

http://www.boomspeed.com/conniem/Summerreading2.jpg

Connie

[popcornbird]

Oooooooooooh HOW precious! You have a macaw?!? I've always wanted one of those! :p How old is Hannah now?

Connie's simply adorable also! Can they talk/do tricks? How sweet. You should start a new thread with loads of pics of them so we can get to know them better. :p Are Hannah and Connie your only fids?

[cmounsey]

Hannah is 2 months old now. I am still hand feeding 4 times a day. She really doesn't do much yet! I put her on the floor in the evenings and she will flap those little wings for a while and then she gets sooo tired!

Miss P is 9 years old. She doesn't talk and I don't figure that she will. She will lay on her back in my hand and loves to be rubbed on. I don't think that she is very impressed with Hannah LOL!

Connie