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!

congrats on the new birdie!

[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! 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. 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.