Any suggestions on pellets??

[moon1964]

If you disliked the U-Tubers, your likely are not going to like me at all!

Parrots are expensive!!

You have now found the first reality: Food!
The Second reality: They waste as much as they eat!
Avian Vet Care is the Third reality: Avian Vet Care is expense!
Avian Medication is the Fourth reality: Avian Medication is expense!
Cages and Perches is the Fifth reality: Yup, they are expensive also!
Toys and stuff to turn in to tiny bits is the Six reality: Yup, expensive, also!

Oh: Fresh Food get really expensive when out of season!

And that is just the beginning of the cost items that ownership of a Parrot is going to entail.

Companion Parrots in their Natural Range are highly selective on what they eat and common drop /waste as much as they eat.

The term Shammers is an interesting classification as it is so commonly used with a very wide brush stoke. It is also commonly used on others when they disagree with one's own opinion.

My recommendation for an Amazon's diet (as found deep within the Amazon Forum, highlighted Threads at the top (I Love Amazons), is very expense as it places a hide value of Fresh Foods and high-end Seeds, Grains, specialty nuts (not peanuts), etc.

Parrots are high-energy creatures and are designed to quickly process food into energy, which places a high-value of the quality of food they eat!

Vastly inexpensive food source rarely have the quality of chemicals /minerals that Parrot Body's need to keep them healthy.

I fully admit to being Hard Core Amazon Parrot Snob. I fully admit to being a strong believer is providing my Amazon a very healthy and therefor an expense diet. I full admit to pushing that level of care when asked. If that makes me a Shammer, I will proudly where that label!

only pellets my bird will eat are from zupreen the ones that smell like fruit loops...even then my blue doesnt like the round orange ones lol

 

[AnimaliaPrime]

I do not like most pellets. I have done extensive research that shows that soy is not good for birds--on a long term basis. It's hard to find a bird food without it though--unless you make your own. All the major pellet brands have the first 3 ingredients as corn, soy and wheat. For some bird species, that may be ok, but not for all. Some need higher grains and carbs, some need more veggies and fruits. I feed Goldenfeast, which is a seed based diet, but they do have a pellet too, called "Golden'obles". THey've discontinued the petite size pellets, which makes me mad, but they do still have a smaller pellet that some small birds will eat. These are high quality pellets, with all natural ingredients and no corn or wheat and I think no soy.
I was adding them to my birds diet, but she didn't eat them very well. I feed the other diets that are a mix of seeds, veggies, fruits, nuts, legumes, herbs, dried egg, etc. My birds do great on it and have phenomenal feathers.

 

[BirdyBee]

I do not like most pellets. I have done extensive research that shows that soy is not good for birds--on a long term basis. It's hard to find a bird food without it though--unless you make your own. All the major pellet brands have the first 3 ingredients as corn, soy and wheat. For some bird species, that may be ok, but not for all. Some need higher grains and carbs, some need more veggies and fruits. I feed Goldenfeast, which is a seed based diet, but they do have a pellet too, called "Golden'obles". THey've discontinued the petite size pellets, which makes me mad, but they do still have a smaller pellet that some small birds will eat. These are high quality pellets, with all natural ingredients and no corn or wheat and I think no soy.
I was adding them to my birds diet, but she didn't eat them very well. I feed the other diets that are a mix of seeds, veggies, fruits, nuts, legumes, herbs, dried egg, etc. My birds do great on it and have phenomenal feathers.

I'll most likely only use pellets temporarily, and is I use them long-term, I'll stick with roudybush. I own budgies and a cockatiel, and I've heard they need more grains/carbs so I think roudybush should be OK for them, not the best, but also not terrible.

 

[BirdyBee]

Update: I ordered roudybush and it arrived a few days ago! Thanks y'all for the support!

 

[Skarila]

Update: I ordered roudybush and it arrived a few days ago! Thanks y'all for the support!

I hope your bird(s) will like it!

 

[BirdyBee]

I hope your bird(s) will like it!

They already do! They went straight for it!

 

[fjordandforest]

Also guys! I created this purely to get help, not to create arguments! If you disagree with each other, be kind about it and @SailBoat, I know you disagree with me, but in this world, sometimes not everything works out as you want it to. Sometimes you are just a teenager trying to take the best care possible of your birds. If you were in my position, you'd know how painful it is. Trying to do your best but everyone expects something better from you. I don't own a zon, but I own 5 budgies and a tiel. When I got them I didn't know better and let's just say the tiel was unplanned. And yes. I know vets are expensive. I pay it with my from own wallet. If I were a grown up I'd be able to get them a lot better. But do you expect that I pay 40$ for a 4ibs packet of pellets? It's out of my price range.. I think you could've been a bit kinder. I'm going to bed and deal with this tomorrow.

Hey! So I have been emailing with TOPS and they recommended I supplement my bird if I use their pellets-there is little to no vitamin D (Alfalfa contains only 25 IU per 2 lbs) and little to no B12. I personally only use a pellet to get the vitamins and minerals into my fluff bub that he needs, so I am going to get a more readily available pellet with a better nutritional profile. What I mean to point out is even TOPS isn’t actually that great nutritionally and EVEN if you gave all the fresh food you could give you still might not hit all the birds needs. Just do what you can do. It’s okay to feed the best you can, you’re doing great

 

[BirdyBee]

Hey! So I have been emailing with TOPS and they recommended I supplement my bird if I use their pellets-there is little to no vitamin D (Alfalfa contains only 25 IU per 2 lbs) and little to no B12. I personally only use a pellet to get the vitamins and minerals into my fluff bub that he needs, so I am going to get a more readily available pellet with a better nutritional profile. What I mean to point out is even TOPS isn’t actually that great nutritionally and EVEN if you gave all the fresh food you could give you still might not hit all the birds needs. Just do what you can do. It’s okay to feed the best you can, you’re doing great

Hey there! Thanks for your reply.

I was able to get TOP's for my birdies and they like it. I have made some dried mixes for them too. I definitely think pellets can't provide 100% of a bird's nutritional needs.

I like TOP's because they have a large variety of high-quality ingredients and no artificial stuff. I think you can get vitamin B12 in their bodies by feeding eggs. Vitamin D is also available in sunlight- lots of it! Even letting them get sunlight for a whole day once a month is more than enough, or giving them at least 30min a week. It provides mental enrichment, too!


I don't think TOP's reccomended to supplement a bird's diet with other foods if they eat TOP'S just because of nutritional deficiencies, I think it's because supplements are necessary anyway. They clearly state that they are not a complete food, unlike many other brands who lie that birds can live on only pellets.

 

[MissMac]

Hey! So I have been emailing with TOPS and they recommended I supplement my bird if I use their pellets-there is little to no vitamin D (Alfalfa contains only 25 IU per 2 lbs) and little to no B12. I personally only use a pellet to get the vitamins and minerals into my fluff bub that he needs, so I am going to get a more readily available pellet with a better nutritional profile. What I mean to point out is even TOPS isn’t actually that great nutritionally and EVEN if you gave all the fresh food you could give you still might not hit all the birds needs. Just do what you can do. It’s okay to feed the best you can, you’re doing great

I was thinking of pulling out the pellets and using, perhaps coconut oil or natural peanut butter or something else I have yet to think of, in a no cook type chew bar for them. No cook, because I don't want to destroy the nutrition of the pellets ( good to know by the way, well done for finding out) and I'm a lousy cook. I could probably burn a salad. But I made them some birdie bread with the mix but, of course, that is cooked. Oh, and they seem to love it too, which thrilled me no end. I also cut up some birdie bread into fingers and low cooked them, dried them out more, for a nibble treat, which they also like.
I give them fruit, not every day. Cooked and crumbled egg, again not every day although Missy's breeder does. They also get different sorts of veggies. Discards, so to speak, from when I prepare my salad - that I don't burn, haha. They also get pasta wheels as a treat - dry. I call it "pasta ping" coz it pings everywhere when they are breaking it up with their beaks, and air cooked popcorn which they love too. They definitely don't do without variety..... I don't know why I stress, re feeding them, because looking at what I just wrote, seems pretty good.
I'm going to try giving them veggie fingers. Just julienne cut veggies. Cucumber, capsicum and sweet potato. Those I know they like. They're not fond of carrots, or parsley.