Best diet for seed addict lovies?

[Becca]

I have a seven month old and a five year old lovebird. I've gotten both in the last week, and both are on seed diets.

I've made up a batch of chop and have been offering it in the morning, but no luck with them actually eating it, they just pick out the little bit of seed i mix in. Also a no go with pellets so far.

Is it better to try and transition them completely off seed and onto pellets with chop? Or keep a little bit of seed in the diet with chop and omit pellets?

I'm not a huge fan of pellet diets(for anything), because they 99% of the time contain species inappropriate ingredients to make a profit. The main cuplrit being corn, organic or otherwise. This is coming from a background in raising livestock and years of researching natural ways of feeding animals, not a mentality of "I don't want to spend $40 on a bag of food"

 

[GaleriaGila]

Harrison's Bird Foods
I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff. My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.

 

[Teddscau]

Try Goldn'obles II or III by Goldenfeast, Totally Organic Pellets, fresh grass seed (collected away from the road, fertilizer, pesticides, etc.), sprouts (look up "parrots sprouts"), and keep offering them chop, but mix a bit of seed in. Also, get yourself a plate of chop and eat it in front of them. Birds learn from watching others, so showing them that chop is for eating should encourage them. Birds can be stubborn and nervous about trying new things, but keep encouraging them. It could take more than three months (hopefully not that long), but they will eventually start eating healthy foods if you're supportive and consistent.

 

[MonicaMc]

Providing a healthy diet without pellets can be difficult if you don't know what you are doing - but it is indeed possible.

Many people feed pellets as a part of the diet in case they don't get enough nutrition from everything else they eat... kind of like a vitamin pill, if you will...


For a lovebird, a 50/50 diet of seeds and pellets can be used as a base, but with as much fresh foods as they'll eat.


For some ideas...

http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

 

[GaleriaGila]

Oh, yeah, eat stuff in front of them! That definitely helps. And my experience tells me that ya can't fake it. In your mouth... chew... swallow. Don't try to fake 'em out.