Colored food pellets?

[echoskybound]

I'm planning the pellet diet I'm going to get for my soon-to-be baby green cheek conure. The breeder says she's feeding the babies Zupreem Fruitblend. I've heard good things about Zupreem, but the Fruitblend is dyed, and I've also read that it's not good to give birds too much colored pellets.

I'm thinking of getting the Fruitblend and mixing it with the Zupreem natural diet, I've read that some people like this mixture.

Thoughts?

 

[Blackfang320]

the person im getting my baby from feeds them the same thing

 

[MikeyTN]

Its a long term debating question.....im inbetween pellets and seeds still....there's stuffs that have happened in the past that made me stop using pellets for awhile....

 

[HRH Di]

Our birdies eat Zupreem Fruitblend. All 3 of them eat the purple ones first. Then usually the red ones, but sometimes, Max eats the orange ones 2nd. Since I really don't have access to their native diets, I do the best I can with pellets, sprouts and fresh produce.

 

[Parrot Parent]

Here is what the ZuPreem website says (on another note I use the fruit blend for my parakeets and Xander)

I have friends who say that the coloring in some ZuPreem diets has had an effect on the bird's skin and feathers. Why do you put the coloring in some of your products?

Through research, ZuPreem scientists have confirmed that birds find a diet filled with a variety of flavors, shapes and colors more interesting and entertaining. This is why ZuPreem developed FruitBlend Flavor. This premium bird food contains differently colored, individually shaped, fruit-flavored pellets. It is scientifically formulated to contain the highest quality ingredients - complete and balanced nutrition for birds. These colorants are the same as those used in almost every processed food found on grocery store shelves today

 

[Abzeez]

HRH Di - You can have all of my purple pellets. My guys won't eat the purple ones. LOL!

I feed Zupreem. My parrots love it. But I have been doing research on pellets and it seems that most name brand foods are no good. Here is a link: Pellets and their (poisonous) ingredients - Parrot and parakeet food and diets

Also this one: Organic Parrot Food %7C Organic Bird Food %7C Urgent Avian Annoucement!

I am thinking about trying to switch to organic.

 

[MikeyTN]

I have talked to a lot of breeders and bird owners that prefer zupreem or harrisons!

 

[HRH Di]

HRH Di - You can have all of my purple pellets. My guys won't eat the purple ones. LOL!

that's so funny!

It comes down to providing the best you can for your birdies. Our 3 don't like Harrisons, so it's silly (to me) to buy a premium pellet that I end up throwing out. From the research I've done, Zupreem is a quality pellet and my birdies love it. It's like buying high-dollar organic yogurt that sits in the fridge, but your kids inhale Gogurt. Yeah, the organic stuff is probably better for them, but the Gogurt is better than potato chips and they like it.

 

[Abzeez]

Good point!!! My guys do very well on Zupreem. They just don't like the purple ones. I like the way it smells. I tried Kaytee pellets once, and when I opened the bag I thought Yuck! These don't smell good and my guys didn't like kaytee.

 

[Bongo]

Bongo gets these as "treats" in his bowl on the playstand on top of his cage. He likes them a lot and will pick them up one at a time and dunk them in his water and eat them. He seems to pick up the orange ones last. I guess every bird is a little different.

 

[Colorguarder08]

Well I started my birds on pretty bird with the intention of switching them to zupreem natural diet since pretty bird made there urine orangeish-yellow. However, yeah they didnt like it one bit (their urine turned back to clear so I know it was the brand of pellets.) They barely ate it unless it was soaked in water and even then they wouldnt eat it unless they were starving. So I switched them to ZuPreem fruitblend the parakeet kind as it has the same exact ingrediants only smaller bits which my birds clearly prefer that or they like the coloring. My birds threw the natural ones out of the cage and often times I swear they were throwing it at me however the only bits I find of the ZuPreem fruit blend is the ones that they accidently drop.