Ekkies and pellets

[Steve rizzon]

Read a few negative comments about ekkies and pellets, is all this negativity include vetafarm paradise pellets for ekkies

 

[zERo]

Welcome to the forums!

I recommend you read through our Eclectus diet threads here, especially the top two threads:

Eclectus

www.parrotforums.com

Though I don’t own an Ekkie, I read through the ingredients and based on them, I wouldn’t feed them. Though they dont have any artificial colors, the first three ingredients are corn, soy, and wheat, which are ingredients that shouldnt be a large part of any parrots diet. It also contains artificial vitamins which negatively affect Ekkies.

What ever percentage of his diet is pellets could be filled instead with chop/sprouts/herbs/flowers etc.

 

[Steve rizzon]

I do it about 10% pellets,50%fruit 40% veg, with few different nuts, but I'll read through some alternatives to paradise pellets and hopefully get on the right track, I just want what is best for my birds, I don't know any breeders or bird people with exotics so I rely on people as yourself in forums with helpful knowledge to share,thankyou so much

 

[zERo]

I do it about 10% pellets,50%fruit 40% veg, with few different nuts, but I'll read through some alternatives to paradise pellets and hopefully get on the right track, I just want what is best for my birds, I don't know any breeders or bird people with exotics so I rely on people as yourself in forums with helpful knowledge to share,thankyou so much

While I can’t say if those percentages of your Ekkies diets is right, I can recommend TOPs pellets.
Much harder to get ahold of pellets would be Origins Wild Diet but those are pretty expensive compared to TOPs.

That’s what parrot forums is all about! Sharing knowledge! Also, thank you!

 

[Steve rizzon]

I'll check them out and see how they go
Appreciated

 

[LoveOfallAnimals]

Read a few negative comments about ekkies and pellets, is all this negativity include vetafarm paradise pellets for ekkies

Some ekkies have allergies to the ingredients in pellets. Not all but some. Some people don't feed them pellets at all. I was told one of the main things you wanted to make sure pellets for ekkies didn't have was spirulina. Others will warn about corn and soy.

Honestly, I think feeding your ekkie is a lot like feeding your children. What works for one may not work for another. I keep a daily log of what mine eats including the ingredients in it, so that should she ever start toe tapping, wing flapping, screaming constantly, or feather plucking. I can try to narrow down what is causing it.

I personally do and would suggest feeding more vegetables than fruit. I feed mine about 70 percent vegetables a day. Fruit causes my girl to be extremely hormonal. So she doesn't get fruit but a couple of times a week. I feed bird bistro as a base and add fresh veggies before serving. I also feed sprouts, dry vegetables with a little fruit from golden feast, tops birdie bread that I pack full of vegetables, products from phoenix foraging rolls, almonds as treats, and occasionally she gets a nutri-berry due to her sibling having dropped his.

I will say this and it may be controversial but as time goes by I debate whether any bird should even have pellets. The bird world was sold pellets as the be all and end all of issues suck as plucking, but for me I feel like we may have been bamboozled by pet food companies. My amazon is not a fan of pellets and would rather eat sprouts, fresh veggies, phoenix foraging rolls, high quality seed, and bird bistro. Really the only pellet so to speak that he will eat is a nutri-berry. He came to me in rough shape, but he is currently molting and his new feathers that are coming in are amazing.

Last time he had blood work done, everything was spot on so unless at some point that changes. I will be sticking with feeding more fresh food that isn't highly processed for all of my parrots.

 

[Steve rizzon]

Thanks for your response, tbh I don't like feeding processed foods to my birds either and yess mine love sprouts, I mean like with my ekkies, they are in great feather, looking healthy,act healthy, not grumpy and hormonal, they are going pretty good and I cannot see any sign of anything I should be concerned about, but as soon as I seen heaps of people saying don't feed pellets to ekkies I was pretty concerned because mine love their vetafarm Paradise pellets,I'll also be welcoming a new b&g macaw home today and I cannot wait, I could hardly sleep last night I was certain I was going to dream about a macaw last night but my sleep wasn't that good

 

[azflcowboy]

Read a few negative comments about ekkies and pellets, is all this negativity include vetafarm paradise pellets for ekkies

Hello I have learned form readingthe forum that Tops is a very good pellet for Eclectus My guy will eat them when he feels like it (and i think that is good). One day he may eat more than the day before. Lately after his dinner ends at 6 pm he may walk up to his daytime cage and eat pellets for about 2o to 30 minutes I leave small quantity of Tops pellets in his day time / play cage I inspect his poop and pee everyday and it is consistent and healthy I used buy the Tops Pellets on amazon but they seem to be out of stock often. I went to the Tops web site and purchased 2 - 4lb bags for $50 (a good price

 

[AZAnnie]

Hello I have learned form readingthe forum that Tops is a very good pellet for Eclectus My guy will eat them when he feels like it (and i think that is good). One day he may eat more than the day before. Lately after his dinner ends at 6 pm he may walk up to his daytime cage and eat pellets for about 2o to 30 minutes I leave small quantity of Tops pellets in his day time / play cage I inspect his poop and pee everyday and it is consistent and healthy I used buy the Tops Pellets on amazon but they seem to be out of stock often. I went to the Tops web site and purchased 2 - 4lb bags for $50 (a good price

I just purchased the TOPS pellets and couldn't get them on Amazon either. My boy, Celery doesn't care for pellets at all, but I like to have something for him to munch on between his three fresh meals a day. I offered him one of the TOPS pellets and he seemed to really like it. He's a bit of a moody eater though--likes it for a while then goes off it completely. Hope the TOPS works out for you too!

 

[azflcowboy]

I just purchased the TOPS pellets and couldn't get them on Amazon either. My boy, Celery doesn't care for pellets at all, but I like to have something for him to munch on between his three fresh meals a day. I offered him one of the TOPS pellets and he seemed to really like it. He's a bit of a moody eater though--likes it for a while then goes off it completely. Hope the TOPS works out for you too!

Hello My guy Moses loves his Topp's, i see amazon did not have them I got a better deal from the Topps Website i Ordered 2 bags as they stay well. Somedays Moses eats more Topps than usual I know like me he has his moods and most of the time like me he is always in a good mood. We leave the topps in his daytime play cage which is also his sleeping in our bedroom night cage He has been our family since he was a baby now going on 4 years Try the Topps Web site

4 lb. Large Pellet Two-Pack (includes shipping) $50​