Food Fight

[Helitorian]

I'd like some input on food. When Con was at the store, she was on a crappy seed diet and when I brought her home I switched her to All Living Things Parrot food. It isn't the best so I added Zupreem Cockatiel sized pellets to it so she would start eating them. Along with that, she gets fresh fruits and veggies and 3 cockatiel sized Lafeber's nutri-berries every morning.

My question is should I switch the Zupreem to a larger size? She doesn't seem to really eat them and I read that a larger pellet is better because then she can hold it. And should I get the Nut Blend and Veggie Blend to go with the Fruit Blend so she has a large variety? I really want to switch her over to all pellets so she's healthier. And I've been eating a lot of PB&J sandwiches lately. Is it alright if she's had a lick of peanut butter? Thanks!

 

[roxynoodle]

Rowdy likes to hold food when she eats. She likes the ML size Zupreem fruit pellets. She will take one out of her food dish, cart it over to the water dish, dunk it in, and then take it up to her top perch to eat it. She also gets 1-2 smaller sized Nutriberries a day, plus some fruit, and veggies. She also gets some other things here and there like a bit of bread, and her favorite: spaghetti. She also likes brown rice and beans. She would eat pretty much anything I gave her, but I try to keep it healthy. We have had arguments about some things. The worst is I bought some of those orange slice candies, that look like actual slices of orange. She absolutely did not believe me that it wasn't birdie food and screamed like a banshee thinking it was really oranges. I had to hide them in the kitchen and eat them out of her site.

 

[Helitorian]

Con has a fit if I'm eating Cheddar Chex-Mix. I made the mistake of giving her a small piece one day and turned her into a monster. She loves it so much that she will willingly climb off her cage and onto my bed just to have a run at the bowl.

I think I'll order some of each of the zupreem flavors and see how she takes to them. She goes nuts for the nutri-berries so I'll keep adding those. I think I'll keep her shoddy food around just in case I get that Sun from Petco. I noticed it was what he was eating so I can wean him off that if need be.

 

[roxynoodle]

Rowdy got turned into a monster over popcorn. I never should have given her a piece because I can't eat it now without her trying to eat like 25 pieces. And I can't hide it either because she hears it popping.

I managed to get Pete on pellets after 28 years of seeds. If there's a will, there's a way. Every bird I've gotten except Merlin had to be converted to pellets. It would be nice if pet stores and breeders used pellets right off the bat, but many don't. Pete didn't like Rowdy's pellets though. He liked the cube shaped Harrison's ones so that is what I converted him to. Try different sizes and shapes and see which Con decides to try. Your vet may be able to give you samples.

Rowdy and Merlin are both bonkers over Nutriberries. But, they like different sizes and flavors so I have both of those here, too. I gave Merlin one of Rowdy's and she turned her beak up at it, lol! She likes the bigger ones, and the original flavor. Rowdy likes smaller, tropical fruit ones.

You wouldn't believe all the bird food I have in this house right now!

 

[Helitorian]

I have a great little collection started on the shelf under Con's cage. Three different types of nutri-berries, scuzzy food, treats, and two sizes of pellets. My family thinks I'm crazy I went shopping today and spent $50 on food. Only $20 of that was for me. The rest was fresh veggies and fruit for my little girl (who is currently slobbering on my Mac) I would have had 4 types of pellets if my store carried the nut and veggie flavor zupreem Oh and Con now has 11 of the same toy lol

 

[TheDukeofGoodCleanFun]

Daisy has been fed nothing but fruit/veggies + Harrison's pepper coarse - and she can hold these pellets and bite into them just fine. The only downside is that she wastes quite a bit due to parts crumbling off and/or lack of attention span.

I think that because of these big, crunchy pellets, she's developed the habit of "begging" for anything that crunches. Even if she's never tasted it in her life, if you're eating something that crunches, or near the cabinet where we keep the crunchy things, you're guaranteed to have a hungry ball of feathers on your shoulder quickly. This is how she once got a bite of taco (just the shell) - these birds can stretch out a lot farther than we originally gave her credit! Now, I know if I'm eating a box of Cheez-its or tortilla chips, she has to go back to her room before I get them out.

As a training treat, we use unsalted pretzels and organic, unsweetened oat cereal.

 

[SunMommy]

TheDukeofGoodCleanFun: Harrison's pepper coarse...that sounds nice. I've never heard of this blend of Harrisons. My baby loves Harrisons and it sucks that I can only get them from the vet, which is over an hour away from my house.

I feed Pyro Zupreem fruit blend in the small size. When I got him he was so little he couldn't hold food in a foot and balance while eating, so the small ones he could just eat in his beak. I've been thinking of getting a larger size for him now that he has his balance. I also give him Harrisons coarse blend, about 3 nutriberries a day and lots of fruits and veggies. He gets fresh foods twice a day and just loves everything now. He also gets scrambles eggs from time to time and some grains. I'm still feeding Pyro formula, but he only gets a syringe about every 2-3 days. He still really loves his formula. I've been trying to get him off of it since he's 5 months old now. He is a little piggy and eats all day long non stop.

 

[Helitorian]

I just noticed that Con has started eating her new pellets. I noticed this because her beak was covered in a gummy yellow substance so I cleaned her off and she ran back to her food dish, grabbed a pellet, then made her way to her water dish and dunked it! I've never seen her do this before lol I'm just glad that she's eating the pellets

 

[roxynoodle]

Rowdy never dunked either until she went on the Zupreem. Maybe it's especially dry? She went on that because it was the only thing I could get my BC converted to. It took me forever to get that bird on pellets.

Harrison's does come in smaller sizes as well. Then there is less waste with smaller birds like conures. You can also order it online, although you then have to pay shipping. But, it's cheaper for me to buy 2 5lb bags online and pay the shipping than to drive to the vet's with my gas guzzling truck.

 

[amysaviary]

all birds r different, some like big pellets some like small. I don't think 1 is better then the other it is just what they bird likes. The main thing is that they eat them! lol I feed most my conures the cockatiel size Zupreem, some like the bigger parrot/conure. Also the new nut and veggie flavors are huge! To big for any of my conures to like. My Macaw even looked at them funny! I would love if they came out in a smaller size!!!

 

[Customcasket]

Carlisle and Kayak both eat Zupreem FruitBlend pellets. Carlisle prefers the Medium sized ones. Kayak has the ML size pellets. Carlisle won't eat the ML size. He refuses to try them. I don't know what makes him prefer the smaller ones over the big ones. So, needless to say, I have 2 cereal containers filled with 2 different size pellets of the same brand.

They both eat fruits and veggies. Carlisle prefers everything to be dry or dehydrated before he'll so much as try it. Kayak will eat everything I put in her bowl but she likes wet, juicy foods over the dry, dehydrated veggies/fruits.

 

[TheDukeofGoodCleanFun]

TheDukeofGoodCleanFun: Harrison's pepper coarse...that sounds nice. I've never heard of this blend of Harrisons. My baby loves Harrisons and it sucks that I can only get them from the vet, which is over an hour away from my house.

Harrisons Pepper Lifetime Coarse Bird Food - 5 lbs