Harrison’s bird diet

[HeatherG]

I think one of the avicake binders might be molasses. Willow has figured out how to chew the seeds out from the avicake and drop the pellets. So even if avicakes are meant for a diet then he isn’t eating the whole thing.

He is so picky…after all this, I kinda wish I just stuck with the TOPS pellets. But he wouldn’t eat them. No zupreem, no fruit zupreem, and wouldn’t switch onto Harrison’s lifetime. The last change is what started this problem.

I see once Willow has had SOME avicake he will eat pellets if I feed them to him piece by piece. Maybe he only should get a small piece of avicake and then we start with handfeeding pellets? But he is crabby when he comes out and I think he must be hungry (having only pellets in his cage and treated with avicakes).

Today I cut up tomatoes for a salad, so I cut a piece of tomato and squished it into the pellets to picks some up and moisten them. Then I left the tomato with pelleted side up in his dish for a couple of hours.

I hope I am doing this more or less right…anyone got suggestions? I wish I hadn’t tried to switch him to the lifetime pellets and run out. He must be eating SOME pellets; how much is enough? I need to buy a gram scale.

 

[HeatherG]

Aren't Avicakes like 40% pellets? You might be able to make your own Avicakes and add the Harrison's in with the seed.

Don't mind me. Just mumbling out loud over here, LOL!

That’s a possibility (replicating avicakes). I’ve been able to bake pinecone and seed treats using egg as s binder. But I bet Willow will be able to tell the difference. The avicakes bag reads “50% pellets 50% seed = 100% nutrition. Fwiw.

I need to repack and freeze or refrigerate most of Willow’s high potency pellets. They’re more reasonably priced in a bigger bag but I don’t want them to go rancid or lose vitamins.

I think the Harrison’s high potency pellets are flavorful and maybe even kind of nutty. Haven’t compared the lifetime pellets. I think I’ll buy some apple juice and use that to mush-ify his pellets next.

 

[Cottonoid]

I think just keep trying different things and eventually he'll come back around. Since he did take it hand fed maybe do that again whenever you have time?

Cotton is still preferring seeds by far but he's slowly starting to eat more pellets and other food. His progress is up and down though, some days he only eats the seeds and some days he eats almost everything I put down for him, so don't get too discouraged yet!

 

[HeatherG]

I think just keep trying different things and eventually he'll come back around. Since he did take it hand fed maybe do that again whenever you have time?

Cotton is still preferring seeds by far but he's slowly starting to eat more pellets and other food. His progress is up and down though, some days he only eats the seeds and some days he eats almost everything I put down for him, so don't get too discouraged yet!

Today we had treat and snuggle time. Willow got 1/2 avicake, some peas from my pasta salad, and then ate some high potency pellets from my hand.

Yay! He is happy and tail wagging today. He also has been pooping more so I know he’s got a full tummy. Willow MUST be eating those pellets now.

 

[Cottonoid]

That's good news!

 

[GaleriaGila]

As I've said before, the ol' Rickeybird has eaten Harrison's for most of his 38 years, amazingly. Know what? They taste good to me! They're light, nutty, just a bit earthy/truffle-y...
Expensive as a side. Great as a garnish or sprinkle, accented with sea-salt.

Yes, I'm serious. Maybe I've had a parrot too long?

 

[kme3388]

Sometimes I wonder why there isn't a flavored powder or something for parrots?!?!?!? It would make their owners lives a lot easier. I am glad to hear that Willow is having a better time with her pellets today. I hope things keep going in a positive direction. It took 5-6 months for me to get my conure from a seed mix diet to a pellet diet. Now I only give her sunflower seeds as a treat. I don't have experience with quaker parrots to say if they are as stubborn.

 

[HeatherG]

Willow and I are having afternoon snuggle time and snack. We are sharing Harrison’s high potency pellets and Willow got me to feed him pellet by pellet from my fingers. It was not ok for him to eat from a heap of pellets in my hand. ( I got away with only eating a few pellets.)

I know he IS eating the pellets when in his cage but he still seemed hungry this afternoon with a tiny dark poop at first. Now willow has had 1/2 avicake and some pellets the poops are bigger and normal appearing.

If I forget to scritch I get a tap or a pinch, so I can’t get too distracted writing or reading a book. Willow is quietly snuggled against my cheek as i scritch and pet his neck. He’s chewing on his foot—he keeps his nails short which is nice . Willow’s beak is really warm and he is sooo soft. He needs a shower but he still smells like sun-dried sheets.

 

[Cottonoid]

Willow and I are having afternoon snuggle time and snack. We are sharing Harrison’s high potency pellets and Willow got me to feed him pellet by pellet from my fingers. It was not ok for him to eat from a heap of pellets in my hand. ( I got away with only eating a few pellets.)

I know he IS eating the pellets when in his cage but he still seemed hungry this afternoon with a tiny dark poop at first. Now willow has had 1/2 avicake and some pellets the poops are bigger and normal appearing.

If I forget to scritch I get a tap or a pinch, so I can’t get too distracted writing or reading a book. Willow is quietly snuggled against my cheek as i scritch and peg his neck. He’s chewing on his foot—he keeps his nails short which is nice . Willow’s beak is really warm and he is sooo soft. He needs a shower but he still smells like sun-dried sheets.

Ahhhhh this sounds delightful!

 

[HeatherG]

Ahhhhh this sounds delightful!

Willow is eating his high potency pellets fine now, after a few days of me eating them WITH him in the evening and saying how yummy they are.

He is starting to be very sweet and loving again, not crabby and bitey like the last couple of weeks. It’s really nice. He just wanted to snuggle with my hand today. Cupped in my hand. Part of the time I forgot to pet but he was ok with that.

Jasper also likes bird time but he can only be scritched and visit for maybe 15 minutes and then he starts nipping. So I bring him back to his cage and he climbs back in and crunches his beak.

 

[HeatherG]

Willow is eating his Harrison’s. And I find that he doesn’t care WHAT I hand feed him when he’s out as long as he gets something. So we hand fed Harrison’, pellet by pellet, until he was full. Willow was nipping at first, didn’t want to be pet, and the feeding calmed him down. Now he is enjoying pets and tail-wagging lots.

 

[HeatherG]

Willow came out for a visit after I returned from grocery shopping. He has been grumpy at first and I hand fed him a lot of his Harrison’s pellets. Then he settled down and allowed me to pet him . I wonder what that’s about? It seems this grumpiness is since I changed his diet and then changed it back. Either that, or it’s spring-related crabbiness.

 

[HeatherG]

Willow’s now reliably eating the fine high potency Harrison’s pellets. They sent a sample of the pepper flavor and he likes those ok. Tosses some of them.

He WILL NOT eat a treat stick given by my neighbor.

Soon I will have cherry tomatoes or maybe beans to sample!

 

[Cottonoid]

Willow's palate is getting more adventurous day by day!