Ona finally likes Harrison’s?!

[onamom]

For the past 6 months or more I’ve been mixing Harrison’s Adult Lifetime Fine with the Pretty Bird pellets Ona was weaned on. She has always tried to eat around them and preferred the more colorful Pretty Bird instead. However, the past couple days I’ve noticed in her food bowls there is more brown pellet dust than colorful! And I’ve observed her actually picking out the Harrison’s! Earlier today I added more Harrison’s to her bowls and she immediately started eating it. I am completely baffled as to why she suddenly decided she likes, maybe even prefers them! Looks like it’s time to change the ratio and add more Harrison’s less Pretty Bird.

I took a look at the feeding instructions on the Harrison’s bag and they say to throw out a bag after 8 weeks because they don’t use preservatives. My bag is definitely older than that. Those of you who feed Harrison’s do you follow these guidelines? It looks like you can refrigerate also. Even if I keep buying the smallest size bag there is no way Ona will finish it within 8 weeks. The bag I have now doesn’t smell bad and Ona is eating it so I’m wondering if I should actually toss it or not.

Their instructions also say to not top off bowls but instead give fresh pellets daily. Normally I top off…

Just wondering if following these instructions are really necessary or just “best practice but still ok otherwise”?

 

[zERo]

For the past 6 months or more I’ve been mixing Harrison’s Adult Lifetime Fine with the Pretty Bird pellets Ona was weaned on. She has always tried to eat around them and preferred the more colorful Pretty Bird instead. However, the past couple days I’ve noticed in her food bowls there is more brown pellet dust than colorful! And I’ve observed her actually picking out the Harrison’s! Earlier today I added more Harrison’s to her bowls and she immediately started eating it. I am completely baffled as to why she suddenly decided she likes, maybe even prefers them! Looks like it’s time to change the ratio and add more Harrison’s less Pretty Bird.

I took a look at the feeding instructions on the Harrison’s bag and they say to throw out a bag after 8 weeks because they don’t use preservatives. My bag is definitely older than that. Those of you who feed Harrison’s do you follow these guidelines? It looks like you can refrigerate also. Even if I keep buying the smallest size bag there is no way Ona will finish it within 8 weeks. The bag I have now doesn’t smell bad and Ona is eating it so I’m wondering if I should actually toss it or not.

Their instructions also say to not top off bowls but instead give fresh pellets daily. Normally I top off…

Just wondering if following these instructions are really necessary or just “best practice but still ok otherwise”?

I use TOPS which only uses natural preservatives like rosemary, orange and lemon peel. I store the bag in the freezer and take out like a weeks portions and put it in an airtight container.

 

[onamom]

I use TOPS which only uses natural preservatives like rosemary, orange and lemon peel. I store the bag in the freezer and take out like a weeks portions and put it in an airtight container.

Good idea. I even have vacuum sealed containers I could use.

 

[onamom]

As an experiment I dumped her pellet bowl and put only Harrison’s in. She is immediately eating it. Does this mean my little baby is becoming an adult and is no longer attracted to the colorful pellets? Maybe she thinks they actually taste good now that she’s older?

Looking at the bottom of the Harrison’s bag it says best used by Sept 2023. So definitely not throwing it out. Interesting that they recommend using within in 8 weeks while the expiration date is much more generous. Perhaps it’s a “most fresh” within 8 weeks guideline.

 

[Birds lover from Hawaii]

As an experiment I dumped her pellet bowl and put only Harrison’s in. She is immediately eating it. Does this mean my little baby is becoming an adult and is no longer attracted to the colorful pellets? Maybe she thinks they actually taste good now that she’s older?

Looking at the bottom of the Harrison’s bag it says best used by Sept 2023. So definitely not throwing it out. Interesting that they recommend using within in 8 weeks while the expiration date is much more generous. Perhaps it’s a “most fresh” within 8 weeks guideline.

It's actually great news that your birdie chose Harrison over Pretty Bird. When I got my Senegal 27 years ago and he was fed Pretty Bird too by the breeder. Later I learnt about Harrison so I did the swtich and he was it for 27 years. Breeders chose Pretty Bird probably due to lower cost and easier to attract young birds to eat it as they are colorful and Harrison is considered an expensive brand and has no color. If the bird is sick, eating a colored pellet may be harder to detect the normality of the feces. I kept a 5 lb bag in the freezer and only take out a small portion in a zipped bag and put in the fridge. Not sure where you live, it is always safer to put in fridge than in room temperature.

 

[onamom]

It's actually great news that your birdie chose Harrison over Pretty Bird. When I got my Senegal 27 years ago and he was fed Pretty Bird too by the breeder. Later I learnt about Harrison so I did the swtich and he was it for 27 years. Breeders chose Pretty Bird probably due to lower cost and easier to attract young birds to eat it as they are colorful and Harrison is considered an expensive brand and has no color. If the bird is sick, eating a colored pellet may be harder to detect the normality of the feces. I kept a 5 lb bag in the freezer and only take out a small portion in a zipped bag and put in the fridge. Not sure where you live, it is always safer to put in fridge than in room temperature.

I agree - good news! I’m still just confused about the sudden change. I live in the Midwest. Winter here now so the air is very dry.

 

[Birds lover from Hawaii]

I agree - good news! I’m still just confused about the sudden change. I live in the Midwest. Winter here now so the air is very dry.

Birds are like humans I guess could have a sudden change of food preferences. I am sure you know they do need other natural healthy fruit and vegetables no matter how good the pellets are. Having heat on all day during winter, it is best to store the Harrisons in the fridge.

 

[onamom]

Birds are like humans I guess could have a sudden change of food preferences. I am sure you know they do need other natural healthy fruit and vegetables no matter how good the pellets are. Having heat on all day during winter, it is best to store the Harrisons in the fridge.

I went ahead and moved it to the fridge. I am very fortunate to have a bird that has always loved vegetables, even as a baby! We do chop and sprouts daily. Sometimes she eats a lot of it other times she doesn’t. She also gets broccoli and baby carrots as snacks often and she loves it.

 

[Birds lover from Hawaii]

I went ahead and moved it to the fridge. I am very fortunate to have a bird that has always loved vegetables, even as a baby! We do chop and sprouts daily. Sometimes she eats a lot of it other times she doesn’t. She also gets broccoli and baby carrots as snacks often and she loves it.

Well done!! Ona is one lucky birdie to have a dedicated mom like you. My Senegal was pretty picky, only likes carrots, peppers, apples (only Delicious) and pears (only Korean). He loved rice, spaghetti and Digestive biscuits.