Pellet concerns

[eliholtman]

How much pellets should I put into the cage? Should I just fill up the bowl? Or only put a small amount


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[Flboy]

I put in a small amount, and that way I can change them out every day!

 

[Laurasea]

Is this the first time they have had pellets? If so you have to wean them off the seed, a d make sure they are eating the pellets. Some times they poke around in them but aren't really eating them at the start. Cute Keet names!

 

[eliholtman]

Is this the first time they have had pellets? If so you have to wean them off the seed, a d make sure they are eating the pellets. Some times they poke around in them but aren't really eating them at the start. Cute Keet names!

Lol thanks...and yes this is their first time, I’m filled the bowl up about halfway and tmrw morning I’m going to put seed in while I get ready but while I’m at school leave pellets, I only have a half day at school tmrw so I’ll make sure I see them eating.


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[eliholtman]

They’re on the floor eating the seeds they threw out this morning lol I’ll be sure to change the bottom tmrw morning...yako was looking at them tho all confused like “what are these things” lol


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[Laurasea]

Ok make sure they get some seeds, I think there are threads here on doing the switch. Great job BTW on starting btheir healthy journey! Hope you are giving veggies too. !

 

[eliholtman]

Ok make sure they get some seeds, I think there are threads here on doing the switch. Great job BTW on starting btheir healthy journey! Hope you are giving veggies too. !

Yeah I’ve read them all it mainly just says to keep pellets out all day but to make sure they’re eating put seeds out for ab 15 mins at a time


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[Flboy]

FYI, imho, a good quality seed is much better than a so so pellet! I use Abba Soak Seed and products from TOPS!
SOAK
https://topsparrotfood.com/

 

[eliholtman]

FYI, imho, a good quality seed is much better than a so so pellet! I use Abba Soak Seed and products from TOPS!
SOAK
https://topsparrotfood.com/

I’m using Harrison’s high potency right now bc I read that’s to start them off on, and after 6 months I’ll switch to Harrison’s adult lifetime


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[GaleriaGila]

My usual Harrison's promo!

Harrison's Bird Foods

I feed Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry enough to try new stuff. I presume the same technique could be used to get him to eat other healthy stuff, like fruits and vegetables! My guy was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day. I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.
Another couple of ideas...
My ol' man is an athlete and health nut. He actually EATS all the good stuff, so it's always around. I find that tossing various stuff into the food bowls at random is good... the variations and differences seem to stimulate curiosity and attention.
The other idea... if you can stand it (lol) EAT the stuff in front of the birds, yes. That encourages them. I have also found that if my ol' man eats stuff in front of the bird, the bird WANTS it for himself. Kinda a rivalry thing!

 

[EllenD]

As a life-long Budgie owner and breeder, I'd like to make a suggestion to you on their diet, if I could...FLBoy already echoed my advice, but I'd like to explain this to you, as not only are Budgies a bit different than other species of parrots when it comes to their diet, but also you've got 2 Budgies that have never eaten pellets before, and this can be an issue...

First of all, what brand/type of pellets are you trying to switch your Budgies to? With Budgies who were weaned onto a seed-mix and who have never eaten pellets, it's very important that if you really want to switch them to a pellet staple diet that you choose a pellet that is the right size, otherwise Budgies absolutely will not eat them. The pellet you choose for your Budgies must be extremely small, almost "seed size", or they will simply throw them out of the dish, or if pellets are all that they have, they are the one species of parrot who are known to actually totally not eat at all. And when it comes to Budgie-sized pellets, there aren't anywhere near the options available as there are for larger parrots.

****Here's the main issue with feeding pellets to Budgies, and the main reason that you probably will not want to switch them over to pellets at all, and that is that 95% of all the pellets available in a Budgie-size are not "Natural" pellets, but are mostly "Fruit Flavored" pellets. In fact, the only brand of Budgie-size pellets that I know of that are not "Fruit Flavored" pellets are Harrison's. I'm sure there are others out there somewhere, but I've not seen them, and they are not readily available in common pet shops...Whether we're talking about Zupreem, Tropican, Higgins, Tops, Kaytee, etc., they all have only a "Fruit Flavored" pellet option in the Budgie size.

***The problem with any "Fruit-Flavored" pellet is that they are all absolutely LOADED with sugar! And that sugar gets converted into fat, which is stored in the liver, and eventually it leads to Fatty Liver Disease; in addition, the huge amount of sugar in Fruit-flavored pellets also causes Diabetes, Obesity, and a host of other issues. So most experience parrot owners do not feed their birds any brand of Fruit-Flavored pellets, but rather "Natural" pellets, which are low fat and have little to no added sugar or salt. It is these Natural pellets that are low in fat and which contain no added sugar or salt which make it worth-while and healthy to switch your birds to pellets in the first place. Whereas if you simply feed your birds Fruit-Flavored pellets that are loaded with added sugars, as well as all kinds of colorings, preservatives, etc., then you are completely defeating the purpose of feeding your birds pellets to begin with. And unfortunately with Budgies, unless you are using Harrison's, there are few options for Natural pellets that are Budgie-size...

So, as FLBoy already stated, with Budgies, unless you are switching them to a Natural pellet that is the correct size for them, then you are much better-off to simply feed your Budgies a healthy, fortified, varied, low-fat seed-mix as their staple instead of pellets, and then also supplement their seed-mix staple with lots of fresh veggies and dark, leafy greens (just as fruit-flavored pellets are loaded with sugar, so is fresh fruit; as such, you should only feed your birds fresh fruit as an occasional treat, maybe 3-4 times a week, and in small quantities; fresh veggies and dark, leafy greens should be fed every single day and in larger quantities)...

******The other thing that you need to be aware of is whether or not your Budgies are actually getting enough to eat during the day, each day. You cannot simply leave them with a bowl of pellets and that's it when they were not weaned onto pellets and have never eaten them before. So even if you are feeding them Harrison's or some other Natural pellet and not a fruit-flavored pellet, you still need to transition them over to the pellets slowly. You cannot just leave pellets in their bowl all of a sudden, especially with Budgies, as they typically will not eat them at all. The transition-guide from Harrison's that Gail posted the link to is the best pellet-transition guide I've ever seen, and is the way to go about doing this. But you need to be aware of the amount of food that your 2 Budgies are actually eating, as I've seen people trying to switch their Budgies over to pellets, even the correct way, and their birds quickly lose a large amount of weight because they simply won't eat the pellets, even the sugary fruit pellets. You really should be using a digital kitchen scale to weigh both of your Budgies each day if you're going to try to transition them to a Natural pellet, so you can be sure they are not losing weight.

So again, if you're feeding a fruit-flavored pellet, you're much better off to simply not feed them any pellets at all, and to choose a healthy, fortified seed-mix that is low-fat and that contains no sunflower seeds, nuts, etc. Luckily most Budgie seed-mixes do not contain sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, or nuts, because they are too large for Budgies, but there are some that do, so you want to avoid these mixes. And if you are feeding a natural Budgie pellet, you need to follow the transition guide and do it slowly, over time, and not just leave pellets for them in their bowl all day long, as they typically will not eat them, but rather just throw them all over the bottom of the cage while they are digging to find seeds. A lot of the time people will look at their bowl when they get home, see that it's lower, and think that their birds are eating the pellets, when in reality their birds haven't eaten any pellets at all, just strewn them around their cage looking for seeds.

 

[eliholtman]

As a life-long Budgie owner and breeder, I'd like to make a suggestion to you on their diet, if I could...FLBoy already echoed my advice, but I'd like to explain this to you, as not only are Budgies a bit different than other species of parrots when it comes to their diet, but also you've got 2 Budgies that have never eaten pellets before, and this can be an issue...

First of all, what brand/type of pellets are you trying to switch your Budgies to? With Budgies who were weaned onto a seed-mix and who have never eaten pellets, it's very important that if you really want to switch them to a pellet staple diet that you choose a pellet that is the right size, otherwise Budgies absolutely will not eat them. The pellet you choose for your Budgies must be extremely small, almost "seed size", or they will simply throw them out of the dish, or if pellets are all that they have, they are the one species of parrot who are known to actually totally not eat at all. And when it comes to Budgie-sized pellets, there aren't anywhere near the options available as there are for larger parrots.

****Here's the main issue with feeding pellets to Budgies, and the main reason that you probably will not want to switch them over to pellets at all, and that is that 95% of all the pellets available in a Budgie-size are not "Natural" pellets, but are mostly "Fruit Flavored" pellets. In fact, the only brand of Budgie-size pellets that I know of that are not "Fruit Flavored" pellets are Harrison's. I'm sure there are others out there somewhere, but I've not seen them, and they are not readily available in common pet shops...Whether we're talking about Zupreem, Tropican, Higgins, Tops, Kaytee, etc., they all have only a "Fruit Flavored" pellet option in the Budgie size.

***The problem with any "Fruit-Flavored" pellet is that they are all absolutely LOADED with sugar! And that sugar gets converted into fat, which is stored in the liver, and eventually it leads to Fatty Liver Disease; in addition, the huge amount of sugar in Fruit-flavored pellets also causes Diabetes, Obesity, and a host of other issues. So most experience parrot owners do not feed their birds any brand of Fruit-Flavored pellets, but rather "Natural" pellets, which are low fat and have little to no added sugar or salt. It is these Natural pellets that are low in fat and which contain no added sugar or salt which make it worth-while and healthy to switch your birds to pellets in the first place. Whereas if you simply feed your birds Fruit-Flavored pellets that are loaded with added sugars, as well as all kinds of colorings, preservatives, etc., then you are completely defeating the purpose of feeding your birds pellets to begin with. And unfortunately with Budgies, unless you are using Harrison's, there are few options for Natural pellets that are Budgie-size...

So, as FLBoy already stated, with Budgies, unless you are switching them to a Natural pellet that is the correct size for them, then you are much better-off to simply feed your Budgies a healthy, fortified, varied, low-fat seed-mix as their staple instead of pellets, and then also supplement their seed-mix staple with lots of fresh veggies and dark, leafy greens (just as fruit-flavored pellets are loaded with sugar, so is fresh fruit; as such, you should only feed your birds fresh fruit as an occasional treat, maybe 3-4 times a week, and in small quantities; fresh veggies and dark, leafy greens should be fed every single day and in larger quantities)...

******The other thing that you need to be aware of is whether or not your Budgies are actually getting enough to eat during the day, each day. You cannot simply leave them with a bowl of pellets and that's it when they were not weaned onto pellets and have never eaten them before. So even if you are feeding them Harrison's or some other Natural pellet and not a fruit-flavored pellet, you still need to transition them over to the pellets slowly. You cannot just leave pellets in their bowl all of a sudden, especially with Budgies, as they typically will not eat them at all. The transition-guide from Harrison's that Gail posted the link to is the best pellet-transition guide I've ever seen, and is the way to go about doing this. But you need to be aware of the amount of food that your 2 Budgies are actually eating, as I've seen people trying to switch their Budgies over to pellets, even the correct way, and their birds quickly lose a large amount of weight because they simply won't eat the pellets, even the sugary fruit pellets. You really should be using a digital kitchen scale to weigh both of your Budgies each day if you're going to try to transition them to a Natural pellet, so you can be sure they are not losing weight.

So again, if you're feeding a fruit-flavored pellet, you're much better off to simply not feed them any pellets at all, and to choose a healthy, fortified seed-mix that is low-fat and that contains no sunflower seeds, nuts, etc. Luckily most Budgie seed-mixes do not contain sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, or nuts, because they are too large for Budgies, but there are some that do, so you want to avoid these mixes. And if you are feeding a natural Budgie pellet, you need to follow the transition guide and do it slowly, over time, and not just leave pellets for them in their bowl all day long, as they typically will not eat them, but rather just throw them all over the bottom of the cage while they are digging to find seeds. A lot of the time people will look at their bowl when they get home, see that it's lower, and think that their birds are eating the pellets, when in reality their birds haven't eaten any pellets at all, just strewn them around their cage looking for seeds.

I’m using Harrison’s super fine, the recommended size for budgies


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[FlyBirdiesFly]

Tops has a “small” size, but it really is quite large for budgies and you would need to crush them, especially with birds that aren’t used to pellets. Bluebell is fine with the size (I don’t crush them), but Pearl won’t eat them. Harrison’s super fine is perfect for budgies. Roudybush in size crumble or nibbles would also work if your budgies don’t like the Harrison’s.

 

[eliholtman]

I’ve got some lettuce hanging up in their cage but there scared of it lol


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[Inger]

I’ve got some lettuce hanging up in their cage but there scared of it lol


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Bumble will eat almost anything from my hand, so when I’m introducing something new that’s where we start. Sometimes I eat (or pretend to eat) a little bit first and then she always goes for it. Disclaimer: she came to me an excellent eater, so it’s easy. But maybe it’s worth a try?


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[FlyBirdiesFly]

Try making chop - it can get them to try a whole new variety of veggies! Lettuce, kale, chard, spinach, cilantro, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers, snap peas, green beans, cucumbers, and celery are some favorites. You can also try giving them steamed frozen veggies if they refuse the chop - even Ducky, my pickiest eater of the bunch, LOVES corn and peas. If your budgies are tame, try eating it in front of them - they’ll see you eating it and they’ll want to join in. And don’t forget to keep at it until they finally decide to eat the veggies.

 

[EllenD]

Good deal if you're feeding Harrison's pellets, as they are not a "fruit-flavored" pellet that is full of sugar...Just be certain that they are actually eating them, and again, try to do the transition slowly, and not all at once. If they don't seem to be eating the pellets during the day, you'll need to give them more seeds, as Budgies can be really stubborn about pellets, and you don't want them to start losing any weight. Of course weighing them daily each morning, before you feed them, will ensure that they're actually eating enough "food" in-general and aren't just throwing the pellets all over and not eating all day long...

 

[buurd]

Im mixing in a little Rouodybush pellets for parakeet size with their seeds.

Great advice on this thread for switching your parakeets over to pellets.

I'd grown kind of frustrated with some anecdotal advice on pellet feeding, before, because what most parrots, or maybe just big, tropical (?) parrots want to eat, didnt jibe with what my type of parakeet wanted to eat or was comfortable with. At first , looking across the net, Zupreem seemed to be a favored brand. So I bought some, and my birds want nothing to do with them. They arent big fruit eaters, and they definitely arent big on bananas and other tropical fruits; possibly because they havent evolved from that environment (?).

Anyway, that was an education for me, and it did help the birds health out somewhat, in that it gave their muscles a workout, with their long distance pellet throwing.

 

[buurd]

Try making chop - it can get them to try a whole new variety of veggies! Lettuce, kale, chard, spinach, cilantro, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers, snap peas, green beans, cucumbers, and celery are some favorites. You can also try giving them steamed frozen veggies if they refuse the chop - even Ducky, my pickiest eater of the bunch, LOVES corn and peas. If your budgies are tame, try eating it in front of them - they’ll see you eating it and they’ll want to join in. And don’t forget to keep at it until they finally decide to eat the veggies.

My bourkies love chop. The woman who had them before was just giving them spinach and told me to do so, but I soon thereafter gave them some of what I was eating (all ok stuff for them; no onions, etc) When I can I give them a lot of spinach, because they still favor it, but I make sure to give them a bt of other things tossed into it. now. Ive never tried corn, but I have peas, and they are not pea fans. Not now, anyway. Maybe Ill get them some fresh spring ones in a few months.

My guys are not so human friendly, they are more shy and reserved But they absolutely perk up and are vocal about it, if i eat in the same room as them. Especially if its a salad, lol

 

[eliholtman]

It's only been a few days and both are already eating the pellets!!!! That was way faster than I expected!!!!!