Pellet conversion

[ParkersMom]

So as you may well know we have had Charlie for almost 2 weeks. I took her to the vet a few days after we got her and talked to him about the best way to wean her on to pellets( harrisons )

He said to find out how much she eats per day then break it down into 2 separate feedings after a few days once she realizes how the system works to change out her night feeding for fresh fruits and veggies...so that part went surprisingly well

Step 2 after a few more days switch the morning feeding to pellets...herein lies the problem She is having nothing to do with the pellets...

this leads me to my question
1 will she go hungry rather than eat the pellets
2 has anyone had any success with this method...I don't want to just waste pellets if she won't eat them by just putting more in the cage everyday

She will take food from my hand and sometimes from my husband.
She still won't come out of her cage, or let me touch her. She loves destroying wooden toys...she is gonna be my expensive bird...lol...Parker likes the leather and plastic toys...

 

[MikeyTN]

Like I suggested to you! If you want to do fruit and veggies feeding during evening then feed minimal seeds during the day like a tablespoon full but leave a pellet bowl there all day long. Then remove left over seeds, usually nothing left, then your regular night feeding....as long as your persistent, it will work!

 

[ParkersMom]

But if I keep putting seeds in then She will just eat those and leave the pellets behind...She won't even eat the pellet type pieces that are in the seed mix she is eating.

 

[SoCalWendy]

But if I keep putting seeds in then She will just eat those and leave the pellets behind...She won't even eat the pellet type pieces that are in the seed mix she is eating.

What kind of pellets are you feeding? You may need to try a couple different kinds. I was feeding Roudybush but now I feed Harrison's. My birds took to it really fast. Not that I'm plugging Harrison's, but most birds really like it. But some done.

Here is what I do. I think that a well balanced diet is most is most important. Seed is part of that equation, but not as a meal. The diet also includes, fresh or sometime frozen fruit and veggies, beans, grains, etc. 3 bowls in the cage, 1 for water, 1 for pellets only, and one for fruits/veggies/or whatever else you want to add, grains, beans etc. let her have access to her pellets 24/7, but you do need to discard so don't fill the whole bowl. The other bowl, chop up some veggies, add some fruit, whatever you want to give her. You can even add a little seeds, and even a few pellets, and mix well so it sticks together. Offer her this twice a day am/pm. Give her some time to eat it, when she is done discard. She has pellets to eat for the rest of the day until her next meal. Mix it up, try recipes like mash, or sweet potato balls, yum! This is what works for me. Hope it can help you.

 

[MikeyTN]

That's why you cut the amount of seeds! She is eating enough to get by but if she's hungry enough she's gonna eat the pellets. I start the transition after a month worth of time, I don't rush to change it right away. At the beginning I offer just their seeds plus fruits and veggies. After a month is when I start the transitioning. You have to be consistent in order to make it work! What Java's previous family couldn't do to change his diet for over 7 years, I got it done in a week. But during the transitioning period, during anytime you catch her eating pellets pretty good, yank the seeds completely. So you basically stop feeding seeds during the day and just stick to pellets then your fruits & veggies during evening time like you've been doing. And during this time, don't offer any treats! Including nuts, etc!!! Let her be stabilize on her pellets first for a month or so before offering treats and nuts again. Trust me, I've done this many times already.

 

[MikeyTN]

I know many people do suggest trying different types of pellets, etc. Not me, whatever I feed my other birds is what they'll get. It just takes persistence to make it work!

 

[SoCalWendy]

I know many people do suggest trying different types of pellets, etc. Not me, whatever I feed my other birds is what they'll get. It just takes persistence to make it work!

I went with the Harrison's because it was organic and the Roudybush is GMO corn base. That wasn't okay with me, and the switch was very easy.

 

[MikeyTN]

If you read a post awhile back, Harrison's isn't all they seem to be! Your buying a brand name product and that's about it....I don't even use Harrison's and they have a local store here right in Nashville. The company is here too....

 

[SoCalWendy]

If you read a post awhile back, Harrison's isn't all they seem to be! Your buying a brand name product and that's about it....I don't even use Harrison's and they have a local store here right in Nashville. The company is here too....

Really, I am surprised! I even love the way it smells, id eat it. For us its really personal preference. We don't eat products containing GMO ingredients, so I don't feed it to my animals either. What do you suggest that doesn't have GMO ingredients? I wanted to try TOPS but they don't sell it locally here, and I don't want to pay the shipping. Also I feed a varied diet, try to keep it well balanced.

P.S. I never read the posts about Harrison's.

 

[MikeyTN]

It's been several months back about that post and I have always felt the same prior to the post. I've been using Zupreem for many years, started using Zupreem when I got my first bird when I was 18. My good breeder friend have been using Zupreem for a very long time as they've been raising birds for over 40+ years. But now days they rescue monkeys....They have a farm and they have all kinds of animals out there....They were president of the local bird club here for many years and they were in National Cockatiel Society and other bird association as they've raised all kinds.

 

[SoCalWendy]

A lot of people feed Zupreem and they love it. I will defiantly check it out. I did a lot of research before I went to Harrison's. I never would have fed Roudybush had I known about the GMO ingredients. But with Harrison's I haven't found any negative feedback on the Internet.... yet. And I was specific in my search too. Anyway, regardless of what is fed I really feel that birds should be fed a more natural varied diet as close to their natural diet as possible. So I don't know about you but I am always trying to get Rio and Kiwi to try new things. Spoiled birds.

 

[MikeyTN]

I'm with you there!!!! I want them to eat more then what they're eating already so I do try different types of food but failed miserably when they fling it across the room, that's when I know they hated it....lol....My partner is the main one that feeds them their fresh food on a daily basis, I don't deal with that part. I work more then my partner does and I have plenty on my plate to do around the house with anything that needs fixing up etc. With any animal that needs special care, that falls on me too. I'm the one that give any meds needed. I'm the hand feeder, trainer, etc. But I do over ride certain things IF I feel my partner isn't doing something right like one point Dixie was given seeds cause my partner didn't want the parrot seeds to go to waste, I was mad cause Dixie started throwing out all her pellets and go straight for the seeds. So I had to re-do the food part and got her back on track. So I took the seeds and removed all the nuts and use them as treats. Then mixed the rest to feed my smaller birds. Nothing goes to waste! If I must, I feed them to outside birds in the bird feeder.

 

[ParkersMom]

I feed Parker Harrison's so I would like to keep Charlie on the same just for ease of use...

 

[crimson]

there is a large thread on here on what types of pellets are best, etc....
it's a fountain of info, including ingredients.

we've all been duped by Harrisons, but again it's a personal choice.

I use to feed my cockatiel the Harrisons mash when trying to convert, she was 9 yrs. + on a seed diet, she won't touch pellets what so ever, but she loves her fruits and veggies

 

[SoCalWendy]

I'm with you there!!!! I want them to eat more then what they're eating already so I do try different types of food but failed miserably when they fling it across the room, that's when I know they hated it....lol....My partner is the main one that feeds them their fresh food on a daily basis, I don't deal with that part. I work more then my partner does and I have plenty on my plate to do around the house with anything that needs fixing up etc. With any animal that needs special care, that falls on me too. I'm the one that give any meds needed. I'm the hand feeder, trainer, etc. But I do over ride certain things IF I feel my partner isn't doing something right like one point Dixie was given seeds cause my partner didn't want the parrot seeds to go to waste, I was mad cause Dixie started throwing out all her pellets and go straight for the seeds. So I had to re-do the food part and got her back on track. So I took the seeds and removed all the nuts and use them as treats. Then mixed the rest to feed my smaller birds. Nothing goes to waste! If I must, I feed them to outside birds in the bird feeder.

I hate waste too. Rio is given some seed a little each day, either in her veggie bowl or when we are training. Feeding the waste to the outside birds is a great idea. I think I am going to start doing that.

 

[SoCalWendy]

there is a large thread on here on what types of pellets are best, etc....
it's a fountain of info, including ingredients.

we've all been duped by Harrisons, but again it's a personal choice.

I use to feed my cockatiel the Harrisons mash when trying to convert, she was 9 yrs. + on a seed diet, she won't touch pellets what so ever, but she loves her fruits and veggies

I will have to search for that and read it. I have never felt duped by Harrison's, and love the fact that it is all organic. I don't think that any commercial food / bird food is 100%, which is why I would never just feed pellets. That's so great that your bird loves her fruits and veggies. I like to make a sweet potato mash and roll it in to balls. I place the balls in a freeze bag and take out only what I need for the day, and they thaw fast too.

 

[MikeyTN]

You'd be amazed how the wild birds will react to you feeding them. I used to have them waiting outside my work waiting for me to feed them. My co-workers wouldn't believe me until they actually saw one pecking at the window peeking in. I went outside and fed them. They never fly away from me as I'm only a feet away from them while my co-workers observed from the windows.

 

[SoCalWendy]

I feed Parker Harrison's so I would like to keep Charlie on the same just for ease of use...

I feed Rio, Harrison's HP Coarse and the Fine, she likes both. I really want to try the Peppered. Have you tried it? Kiwi eats the fine only. She is a parrotlet. Tried her first on the superfine, it was a good way to get her off so much seed because the superfine kinda looks like a seed, and I tricked her. She tried it, decided she liked it and ate it up. But now she is just on the hp fine. It's convenient to have them on the same food.

 

[ParkersMom]

I originally tried parker on the coarse but he wasted so much that I switched him to the fine he seems to so well with it....I haven't tried the pepper yet...I had him on high po first then switched to lifetime

 

[JerseyWendy]

This is a VERY helpful article, Heather.
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/23367-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

And here is the thread about pellets:
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/28242-ingredients-pellets.html