kmiller0320
New member
- Jun 20, 2012
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Which are better for parrotlets...seed or pellet? I read and hear various things and don't know what to follow.
Seed or pellets
- Thread starter kmiller0320
- Start date
Over the years they has been many battles over what diet is best!
Our Certified Avian Vets (CAV's) will activity promote anywhere from Pellets as support to Pellets representing 100% of the Parrots diet.
Pet stores will push what they have on the shelf! Its pretty much that simple.
So, what is the best for your Parrot?
Clearly, what would be best is to duplicate what they would eat in their Natural range. That would include a heavy and wide selection of Greens some Fruits. From there, it would include a very wide selection of seeds, grains and nuts. To this natural base, adding a quality 'Human Grade' Pellet and freeze dry veggies and fruits, plus pasta bits and you have as near perfect as possible.
The Problem: Most owners are not willing to put the time and/or effort into prepping the greens and fruits, sometimes called chop. The very wide selection of "Human Grade' seeds, grains and nuts requires targeted shopping and paying for the the added quality. So, to make it simple people buy a bag of cheap seed and an inexpensive Pellet and they call it good.
So, it comes down to what effort you want to put into the diet of your Parrot! After all its only the health of your Parrot we are talking about, right.
Our Certified Avian Vets (CAV's) will activity promote anywhere from Pellets as support to Pellets representing 100% of the Parrots diet.
Pet stores will push what they have on the shelf! Its pretty much that simple.
So, what is the best for your Parrot?
Clearly, what would be best is to duplicate what they would eat in their Natural range. That would include a heavy and wide selection of Greens some Fruits. From there, it would include a very wide selection of seeds, grains and nuts. To this natural base, adding a quality 'Human Grade' Pellet and freeze dry veggies and fruits, plus pasta bits and you have as near perfect as possible.
The Problem: Most owners are not willing to put the time and/or effort into prepping the greens and fruits, sometimes called chop. The very wide selection of "Human Grade' seeds, grains and nuts requires targeted shopping and paying for the the added quality. So, to make it simple people buy a bag of cheap seed and an inexpensive Pellet and they call it good.
So, it comes down to what effort you want to put into the diet of your Parrot! After all its only the health of your Parrot we are talking about, right.
OutlawedSpirit
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- Apr 12, 2016
- 1,020
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- Bo - DYH ~ Gus - CAG ~ Twitch - Linnie ~ Apple - Pineapple GCC ~ Goliath - Quaker ~ Squish - Peach face Lovebird
Myself, I generally do a mixture of both as an all the time food. Definitely more pellet than seed. I mix 1/4 cup pellet and 1tbs seed in their dish to leave in their cage all the time. Of course, that is in addition to fresh foods given throughout the day, which should be a big part of their diet. I definitely don't think they should be on an all seed diet, but I do think a little seed is beneficial to them for some of the healthy fats and extra energy it provides the active little guys.
However, my birds are breeders, so you may want to offer less seed in proportion to pellet, maybe a tsp to a quarter cup.
Also, I woul d not offer the seed and pellet together unless your bird will still eat the pellets. If not, you could feed just pellet in the cage and offer a small amount of seed as a treat out on a play stand or in a separate treat cup on occasion.
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However, my birds are breeders, so you may want to offer less seed in proportion to pellet, maybe a tsp to a quarter cup.
Also, I woul d not offer the seed and pellet together unless your bird will still eat the pellets. If not, you could feed just pellet in the cage and offer a small amount of seed as a treat out on a play stand or in a separate treat cup on occasion.
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Flboy
Well-known member
- Dec 28, 2014
- 12,601
- 4,106
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- JoJo, 'Special' GCC, Bongo, Cinnamon GCC(wife's)
Remember, if all you're going to do is feed pellets, that is no different than you living on a diet of granola! It may keep you healthy, but to what end?
LordTriggs
New member
here's what I would do. Morning I'd give some chopped fruits for an hour or so until I was "up and awake" then I would replace with a bowl of pellets to munch on as they day went on. In the evening when I made dinner I would put some chopped veg in. After that I would put a small amount of seed which I would keep in the cage until morning when the process would start all over again, at weekends or days off when he was out I would put some pellets with a little seed on his playtop so he would often go back for a quick snack to keep his energy up in case he wanted to go for a manic fly around or a good screech. Naturally vary up the fruits and veggies to keep the main meals interesting. It seemed to keep Rio happy and he was always interested/excited when he saw a bowl coming towards the cage.
tanyamitchellrn
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- Nov 17, 2017
- 60
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- Kaya Cockatoo, EJ Amazon, Pepper African Grey, Casey IRN, Glen Sun Conure
I agree with all of the other replies you have received. I do have a bit of advice to help save you time in the preparation of fresh chopped veggies and fruits. Find a recipe that you like. I like chopping veggies and using bananas like a paste to hold it together but you can choose whatever recipe you like. I then put it in trays that are used to freeze herbs because they have a lid, unlike regular ice cube tray‘s. If you make several trays at a time, you just pop one cube out and thaw it and you’re ready to feed
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My parrotlets get a seed/pellet mixture that is available at all times as well as chop twice a day.
- Mar 20, 2017
- 3,436
- 906
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- Bumble - Pacific (or Celestial) Parrotlet hatched 02/19/17
Right , got to remember they are parrotlets, so small everything. small pellets smaller nuts, or shelled ( parrotlets are not gonna crack a walnut). Chop , well your bird will have his favorite in the mix, eat that, and work thier way down. Some like it chunky, some finer, we try to vary Saltys dinner meal, which he eats with us, sometimes we mix in a couple spoons of natural baby food, or dried corm and fruits mix, other nites he gets to attack 1/2 yam or small pumpkin or squash.
- Mar 20, 2017
- 3,436
- 906
- Parrots
- Bumble - Pacific (or Celestial) Parrotlet hatched 02/19/17
Oh those names are PERFECT
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Cthebird
New member
- Sep 19, 2017
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- I now have a young Hahn's macaw. I used to have a Pacific Parrotlet that lived until almost 15. Before that I had a budgie.
I lost my beloved Pacific Parrotlet a year ago. He was 15. Two avian vets told us from the beginning, once before my Parrotlet when we had a budgie and when we adopted our Parrotlet as a chick. They pretty much said they will live longer on a pellet diet. Both recommended Harrison's Super Fine.
Of course they need variety in food. What I did was give my guy about 1/4 cup pellets in his cage food dish topped with 1- 2 tsp dried greens, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp seed mix. He loved all of this. He of course liked the seeds, but he only ate some. He mostly ate the pellets.
For some reason my Parrotlet didn't like fresh fruits or veggies. That concerned us, so we made a mash that had a huge variety of them, including greens, beans, pulses, and a little brown rice plus Birdy supplement. He actually loved that, especially because we heated it up. We'd make a big batch of mash and pack it in individual serving "disks" and freeze them. With all of this he was healthy with beautiful feathers his whole life.
We also invited him to breakfasts and occasional dinners. We let him eat some of our food, in moderation, as long as it was Birdy safe. Thievery was a big thrill for him.
Of course they need variety in food. What I did was give my guy about 1/4 cup pellets in his cage food dish topped with 1- 2 tsp dried greens, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp seed mix. He loved all of this. He of course liked the seeds, but he only ate some. He mostly ate the pellets.
For some reason my Parrotlet didn't like fresh fruits or veggies. That concerned us, so we made a mash that had a huge variety of them, including greens, beans, pulses, and a little brown rice plus Birdy supplement. He actually loved that, especially because we heated it up. We'd make a big batch of mash and pack it in individual serving "disks" and freeze them. With all of this he was healthy with beautiful feathers his whole life.
We also invited him to breakfasts and occasional dinners. We let him eat some of our food, in moderation, as long as it was Birdy safe. Thievery was a big thrill for him.
Here are my two cents.
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!
Good for you for reaching out and being open-minded.
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!
Good for you for reaching out and being open-minded.
