So many choices!!

[Roxy_9_2011]

Thanks to MySafeBirdStore.com, there are too many choices on selecting the best food for Roxy, my YSGCC.

As of right now she gets the ZuPreem pellets, but I want to do way better than that. (She does get fresh fruits and veggie once or twice a week via a homemade smoothie)

My first question is, does anyone have experience using Higgins Pellets Are they better than ZuPreem pellets or about the same? I compared the 2 brands, ingredients and there are some differences. Higgins pellets have more in them....but more doesn't necessarily mean better.

Also, I want to let Roxy get a more diverse diet (every day) so in addition to the pellets I was thinking to add on MSBS Bountiful Harvest Would this be a good idea to add on to the pellets every day? Or should the bountiful harvest not be given every day to her? (I've also thought about sprouts as well?)

There is a reason I am looking into changing her diet. I noticed that when she's on her playstand, she eats her poop. I talked to other bird experts and they say that something is missing in her diet and she has to get it from her droppings. I tried a mineral block, but she thinks it's a decoration and wants nothing to do with it. I know I can scrape it into her pellets, but I am concerned about her getting an overdose of Vitamins which can be detrimental. I want to give her all she needs, but without overdoing the Vitamin intake.
Any ideas will be welcomed and I really don't mean to restart the whole "what food is best" debate

 

[DaCoSim]

Hi there! All of my birds LOVE the bountiful harvest! I premix it with their pellets and another seed mix in a big air tight container. They seem to luv it. I also give mine fresh or frozen fruits and veggies daily. I HIGHLY recommend their bountiful harvest. Its fantastic!

 

[JamesC]

You might want to try a variety of fresh fruits and veggies daily. I have a 3rd cup in the bird cages and usually give a mix of 2-3 types each day. Just need to remember to toss the uneaten portions after half a day and keep the cup clean. There are lists here and there on the net of some of the best fruits and veggies to give them. High on that list are things like carrots, broccoli, snap peas, mango, papaya and kiwi to name a very few. I have the most success with the snap peas. Some none of my birds will touch. Can't get any of them to eat mango at all. Both of my blue crowns are a little lazy and have a tendency to get pudgy so I try to limit sugary fruits in the mix and stick with more veggies. The senegal is an energy machine so he burns off calories quickly. He eats almost as much as the much larger blue crowns every day and he stays near the low end of his ideal weight range. (I sure wish I could do the same!)

I have not tried the Higgens pellets so can't offer any insight on how good they are. Bountiful Harvest is a good thing for the most part but I would use it more as an occasional treat than an every day food since it does contain some dried fruits which can be sugary.

I do have a concern about the Bountiful Harvest, though. The last two times I got it I found chocolate covered peanuts in the mix. Maybe only 2-3 in the 2 lb bags that I bought. But I really don't want my birds having chocolate anything. I was surprised the first time and thought it was a fluke. But the last batch I bought had some too. Everything else in there is good quality stuff so I just make sure that I pick them out.

 

[Roxy_9_2011]

I do have a concern about the Bountiful Harvest, though. The last two times I got it I found chocolate covered peanuts in the mix. Maybe only 2-3 in the 2 lb bags that I bought. But I really don't want my birds having chocolate anything. I was surprised the first time and thought it was a fluke. But the last batch I bought had some too. Everything else in there is good quality stuff so I just make sure that I pick them out.

Could it possible have been this: Goldenfeast Carob Coated Almonds 2 oz - TREATS by MY SAFE BIRD STORE Cause that would surprise me that they would have chocolate anywhere near their packaging. But no one's perfect

 

[Jenlynn]

You might want to try a variety of fresh fruits and veggies daily. I have a 3rd cup in the bird cages and usually give a mix of 2-3 types each day. Just need to remember to toss the uneaten portions after half a day and keep the cup clean. There are lists here and there on the net of some of the best fruits and veggies to give them. High on that list are things like carrots, broccoli, snap peas, mango, papaya and kiwi to name a very few. I have the most success with the snap peas. Some none of my birds will touch. Can't get any of them to eat mango at all. Both of my blue crowns are a little lazy and have a tendency to get pudgy so I try to limit sugary fruits in the mix and stick with more veggies. The senegal is an energy machine so he burns off calories quickly. He eats almost as much as the much larger blue crowns every day and he stays near the low end of his ideal weight range. (I sure wish I could do the same!)

I have not tried the Higgens pellets so can't offer any insight on how good they are. Bountiful Harvest is a good thing for the most part but I would use it more as an occasional treat than an every day food since it does contain some dried fruits which can be sugary.

I do have a concern about the Bountiful Harvest, though. The last two times I got it I found chocolate covered peanuts in the mix. Maybe only 2-3 in the 2 lb bags that I bought. But I really don't want my birds having chocolate anything. I was surprised the first time and thought it was a fluke. But the last batch I bought had some too. Everything else in there is good quality stuff so I just make sure that I pick them out.

This has come up before...its definitely carob almonds....here's an entire post dedicated to it... The owner of msbs even comments on it....http://www.parrotforums.com/questions-answers/18146-bountiful-harvest-chocolate.html
Bountiful harvest is great. She recommends a 2 part pellet 1 part bountiful harvest....id stick with that...I gave more bountiful harvest and my grey held out and ignored his pellets...noW that he gets less he eats everything... He's spoiled lol

 

[JamesC]

Thank you for linking that thread. I usually just browse the conure and poicephalus forums so I missed it. It is good to know that I was mistaken about there being chocolate in the mix. Though I will have to admit that after being chocolate cautious for long with my fuzzbutts that seeing them snacking on something that looks like chocolate would probably seem very unnatural. I will leave them in next order and see how they like them.