What comes first the Seeds, the pellets or the vege????

[VJB]

Hi all
I am a little confused I have begun giving Obi a quarter of a cup of seeds in the morning first thing. I notice in the morning he is absolutely ravenous and he devours them really fast.
After he finishes the seeds before I leave in the morning I replace them with Nutribird Pellets which he nibbles at occasionally and I leave them all day and through the night in his cage.
I know he can eat them but should I have water near in case he wants to dunk them? his water is in a covered bottle.
Then later in the afternoon I make a chop for him of veggies or fresh fruit and I usually hang some greens like spinach or parsley for him innthe cage which I remove before bed.
In the morning when I uncover his cage the majority of the pellets are there uneaten and I just throw them away.
I contacted an avian vet from a top pellet range who advised me not to feed seeds at all only pellets which should make up around seventy to eighty percent of the diet and then the rest in vegetables.
So I really want to know what is right here? To eliminate seed completely or to continue as I am doing with a quarter cup of seeds in the mornings which I then remove and replace with pellets?
I am concerned that if I feed pellets only they won't get eaten but then again if I feed the morning seeds he will eat these and the. Wait till the next morning for the seeds again and neglect the pellets.
Also at what time of the day should the chop be given?
Should all pellets etc be removed from the cage before bed?
Thank you soooooo much.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Most authorities will recommend a good pellet as a staple, augmented by a good chop recipe.

Here's what worked for me.

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 I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.

The Rb has been on this regimen for over 30 years.

 

[ChristaNL]

I never chuck pellets daily, unless they are fouled somehow - they are like all dried stuf, they will keep for a few days. I even see mine climbing down and retrieving them from the bottom of the cage whenever they want one ...

If your bird likes to soak pellets give it an option to do so (mine don't so they are happy with the drinking bottles).

I do it the other way around: veggies in the morning (so they can snack healthy all day) and seed late afternoon/ early evening before bed.
Pellets 24/7 of course, you never know when they get the munchies.

 

[VJB]

I never chuck pellets daily, unless they are fouled somehow - they are like all dried stuf, they will keep for a few days.

Hi I like the idea of keeping he pellets for a few days otherwise there is sooooo much waste but what would worry me is a build up of germs from sitting in the cage for too long or from the parrot itself so what is the most you would keep the same pellets for?

I like the idea of veggies in the morning as well.

Thank you

 

[ChristaNL]

Japie has his pellets in a treat wheel like thingy- so the sit there untill eaten, the macaw/Sunny hoovers everything from the foodcup (she is next in line for a foraging toy like that), Appie prefers to steal from the macaw-cage or the ones next to my compu ... so 2-4 days max..


Sunny and Japie are pellet-junkies and would be happy to eat nothing else if it had to be that way, Appie preferes human food (or seed, when there is no yoghurt, pizza, bread&cheese etc.)
So- veggies and a bit of fruit while they are hungry / bored enough.

They want...but do not get what they want all the time or even large quantaties.
(Human food is for me!)