What seed/pellets do you feed your Conure?

[Fraido]

Just looking for some suggestions on pellets/seed for the baby I’ll have soon, and where online would be best to purchase it?

I’m working out what to feed now, planning what and when in regards to fresh veggies and stuff, kind of like a meal plan for my little guy, haha.


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[GaleriaGila]

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 I also like Harrison's via mail because I never have to worry about out-of-date products.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

 

[Peebles24]

I feed odin zupreem fruit flavor blend. I also give him some of our steamed veggies from dinner and fresh fruits. I'm of the understanding that seeds should be reserved as a treat for training ect.. not actually healthy on normal basis doesn't provide the needed nutrients our babies need.

 

[Fraido]

My usual 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!

Thank you for the link! I’ll have to look into that for sure.

Bahaha what a clever way to get the bird interested in foods! From what I’ve seen, that definitely works! Lol

I really appreciate the response, this helps a lot.


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[Fraido]

I feed odin zupreem fruit flavor blend. I also give him some of our steamed veggies from dinner and fresh fruits. I'm of the understanding that seeds should be reserved as a treat for training ect.. not actually healthy on normal basis doesn't provide the needed nutrients our babies need.

I do recall seeing that seeds should just be a treat, thank you! Zupreem is one of the foods I see a lot of people get!


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[Skittys_Daddy]

I feed Skittles the Harrisons High Potency Fine pellets. I also feed him the Harrisons power treats daily and he gets fresh fruits, veggies and grains and occasionally gets pizza crust or pasta for a 'treat'.
I do have to stress thought that ANY diet conversion should be monitored by you and your avian veterinarian to ensure your bird is getting enough food and nutrients during the conversion.
Skittles took right to the Harrisons and he loves it. I lucked out with that one.

 

[EllenD]

Seeds are not just for a "treat" at all, but should rather be a supplement to a pellet staple diet. You need to find a fortified, varied seed mix to give your bird every day that is not just a bunch of seeds, but rather a mix of all kinds of grains, nuts, dried veggies, fruit, etc. and give your bird that as a supplement to whatever pellet you are going to feed him.

I feed Zupreem Natural pellets and supplement with SunSeed Vita Prima seed mix, along with fresh veggies every day, and fruits at least 2-3 times a week (lots of sugar in fruit, so not an every day thing). Another great seed mix is Tropimix. Both SunSeed Vita Prima and Tropimix are available at any Petco, as are Zupreem Natural and Fruit pellets.

Also, if the bird that you bring home was not weaned onto pellets but rather seeds, then you'll have to convert them over time to the pellets being their staple diet, which can go smoothly and quickly or be a nightmare. The Harrison's Conversion that Gail always posts is the best plan I've ever seen for doing this...

 

[Jen5200]

Great info above. My experience has been that my 3 conures don’t all like the same pellets and my cockatiel likes different pellets as well - just wanted to share that you may need to try more than one brand. My conures eat TOPS and Zupreem natural, and my cockatiel will only eat Zupreem fruity - and mine refused a few brands until we found what they liked. Mine also eat a seed mix from TOPS, and sprouted seeds. The conures all eat chopped fresh food morning and afternoon. My cockatiel is still learning to eat veggies (she’s 6 and it’s new to her) - so far she likes broccoli, but only if you are holding it for her....sigh. Just be patient, go gradually, observant of your bird’s preferences, and be willing to try different things

 

[Fraido]

Thanks so much guys, I appreciate all the responses and it helps a lot!


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[Skittys_Daddy]

Seeds are not just for a "treat" at all, but should rather be a supplement to a pellet staple diet. You need to find a fortified, varied seed mix to give your bird every day that is not just a bunch of seeds, but rather a mix of all kinds of grains, nuts, dried veggies, fruit, etc. and give your bird that as a supplement to whatever pellet you are going to feed him.

I feed Zupreem Natural pellets and supplement with SunSeed Vita Prima seed mix, along with fresh veggies every day, and fruits at least 2-3 times a week (lots of sugar in fruit, so not an every day thing). Another great seed mix is Tropimix. Both SunSeed Vita Prima and Tropimix are available at any Petco, as are Zupreem Natural and Fruit pellets.

Also, if the bird that you bring home was not weaned onto pellets but rather seeds, then you'll have to convert them over time to the pellets being their staple diet, which can go smoothly and quickly or be a nightmare. The Harrison's Conversion that Gail always posts is the best plan I've ever seen for doing this...

The problem with those "seed mixes" is that there is no guarantee they're gonna get any nutrients at all since they can pick and choose what ones they 'like' (which are normally the non-nutrient ones). Plus, those 'fortified' seed mixes contain chemicals and additives. Same with 'commerical' pellet mixes that contain dyes and additives.

My vet told me that feeding your bird commercial pellets and 'fortified' seeds is like feeding them tv dinners and fast food. There is little to no nutrients in it.

I find that the Harrisons pellets, fresh fruits, veggies and grains along with power treats and the occasional 'human food' treat has worked great for Skittles.

 

[Jolene7136]

Plus the colored pellets are super messy to clean up if your bird isn’t potty trained. They stain.