Yep...conversion...(Harrison's)

[GambotheGreyt]

So I was finally able to import some pellets. I understand the argument against pellets. This is not my issue.

It cost me over $200 to buy a 5 lb bag and a 1 pound bag of power treats. Not in my budget, especially to waste trying lots of different ideas. Sure it's a question of whether or not I want to throw away uneaten pellets because he hasn't converted or throwing them away in the process of converting.

Alas...
I have never had a parrot like Harrison's but obviously the company is still in business so someone's bird likes it .

I have tried crumbling the pellets and mixing in with egg. That got thrown out. I hesitate to mix /add on top of chop because the pellets will get wet, uneaten, and thrown out.

The pellets are available 24 hours a day and uneaten

I have not yet tried making birdy bread with them as that requires a fair amount that i don't want to ultimately also throw out.

I've tried Harrison's conversion suggestions and I just get a hangry bird (almost 7 months CAG) who decides to try to destroy anything he can and to sample his wood pellets to eat.

Likely I need more patience as I am finding that to be a recurring theme with him. But with that said, any ideas that are strongly likely to be successful? Ideas with minimal waste if they result in failure?

At this point, the power treats have not yet been delivered so there has not been an opportunity to try these.

Help?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Maya The Ringneck]

So I was finally able to import some pellets. I understand the argument against pellets. This is not my issue.

It cost me over $200 to buy a 5 lb bag and a 1 pound bag of power treats. Not in my budget, especially to waste trying lots of different ideas. Sure it's a question of whether or not I want to throw away uneaten pellets because he hasn't converted or throwing them away in the process of converting.

Alas...
I have never had a parrot like Harrison's but obviously the company is still in business so someone's bird likes it .

I have tried crumbling the pellets and mixing in with egg. That got thrown out. I hesitate to mix /add on top of chop because the pellets will get wet, uneaten, and thrown out.

The pellets are available 24 hours a day and uneaten

I have not yet tried making birdy bread with them as that requires a fair amount that i don't want to ultimately also throw out.

I've tried Harrison's conversion suggestions and I just get a hangry bird (almost 7 months CAG) who decides to try to destroy anything he can and to sample his wood pellets to eat.

Likely I need more patience as I am finding that to be a recurring theme with him. But with that said, any ideas that are strongly likely to be successful? Ideas with minimal waste if they result in failure?

At this point, the power treats have not yet been delivered so there has not been an opportunity to try these.

Help?

Thanks in advance.

Don't know if you have already tried this but African Greys like mine enjoy a lot of different vegetables and fruits so maybe try to add some of the pellets in with crushed fruit or vegetables, and that might work.

 

[SailBoat]

First check the manufacturer's date on the bag!!

If the date is 2023, I strongly recommend that you break-down the 5 lbs. into 1 lbs. "ZipLock" freezer (or like product) bags and place them in the Freezer. The bag you are using should be kept in the refrigerator.

From that bag crush small amounts (a few pellets) and spread them over dry food, moist foods and wet foods. The goal is using small amounts as a means of an accidental eating of the pellet fragment(s). Start increasing the amounts in the dry food and moist foods and your Parrot eating by accident is higher.

 

[bill_e]

So I was finally able to import some pellets. I understand the argument against pellets. This is not my issue.

It cost me over $200 to buy a 5 lb bag and a 1 pound bag of power treats. Not in my budget, especially to waste trying lots of different ideas. Sure it's a question of whether or not I want to throw away uneaten pellets because he hasn't converted or throwing them away in the process of converting.

Alas...
I have never had a parrot like Harrison's but obviously the company is still in business so someone's bird likes it .

I have tried crumbling the pellets and mixing in with egg. That got thrown out. I hesitate to mix /add on top of chop because the pellets will get wet, uneaten, and thrown out.

The pellets are available 24 hours a day and uneaten

I have not yet tried making birdy bread with them as that requires a fair amount that i don't want to ultimately also throw out.

I've tried Harrison's conversion suggestions and I just get a hangry bird (almost 7 months CAG) who decides to try to destroy anything he can and to sample his wood pellets to eat.

Likely I need more patience as I am finding that to be a recurring theme with him. But with that said, any ideas that are strongly likely to be successful? Ideas with minimal waste if they result in failure?

At this point, the power treats have not yet been delivered so there has not been an opportunity to try these.

Help?

Thanks in advance.

I converted my bird from Zupeem to Harrison by starting her on the Power Treats. She took to the corn based (ie. sweet) Power treats and once she was eating them regularly I started mixing in the High Protein coarse. After a while I would mix in 3:1 ratio of meal pellets to Power Treats. Over the years I've changed her diet a bit offering more nuts but she still eats the Harrisons as part of her diet.

I graze feed her, I put a large handful of her nut mix and pellets in her bowl and allow her to eat as she wants. She pretty much eats everything in a day or two. I weigh her at least once a week and since getting her in 2015 she has weighed 196 +/- 3 grams every time so I now she's not over/under eating.

As far as waste, that comes with owning a bird and it's one way that Mother Nature seeds the earth.

Another idea is to try another pellet, like the Zupreem Fruit Blend which is another sweet pellet, and use that as the intermediary pellet if the Power treats don't work.

 

[GambotheGreyt]

I converted my bird from Zupeem to Harrison by starting her on the Power Treats. She took to the corn based (ie. sweet) Power treats and once she was eating them regularly I started mixing in the High Protein coarse. After a while I would mix in 3:1 ratio of meal pellets to Power Treats. Over the years I've changed her diet a bit offering more nuts but she still eats the Harrisons as part of her diet.

I graze feed her, I put a large handful of her nut mix and pellets in her bowl and allow her to eat as she wants. She pretty much eats everything in a day or two. I weigh her at least once a week and since getting her in 2015 she has weighed 196 +/- 3 grams every time so I now she's not over/under eating.

As far as waste, that comes with owning a bird and it's one way that Mother Nature seeds the earth.

Another idea is to try another pellet, like the Zupreem Fruit Blend which is another sweet pellet, and use that as the intermediary pellet if the Power treats don't work.

What kind of bird are you referring to?

The power treats will arrive today. I'm hoping that those will be appealing as he definitely does enjoy the sweet fruits.

I definitely recognize the joy of waste but with paying $70 just for shipping, I would rather minimize the waste of the dry products (pellets).

My guy doesn't eat nuts either but he enjoys tearing apart their shells.

I am anxiously waiting for summer, as our garden has so many great things to eat, even without planting a single seed! Now, will he eat anything? We will see

Thank you!

 

[texsize]

I only tried Harrison’s once and it was before my African Grey.

My Amazons considered them “in the way” of the real food and dumped them overboard without a second thought.

All my bird Amazons, cockatiels, and Bella eat Zupreem nut blend. Bingo eats it the least but I know he does eat some.

in the early days I found soaking some of the pellets in unsweetened apple juice helped get them started.

 

[bill_e]

What kind of bird are you referring to?

The power treats will arrive today. I'm hoping that those will be appealing as he definitely does enjoy the sweet fruits.

I definitely recognize the joy of waste but with paying $70 just for shipping, I would rather minimize the waste of the dry products (pellets).

My guy doesn't eat nuts either but he enjoys tearing apart their shells.

I am anxiously waiting for summer, as our garden has so many great things to eat, even without planting a single seed! Now, will he eat anything? We will see

Thank you!

I have a Hawkheaded parrot. She is a very fussy eater. No fresh veggies but some fruit. For a while she was nibbling on some freeze dried chop which was expensive but had very little waste because you only hydrated what the bird would eat in a day...it lasted forever and no waste...at least until she stopped.eating it.

I don't know if you're very experienced with birds but in my experience, the best way to stay on top of your birds health is to weigh him weekly. A digital diet scale with a home made perch can be put together for 20 bucks and is a great indicator of your birds condition.

 

[Newbe]

Talking about making our birds eat something they didn't eat prior to? My birds 2 GCC and 2 Jendays won't eat their chop which includes sprouts sometimes. Will unsweetened Apple juice be added to their chop??? sorry to go off topic. If the admin deletes it I will certainly understand

 

[GambotheGreyt]

Talking about making our birds eat something they didn't eat prior to? My birds 2 GCC and 2 Jendays won't eat their chop which includes sprouts sometimes. Will unsweetened Apple juice be added to their chop??? sorry to go off topic. If the admin deletes it I will certainly understand

I think the question here might be,well several questions. What is in the chop?What size?Will they eat a larger size of the ingredients?

Just yesterday, I used the blender for the first time to make a real "chop". But I have "poisoned" it with ground up pellets, so he is not nearly as receptive as eating the larger chunk sized portions of the same.

I think you could certainly try apple juice (or any unsweetened). But I do think you may need to throw out what is uneaten, more quickly due to the juice.

Ultimately they say we need patience, determination, and creativity. Eventually they should succumb, butno guarantees.

 

[Newbe]

I just got a new food processor which chops it fine. I have read where fine is better since the birds can be eating different kinds of ingredients. I'm definitly gonna try the apple juice and yes I throw away the chop left behind in the morning.

 

[petloverr]

So I was finally able to import some pellets. I understand the argument against pellets. This is not my issue.

It cost me over $200 to buy a 5 lb bag and a 1 pound bag of power treats. Not in my budget, especially to waste trying lots of different ideas. Sure it's a question of whether or not I want to throw away uneaten pellets because he hasn't converted or throwing them away in the process of converting.

Alas...
I have never had a parrot like Harrison's but obviously the company is still in business so someone's bird likes it .

I have tried crumbling the pellets and mixing in with egg. That got thrown out. I hesitate to mix /add on top of chop because the pellets will get wet, uneaten, and thrown out.

The pellets are available 24 hours a day and uneaten

I have not yet tried making birdy bread with them as that requires a fair amount that i don't want to ultimately also throw out.

I've tried Harrison's conversion suggestions and I just get a hangry bird (almost 7 months CAG) who decides to try to destroy anything he can and to sample his wood pellets to eat.

Likely I need more patience as I am finding that to be a recurring theme with him. But with that said, any ideas that are strongly likely to be successful? Ideas with minimal waste if they result in failure?

At this point, the power treats have not yet been delivered so there has not been an opportunity to try these.

Help?

Thanks in advance.

I crush the Harrison pellets in a blender before adding to the soft food, I give the cooked food in the morning to my grey and amazon. No problem. This way nothing is going to waste. Try it.

 

[GambotheGreyt]

I crush the Harrison pellets in a blender before adding to the soft food, I give the cooked food in the morning to my grey and amazon. No problem. This way nothing is going to waste. Try it.

Yes i am trying this, but let me give you an analogy. You love spaghetti with meat sauce, but you hate cheese. So when i sprinkle parmesan cheese on top, are you going to eat it or throw it out? Well, my bird feels the same... hence the waste. But we are trying .

Thanks!

 

[Maya The Ringneck]

Yes i am trying this, but let me give you an analogy. You love spaghetti with meat sauce, but you hate cheese. So when i sprinkle parmesan cheese on top, are you going to eat it or throw it out? Well, my bird feels the same... hence the waste. But we are trying .

Thanks!

hahaha that is a PERFECT representation of what birds would do. They are like humans in a way

 

[Maya The Ringneck]

but if you mix the cheese you hardly notice it sometimes

 

[GambotheGreyt]

So I was finally able to import some pellets. I understand the argument against pellets. This is not my issue.

It cost me over $200 to buy a 5 lb bag and a 1 pound bag of power treats. Not in my budget, especially to waste trying lots of different ideas. Sure it's a question of whether or not I want to throw away uneaten pellets because he hasn't converted or throwing them away in the process of converting.

Alas...
I have never had a parrot like Harrison's but obviously the company is still in business so someone's bird likes it .

I have tried crumbling the pellets and mixing in with egg. That got thrown out. I hesitate to mix /add on top of chop because the pellets will get wet, uneaten, and thrown out.

The pellets are available 24 hours a day and uneaten

I have not yet tried making birdy bread with them as that requires a fair amount that i don't want to ultimately also throw out.

I've tried Harrison's conversion suggestions and I just get a hangry bird (almost 7 months CAG) who decides to try to destroy anything he can and to sample his wood pellets to eat.

Likely I need more patience as I am finding that to be a recurring theme with him. But with that said, any ideas that are strongly likely to be successful? Ideas with minimal waste if they result in failure?

At this point, the power treats have not yet been delivered so there has not been an opportunity to try these.

Help?

Thanks in advance.

Well lo and behold, he's sitting there with Harrison's in his "hand" and eating them like they are candy! Wooo hoo! ////
CORRECTION... I don't think that there is any consumption of the pellet, just crunching of it into dust.

 

[petloverr]

So I was finally able to import some pellets. I understand the argument against pellets. This is not my issue.

It cost me over $200 to buy a 5 lb bag and a 1 pound bag of power treats. Not in my budget, especially to waste trying lots of different ideas. Sure it's a question of whether or not I want to throw away uneaten pellets because he hasn't converted or throwing them away in the process of converting.

Alas...
I have never had a parrot like Harrison's but obviously the company is still in business so someone's bird likes it .

I have tried crumbling the pellets and mixing in with egg. That got thrown out. I hesitate to mix /add on top of chop because the pellets will get wet, uneaten, and thrown out.

The pellets are available 24 hours a day and uneaten

I have not yet tried making birdy bread with them as that requires a fair amount that i don't want to ultimately also throw out.

I've tried Harrison's conversion suggestions and I just get a hangry bird (almost 7 months CAG) who decides to try to destroy anything he can and to sample his wood pellets to eat.

Likely I need more patience as I am finding that to be a recurring theme with him. But with that said, any ideas that are strongly likely to be successful? Ideas with minimal waste if they result in failure?

At this point, the power treats have not yet been delivered so there has not been an opportunity to try these.

Help?

Thanks in advance.

I don't sprinkle on top, I just MIX it with the cooked food they get for their breakfast.
Both birds are crazy about their morning breakfast and it is in this way I can hide the pellets without any problem.