Zupreem vs Harrison's

[Zkyevolved]

Hello everyone. This is my first post here and I'd like to ask a question. I have a Congo African Grey. He's actually 5 years old today! We had a fantastic birthday party with presents and everything. But I have a doubt about his diet. For the past 2 years he has been on Harrison's diet and it has been working well. Before that he was on a Zupreem diet. http://www.zupreem.com/our-food/birds/fruitblend™-natural-fruit-flavors-premium-daily-bird-food

My money situation is getting a little tighter and if anyone says that the Harrison's food is lightyears better than the Zupreem then I'll keep him on that diet. But my vet mentioned that the Zupreem is a good brand as well, and maybe I could mix the two foods to make it cheaper. As in breakfast Harrison's and then for lunch and dinner Zupreem. He also gets vegetables every day and fruits every other day, regardless of his main meal.

I would never want anything bad to happen to his health! So that's why I'm asking. What do you all say about mixing or moving him from Harrison's to Zupreem? Harrison's costs exactly double the Zupreem and my parrots original breeder said he feeds all his parrots the Zupreem because it's also an excellent food.

Can you guys weigh in for me? I'm a little confused.

Thanks in advance! Happy holidays

 

[wwendy104]

Here is what I know about this. I also have a CAG which we got as a rehome and he was only fed seed in his old home. My vet suggested Harrison's right away and we tried every flavor he would NOT eat it. So she suggested that we use Zupreem fruit flavored pellets as the main because often they will take to them if they are picky. The only thing I will tell you is I was told the sugar content is higher in the Zupreem especially the fruit ones. The fruit flavored ones also tend to color their stool. We tried the Zupreem veggie pellets without color and he won't eat those either. I have gone with the rule of thumb with him that Zupreem is much better then a complete seed diet anyday and the vet said it was a good food.

I have a very healthy beautiul CAG and that is most important to me! I now feed all my parrots Zupreem and they are all healthy.

 

[Grenage]

While I have only ever used Harrison's, considering how many people use Zupreem - there can't be much wrong with it.

 

[KatherineI]

I feed Zupreem Naturals to both of mine, although my Goffins also gets Harrisons (if I could just have ONE food, that'd be great, but I have to have THREE different foods for Miss Picky). Zupreem is an excellent food, and is also easier to find than Harrisons. Harrisons is only sold in specialty stores or Vet's offices (or online). In the late summer, I had difficulty finding Harrisons Coarse in a 1lbs bag - NO ONE had it! Not online, not in stores, not in vet's offices. But I never have that issue with Zupreem. You can also find Zupreem Naturals at your local Petco and Petsmart. I buy mine by the pound at a local store.

Honestly, my AV said that both are good, high quality foods. For starters, any pellet is going to be lightyears better than a seed-only diet. Some people might say "oh Zupreem is junk, I only feed Roudybush/Harrisons/nameotherpellethere", but let's face it, not everyone can afford to eat at a 5 star restaurant every day. If your bird eats Zupreem with no issues and it's easier on your wallet, there's no reason you should struggle to keep buying the Harrisons.

 

[Zkyevolved]

Thank you all for your input. It's highly appreciated.

Simba, my parrot, started the first 2 years on Zupreem and then after a scare at the vet who I actually didn't believe and got a second, third and even a fourth opinion, I decided to stay on Harrison's because everyone said it was the best. They all discredited my original vet on the medicine and treatment as there was nothing wrong with my parrot and he was actually looking to cause something. But he also sold me a bag of Harrison's and my parrot loved it and transitioned in 2 days from Zupreem. Now in financial hardship at home I'm trying to cut down on expenses to try and save some money and I'd never compromise my birds health. He's a living creature and I'd never go cheap on him if I thought there was a slight chance to cause any harm to him at all. Here in Spain it's hard to find Harrison's and I have to import it from the UK. The Zupreem pellets are easier to find online from local bird stores across the country.

Is Harrison's THAT much better? My parrot eats fruits every other day to keep his sugar in check (haha. He's an active one! I don't want to further feed him sugar more than necessary xD) and veggies every day.

I remember reading somewhere that Harrison's is 90% of the birds diet while Zupreem is 70% and the rest should be supplemented in the form of fruits and vegetables. Is that true? Would giving Harrison's once a day and Zupreem in the bowl the rest of the day be a good compromise if Harrison's is that much better? I would never want to hurt my baby!

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to comment on this.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Harrison's is much better then Zupreem, Have you checked out Totally organic? I mix that up with harrison's fine for Rosie and it's pretty cheap, $14(plus shipping so like $20) for 4 pounds of food. Totally organic is made in Oregon.

 

[OOwl]

Harrison's is only better if your birds will eat it. Mine absolutely will not. I feed Zupreem, but they get fresh foods, sprouts, beans, greens, people food, too, so it's not their sole diet, just basically something to munch on between other courses. My parrots are older (20, 10, 11, 9) and their routine bloodwork and health are excellent. Therefore, I'm seriously not going to worry about it and you shouldn't either. You pay your vet for his/her advice and he/she is okay with the Zupreem, so I think you should give it a try. Maybe even mix the two. After the recall at Zupreem, my parrots went pellet-less for a few days until I could locate a batch not in the recall. So, I started mixing Roudybush and Zupreem so they would eventually get to the point where one could sub for the other in the event of low supply of one or the other. Good luck, and happy birthday to your Grey!

 

[Zkyevolved]

Harrison's is much better then Zupreem, Have you checked out Totally organic? I mix that up with harrison's fine for Rosie and it's pretty cheap, $14(plus shipping so like $20) for 4 pounds of food. Totally organic is made in Oregon.

As I mentioned in the previous post I live in Spain. Shipping would be very expensive and not to mention that there are regulations about food importation as well as so many things can go wrong with a package and food inside. We all know that these mail carriers aren't exactly the most careful with our packages.

 

[mrgoogls]

zupreem is a good brand. but i would say harrisons is better. both good, just one is better. Cooper came to me weened onto zupreen pellets. i am switching him over to roudybush, also a good brand. the only reason im not feeing harrisons is because NOBODY near me sells it. the closest place is like an hour away. and i dont want to order online. but roudybush is good.

 

[Zkyevolved]

Would you say mixing food is ok? Breakfast with harrison's and then leave in his food bowl a lot of Zupreem until the next morning?

 

[Niner10Tango]

I use Harrison's and Roudyboush. The reason why don't use the Zupreem brand because it has a higher sugar content and the product recalls they had this past fall. If you contact Roudybush, they often send free samples to you.

Roudybush Direct

 

[JerseyWendy]

Would you say mixing food is ok? Breakfast with harrison's and then leave in his food bowl a lot of Zupreem until the next morning?

Yes, it's absolutely ok to mix foods. I do it with ALL my fids. Mine get a mixture of Zupreem, Totally Organics, Harrison's AND several Goldenfeast mixes along with the mix that MySafeBirdStore sells. Here is a link to their mix:
Bountiful Harvest Blend for Parrots PER LB. - MY BIRD SAFE BLENDS by MY SAFE BIRD STORE

In order for ANY food to be of any benefit to your bird is ONLY if your bird will consume it

I also highly recommend home cooked foods and a mix of fresh, raw fruits and veggies.

As highly recommended as Harrison's is, it IS pricey. In addition to that, I would never feed any of my fids solely one particular food - and nothing else.

IMHO variety is the key. A healthy variety that is.

 

[LoveMyParrots]

Harrison is better than ZuPreem. But ZuPreem is not bad though, just not as good. I don't recommend any of the colored ones. roudybush is also a pretty good brand.

I live in Australia, I feed Ozzie, my alexandrine parekeet vetafarm paradise pellets. And Kiwi and Tweety (my cockatiels) are on vetafarm maintenance pellet. I have tried roudybush to my cockatiels, but they didn't like it.

 

[Zkyevolved]

Thanks everyone. I've decided to keep Simba on Harrison's, and just try to make more toys. That should reset the balance. Haha.

Thanks everyone again. Best wishes!

 

[MonicaMc]

If it were a question between Harrison's vs Zupreem, I'd have to ask if Roudybush or Mazuri are available to you. I don't know what you can get your hands on, but I would also agree with Harrison's.

Push comes to shove, any pellet may be better than no pellet (as mentioned).




What about cutting down on the amount of pellets you feed and focus more on a fresh food based diet?

1 part healthy legumes to 2 parts healthy grains make a complete protein.

Quinoa is a complete protein on it's own.

Grains and legumes could make up 45% of the fresh/cooked based portion of the diet, with another 45% as a mixed variety of healthy vegetables (fresh/steamed/frozen-thawed) and 10% mixed fruits.


You could even provide sprouted seeds as another source of healthy nutrients.



Although fresh is best, you can always make up a batch of mash/chop foods, put in ice cube trays, freeze, then pop into zip lock freezer bags. In this way, you can have "fresh" food (once thawed) available as a main food source for your grey. The pellets can be a small part of this diet, covering whatever bases you may have missed.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

I try to mix pellets to keep them flexible!! Gil doesn't like Harrisons. He likes Roudybush and will tolerate Zupreem.
I was "taught" by my vet to ONLY feed Harrisons pellets (and his veggies/brown rice, etc). However that being said, i often (very often) fed Georgie Zupreem because it was convenient to buy and she liked all pellets the same. When she died, the necropsy said "bird was in good to excellent nutritional status". So......Zupreem did not 'undernourish' her in any way whatsoever and she enjoyed it.
I think my vet is a fan of Harrisons because the ingredient quality is supposedly the highest.

 

[RoseateToo]

I know your question has already been answered but I also must say Harrison's all the way. Zupreem is a decent food- as it is much better than a seed diet and is easily accepted by birds because of the color. However it is VERY high in sugar content and contains the controversial synthetic vitamin K3 supplement, which is said to be poorly utilized by the body (compared to the natural K 1 and 2) and therefore levels can climb to toxic ranges. Zupreem generally contains many preservatives, also.

Harrison's is certified organic, does not contain preservatives (pay careful attention to storage instructions or it will go stale and be nutritionally worthless!!). It does not contain sugar and does not contain the synthetic K.

My Rose Breasted grew up on Zupreem and when I bought her I switched her to Harrison's. She accepted it within the first day. Her molts are much MUCH more stress free and quick, her energy is amazing and her behavior has improved. Her feathers are gorgeous, too, whereas they were alright with Zupreem.

This is really a case of getting what you pay for, but the previously mentioned Totally Organic (Tops Organic?) is a great option for lower price. This is exactly the same food that the birdtricks.com crew attach their name to and hike up the price on, btw.

 

[Zkyevolved]

I know your question has already been answered but I also must say Harrison's all the way. Zupreem is a decent food- as it is much better than a seed diet and is easily accepted by birds because of the color. However it is VERY high in sugar content and contains the controversial synthetic vitamin K3 supplement, which is said to be poorly utilized by the body (compared to the natural K 1 and 2) and therefore levels can climb to toxic ranges. Zupreem generally contains many preservatives, also.

Harrison's is certified organic, does not contain preservatives (pay careful attention to storage instructions or it will go stale and be nutritionally worthless!!). It does not contain sugar and does not contain the synthetic K.

My Rose Breasted grew up on Zupreem and when I bought her I switched her to Harrison's. She accepted it within the first day. Her molts are much MUCH more stress free and quick, her energy is amazing and her behavior has improved. Her feathers are gorgeous, too, whereas they were alright with Zupreem.

This is really a case of getting what you pay for, but the previously mentioned Totally Organic (Tops Organic?) is a great option for lower price. This is exactly the same food that the birdtricks.com crew attach their name to and hike up the price on, btw.

Thank you very much for your input. I have decided to go only with Harrison's with some veggies and fruits on the side. Thank you for your input. I'd never want to skimp on my little guys health! Just look at this cutie!

 

[momto3]

Personally, I wouldn't stress over it. They are both good foods and like anything, people have a preference for one vs. the other. My birds HATE Harrisons, so it isn't even an option. I switched to Dr. D's, a pellet made here in Michigan at the recommendation of my avian vet. It is quite inexpensive (I purchased a 25 pound bag for $25) and my bird seems to do well on it.

Frankly, I think people get sucked in by advertising (and I am in media). Don't stress! There are many good foods on the market and it sounds like you will make a good decision either way.