Converting to Pellets?

[Titanius]

I also read from another site of a person that variety was key. So an all pellet diet and a all seed diet would do the bird no good. From what you guys have said I think I'll just keep things varied.

[minhta]

This is how I did my Pellet Conversion and it worked great.

Hi bmsweb
Thanks so much for the video. I've had Roger, my Princess parrot for one week now and have added pellets to his food container with the seed mix. However he never touches the pellet. I've tried cutting down his seed mix thinking he'll eat the pellets when he's hungry but I don't think he does and I don't want to starve him.

I will try making the pellets into a cake mix tomorrow. This forum is such a great help!

[Titanius]

Yea you have to be smart with how much pellets you put in. I've found that if you mix up the pellets and seeds into a cake mix like in the video with there being a little more more than half seed it's inevitable that he's going to have to eat the pellets. Since after awhile the two just become really caked to each other.

[Athena&beepbeep'smom]

I was told when I first started keeping birds that pellets were the way to go. But they are boring for the birds and they're really not as healthy as you might think. You're still talking about processed foods with preservatives and dyes etc etc. I now have both of my birds on seeds and rainbow colored pellets only as an occassional treat. For their daily diet I do a veggie mash recipe along with a cook and feed mix with oats, dried peas, whole grain pastas, beans, etc. I also feed them dried fruits and veggies. It took them a while at first to adjust to the softer fresher foods because it has a different texture but they liked the dried fruits and veggies immediately. They're dry so they're crunchy like seeds and there is interesting variety in shape and color in the mix and if you dry your own in a food dehydrator or buy them from drs foster and smith you can get the kind with no salts, sugars, additives, or preservatives.

[Titanius]

Oh gosh I wish I could get my ones near anything fruit like. Even the adventurous Diamond smells a bit of fruit and veers her head away and goes out of her way to avoid it in my hand. I fear the whole starving situation if I make them eat the stuff.

[Rue]

Back at the beginning of my bird-keeping - I did lose a cockatiel to a vitamin deficiency. At the time almost everyone kept their 'tiels on an all-seed diet. Who knew? You just assumed the pet stores had adequate food for sale.

The wonderful avian vet we saw during her illness had me start using vitamins (in their water) and to introduce appropriate table foods. Things have been fine since.

When pellets came out...I converted immediately (don't use the vitamin supplement anymore). Even my fuss-budget ex-aviary male liked the pellets (and he lived to be at least 24 years old). But my crew eat seed and pellets...and table foods. However the staple is the pellets.

All my birds eat their pellets. And all eat their seed mix and table foods.