Converting to a better, healthier seed diet

[laducockatiel]

Hi guys!

So I recently bought a different seed mix for my cockatiel Ladu. I haven't given it to him yet, as I know that if I wanna convert him onto it, Its gonna take a week or so. I have plenty of his current seed left, so what is the best way to convert him to it?

Any replies would be very much appreciated, thanks guys!

[Zooey]

There's this method of converting birds to pellets that is reduce old, increase new. It should be a lot easier for seed because they all look similar. Just increase the percentage of new food and decrease the percentage of the old food.
I think you should convert your tiel to pellets, though, which I'm attempting to with my budgies for a healthier diet. Hopefully the method will work.

[HungryBird]

I think most bird will readily accept seeds. Try mixing the two together. What brand are you leaving and what brand are you switching to and why?

And I think you can offer both pellets and seeds. I give my guys Harrison's and Totally Organic Pellets and for seeds they get Avian Organics, Volkman, or seeds I buy from the health food store.

[Zooey]

I think your birds will eat both pellets and seeds because they're more open to new foods. Is that it? I wish my birds would at least try pellets. Once I offered it tomPerry. He looked at me, looked at the pellets, stepped in his food bowl, and actually started kicking. Hopefully there's a better conversion method than incrase decrease for pellets.

[cml]

I think you should convert your tiel to pellets, though, which I'm attempting to with my budgies for a healthier diet. Hopefully the method will work.

I thought pellets werent any good for small parrots such as budgies? Or for that matter cockatiels?

[Zooey]

There are pellets sized for budgies.

[cml]

There are pellets sized for budgies.

Yes, but I thought I had read somewhere that the nutrional value of pellets could be too high for small parrots and that they should be on seed diets? I know that your budgie is a special case from what I read in that other thread, that he is heavily obese.
I might be wrong though, I have no experience what so ever with budgies!

Anyone else know about this, its quite interesting =)?

[Zooey]

Seed is too unhealthy. Seed mixes bought from the store don't have as much nutrition as wild seed. Pellets are healthier than seed, but a completely natural diet of fruits, veggies, grains, and beans is the absolute best nutrition you can get.
Perry isn't heavily obese, but he's fast approaching.

[laducockatiel]

Hi, thanks for all the replies!

Yes, he does get pellets as well as seed.