Question about pellets

[FutureDVM]

Hi everyone. I've had my Crimson bellied conure for about 2 days now and she seems to be settling in nicely, but I have a question regarding her diet. She is currently on the Zupreem "Fruitblend" pellets. This is what her previous owner had been feeding her, but I've been doing a lot of research and I've found that this type of food is not recommended due to the artificial coloring it contains. I would like to switch her to another brand of pellets ASAP, but I need help deciding which brand to switch to.

I would like to get your opinions on the regular Zupreem Natural Diet. It doesn't have all the artificial colors, so I assume it's better than the Fruitblend. Do you think this would be a healthy choice?

I am also considering switching to Harrison's pellets. I've heard lots of good things about this brand, plus I can get it at a decent price from the vet clinic where I work.

Also, what is the best way to go about switching foods? Should I just mix in the new brand with the old and gradually increase the ratio of new food to old food? I assume that it won't be quite as difficult as switching from a seed diet to pellets, but any tips on this would be appreciated. Thanks!

[laducockatiel]

Hiya there.

Yes, the fruit blend pellets contain many dyes and artificial colours which are not good for your bird, they are just there to try and attract the bird. I would highly recommend the Harrisons pellets, they are very good quality, organic and are very healthy for your bird. Many birds take to these pellets straight away. Yes you are right, to convert to pellets, decrease the amount of seeds and increase the number of pellets over the period over 1 week.

[FutureDVM]

Thanks for the advice! I think I'll go ahead and switch her to the Harrison's. Before I buy some, I just have one more question. I was reading on the Harrison's website that when converting birds to Harrison's, they recommend that you start with the High Potency and feed this for at least 6 months. Is this just for conversion from a seed diet? Or does it also apply when switching from a different pellet brand? I just need to figure out whether to order the High Potency or the Adult Lifetime.

[GlassOnion]

High potency is richer and higher in fat. In case the pellet consumption decreases due to the switch, the extra nutrients are supposed to help the bird keep its weight.

I would also look into TOPS Totally Organics Pellets. Their ingredients are better than Harrison's.