Feeding Pellets

[teg33]

What do you think of feeding pellets? I have read a little bit about them, and they seem pretty good, but i was thinking of altering my finches and parrot's diet to having half seed/half pellets. What do you think? I actually have no idea about it all, am hopefully going to research more if I have time, but does anyone here use pellets? If so what kind? And how much should I be feeding my parrots and finches as well as the seed?


Thanks

[Tiaris]

Dry seed alone is a very poor diet & this is what is emphasised by those advocating replacement of seed with pellets. However if you provide a varied diet including seed (dry, half-ripe & sprouted), greens, grits/minerals & protein (insect &/or artificial) the arguments for pellets as a seed substitute are deemed largely irrelevant. Pellets/crumbles are certainly far more complete nutritionally than are most basic dry seed mixes so if they are beneficial I recommend using them as a supplement to an existing varied diet rather than an all in one solution. All finches have evolved to have seeds as a major part of their diet & I believe this should always be the basis of a good varied diet for finches. The range of finches we keep encompasses a wide range of dietary preferences and adaptaions which in itself indicates that pellets cannot possibly be a complete dietary solution for all species. I believe the main well-known brands available are based on the nutritional needs of exotic parrots so could hardly be a complete diet for all finches. Having said all this I do feed some finch crumbles as a small component of a highly varied range of foods offered to my birds, however seeds of numerous types will always be the main component of my finches' diet.

[jusdeb]

The companies that make the pellets would like us to make the pellets 100% of the birds diet .

I had 1 pair of parrots on the pellets and yes peace of mind that they are getting all their nutritional needs was worth it but they still ate greens , fruits , milk seeds , soft foods etc etc so what was the point ? Perhaps nutritional overkill ?

My birds all eat a varied diet however if I had a bird that was particularly fussy then pellets would be a good alternative .

Horses for courses again . Either a good seed diet or a good pellet diet ...6 of one half dozen of the other . The key words being GOOD DIET .

[VR1Ton]

Pellet for a pet bird / parrot in a cage, I think is a better choice than seed, as they are getting the basic nutrition they need. Breeding birds, however, I think a natural, varied diet wins hands down every time. Birds have evolved to eat a particular food source, so replicating this by providing a more natural based diet, to me, is the way to go.

[jusdeb]

Yes agreed a pet bird inside on pellets = less mess , peace of mind that it is getting all the vitamins etc it needs .

[teg33]

Yes agreed a pet bird inside on pellets = less mess , peace of mind that it is getting all the vitamins etc it needs .

We are definetly planning to put our pet princess parrot on pellets and give him seed as a treat, because he has a bad habit of only eating the sunflower seeds which are not good for him at all, and also my mum freaks out about the mess he makes! Can't wait till we put him on his new diet, we are going to reduce his seed little by little and give him more and more pellets!

I've read a bit more about pellets, we are going to start giving our birds pellets as well as seed (but a smaller amount) and their daily soaked seed, egg and biscut mix, grit, meal worms (going to make a meal worm dispencer this weekend!) some carrot, silver beat, dandilions, and some peas and corn and endive once in a while.

Thanks for all the good info too!!!

[jusdeb]

Dont be too concerned at first if you see the same amount of mess...It takes them a while to learn that they dont have to crack the pellets open like they do the seed .

In time the mess will get less and all you will have is some crumbs left in the food bowl .

[djb78]

I was considering adding pallets to their diet but not replacing it with seed hit as an added extra for extra vitamins, but with the varied fruits veg and greens that I supply I think that this is sufficient. Still may consider this again sometime in the future.

[Myzomela]

Tiaris is correct in that pellets are far superior nutritionally to dry seed as a basis for a bird's diet.

However, I disagree with Deb's comments. No responsible manufacturer would expect a pellet to form 100% of a bird's diet. As Tiaris has said, the nutritional requirements of species vary, sometimes considerably. Therefore, no pellet can be 100% suitable for all species.

For parrots, it is recommended that pellets form 60-70% of the diet. The remainder should be made up of varied vegetables, greens, legumes and some fruit.

A good seed diet is NOT equivalent to a good pelleted diet. Seeds, no matter what mix is used, are deficient in calcium, vitamins, trace elements, minerals and amino acids and often contain excess fats. These are the very things that pelleted diets aim to correct. Adding greens/vegetables to pellets is not overkill. In fact it is a necessity in my opinion. Birds on 100% pelleted diets can also run into problems.

If you give birds a mix of seeds and pellets, they invariably will only eat the seed, because this is what they are used to. Converting birds onto a pelleted diet needs to be done carefully and the bird's weight needs to be carefully monitored to ensure that the bird is eating enough. Please check on the manufacturer's website or the websites of avian vets or talk to an avian vet before trying to convert birds onto pellets. NEVER starve a bird to get it eating pellets.

I think pellets are excellent for pet birds. For breeders they are actually good as part of the non-breeding diet, but usually need supplementation with seeds, as well as greens/vegies to stimulate breeding. The higher fat content of sunflower seed 6 weeks before the breeding season can really turn pairs on. However, converting breeding pairs onto pellets can take time and may result in poor breeding results initially as the birds adjust. In the long term, however, the incidence of breeding problems such as egg binding are greatly reduced and the quality of the resulting young are often excellent.

These comments mostly apply to parrots. I am not convinced that placing finches on a diet of 60-70% crumbles is a good idea, but as a supplement they are great.

This is an area of nutrition which is bound to continue to evolve over the next few years.

[jusdeb]

"Completely balanced extruded pellet diet specifically designed to meet the particular dietary needs of pet and breeding Eclectus Parrots. Fruit flavoured for an attractive taste."

Comments such as the above give the consumer the impression that the pellet is all a bird needs to meet all its dietary requirements ..perhaps its not the manufacturer portraying the impression but the advertising / marketing department .

Anyhoo whoever it is many people to believe that pellets are all a bird needs to be healthy . Misinformed yes .