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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:27:30 GMT -5
Andie Wan Kenobi
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Posted 07 March 2005 - 09:14 AM
Cheers!
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:31:33 GMT -5
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Posted 31 December 2005 - 10:54 AM
That is a great conversion method!!! I was lucky enough that all my birds switched over immediately, except for Max who was weaned onto pellets.
I've never thought of having two different pellet varieties though. I think next time I'm at the store I will pick up an extra bag of something and see how they feel about it
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Posted 02 January 2006 - 07:39 PM
Andie what do you mean "mixing pellets?" Do you mean mixing seed in with free-fed pellets, or mixing two different brands of pellets? I have Kiwi on whatever brand you gave me at the store, but he only picks out the red ones and I end up throwing away 3/4 of his pellets because he won't eat the yellow, green, and orange ones! Should I switch him to something else??
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#7 [Seed conversion: post #7] Carrie~Anne
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Posted 02 January 2006 - 07:52 PM
You know, I have my birds on coloured pellets as well and they all have their favorite colour.
Max always eats the yellow ones first. The Conures both eat the green ones and the Tiels...well who knows, half their pellets end up on the floor!!!
I'm thinking Andie meant for two different types of pellets to be mixed together, but hopefully she'll come along and clarify that.
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#8 [Seed conversion: post #8] Amy G.
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Posted 02 January 2006 - 08:04 PM
Yep...this metnod works great! This is how I converted Alex.......thanks Andie!! biggrin.gif
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#9 [Seed conversion: post #9] Dawn and the gang
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Posted 06 January 2006 - 06:00 AM
This is without a doubt, the easiest way to convert from seeds to pellets. All of my birds converted with no trouble at all. Ozzy, my Nanday, is 3, he'd eaten a cockatiel seed mix all his life. I offered him pellets when I brought him home and he stood at the bowl and ate like he'd been starved to death. He liked the pellets so much that he was converted in one day and never looked back.
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#10 [Seed conversion: post #10] Amy G.
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Posted 06 January 2006 - 09:53 AM
I think I had Alex switched in about a week. Sometimes I noticed that when I give her seeds as treats, she will still go for the pellets. She must really like them smile.gif
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Posted 02 February 2006 - 11:12 AM
Thanks andie this definitely helped! Got Julie onto pellets in three days with this method!!!
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#14 [Seed conversion: post #14] Uncle Zippy
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Posted 02 February 2006 - 03:13 PM
I'm with Carrie Anne. I'm gonna try a different brand so we have a back up just in case there is ever a Tropican shortage. laugh.gif Our guys have such a stinking good diet they'll probably outlive me by a decade or two. wink.gif
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#15 [Seed conversion: post #15] Andie Wan Kenobi
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Posted 03 February 2006 - 11:18 AM
Yup Carrie, I meant two different pellets mixed together. I am not a fan of mixing seed with pellets. THOUGH we do it at the shop for the babies...I'm still just not a fan...but that's just me. We had a hagen shortage here recently (their mill went down) and my guys were not happy fids! My cockatoo actually wouldn't eat his zupreem so I had to go to roudybush. They are eating that, but I have to say their favorite (wings down) are the hagen lifetime pellets. I think it's that bubble gum scent they use...LOL...but they LOVE it!!! SO, it is a wise choice to offer a second pellet for the "just in case" because from experience it does happen. I'm glad the method is working so well for folks! smile.gif Hooray!
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:33:24 GMT -5
huey B Quaker Geraldine Members 1,880 posts 0 warning points Location:Sunshine Coast QLD. Australia Posted 29 March 2006 - 03:25 PM Thanks, I will give this a go and keep you posted as to how Huey goes hi is very stubbin but I will be strong and stick to the plan. Thank you again. Geraldine and Huey.wacko.gif Like This Hi from Huey and Geraldine. 1 quaker...Huey 3 budgies...Snowy, Betty and Frank 1 cat...Tom Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report Spoiled Buddy Adv Member Members 64 posts 0 warning points Location:Louisiana Posted 11 June 2006 - 10:38 PM I am new to the forum (see Buddy), but I have a question. After 2 days of Buddy being home from the breeder, I phoned her because I thought he had fallen in his cage and suffered brain damage. He was clinging to the bottom of the cage, flapping his wings continuously, and bobbing his head up and down. After talking to her I felt like an idiot and realized that he was STARVING. I put a bowl of seeds and pellets on the bottom of his cage because that's where he was used to looking for them. Since then I have kept both available to give him time to adjust. I have now had him for a week. He munches on the pellets occasionally, but definitely prefers the seeds. How long should I give him before I start weaning the seeds to twice a week and treats?? Thanks! Denise Like This Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #22 [Seed conversion: post #22] Guest_JoeyG_* Guests Posted 21 July 2006 - 09:07 PM oh great it worked in two days for me i jsut added a few seeds that she loves and then each day added less cheers!! Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #23 [Seed conversion: post #23] hoovershounds Adv Member Members 38 posts 0 warning points Posted 18 August 2006 - 09:36 PM I just wanted to add that this conversion method really works (& I am Not a paid actor smile.gif ). I used andie's method to the tee except for I did not choose just one pellet. I used a mix consisting of all the samples (Hagen, Roudybush ect) that i had received & Zupreem wild & spicy. By week 4, Zeek was completly converted. Amy Like This The Hoover Zoo-Home to Zeek (Quaker), Harrison & Aquila (Hedgehogs), Roscoe & Dixie (Chinchillas), Dunkin & Fiona (Ferrets), Bianca (Rat), Buddy (PB Pig), Nanna (Goat), Zack (Mule), Pockets (Cat), Barney & Duke (Coonhounds), Molly & Goldie (Basset Hounds), Tank, Blue, & Lippy (Beagles), Sid (Patterdale/Beagle), Ranger (Blueberry Bagle), Ginger (Catahoula/?), Fred, Brownie, Cupcake (Cows), Monk (Dove), Chickens, Guineas, Button Quail Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #24 [Seed conversion: post #24] Sandi Kiwis Mom "Love Me...Love My Fids!!!! Forum Manager 20,884 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Deland, FL Country:USA Posted 18 August 2006 - 09:50 PM I have to agree to hoovershound. I am not a paid seed converter either but Andie's method works. Just a little at a time and it definitely works. Like This forum_manager.png Mr. Kiwi, quaker, hatched 11-06-99 Miss Gidget, green cheek, hatched 3-12-05 Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #25 [Seed conversion: post #25] PaulaJayne Adv Member Members 92 posts 0 warning points Posted 31 August 2006 - 06:36 AM I got Mr. Pickles last week and I mixed the zupreem with seeds. Of course, he has not eaten any of the pellets. He throws them down on the ground. SO, I need to have a bowel of pellets by itself and then do this with the other bowl of seeds like you said? What if he will not eat the pellets at all? THen what do I do? Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #26 [Seed conversion: post #26] miss1mouse Adv Member Members 60 posts 0 warning points Location:Indiana Posted 18 September 2006 - 12:42 PM We inherited a 13 yr. old Quaker Parrot that has eaten seeds all his life. I tried the method mentioned above, but he didn't touch the pellets for a week and kept saying "Tweety wants food". I bought Pretty Bird Select medium sized pellets. Where do I find Zupreem? The pet store owner hadn't even heard of it, but I'm not too impressed with him anyway. He trimmed Tweety's wings for me and I think he went too short. Poor bird looks like he has a bad haircut. He just left him the 2 blue feathers on either side. And how do I know what flavor to get him? He's very picky. He doesn't like apples, strawberries or blueberries. He only likes grapes and wheat bread and I just read that grapes are bad because they have too much sodium. I'm running out of things to feed him! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #27 [Seed conversion: post #27] Andie's Mom Adv Member Members 12,839 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Spokane WA Country:United States Posted 18 September 2006 - 09:04 PM You can find Zupreem at places like PetsMart and Petco and they come in several flavors now.There's a plain vegetable one or its called natural now. THere's Fruit blend and then several other mixes as well. I haven't heard that grapes are bad...I feed my birds grapes periodically You state he's very picky...in that case I guess I'd start out with a small bag of the natural...you can always sprinkle some orange juice or apple juice on it that way they can't get color specific and only pick out certain colors and leave the rest or throw them out on the floor. As Andie said have them in his cage 24-7 and his reg seed in his cage twice a day for 15 or 20 minutes to start with...do that for a week...then lessen the amount of time the seed is in there by 5 minutes per week... then go to once a day for 5 minutes and then do that a couple of times a week and it will become a real treat! My Double Yellow Headed Amazon was on a Horrible diet when I got him. mostly all seed with a few cheap pellets thrown in...he'd sift through all the seed and leave the pellet...So when I started weaning him off of it he wasn't a happy camper...but they seem to have this survival thing going for them and they will eventually start playing with it and dunking it in water etc...Most of my birds love to make Pellet soup....UGGGGH...but hey at least they are eating it. Good luck. Feel free to Ask more questions if you need to... Like This Andie's Mom and Flock: Cash: Umbrella Cockatoo Bobbi : Hahns Macaw Paddie Wack QP Ollie, QP, Bailey Blue and Gold Macaw Simon, Black headed Caique Lady Gouldian Finches, and 2 Society Finches 17 Quakers in outside flight. Callie, Toes, Smudge, Thumper (cats) Wicket,Min.Schnauzer Ollie, Staffordshire Terrier Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #28 [Seed conversion: post #28] miss1mouse Adv Member Members 60 posts 0 warning points Location:Indiana Posted 19 September 2006 - 11:57 AM Thanks for the advice! Especially for telling me specifically what kind of Zupreem to get for a picky bird. I think I read that grapes were high in sodium in "Guide to the Quaker Parrot" I think Not sure cause I can't seem to find it now. I'll look for it when I have more time tonight. Anyhow, thanks for the info. I'd hate to spend more money on pellets that he would hate. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #29 [Seed conversion: post #29] luckygirrl Member Members 13 posts 0 warning points Posted 27 September 2006 - 11:43 AM Hi Andie, I am trying your method and I am on my second week... She is soo stubborn and soo smart... Too smart, my luck I had to get a smart bird...She refuses to eat the pellets, I got The Zupreem, the fruit shapes one.. I even tried to switch the feeder so to fake her out maybe she would try the pellets by mistake... Too smart, she doesn't even go for it, she goes wherever the seed one is.. I am hoping this gets better, but I am afraid I don't want her to get sick.. Is there a better food for me to try giving her?? Should I just stick to this, not to confuse her anymore.. I feel even worse that I keep throwing out perfectly good food, sometimes I save it and give it to her again... It seems fresh, so I thought what the heck... I know you are the expert on this soo please help me and everyone else having problems... Thank you, in advance.. Stephanie, aka Ari's mom rolleyes.gif wacko.gif Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #30 [Seed conversion: post #30] Alyssa Adv Member Members 649 posts 0 warning points Posted 15 October 2006 - 09:55 PM Apparently I was seriously misinformed mad.gif , I thought that seeds were supposed to be a normal diet. Oh goodness... if I switch my bird now how much dmage will I have done? He's only two! Will he be okay? unsure.gif I really hope he's fine... I want him to be alive for the time I buy my first house! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #31 [Seed conversion: post #31] LuxyLyx Adv Member Members 143 posts 0 warning points Location:Akron, OH Posted 16 October 2006 - 04:45 AM Here are some methods thathave been suggested that may or may not work: 1. Make birdy muffins with crushed pellets and other healthy food that they like. It may help them get used to the pellet taste. 2. Pretend to eat them (or eat them) in front of the bird, then offer it to them. That is how I got my QP to eat them and he was used to eating a diet of purely sunflower seeds. 3. Place the pellets on a mirror, then offer it to them. I dont know if this works or not, but Ive heard some people have success with it. 4. Try a product called avicakes which have pellets and seed mixed in them. And Alyssa, I wouldnt worry too much about the diet so far. My QP's diet before I got him was horrible, but the sooner you change it, the better. Like This Mekon (Quaker) Popcorn (Tiel) Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #32 [Seed conversion: post #32] brandylaw FREEZE! Put your hands up and slowly back away from the bird Members 2,616 posts 0 warning points Location:Moundsville, WV Posted 16 October 2006 - 06:39 PM Yep, Alyssa, dont panic....just start converting now smile.gif He is young and now you know. In the beginning, I used a natural peanut butter (though not good in large quantities as it is high in fat) mixed with pulverized pellets. Did this in a food processor. That was so I knew he was getting SOME good stuff. It took a while for my qp to convert, but he did. smile.gif Like This I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn. Henry David Thoreau Posted Image HOW BOUT DEM EERS?!!!!!! Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #33 [Seed conversion: post #33] Guest_graciebird_* Guests Posted 12 November 2006 - 04:02 PM Andie- That's a good idea! I am going to try it with my bird. He is 7 years old and has been on seeds since he was weened--do you think it would be traumatic for a bird to switch to pellets at that age? I tried to switch him to pellets when he was younger, but I was mixing them with the seeds and he would just toss all the pellets out of his dish. lol. blink.gif Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #34 [Seed conversion: post #34] nikki9093 Adv Member Members 221 posts 0 warning points Location:Tacoma, WA Posted 12 November 2006 - 07:17 PM OMG....my little guy Pedro, is eating pellet now! I cant believe it! Tonight we just put that in there and off he went munching away. We usually add it to his regular seed, but tonight we just did the pellet, and Im soooooooo happy now! He goes back and forth from the cup, grabs a pellet in his little foot, then walks over to the his water cup, munches , then goes back to the food cup and grabs another and does it all over again....lol....its toooooo funny.... biggrin.gif Like This Am Owned By: 2 Kids 17 Fids (13 Tiels, 3 Quakers & 1 Blue-fronted Amazon) 1.1.0 Bearded Dragons 1 Bratty doxie/pit puppy named KoKo Bean Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report |
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:34:11 GMT -5
sally
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Posted 07 January 2007 - 03:03 PM
Hi, new to this forum. I picked up a young quaker from someone who was tired of the "yell". Of course they were feeding seed and I felt sorry for the bird but because He/she is still young I was certain he/she would be easy to convert to pellets. All my birds eat harrisons fine with the high potency coarse as a treat. After 2 days of not eating anything, I decided to give in and give him/her some sunflower seeds. She ate so quickly I was afraid I was starving her but I didn't want her to only eat trash food. She has been very scared as well. Today though she finally took an egg from my hand and some cheese and a chicken bone! YEAH! I was taught to put the pellets in the same bowl as the seed so as they move the pellets out of the way to get to the seed they would get the feel and touch of the pellets and then get used to them and eat them. She actually took a coarse pellet and chewed on it for 3 seconds. Any helpful hints to get this baby secure? Knows to step up but runs away first. Thanks. Sally
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#37 [Seed conversion: post #37] Jodi L.
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Posted 18 January 2007 - 11:36 AM
I'm going through the same thing. He learned to hold out for sunflower seeds at a previous home, so I did the 20 minute thing, two times a day. didn't quite work, so I went down to a handful, once a day, in the same cup as the pellets, at the end of the day.
guess whos eating pellets? too bad its only the red ones wink.gif
but, hes started eating eggs first, so I mixed pellets seeds and eggs all up, cooked it, and started with that. he ate the pellets outta that, kinda. He also will now eat peas, pasta, baby food-more or less, if he sees us eat it, hes willing to sniff it, and if it smells good he'll try it.
and then the one day he snuck a bite of chocolate icecream-NOT recommened, but he will do anything for that tongue.gif
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#38 [Seed conversion: post #38] Cheekys mum
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Posted 19 January 2007 - 01:37 PM
Im going to try this pellet conversion and I
know it works. But Cheeky wont eat any pellet. Ok I am going to try other brands yes but as long as he has fresh fruits
and vegs table food etc He wont touch them. So what will I do?
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#39 [Seed conversion: post #39] CindyL
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Posted 01 February 2007 - 03:46 PM
I am going to try this..
Since I read that just a seed diet for QP's is unhealthy. This weekend I bought some Zupreen pellets and I'm started them on conversion. I started with seed with a little pellets. Thank you!!!
CindyL & mojo
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#40 [Seed conversion: post #40] spacecowboy97
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Posted 09 February 2007 - 10:54 PM
Hi guys,
I got my quaker parrot for a month and a half (Baby Jaffa), and his mix came with seeds and pellets. He'd just select the sunflower seeds ONLY, and if i offered him the pellets, he might place it in the tip of his beak, just inside, I think he tries to crack it like a seed ? So as you may guess, it falls out of his beak, or he breaks it to pieces and it all crumbles to the floor.
Its not very efficient his eating, pellets or fruit/veg, alot of things he lets fall out if he picks it up.
Any tips on feeding veg/fruits? he loves corn and sunflower seeds, those things he wont let fall out of his beak. I think a small tiny bite size piece of veg or fruit works better, as he gets it in his beak, but just inside. Hes a 14/15 week old baby still, and really doesnt eat that much of fruit and veg that i offer and go to great lengths to make.
I will start Andies conversion from tomorrow onwards.
Another note, he eats egg sometimes, but most of the time he is breaking off pieces and tossing them off his beak :S His cuttlefish he doesnt eat, but sometimes i feed it to him and he licks at it a bit.
Thanks guys,
Bircan
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:35:10 GMT -5
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Posted 17 March 2007 - 06:07 AM
After reading all the post here I almost forgot what my question was.
I have been offering Julian seed twice a day for 20 minutes at a time. Morning and evening. I have Roudybush pellets that are out 24/7, which he don't touch. But will sit there and shake and scare me that maybe he is sick (just had his first full check up yesterday and he is very healthy)when I give him his seed back and he starts eating but will sometimes shake his wings at the same time. Is he ok, just starving or just trying to make his Mommy scared wacko.gif
Stephanie and Julian
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#42 [Seed conversion: post #42] Stevi Cay
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Posted 17 March 2007 - 07:47 AM
QUOTE (miss1mouse @ Sep 18 2006, 01:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
We inherited a 13 yr. old Quaker Parrot that has eaten seeds all his life. I tried the method mentioned above, but he didn't touch the pellets for a week and kept saying "Tweety wants food". I bought Pretty Bird Select medium sized pellets. Where do I find Zupreem? The pet store owner hadn't even heard of it, but I'm not too impressed with him anyway. He trimmed Tweety's wings for me and I think he went too short. Poor bird looks like he has a bad haircut. He just left him the 2 blue feathers on either side. And how do I know what flavor to get him? He's very picky. He doesn't like apples, strawberries or blueberries. He only likes grapes and wheat bread and I just read that grapes are bad because they have too much sodium. I'm running out of things to feed him!
I took Julian to the Vet yesterday and that is how he told me to trim his wings, with leaving the two end blue ones. That way he said they look nicer but still can't fly.
Stephanie and Julian
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#43 [Seed conversion: post #43] Andie's Mom
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Posted 17 March 2007 - 10:36 AM
That's called a beauty clip...and some birds can fly with just those feathers.
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#44 [Seed conversion: post #44] Stevi Cay
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Posted 20 March 2007 - 07:58 AM
QUOTE (Andie's Mom @ Mar 17 2007, 11:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
That's called a beauty clip...and some birds can fly with just those feathers.
Don't want to take that chance so I will clip those two too. Thanks.
Stephanie and Julian
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#45 [Seed conversion: post #45] marylee
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Posted 10 April 2007 - 04:04 AM
yes they certainly can... cause mine sure did... and I nearly lost him.
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#46 [Seed conversion: post #46] Gizmo #1
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Posted 10 June 2007 - 09:13 PM
Please answer soon. I am getting a cockatiel today yes monday and it has just been weened, but it eats seeds.I am thinking it won't take that long to switch. Do you agree or not.[all opinions]
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#47 [Seed conversion: post #47] Gizmo #1
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Posted 13 June 2007 - 03:14 PM
I am trying the methiod now. I will let you know how it goes. So if im correct the total process is about 5 weeks.
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#48 [Seed conversion: post #48] ltv1
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Posted 29 June 2007 - 02:19 AM
An ongoing debate online and in pet food stores is that a fortified seed diet with fruits and veggies was fine. I am going to change over to pellets, with fortified seeds as a treat. The fruits and veggies are easy, we have been using them forever. Is a fortified seed diet with fruit and veggies good or bad?
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#49 [Seed conversion: post #49] Lisa Barnes
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Posted 07 August 2007 - 01:38 PM
milo and nibbles both came from the pet stores. thay are both eating seeds. I have tryed pellets before. neither of my birds would eat them.
We don't do alot of fruit and veg's for the birds everyday. I have treats for them from the pet store . pumpkin seeds, ect..... thay eat what we eat for dinner. vegs wise . I cook more on the weekends so thay have better foods then. My question is should I use pellets for both birds? Milo is the qp ( about 2 1/2yrs old) and Nibbles is a amozon ( 4 years old). I only tell you that because both have been on seed there whole life.
I think I will try one of these other brands you have talked about, did'nt think of that. I thought if thay liked one thay would like them all. You know like thay are all pretty much the same? I also work long hours every day, so it will be hard to do the twice a day thing. dry.gif But maybe if I start on a weekend thay will take right to it. I know it's better for them so I really want them to convert. Thanks for talking about this.
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Emmitt (girl hahn's Macaw)
Milo ( boy Quarker) aka woggie
Mrs. Nibbles,( girl amazon) aka trouble! HaHa
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:35:55 GMT -5
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Posted 09 September 2007 - 04:23 PM
i've found this so interesting,Milo has always been on a seed diet with fresh fruit and veg.every time i buy food i have the same dilemma about pellets versus seed and have always ended up with seed because i know he likes it,i'm going to the pet shop tomorrow and i'm going to get some pellets and try this method,i'll let you know how the switch over goes
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#52 [Seed conversion: post #52] Andie Wan Kenobi
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Posted 09 September 2007 - 08:27 PM
This is what are facts...Fatty liver disease is very prominant in quakers who eat seed based diets. They do not get the exercise nor the variety to choose from being our companions. They can moderate their vitamin and mineral intake due to the availability of different forages in the wild. Not as our companions, they get what we put in the dish. Would you feed a human child snickers bars only? Maybe toss them an apple once in a while? Or feed them only McDonalds? That is what we do to our pets when we feed a seed based diet.
Fortified seeds are coated with the vitamins and minerals...what part does the bird eat? THE INSIDE...so how much of the vitamin package gets in our pets? VERY LITTLE. Since they do not have saliva to bind to the coating and ingest it, not much good is done.
The best diet we can offer are fresh foods, but that doesn't always happen. SO we do have to make up for it. This is where our pelleted diets come in. This pellet should make up at least 1/2 of the diet up to 3/4 of it. The balance should be mixed between fruits, veggies, carbs, proteins, and no more than 10% of the diet should be seed.
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#53 [Seed conversion: post #53] SaraM
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Posted 10 September 2007 - 12:37 PM
Went and got some pellets today and am quite surprised by how much Milo seems to like it,is the 'andy method' done gradually to help their digestion get used to the change (like if switching biscuits with a dog)
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#54 [Seed conversion: post #54] Andie Wan Kenobi
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Posted 10 September 2007 - 10:12 PM
Some birds will starve themselves if they are switched cold turkey. It also helps reduce stress of transition.
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#55 [Seed conversion: post #55] SaraM
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Posted 13 September 2007 - 12:03 PM
it's going really well with Milos conversion to pellets,i'm so glad i found this thread,i know i'm still on week one but hopefully it will continue to go as smoothly biggrin.gif
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#56 [Seed conversion: post #56] SaraM
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Posted 28 September 2007 - 12:36 PM
Well i think i can safely say that Milo is a pellet convert,we are on week three and when he does get his usual seed mix put in he seems to not bother with it and goes for the pellets, biggrin.gif yipee success
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#57 [Seed conversion: post #57] Reepecheeps's Mom
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Posted 04 November 2007 - 09:27 AM
We mix the zupreem fruits and veggies pellets. Reepecheep has her days that she picks favorites but it changes a lot, no wasted food, except all that food on the floor smile.gif
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#58 [Seed conversion: post #58] Nestling
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Posted 04 November 2007 - 10:49 PM
Ok here is a really stupid question. I am going to buy Zupreem pellets tomorrow. Are there different sizes for different bird species and if so what do I get? I have some unidentified pellets here left from when I had my Tiels but am not sure if all pellets are the same size. I have been giving Cleuseau the Tiel Pellets mixed with seed. HELP!!!
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#59 [Seed conversion: post #59] Reepecheeps's Mom
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Posted 05 November 2007 - 08:59 AM
Yes there are different sizes. My qp likes to have something to hold onto so I tend to get the fruit ones for conures and the veggie ones for macaws.
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#60 [Seed conversion: post #60] Casey's Mom
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Posted 05 November 2007 - 09:05 AM
QUOTE
I am going to buy Zupreem pellets tomorrow.
There are no stupid questions!!! We buy Zupreem for Cockatiels, and I think most people buy that size. smile.gif They are the perfect size for Quakers. smile.gif
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:37:53 GMT -5
Nestling Nestling Members 183 posts 0 warning points Location:Wilmington, Illinois Country:USA Posted 05 November 2007 - 10:52 AM Thank you ever so much. Wish me luck. Like This "In memory of my feathered and furry kids that have gone to Rainbow Bridge. Mommy loves you" Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #62 [Seed conversion: post #62] Nestling Nestling Members 183 posts 0 warning points Location:Wilmington, Illinois Country:USA Posted 06 November 2007 - 02:29 AM Well today was day one and I can not believe it. My seed addict actually ate some pellets. You could have blown me over with a feather. No pun intended. smile.gif Thank you so much. Like This "In memory of my feathered and furry kids that have gone to Rainbow Bridge. Mommy loves you" Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #63 [Seed conversion: post #63] Nestling Nestling Members 183 posts 0 warning points Location:Wilmington, Illinois Country:USA Posted 06 November 2007 - 08:38 PM I guess this is the last post you will see from me up here. My boy is totally in love with pellets. Thank you so much. Bless you. It only took 2 days. Today he did not even go for the seed. Like This "In memory of my feathered and furry kids that have gone to Rainbow Bridge. Mommy loves you" Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #64 [Seed conversion: post #64] debdewey Adv Member Members 47 posts 0 warning points Posted 07 November 2007 - 08:21 AM I started the conversion today for my 5 month old, he was weened on pellets and dumb mom gave him a bowl of seed mix one day and that was it. I had a quaker a few years ago and he did in fact starve to death from me no doing the conversion the correct way, I am nervous about doing this again I too work long hours I leave the house at 6:15 am and return at 5:50 pm, so I gave him his seed mix this morning for 20 and will do it again this evening, the most horrible thing is to come home and night and hear the greeting and find your baby dead at the bottom of the cage. Just tell me he will be alright..... Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #65 [Seed conversion: post #65] PacosMom Adv Member Members 8,008 posts 0 warning points Location:Central Illinois Country:USA Posted 07 November 2007 - 02:51 PM Please accept my sincerest condolences on the loss of your previous bird. I can assure you that as long as you are giving your bird some seed in the morning and night, he won't starve to death. Just make sure he has a full bowl of pellets in the food dish in between times. Like This Posted Image Gail, Pacos Mom Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #66 [Seed conversion: post #66] debdewey Adv Member Members 47 posts 0 warning points Posted 07 November 2007 - 03:56 PM It is almost time to go home and I must admit I am feeling uneasy, as long as I hear his sweet little voice when I open the door I will be fine, I bought 3 differant kinds of pellets today, so hopefully there will be one that is a hit. Hopefully tomorrow my first email will be letting you know all is well..... Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #67 [Seed conversion: post #67] Nestling Nestling Members 183 posts 0 warning points Location:Wilmington, Illinois Country:USA Posted 08 November 2007 - 06:26 PM I lied I am back to ask if the fruity Pretty Bird pellets are ok for that is all I could find here. I add 100% orange juice not from concentrate to moisten it. I hope it is ok because my baby loves it. Like This "In memory of my feathered and furry kids that have gone to Rainbow Bridge. Mommy loves you" Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #68 [Seed conversion: post #68] BeachBird Member Members 28 posts 0 warning points Location:Myrtle Beach, SC Country:USA Posted 10 November 2007 - 06:19 PM I tried your method for converting my babies to pellets. It worked great. At first, they waiting until it was "seed time" to eat, then little by little they tried the pellets. Now, they eat pellets as their main diet but they're open to trying anything, and they weren't before. Thanks for the great suggestion. Jen, Sam (quaker), and Jake (Cockatiel) Like This Jen (the Human) Sam (the Quaker Parrot) Jake (the Cockatiel) Moocher (the betta fish) Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #69 [Seed conversion: post #69] momssixpack Member Members 22 posts 0 warning points Location:Hubert, NC Country:united states Posted 12 November 2007 - 03:21 PM Hi Andy, We have Mr. Nibbles, an almost 3 month quaker. He was still being hand fed formula once a day when we brought him home from the pet store. They gave us a bag of kaytee rainbow and said he was eating it. Because we suspected he wasn't eating, we very carefully measured the pellets (we COUNTED EACH ONE) to see if he was eating. Not a piece. He was close to loosing the 10% so we added a second formula feeding, we have since weaned him down to one again, but he still refuses pellets even in apple juice. We are now trying a ready to cook mix of veggies and pasta from the pet store. Today is day two of your method and he has yet to touch a single pellet. and he is screeching. advice?  QUOTE (spotgofast @ Mar 7 2005, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We get a lot of questions about how to switch our birds' diets from seeds to pellets...and here is the "Andie Method" and it works. I have not had a bird fail to convert. Now keep in mind this is done over a periodo of time. All BIG switches should be done over time. Week 1: Pick a brand of pellets...I recomend Zupreem, Roudybush, Harrisons, Prettybird or Hagen's Tropican lifetime pellet or tropimix. You can also do a combination of to give them choices, and I'll address this later on. Offer the chosen pellet in the primary food dish, free choice...that means 24/7. IN A SEPARATE DISH offer your seed mix for 20 minutes twice a day. Do this for a week... Week Two, follow the steps to week one, only allowing 15 minutes twice a day Continuing on...keep doing this until the bird is recieving seed 5 minutes twice a day then start only offering it once a day, do that for a week, then once every other day and if they are still clinging on to the seed, once every third day...by this time they will be eating pellet and seed will be seen as a treat. I feed seed a couple times a week, except for my breeders they are starting to get it every day. NOW to talk about the mixing of pellets. I believe that variety is the spice of life. Always have a back up pellet in case you run out of the primary, or you go on vacation and can't find your normal pellet...the delivery is sloughed off a day or two and you have to fill in...we hate to think that this happens and we wouldn't be resposible enough to get more before we run out...but sometimes things are beyond our control. So every once in a while mix in some extra pellets and see if they'll eat them. Cheers! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #70 [Seed conversion: post #70] Photoguy77 Adv Member Members 40 posts 0 warning points Country:United States Posted 10 December 2007 - 09:46 AM Unfortunately, this wont work for every bird. All of my birdies have successfully been converted to pellets, EXCEPT for my Quaker. She will literally starve herself to near death and will still refuse to eat anything but seed. Ive tried 3 times, and due to fear of her dying, I decided to let her have her seed and just be happy. QPs live up to the stubborness at times. Like This Sandy ~ Pitbull 8 years old Rusty ~ Pembroke Welsh Corgi 1 year old Mojo ~ Quaker Parrot 7 years old Luigi ~ Moustached Ringneck 9 years old Sunny ~ Blue & Gold Macaw 6 years old Princess ~ Princess of Wales Parakeet C.A.S. (certified avian specialist) since 1998 - Rescuing Parrots since 2001 Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #71 [Seed conversion: post #71] Andie Wan Kenobi White & Nerdy Forum Manager 9,914 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:spokane WA Country:US Posted 11 December 2007 - 11:59 AM You may think of trying a different pellet. I also like to start babies with cherrios too. They really like the shape. I try to start my quakers on the cockatiel sized zupreem fruit. I am honestly not a fan of the kaytee pellets. Different shapes and sizes stimulate them, and one thing I do not do is mix my seed and pellets when I'm converting or starting babies. Like This Andie and the Gang Love your pets, Thank a breeder. Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #72 [Seed conversion: post #72] Carolynandherbirds Adv Member Members 739 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Prince George, BC, Canada Country:Canada Posted 05 January 2008 - 05:25 PM I posted in the General Bird Section before I realized that there was a pinned section for converting birds to pellets. I have some Tropicana, but found that Wembley didn't like the size of them..so I got some Roudybush Nibbles while in Vancouver. I at first tried the 'cold turkey' method, but even though Wembley would nibble at them sometimes, she really wasn't eating alot of pellets. Then after I notice Andie's suggested way of converting, I quickly brought some seeds to Wembley, and boy oh boy, was he ever excited and right away, chowed down. After reading all the other comments here, I have high hopes of converting Wembley over to pellets as he does seem to accept them as 'food'. I can handfeed it to him and he also does eat a little in the food dish, so I think that's a start! Carolyn:-) Like This Posted Image Gobo,Pearl Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) Wembley, Whitefaced Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) and Carolyn, Human (Homo Sapien) R.I.P. Wicket 1993-2006 Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #73 [Seed conversion: post #73] Gizmo #1 Ben-Gizmo~Julie Members 1,231 posts 0 warning points Location:Columbus Ohio Country:USA Posted 16 January 2008 - 03:18 PM I am exactly 1 week intoconverting its going pretty good. Gizmo iz a little mad when he's a little hungry but he is eating some pellets his favorite are the bananas and my tiel wont eat the bananas so that works out pretty good. He wont starve himself or anything but its good to know he is eating some. Like This Posted ImagePosted Image Blue Quaker Parrot- Gizmo Posted ImagePosted Image White-Faced Cockatiel- Julie "Be still and know that i am God." Psalms 46:10 Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #74 [Seed conversion: post #74] Carolynandherbirds Adv Member Members 739 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Prince George, BC, Canada Country:Canada Posted 16 January 2008 - 05:31 PM Wembley is like that right now. He will wait to eat seeds, although I think he did 'nibble' on a couple of pellets as there is pellet mess on floor. I make sure to feed him in the morning before I go, which is lately, 5am! And yes, he is so happy to see me cause I got 'seed'. lol I believe it will work with patience..he does eat some out of my hand and on my chest. This is cool Gizmo, we started converting our birds around the same time..I stopped for a few days during 'beak' crisis, but restarted last Sunday. Are you weighing Gizmo every night? Wembley is as cranky as your bird when I come home cause he's so darned hungry! Carolyn:-) QUOTE (BeachBird @ Nov 10 2007, 09:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I tried your method for converting my babies to pellets. It worked great. At first, they waiting until it was "seed time" to eat, then little by little they tried the pellets. Now, they eat pellets as their main diet but they're open to trying anything, and they weren't before. Thanks for the great suggestion. Jen, Sam (quaker), and Jake (Cockatiel) Like This Posted Image Gobo,Pearl Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) Wembley, Whitefaced Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) and Carolyn, Human (Homo Sapien) R.I.P. Wicket 1993-2006 Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #75 [Seed conversion: post #75] Gizmo #1 Ben-Gizmo~Julie Members 1,231 posts 0 warning points Location:Columbus Ohio Country:USA Posted 17 January 2008 - 03:06 PM No i am not weighing Gizmo every night i know h has lost a little weight but i am still feeeding him some seeds and he is eating pellets so i think he should be fine wink.gif Its a little tuff at forst because he keeps squaking for seeds but he has cut down on that and started to eat some pellets. After the first week its a lot easier. I dont think anythings wrong w nutriberries but im sure in the long run this would have been a good move as pellets where i live are a lot cheaper and everyone else says they are the best[which i dont COMPLETELY agree with] Like This Posted ImagePosted Image Blue Quaker Parrot- Gizmo Posted ImagePosted Image White-Faced Cockatiel- Julie "Be still and know that i am God." Psalms 46:10 Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #76 [Seed conversion: post #76] Carolynandherbirds Adv Member Members 739 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Prince George, BC, Canada Country:Canada Posted 17 January 2008 - 05:49 PM Well, I'll be.. Wembley's eating his pellets..from his food dish, and his poop looks good, even though he ate seeds at 5am this morning. I mixed up some Tropican AND Roudybush so that he likes both. I ground up the Tropican pellets so that they are the same size as the Roudybush crumbles, so he can't tell the difference..well by look, but he does eat both separately. The last few days, I've been handfeeding him it and offering it from a dish..it was hard coming home to a grumpy starving bird, but today he seems much more happy. Thanks Andie, for your awesome Pellet Conversion Plan that doesn't starve the bird..I will be giving seed for a bit more just to be sure he's ok...I'm am just so happy he changed over this fast. Carolyn:-) Like This Posted Image Gobo,Pearl Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) Wembley, Whitefaced Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) and Carolyn, Human (Homo Sapien) R.I.P. Wicket 1993-2006 Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #77 [Seed conversion: post #77] jaymike Newbie Members 8 posts 0 warning points Country:usa Posted 20 January 2008 - 10:11 AM When I went to the pet shop where we got Boomer and told them I was switching him to pellets from seed, gradually of course, following the suggestions here, they were adamant that I do not do so. They said their seed-pellet mixture is a better choice. I argued with them for a while, telling them that almost everyone on the forum says switch to pellets, and asking them why they sold them if they were so opposed to them. Their answer was simply that they had them for customers whom they couldn't convince otherwise. I really like and trust these people. I think they run a very good little shop, mainly birds and fish, and Boomer was very well socialized when we got him at 5 months, already stepping up and very friendly. They had us come in every week until he was ready to come home with us, so we could spend a little time with him and get him comfortable with us. And they always have what I felt were good answers to our questions, so I let them convince me to continue on the pellet/seed mixture, cutting way back on sunflower seeds, which it seems like was what he was mainly living on. He is just such a PICKY EATER! We give him eggs and fruit and veggies, and offer him a lot of our people food (being mindful of the bad foods, thanks to this forum) but he just doesn't eat much. If we hadn't had a quaker before, I probably would not be so concerned, because he appears healthy and well-adjusted, loves people, spends quality play time in his cage with his toys. Our first qp, Cheeky, ate like a little horse and was 35 grams heavier than Boomer. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #78 [Seed conversion: post #78] Andie Wan Kenobi White & Nerdy Forum Manager 9,914 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:spokane WA Country:US Posted 20 January 2008 - 11:42 AM Mixing is not a good plan unless they were started that way. The reason is they will pick out just the seed and leave the pellet. By using this method of conversion, they still get both, for a while. Seed should only be about 10% of a quaker diet. Just due to the lack of excercise that a wild bird would get, and the fact that quakers are predispositioned to fatty liver disease. The pellet is just the BASE of a diet, not the complete diet. Having a well rounded diet is very important. Like This Andie and the Gang Love your pets, Thank a breeder. Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #79 [Seed conversion: post #79] xxshelly Newbie Members 9 posts 0 warning points Location:Jax, FL Country:USA Posted 01 February 2008 - 09:46 AM OK, I don't need to convert from seeds to pellets, I just need to get Percy to eat some pellets. I have tried zupreem wild and spicy (which my tiels can't get enough of), zupreem fruity, zupreem of all varieties for large parrots (thinking he would like to pick it up in his hand), and also a brand with no color. He will dig the nuts out of the wild and spicy but won't touch the pellets. He seems to be a vegitarian. He loves spinich, apples, raisens, blueberries, pomegranites and also walnuts, pecans and almonds. He only gets the nuts as a treat, though. He will eat seeds if I give them, but only the sunflower seeds. How do I get him to eat pellets? Should I take his veggies away? Thanks much! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #80 [Seed conversion: post #80] sheilla7670 Adv Member Members 81 posts 0 warning points Location:fairhaven, ma Country:bristol Posted 14 March 2008 - 06:13 PM thanks so much for posting the conversion way.. i am expecting my delivery 3-5 days.. i ordered the Roudybush mini pellets...I read it someewhere on here of the site to go too.. Now i see severyal different kinds of pellets.. How due i know they kind i got is a good one.. I just hope i can get it at the store... what is everyones kind they are using???......thanks sheilla Like This Sheilla and her fids -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report |
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:39:35 GMT -5
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Posted 14 March 2008 - 07:28 PM
Roudybush is an excellent brand of pellet smile.gif I can't find it in my local store, so I order it online and make sure I reorder well before I run out. smile.gif
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#82 [Seed conversion: post #82] sheilla7670
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Posted 27 March 2008 - 11:09 PM
I am such a goof ball, but i am glad i found the thread again, i just started my reggy on pellets but what i did was put a small amound in his snack bowl and poured his reg food in a different bowl, no wonder he wasnt eating the pellets.. silly silly, i will start this great conversion tomrrow thanks for the step to conversion.......sheilla
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#83 [Seed conversion: post #83] Andrea5699
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Posted 17 April 2008 - 02:34 PM
Hi! I'm getting my Quaker in two weeks and he'll already be on pellets but have been trying to switch my tiel... tried for the first day yesterday (after having pellets mixed with seed for like a month) .. gave her all pellets in her regular dish and did the 20 min 2x a day idea for the seeds.. of course the lil junkie went crazy for the seeds when i put them in but... i held off giving seeds until later in the morning cause i knew she'd be starving first thing in the morning.. much to my surprise she was munching away on pellets first thing yesterday morning! woohoo!! And her poops have already started chaging colour a bit so i know she's eating them not jus tplaying!!
haha a small sucess!
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#84 [Seed conversion: post #84] tracyf
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Posted 25 April 2008 - 03:19 PM
I have been following this suggestion for a week now. Marla (7 yrs and has always been on seed) has not keeled over from starvation, but she is NOT impressed with pellets. I came home yesterday and she had dumped the bowl out. My husband said he watched her pick the bowl up and dump it. I will say our dog likes them fine wink.gif
I am now on the 15 minutes twice a day.
How have other birds reacted to conversion and is there anything I can do to help her. Is her behavior this normal for an older seed fed bird?
Finally, Marla took her first "bath" for me today. I had bought her a pretty green bowl at a thrift store but she would not bathe before today. She had a great time and was quite proud of herself afterwards. Me too biggrin.gif
Thanks for all the great info and sharing.
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#85 [Seed conversion: post #85] Andrea5699
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Posted 02 May 2008 - 05:58 AM
so my lil one wasn't weaned onto pellets afterall.. well the breeder mixed the pellets in but he just plays with them GRanted he does eat pretty much any fresh food we offer him, i started converting him yesterday. It was the noisiest day i've had in a lonnng time and I think he was actually protesting.
However, this morning he picked up a few pellets and tried eating before going and taking up vigal sitting on the empty spot where the "seed dish" comes. I'm holding off for another hour or so to see if he'll try the pellets agian.
And I don;t know if anyone else tried this but when I was converting my cockatiel.. I gave seeds at delayed times.. like a little while after she first woke up when she was always starving and then a couiple of hours before bed.. since she always ate before bed.. Just good to know when our birds are hungriest and make sure they have the pellets then and no seed at those times!
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#86 [Seed conversion: post #86] Casey's Mom
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Posted 02 May 2008 - 06:13 AM
QUOTE (Andrea5699 @ May 2 2008, 08:58 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
so my lil one wasn't weaned onto pellets afterall.. well the breeder mixed the pellets in but he just plays with them GRanted he does eat pretty much any fresh food we offer him, i started converting him yesterday. It was the noisiest day i've had in a lonnng time and I think he was actually protesting.
However, this morning he picked up a few pellets and tried eating before going and taking up vigal sitting on the empty spot where the "seed dish" comes. I'm holding off for another hour or so to see if he'll try the pellets agian.
If I recall you've only had him a few days, right? unsure.gif It's usually best to feed them whatever the breeder was feeding for about a month until they get settled in. You don't want to stress him out too much with changing homes, new people etc. and then to top it off he's not getting the food he's used to. Personally I'd wait a while before starting the conversion... maybe during that time he'll just take to the pellets by him self since they are mixed! biggrin.gif Also when you are converting him you'll want to monitor his weight very carefully. wink.gif
Good luck! smile.gif
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#87 [Seed conversion: post #87] Andrew
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Posted 31 May 2008 - 01:08 PM
I have been trying to make the conversion between seeds and pellets without much success. I have been using Zupreems fruit blend but Charlie (gizmo) does not like it at all and this is the only blend that I can find for the Quaker sized bird. He loves spicy foods and they make a spicy blend but it seems to be for larger parrots. Do you guys think this would be okay for him? He is only about 17 weeks old now.
ps no I still have not decided on a name yet. My daughter likes Charlie (after my father), I like Gizmo but call him bubbsy more than anything else. Poor bird is going to have a severe complex before we decide.
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#88 [Seed conversion: post #88] Casey's Mom
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Posted 31 May 2008 - 01:33 PM
Sometimes you have to start and stop the conversion a few times if they just aren't getting it the first time around, some are more stubborn. Make sure you monitor his weight to know that he's not losing too much weight if the conversion is too difficult on him.
Also, they can be picky about what kind of pellet they like. Casey eats the Zupreem Fruitblend but some birds don't like it, it could also be the colour of the pellets, maybe he'd prefer the Zupreem Natural... another good brand that you can usually find in most pet stores would be Hagens... if you don't have any other choices then you may have to order some free samples from different companies, if he takes to those better you'll just have to order online I guess...
Good luck! smile.gif
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Casey: Quaker 7.5 years
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Gaston, Daniel: Coton de Tulears 8.5 yrs, 5.5 yrs and
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#89 [Seed conversion: post #89] immatater
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Posted 09 September 2008 - 04:26 PM
I am feeding Riley the Kaytee rainbow pellets. I love the shapes and colors and figured he might also. I didn't see it on your list though. Is there a reason its not? Thank you!
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#90 [Seed conversion: post #90] Andrea5699
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Posted 10 September 2008 - 02:39 PM
I converted our cockatiel onto those pellets and she has done wonderfully with them.. . i can't think of any reason they aren't good.. some would say the coloured pellets have more sugar in them i think but i feed our quaker Zupreem .. the colourful lil shaped ones and he loves em..
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#91 [Seed conversion: post #91] pondside
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Posted 19 September 2008 - 06:08 AM
My questions are these-why are pellets better than feeding seed and real foods like fresh vegs and fruits?
i see on my zupreem bag many items that I wouldn't feed my bird on a regular basis-like sucrose for one.
The main ingredient is ground corn.
I just don't see how this can be better for my bird, since all the ingredients are dried up and devoid of their natural food value, so they add all that, plus other things to preserve the food- and probably as in other pet foods, they use what wouldn't be fit for human consumption.
I think natural is best, I don't think any wild birds eat pellets wacko.gif . This is just my opinion.
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#92 [Seed conversion: post #92] Andrea5699
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Posted 19 September 2008 - 10:37 AM
pellets are meant to be used as a "base" diet for our fids.. so of 100% of their daily diet.. somewhere between 50-80 percent pellets, fresh food and a few seeds.
We currently have with kiwi a mix of about 60-70% pellets, 30% or so fresh food daily with roughly 5-10% seeds offered in a seperate seed dish.. hope that clears things up a bit... and as quakers are prone to fatty liver diaease (caused by a high fat diet like primarily seeds) it is basically essential for a long health life to have at least a partially pelleted deet smile.gif I'm sure others will be along to answer too!
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#93 [Seed conversion: post #93] pondside
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Posted 19 September 2008 - 06:48 PM
I have also read where a pelleted diet is not good for a quaker with FLD-the reason being that the pelleted food has ingredients in it, that put a strain on the already compromised liver. ohmy.gif
I have read of others that say their quakers were on a pelleted diet, and developed FLD-so it can't be the high fat seed diet alone. I am thinking it could be the lack of exersize also.
Hook bills eat seeds, and fruits, and greens-prob an occasional bug too.
I don't beleive a partially pelleted diet is essential for health.
Pellets are a processed "food"-cooked devoid of any vitamins or minerals-so that these things have to be added back-plus other things for shelf life etc. wacko.gif
My quaker Goosey has FLD,(that is the main reason I have read up on this and FLD) he came to me that way-he's 7-I have only had him since about the end of May. He WAS fat-could not fly good, when I got him. I do think he probably was strictly on sunflower seeds and got very little exercise. Now he eats a variety of foods-but he had to see my other birds also eating fresh foods etc. He also gets milk thistle. His weight has gone down-he feels like my other birds-not fat like he was. He still gets his seeds, he also gets other real foods every day-including milk thistle.
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#94 [Seed conversion: post #94] rosenoseu
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Posted 28 October 2008 - 09:16 AM
I've tried everything with Iago; he simply will NOT eat the pellets. I've tried different kinds. I've tried mixing, I've tried everything! dry.gif He'll eat fruits tongue.gif and veggies tongue.gif And he truly loves his sunflower seeds tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif But, he won't touch pellets! dry.gif I do give him his daily vitamins. What should I do? I want him to remain healthy.
I don't get to get on, as often as I like; I have to share my computer with hubby, daw-gone-it! If you can email me with replys also, I'd be very grateful.
Cindy rosenoseu@aol.com
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#95 [Seed conversion: post #95] Cajuntater
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Posted 10 February 2009 - 12:10 PM
I am going to try this and keep you all posted!!! Thanks!!!
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#96 [Seed conversion: post #96] Dolly's Mom
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Posted 01 June 2009 - 09:02 PM
Thanks! It is so nice to have all the info you need at the tip of your fingertips. Switching my bird to pellet and it is nice to see an easy way to accomplish it.
Thanks again
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#97 [Seed conversion: post #97] solace
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Posted 10 August 2009 - 04:57 PM
Ive sucessfully gotten Oliver off seed, by keeping pellets in the bowl and feeding her fresh fruit and fruit in a can from the pet store. She also likes Nutriberries, those are okay aren't they?
Heh she still isn't eating the pellets as well as I like, usually she dumps them on the floor, but she gives them a taste a few times a day, mostly eats the nutriberries and fruit.
I didn't realise the seed was so bad for her till I noticed her feathers were getting black tips. She seems to be in much better spirits and health now that I switched, but she still has blacktips on her feathers, any idea if they are going to always be like that or will they get green again as she improves?
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#98 [Seed conversion: post #98] Chuck2
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Posted 10 August 2009 - 06:01 PM
I'm sorry about being somewhat new to QP parenting, so I have to ask. Blue and Jade get a mix, lets say in thirds - Higgins Boca Nuts (no shell), Higgins Fruit and Veggie, and Zupreem Fruit Blend pellets for parrots. Why pellet conversions?? huh.gif
QUOTE (solace @ Aug 10 2009, 06:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Ive sucessfully gotten Oliver off seed, by keeping pellets in the bowl and feeding her fresh fruit and fruit in a can from the pet store. She also likes Nutriberries, those are okay aren't they?
Heh she still isn't eating the pellets as well as I like, usually she dumps them on the floor, but she gives them a taste a few times a day, mostly eats the nutriberries and fruit.
I didn't realise the seed was so bad for her till I noticed her feathers were getting black tips. She seems to be in much better spirits and health now that I switched, but she still has blacktips on her feathers, any idea if they are going to always be like that or will they get green again as she improves?
In some birds, blackening of the feathers is a sign of stress and not food or diet. Based on my experiences only.
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#99 [Seed conversion: post #99] hilz621
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Posted 20 August 2009 - 04:23 PM
My little Yoda has some problems eating hard things. It's like he can't bite through them. whenever we give him something hard (like dry pasta), we always break it into pieces. Today, I fed him some of the pellets, and he seemed to not mind the taste, but he wasn't able to bite through them. When he got a piece off, he would eat the little piece, but he didn't seem to be able to eat them for the most part. I'm not sure what to do about this.
Any suggestions? It's not that he CAN'T bite into hard things, he just seems to have problems. I'm going to try another few days on the conversion method, but any ideas that you have would be welcome here.
Thanks.
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#100 [Seed conversion: post #100] jobo2mi
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Posted 22 August 2009 - 05:22 AM
You may try moisteig the pellets with a bit of water or apple juice. You cant leave the moist pellets in the cage 24/7 ... just for 30 to 60 minutes when it is meal time. Then leave the hard pellets in the rest of the time .. he'll be able to eat the softened ones when its mealtime, but will probably keep trying the hard pellets the rest of the time as well.
You can also give the cooked pasta, beans, veggies, etc. at the time you give the softened pellets. You could do the supplements at a different time if you want to get him to try different things as well.
Good luck with the conversion.
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:41:51 GMT -5
billy Adv Member Members 54 posts 0 warning points Country:USA Posted 24 August 2009 - 02:15 PM I tried this method for a year and it did not work. I actually did not give her any seeds only pellets and quicko egg food in one bowl and yogurt, 7 grain cereal w/blueberries, whole grain bread and snow peas in another. She just eats around the pellets. She picks them up in her beak and lets them drop. I even eat the pellets in front of her but she just won't eat them. I've tried Laferbar and now zupreem. I've been mixing her seeds in at the end of the day and she goes crazy for them. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #103 [Seed conversion: post #103] Lisa221 Newbie Members 3 posts 0 warning points Location:Australia Country:australia Posted 30 August 2009 - 08:17 PM Hay, I'm new to the site, I'v had Doli my quaker for 6 months now. She was on a good quality seed diet with her fruit and veg, but unfortunetly shes just started picked feathers at her crop area and eating them! I'm very worried so am looking at changing her to pellets, I,m also taking her to the vet today, so hopefully nothing bad is wrong. Any advice on how I could change to pellets as some days i am at work and wont be able to remove the seed mix after 15 or twnty mins etc ( I work 3 12hr shifts in a row). I read on that you can mix seed and pellets togetheir with a drip of water and slowly reduce the quantity of seed? Does this work? Thanks huh.gif Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #104 [Seed conversion: post #104] another kiwi Newbie Members 8 posts 0 warning points Posted 15 September 2009 - 09:08 AM We converted to a pellet diet (zupreem) when we got our Kiwi at 8 weeks old. She was only eating the seeds out of the mixed stuff. She wouldn't eat a pellet to save her life! I finally got her interested by moistening them and feeding them to her one by one - also pretending to eat them myself. After a couple of hours, she was eating them herself. She became allergic to the wheat and corn in them about a year later, but that is another story. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report Maddy Adv Member Members 51 posts 0 warning points Country:USA Posted 27 September 2009 - 08:52 AM I will be getting a new baby quaker next month. Now, I used to feed my quaker who sadly passed away in August, a cockatail seed mixture. Now I am seeing that this was all wrong and I should of fed pellets. When I had first got my quaker 9 years ago, the seed diet was recommended along with fresh vegetables. I was stupid in not bothering to continue research on the diets for birds, as I just really thought he was a very hardy bird and nothing would ever happen to him. I don't want to make the same mistakes with my new baby. So ...should I just throw all seed away and just do pellets with the new one? The other thing that I'm seeing from this site is avacado being poisoness to quakers. I don't even know for sure if I gave my quaker avacado or not, but I had 4 baby squirrels that I raised this spring and then realeased and one of the foods for squirrels is avacado. I now wonder if I gave some avacado to my Pete. Would there be very immedient signs of avacado poisoning soon after? Or could it poison over a period of time? Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #107 [Seed conversion: post #107] BrandieLeigh Adv Member Members 102 posts 0 warning points Location:Jonesboro, AR Country:USA Posted 27 October 2009 - 08:45 AM I have a question. If the bird is showing good signs of eating pellet can you speed the process up just a little? I'm not supposed to go to 15 minutes twice a day for another two days but I caught the little monster eating pellet today and I figure if he's getting food then I can take those five minutes off of each feeding a couple of days early. I just don't want to mess him up Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #108 [Seed conversion: post #108] Cacophony Adv Member Members 457 posts 0 warning points Location:Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Country:Canada Posted 27 October 2009 - 10:32 AM I'm at the exact same point, Brandieleigh! What I've been doing is measuring out the seed during the feedings instead of taking the bowl out - I'm having the same problem with always being avaliable to get that bowl out on time. Since I've seen Kiko eating pellets (and making sure she was EATING them and not just messing around and crushing them) I've cut her down to a teaspoon of seeds in the morning with all of the sunflowers picked out. I save those for training. She does get a tiny dash of seed on top of her breakfast oatmeal/pellet warmed mash and there is a sprinkle of seed on top of her birdie bread but I don't plan on necessarily cutting those completely from her diet. A little seed isn't a bad thing at all... it's when the little addicts eat ONLY the seed. For the last two weeks she hasn't had a seed bowl that didn't have at least a dozen or so pellets in that she had to work around to GET to her seed. I've found the trick is once she's done I refuse to replace them so that she doesn't just wait for the next serving of seed. =) They're smart little beasties! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #109 [Seed conversion: post #109] monk mania Adv Member Members 77 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:new york Country:USA Posted 04 January 2010 - 04:51 PM 'Andie Wan Kenobi', on 07 Mar 2005 - 09:14 AM, said: We get a lot of questions about how to switch our birds' diets from seeds to pellets...and here is the "Andie Method" and it works. I have not had a bird fail to convert. Now keep in mind this is done over a periodo of time. All BIG switches should be done over time. Week 1: Pick a brand of pellets...I recomend Zupreem, Roudybush, Harrisons, Prettybird or Hagen's Tropican lifetime pellet or tropimix. You can also do a combination of to give them choices, and I'll address this later on. Offer the chosen pellet in the primary food dish, free choice...that means 24/7. IN A SEPARATE DISH offer your seed mix for 20 minutes twice a day. Do this for a week... Week Two, follow the steps to week one, only allowing 15 minutes twice a day Continuing on...keep doing this until the bird is recieving seed 5 minutes twice a day then start only offering it once a day, do that for a week, then once every other day and if they are still clinging on to the seed, once every third day...by this time they will be eating pellet and seed will be seen as a treat. I feed seed a couple times a week, except for my breeders they are starting to get it every day. NOW to talk about the mixing of pellets. I believe that variety is the spice of life. Always have a back up pellet in case you run out of the primary, or you go on vacation and can't find your normal pellet...the delivery is sloughed off a day or two and you have to fill in...we hate to think that this happens and we wouldn't be resposible enough to get more before we run out...but sometimes things are beyond our control. So every once in a while mix in some extra pellets and see if they'll eat them. Cheers! hmm...it seems this conversion method is very successful but my quaker is one tough and studdborn cookie. If he doesn't get the nutriberries and avicakes he simply wont eat. I tried putting the nutriberries and avicakes in with the pelleted diet and put a little less in each day until I got to all pellets and my bird refused to eat them so he starved himself all day. I felt so badly that I fed him some seed that night. I will try this method and I hope it works for me. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #110 [Seed conversion: post #110] Mary2784 Adv Member Members 39 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:South Florida Country:USA Posted 07 January 2010 - 08:47 PM OK.....I am on it. I bought the Roudybush pellets. They are neither colored nor do the smell like anything yummy if you ask me. I've seen the colored ones, but do they really make them that smell delicious??? I mix in pellets with seeds everyday. I can see where the pellets are broken up some when I clean dishes, but to what extent they are getting eaten, I don't have a clue. I can tell however that they are chowing down on the seeds. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #111 [Seed conversion: post #111] moonchild1970 Verde's Slave Members 4,168 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Spokane, WA Country:USA Posted 23 January 2010 - 12:14 AM I know that Hagen's Tropican smells like bubblegum and the Zupreem smells like fruity pebbles...Posted Image The others do not smell like much, but do taste ok. Yes I ate some when first getting my birds converted lol! Posted Image Just add less and less seed everyday you will get there. I did. Posted Image GL. Edited by moonchild1970, 23 January 2010 - 12:16 AM. Like This VERDE (M) Quaker DOH on 03/02/08 *** CECIL (M) Peachface Born here DOH 6/23/09 ~~~~LOVEBIRD RESCUES By Date of Rescue: ***03-12-08 BYRD BYRD (M)PeachFace. DOH 2003 ****11-19-09 SAMMY BOY & ZAZU (M) 3 Y/O Sibling Peachfaces DOH 2006 ***4-20-11 Luckyboo (M) Peachface DOH 2006 ***4-2012 ZeeBoo(Zane) DOB 2-2012 (M) Dutchblue Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #112 [Seed conversion: post #112] MeAgain Member Members 18 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Country:Canada Posted 29 January 2010 - 06:22 AM Hey guys! Ok, I've switched W off seeds to pellets a couple of days ago, she would eat them at all when I tried before. This time, I bought Zupreems and she eats them! I give her a square of seed treats once a day to make sure she gets all she needs (she only eats a little of it) Now she hardly eats her veggies, rice or/and pasta! She still tries to steel MY food tho... Should I force he to eat the veggies? The lady at the store said with this brand to not worrie, she could just eat the pellets.... :blink: (and they do smell good!) Edited by MeAgain, 29 January 2010 - 06:23 AM. Like This " There is always poop on my laptop " Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #113 [Seed conversion: post #113] deereigna Member Members 14 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Oklahoma Country:USA Posted 26 May 2010 - 11:01 AM Ok in the instructions ANDIE says he feeds seeds twice a week except for the breeders, and they get seeds daily. (I understand as treats)Why is that? Like This Deereigna-AngieReed Sassy- female QP Buddy- male QP Dodger- male Golden Retreiver Lilly- female Schnauser Oliver- male Manx Gizmo- male American Shorthair Tabby Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #114 [Seed conversion: post #114] Cooper's Mommy Adv Member Members 513 posts 0 warning points Gender:Not Telling Country:Canada Posted 26 May 2010 - 05:27 PM 'moonchild1970', on 23 Jan 2010 - 12:14 AM, said: I know that Hagen's Tropican smells like bubblegum and the Zupreem smells like fruity pebbles...Posted Image It's the Sugar they add Posted Image ... Not Good! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #115 [Seed conversion: post #115] night Adv Member Members 128 posts 0 warning points Location:houston Posted 11 June 2010 - 09:15 PM I think I came up with this method on my own. I tend to be good at making things up... I just adopted a 1.5 year old that was on a seed mix. I put zupreem in his bowl. Nothing else goes in there. When I get home from work he gets some pickings from my dinner that he likes or some fruit. So far, corn, peas, apples, bananas, and.. the shredded wheat cereal. After that time his only option is going back to his cage himself for the pellets. I have had him 5 days and tonight I pulled the bowl out and put it down like I would his usual fruit/vege. He didn't exactly eat them, but gradually showed a bit more interest playing with them in his beak longer. Hoping this goes well... Edited by night, 11 June 2010 - 09:16 PM. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #116 [Seed conversion: post #116] Sandi Kiwis Mom "Love Me...Love My Fids!!!! Forum Manager 20,884 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Deland, FL Country:USA Posted 11 June 2010 - 09:26 PM please monitor his weight......if he was on seed and now abruptly on pellets he may not be eating enough. Usually a quaker or any bird needs to be weaned off of seed gradually....He has had to adjust to alot of changes in just 5 days......Just my opinion... 'night', on 11 Jun 2010 - 9:15 PM, said: I think I came up with this method on my own. I tend to be good at making things up... I just adopted a 1.5 year old that was on a seed mix. I put zupreem in his bowl. Nothing else goes in there. When I get home from work he gets some pickings from my dinner that he likes or some fruit. So far, corn, peas, apples, bananas, and.. the shredded wheat cereal. After that time his only option is going back to his cage himself for the pellets. I have had him 5 days and tonight I pulled the bowl out and put it down like I would his usual fruit/vege. He didn't exactly eat them, but gradually showed a bit more interest playing with them in his beak longer. Hoping this goes well... Like This forum_manager.png Mr. Kiwi, quaker, hatched 11-06-99 Miss Gidget, green cheek, hatched 3-12-05 Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #117 [Seed conversion: post #117] night Adv Member Members 128 posts 0 warning points Location:houston Posted 12 June 2010 - 09:45 AM ya, I do have a scale from my previous bird. will grab a battery for it today. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #118 [Seed conversion: post #118] night Adv Member Members 128 posts 0 warning points Location:houston Posted 15 June 2010 - 08:48 AM Yesterday he just started munching down on the pellets like nothing. Before he would pick at them and eat some just cuz they were there, but this was the first time he sat there for some time and ate. 8 days, and I'm gonna call him converted  Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #119 [Seed conversion: post #119] pollysmama Adv Member Members 33 posts 0 warning points Country:USA Posted 18 June 2010 - 01:59 AM This is the method I used to convert Polly and it only took a week. This is my favorite method and the only one I have found to really work. valerie Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #120 [Seed conversion: post #120] ~Crystal and Bammie~ Adv Member Members 140 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:CLEVELAND Country:cuyahoga Posted 27 June 2010 - 02:51 PM My QP Bammie was weaned off to roudybush pellets (small) and he eat's them just fine along with some vegs and a little fruit once in a while,,Hope this helps!Posted Image Like This Posted Image" Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report |
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:45:05 GMT -5
Diane Doolittle Adv Member Members 512 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Maryland Country:United States Posted 01 December 2010 - 02:52 PM 'Diane Ogden', on 01 Dec 2010 - 2:44 PM, said: Not sure where this "reply" is going to go as I am a bit confused - just joined today. All this pellet talk. I have a very stubborn quaker who will only eat seed and no table food. When I first heard about pellets I was scared to death I was killing my bird. Who invented pellets? Could it be that it is a push for money? Am just using this as a sounding board for that idea. Is it not that Variety is the spice of life? As humans we are suppose to have many foods not concintrate on one or two. In taking research of fatty liver disease, how can they be sure of seed. Am really worried about changing to pellets as she hates them but I offer them every day without fail. How long is a bird suppose to go without eating as mine is as stubborn as the day is long.  Thanks for any imput....this has been drivin me nuts since day 1 with this bird. She is about 6 1/2 years old. By the way, anyone have a general idea of how long they live, I have heard several things Like This Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #123 [Seed conversion: post #123] Carrie~Anne "The Sound of Birds Stops The Noise In My Mind" Senior Forum Manager 16,353 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:British Columbia Country:Canada Posted 01 December 2010 - 05:45 PM Most avian vets agree that the best diet is a base diet of pellets (making up about 80%) and then rounding out the diet with fresh foods. So there is variety there. The pellets offer all the nutrients that a bird needs. It is almost impossible to provide all the nutrients a bird needs from a diet of fresh foods alone. Heck, us humans even have a tough time making sure we are getting all the nutrients we need  As far as getting your bird to eat pellets, use the conversion method. It does work, but you have to be very diligent about following it. Just putting pellets in your bird's cage, along with other foods, isn't enough. Like This Living With Parrots is Infinitely Fascinating.... Tiko - Congo African Grey (1993) Chi Chi - Green Cheek Conure (2005) Lo Lee - Maroon Bellied Conure (2005) Max - Quaker Parrot (2005~2011) RIP Little One Love Your Pet?? Thank A Breeder!! Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #124 [Seed conversion: post #124] kateb Newbie Members 8 posts 0 warning points Country:Australia Posted 02 December 2010 - 06:32 AM Hello Diane! I have just converted Buddy to pellets and found the conversion mentioned at the start of this post super helpful. There have already been many other great suggestions posted here, but I will detail how I converted Buddy earlier this week - it literally took about 2 days. Firstly, I did as suggested and made pellets permanently available in his cage 24/7. Now, in terms of the feeding schedule - I work from home quite a lot and I've heard birds are very social creatures and like to eat together with their human companions. For this reason, Buddy tends to eat "meals" with me (breakfast, morning-tea, lunch etc), although I know this is not the case for many other birds who's owners are at work during the day. Still, if you are home during the day you might like to try this to see if it makes a difference. Your companionship might encourage him to eat the pellets! Anyway, to convert him I began day one with his regular breakfast of vegetables and oatmeal. For morning tea I gave him a seed bowl for 20 minutes. Lunch was a small piece of apple and some zucchini. Afternoon tea was another treat of seed for 20 mins and dinner was snow peas. In between these "meal times" Buddy no doubt became hungry and ventured over to the pellet bowl. He didn't like them, and even flung a few out at me. However, as the day wore on I noticed him trying them more frequently, no doubt because he was hungry in between meals. I did feel a bit sorry for him so I mixed in some oatmeal with the pellets after lunch and he ate out all of the oatmeal! It also seemed to encourage him to eat some of the pellets. He spent a lot of time grinding up the pellets (just for fun, I think!), and as they got mixed in with the oatmeal I think they became more palatable. Day two was the same schedule, but by the end of the day he had eaten pretty much all of the pellets. :rolleyes: I know, it sounds too simple to be true!! By day three he was happy to eat the pellets on their own without the oatmeal. So, my top tips would be: - Start out by trying to mix up her diet with lots of different things and see if she will try them. I think the more things our birdies eat and the more adventurous they are with food, the easier it is to get them to eat something like pellets. Fruit is an easy thing to begin with because most birds love fruit. Apple, red grapes, blackberries, strawberries are all *loved* by most birds. Just remember to wash/peel them first (so no pesticides) and give small portions because fruit is high in sugar. - Once you discover something other than seed that she likes, try mixing it in with the pellets. I chose the oatmeal because it's reasonably healthy and filling. - For my 20 minute seed "treat times" I use a seed mix that comes with dried fruit and no sunflower seeds - it's not exactly healthy, but better than the regular seed mix. - Try making food a social activity - for Buddy he just seems happy to be hanging out, so the emphasis seems to be less about what he eats because meal times equal play/fun time with me! Also, I too wondered why we should give pellets rather than just fresh fruit and veg and another helpful forum member here pointed out that the pellets contain lots of extra minerals and nutrients that birds need. They also make Buddy's poop far easier to deal with that when he was on just fruit and veg!! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report Diane Doolittle Adv Member Members 512 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Maryland Country:United States Posted 02 December 2010 - 10:30 AM Wow! Thanks so much for the help guys! Love the oatmeal Kateb! Right now my baby won't eat a darn thing except seed. No other food except I am trying to put crushed cereal such as Special K in her bowl WITH her seed as she does not want to eat of of treat bowl Like This Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #127 [Seed conversion: post #127] Carrie~Anne "The Sound of Birds Stops The Noise In My Mind" Senior Forum Manager 16,353 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:British Columbia Country:Canada Posted 02 December 2010 - 10:39 AM Kate, that is some great advice  The oatmeal idea is really good. The nice thing about it, is that the warm oatmeal softens the pellets, making them easier for the bird to eat. Another great idea is to put pellets into birdie bread. Birdie bread is a really good way to hide lots of foods that some birds don't normally enjoy. And, with any conversion method, be sure you are weighing your bird every day and keeping track of his weight in a book. If a bird loses 10% of his body weight, the conversion should be stopped immediately. After a month, you can start the conversion process again. By monitoring their weight, you can tell if they are eating properly or not. Like This Living With Parrots is Infinitely Fascinating.... Tiko - Congo African Grey (1993) Chi Chi - Green Cheek Conure (2005) Lo Lee - Maroon Bellied Conure (2005) Max - Quaker Parrot (2005~2011) RIP Little One Love Your Pet?? Thank A Breeder!! Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #128 [Seed conversion: post #128] Divit's Mom Member Members 26 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Country:United States Posted 12 January 2011 - 03:46 PM I have been talking to a lot of food companies about food. Even Pellet companies tell me it will be very difficult to convert Divit to pellets after 13 yrs of eating a seed diet. So I have been on a quest to find a good organic seed mix. If I can't convert her I want her to be on the best seeds that I can. I really like Totally Organics and Divit seems to like it too. I have also ordered bread from Birdie Bread. I still put pellets in her dish everyday. I also like Totally Organics Pellets as they are cold pressed which makes more sense to me. I find that if I make the pellets into mush she will eat a tiny bit of it. I am not too worried about her being on seeds as I also give her fresh or frozen veggies (She loves lima beans), apples, sweet potatoes, blueberries etc. Just received my Totally Organics Pellets. Will let you know how Divit likes them Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #129 [Seed conversion: post #129] ERNIE Adv Member Members 305 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:Tulsa, ok Country:USA Posted 12 January 2011 - 07:55 PM Wingnuts Birdseed I don't know that they are organic. But they have a very good and fresh product. Like This Posted Image Jasper, Green cheek conure,8 years old, adopted. Kasha, Cinnamon Green Cheek, H.D. 06/10. In remembrance of Mojo and Moracco Both Quakers and both taken from me too soon. Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #130 [Seed conversion: post #130] Carrie~Anne "The Sound of Birds Stops The Noise In My Mind" Senior Forum Manager 16,353 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:British Columbia Country:Canada Posted 13 January 2011 - 01:46 PM My African Grey was 14 years old when he was converted from an all seed diet to a pellet based diet. They are never too old, in my opinion. Like This Living With Parrots is Infinitely Fascinating.... Tiko - Congo African Grey (1993) Chi Chi - Green Cheek Conure (2005) Lo Lee - Maroon Bellied Conure (2005) Max - Quaker Parrot (2005~2011) RIP Little One Love Your Pet?? Thank A Breeder!! Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #131 [Seed conversion: post #131] dawnmlly Adv Member Members 471 posts 0 warning points Location:Alabama Country:USA Posted 31 January 2011 - 05:45 PM It was my understanding that an all seed diet was not ideal for Quakers because they are prone to fatty liver disease. Since most seeds are high in fat they can help the problem along so to speak. I am currently arguing with Beaker about the pellets as well so I can understand the frustration. Today is our second day of the conversion and he seems to be holding out for the seed twice a day. BUT I have seen him sneak a few pellets when he thought I wasn't looking lol. I have almost given in a couple times today because he is just a baby and I don't want him to be hungry. But I am sticking to the old "If he gets hungry he will eat what he has" theory lol. Edited by dawnmlly, 31 January 2011 - 05:47 PM. Like This Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #132 [Seed conversion: post #132] Diane Doolittle Adv Member Members 512 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Maryland Country:United States Posted 31 January 2011 - 06:13 PM 'dawnmlly', on 31 Jan 2011 - 5:45 PM, said: It was my understanding that an all seed diet was not ideal for Quakers because they are prone to fatty liver disease. Since most seeds are high in fat they can help the problem along so to speak. I am currently arguing with Beaker about the pellets as well so I can understand the frustration. Today is our second day of the conversion and he seems to be holding out for the seed twice a day. BUT I have seen him sneak a few pellets when he thought I wasn't looking lol. I have almost given in a couple times today because he is just a baby and I don't want him to be hungry. But I am sticking to the old "If he gets hungry he will eat what he has" theory lol. MY sec...I mean Kiwi's second day too!!! We have something in common here! Things are pretty darn good right now...will see tomorrow! good luck and keep me posted! Like This Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #133 [Seed conversion: post #133] dawnmlly Adv Member Members 471 posts 0 warning points Location:Alabama Country:USA Posted 01 February 2011 - 06:28 PM Diane I had to work today so not real sure what he ate. His pellets were available but not sure if he ate any. When we got home we gave him his bowl of seeds and of course he ate like a pig in a Quaker suit. . As soon as the 20 minutes was up I took the seed away and made a big show of how good the pellets are. And I was about to tell you I was feeling guilty but turned to look at the little stinker and he is nibbling on pellets so nevermind lol. I am playing hooky from work tomorrow due to this *!?# ear infection so I am going to try the oatmeal tomorrow. Also is frozen fruit ok if you thaw it? It is all I have at the moment, besides banana and grapefruit. I am not going to try the grapefuit as I will not eat it myself  he is not eating the pellet as quickly as the seed but he IS eating it WOOHOO. Good luck and keep me posted as well. We are on a mission lol Like This Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #134 [Seed conversion: post #134] Carrie~Anne "The Sound of Birds Stops The Noise In My Mind" Senior Forum Manager 16,353 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:British Columbia Country:Canada Posted 02 February 2011 - 12:47 PM Frozen fruit is fine In the warmer weather, I will even give the frozen fruit to my birds right out of the bag. They like the coolness of it. Like This Living With Parrots is Infinitely Fascinating.... Tiko - Congo African Grey (1993) Chi Chi - Green Cheek Conure (2005) Lo Lee - Maroon Bellied Conure (2005) Max - Quaker Parrot (2005~2011) RIP Little One Love Your Pet?? Thank A Breeder!! Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #135 [Seed conversion: post #135] the tractor Member Members 23 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:Adelaide hills, Sth. Australia. Country:Australia Posted 07 February 2011 - 03:22 AM Awesome info guys. Will look for some pellets when I go the the pet store next. Are there any other Aussies on here who know brands here in Australia? If not, I might have to buy online. Cheers, Trac. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #136 [Seed conversion: post #136] Diane Doolittle Adv Member Members 512 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Maryland Country:United States Posted 07 February 2011 - 05:47 AM dawnmilly! I know what you mean about "is he eatin the pellets"? But then................you "see" them eating the pellets?:wacko: !!!!! I see now what I refer to as "pellet dust" all in her bowl? What is she doin now? hmmmmmmmmmm how much she eatin? Noticed more thrown on the floor yesterday. BUT know she is pissed as my youngest is sick and have had to spend round the clock with her. Last night Melinda woke up with a "coughin fit" and we heard Kiwi ringin her bell :lol: ! Hey guys................remember me? :lol: HEY! WILL EAT MY PELLETS FOR YA!!!:lol: Like This Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #137 [Seed conversion: post #137] dawnmlly Adv Member Members 471 posts 0 warning points Location:Alabama Country:USA Posted 07 February 2011 - 06:42 AM Awww Diane so sorry your little girl is sick!! I hate for my baby to be sick so I understand. Everyone gets ignored when they are sick lol. Beaker is being very stubborn so I have just kept going with the method and we will see what happens I guess lol. A couple of days this week he was screaming when we got home and it was because he was hungary. He had pellets in his cage but....:wacko: He is doing well with fresh foods and is willing to try anything...except pellets :lol: So glad Kiwi is doing well. It gives me hope lol Like This Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #138 [Seed conversion: post #138] Casey's Mom Adv Member Members 9,357 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Toronto, Ontario Country:Canada Posted 07 February 2011 - 09:41 AM Tractor: I think you can get Hagen's in Australia? You may just have to buy online depending on where you are though. I'm glad Kiwi and Beaker are doing well!! Like This casey_1-2.jpg Casey: Quaker 7.5 years 2 Shaft tail finches 1 year Gaston, Daniel: Coton de Tulears 8.5 yrs, 5.5 yrs and BlueFish and GirlFish: Male Blue Betta/Red Female Betta Fish Speedy: BlueFish's pet snail Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #139 [Seed conversion: post #139] the tractor Member Members 23 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:Adelaide hills, Sth. Australia. Country:Australia Posted 11 February 2011 - 11:12 PM Today I got some Tropican lifetime granules for cockatiels. Is this ok for QP's? I asked the pet store assistant and she had no idea, she didn't even know what a Quaker was!!!!!!! They had the same but for "parrots" but they were bigger than what I got. As soon as I put them in the feeder Yoshi started eating them! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #140 [Seed conversion: post #140] jobo2mi Here ... let me get that for you! Members 5,859 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Kalamazoo MI Country:US of A Posted 12 February 2011 - 05:38 AM The main difference between pellets that are made for Macaws, Conures, Cockatiels, Parakeets, Finches is SIZE. The pellets themselves are pretty much the same, so pellets 'for Cockatiels' are fine for Quakers. Many prefer the smaller size. Like This Jo's Flock - tiels - Rosie, Howie - budgie - Emma - sun conure - Precious - IRN - Nala - Quaker - Isis - caique - Timber - and the cat BK As you go to bed tonight, will Someone upstairs say you've won another tomorrow by what you've done today? - Harry H. 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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:46:40 GMT -5
the tractor Member Members 23 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:Adelaide hills, Sth. Australia. Country:Australia Posted 12 February 2011 - 04:22 PM 'jobo2mi', on 12 Feb 2011 - 05:38 AM, said: The main difference between pellets that are made for Macaws, Conures, Cockatiels, Parakeets, Finches is SIZE. The pellets themselves are pretty much the same, so pellets 'for Cockatiels' are fine for Quakers. Many prefer the smaller size. Cheers Jo! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #142 [Seed conversion: post #142] the tractor Member Members 23 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:Adelaide hills, Sth. Australia. Country:Australia Posted 26 February 2011 - 09:41 PM I've been doing the seed conversion for 2 weeks now and today is the first day I have seen Yoshi eating his pellets on his own accord. My daughter was hand feeding him pellets yesterday and now he is reluctantly nibbling on them. YAY! Will continue to slow down his seed intake week by week. Good to see a result. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #143 [Seed conversion: post #143] louilou22 Adv Member Members 31 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:maidstone, kent, uk Country:uk Posted 04 March 2011 - 07:08 AM im having no luck converting my fid hes a stubbon little fella. im going to try this method starting today. wish me luck. ill let u know how it goes Like This ......From Lauren First time mommy to Bobby my beautiful QP fid Mummy to liam and chloe my beautiful kids Mate to hubby paul Posted Image my little baby xxxxxxx Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #144 [Seed conversion: post #144] Carrie~Anne "The Sound of Birds Stops The Noise In My Mind" Senior Forum Manager 16,353 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:British Columbia Country:Canada Posted 04 March 2011 - 12:31 PM I agree with Jo. In fact, that is the brand that I feed all my birds (Quaker, African Grey and Conures). Like This Living With Parrots is Infinitely Fascinating.... Tiko - Congo African Grey (1993) Chi Chi - Green Cheek Conure (2005) Lo Lee - Maroon Bellied Conure (2005) Max - Quaker Parrot (2005~2011) RIP Little One Love Your Pet?? Thank A Breeder!! Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #145 [Seed conversion: post #145] the tractor Member Members 23 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:Adelaide hills, Sth. Australia. Country:Australia Posted 05 March 2011 - 10:05 PM Good luck Louilou. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #146 [Seed conversion: post #146] BajaLaLa Newbie Members 4 posts 0 warning points Country:Mexico Posted 08 March 2011 - 01:16 PM Hi everyone, Well I successfully switched my kiwi to pellets but they turn out to be a big pile of powder in her bowl. Should everything be completely gone? Thnx Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #147 [Seed conversion: post #147] jobo2mi Here ... let me get that for you! Members 5,859 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Kalamazoo MI Country:US of A Posted 10 March 2011 - 04:05 AM Nope, sounds like he is eating them. Since they are hard and crunchy, if you are seeing dust, it means heis chewing on them and eating them. Congratulations!! Like This Jo's Flock - tiels - Rosie, Howie - budgie - Emma - sun conure - Precious - IRN - Nala - Quaker - Isis - caique - Timber - and the cat BK As you go to bed tonight, will Someone upstairs say you've won another tomorrow by what you've done today? - Harry H. Browne Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #148 [Seed conversion: post #148] Diane Doolittle Adv Member Members 512 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Maryland Country:United States Posted 10 March 2011 - 06:54 AM OH MY GOSH!!!! :lol: lol I have asked that several times about the "pellet powder" in the bowl! Only called it "dust". Was wondering the same......should this be if she is eating them? Even where I buy my birdie supplies (not pellets) wondered the same thing?:blink: Good to get an answer as I was still plowin on with it!!! Congrats to both "Kiwi's"....mine and yours! Like This Posted Image Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #149 [Seed conversion: post #149] Teekah's mum Member Members 18 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Victoria, Australia Country:Australia Posted 20 March 2011 - 03:27 AM I have had alot of troubles trying to convert Teekah, I noticed she didnt like the pellets size/dryness/texture so I had to change this into a form she would accept. I tried a few different methods, but she got too hungy and was loosing weight so I had to come up with another idea.The only method that is showing some improvement is mixing pellet with seed in a wet mix. With the idea of initially giving her the taste of the pellets on her seeds, then increase the amount of pellet to seed while decreasing the total amount of wet mix over several weeks. To do this I've had to put the pellets into the blender to turn into a powder. Sort of like egg & biscuit mix. Yumm! So I mix seed with the pellet powder and add some water to make into a moist crumble (not moist enough for her to fling the food everywhere, but moist enough to stick to the seed). I offer the following amounts in the morning and afternoon, allowing her to finish eating before I take it away. It was sort of guess work estimating the amount of seed and pellet to start with. But I read somewhere that birds eat between 15-20% of their body weight per day, she weighs 100 grams so I thought it would be safe to start with about 20 grams of seed per day. I dont know if my theory was right but so far it has worked. Week 1: I offered 13 grams of wet mix. 10gms seed + 3 gms powder Week 2: 12gms wet mix. 7gms seed + 5 gms powder Week 3: 10 gms wet mix. 4 gms seed + 6 gms powder Week 4: 8 gms wet mix. 3 gms seed + 5 gms powder Offering whole pellets freely in a seperate bowl. We are at week 3 at the moment and she has just started to eat the pellets. Earlier in the week she ate 1 gram of pellet, today she is up to 5 grams :-) This is a time consuming process, weighing everything fed to her (including fresh food to ensuring she doesnt have too much choice during this process!) and weighing her to make sure she isn't loosing weight either (and keeping notes) But I have felt better alot better using this method, knowing how much she is getting of what and it's kept her happy and full. Hope this can help someone else with a fussy, stubborn Fid like Teekah! Cheers, Kat Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #150 [Seed conversion: post #150] kitty Newbie New Members 1 posts 0 warning points Country:USA Posted 24 March 2011 - 04:20 PM I could use some advice--just got a baby quaker who is 9weeks old. She was weaned when I got her but seems to only want seed. The breeder told me she fed a mixture of seed and pellets. She doesn't seem to be interested in either pellets I have given to her. Is she too young to try your method of switching to pellets? I am afraid she won't eat at all. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #151 [Seed conversion: post #151] birdluver Adv Member Members 43 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Nebraska Country:USA Posted 25 March 2011 - 05:23 AM at this point id have to say feed her what she wants and worry about the pellets later also try fruits mine loves apples and cherries Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #152 [Seed conversion: post #152] karimonster Adv Member Members 61 posts 0 warning points Country:USA Posted 25 March 2011 - 09:00 AM Thanks for that method suggestion, Kat Puff started strong on pellet conversion, then we had to take a huge step back because he wasn't eating. At all. I use my blender to "dust" pellets to put into his birdy bread, so I'll definitely give that a shot! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #153 [Seed conversion: post #153] Teekah's mum Member Members 18 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Victoria, Australia Country:Australia Posted 27 March 2011 - 05:10 AM 'kitty', on 24 Mar 2011 - 4:20 PM, said: I could use some advice--just got a baby quaker who is 9weeks old. She was weaned when I got her but seems to only want seed. The breeder told me she fed a mixture of seed and pellets. She doesn't seem to be interested in either pellets I have given to her. Is she too young to try your method of switching to pellets? I am afraid she won't eat at all. My breeder said she was happy for Teekah to eat seed & vegetable diet until she was about 1 year old, but no longer. The only reason why I converted Teekah so much earlier(roughly 4-5 months) was becuase she was only eating 2 to 3 types of seed and I felt it wasn't nutritionally sound for her. I was also picking out all the sunflower seeds too, to prevent fatty liver disease. I wouldn't worry about converting her at this stage, but you could always offer your baby the wet mix of pellets along with her fresh foods so she gets used to the taste and hopefully when she is a bit older she will be easier to convert. 9 weeks is still fairly young though and right now it's more important that she is eating and bonding to you. Teekah is fully converted now :lol: I still offer her 1 -2 grams of seed once a day for a treat and balanced diet. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #154 [Seed conversion: post #154] Casey's Mom Adv Member Members 9,357 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Toronto, Ontario Country:Canada Posted 27 March 2011 - 03:34 PM I don't know why someone would say wait a year, that doesn't make sense. :wacko: If you're planning on switching to pellets, wait til they settle into their new environment and then go ahead and convert... the longer you wait, the harder it will be. Like This casey_1-2.jpg Casey: Quaker 7.5 years 2 Shaft tail finches 1 year Gaston, Daniel: Coton de Tulears 8.5 yrs, 5.5 yrs and BlueFish and GirlFish: Male Blue Betta/Red Female Betta Fish Speedy: BlueFish's pet snail Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #155 [Seed conversion: post #155] Teekah's mum Member Members 18 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Victoria, Australia Country:Australia Posted 28 March 2011 - 03:51 AM I don't think she meant it in terms of best practise, more of..."it's ok for this maximum this period of time if need be" Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #156 [Seed conversion: post #156] shutthedoor Newbie Members 8 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Country:australia Posted 30 March 2011 - 03:05 AM Hi When we got Lulu we were told that she was eating pellets(Vitafarm sth American brand) but I'm worried that she isnt really eating them, only bothering with the vegies which are in the same bowl. Should I give her pellets in the morning and vegies at dinner time. Lulu also loves fruit, apple, pear, grapes and many more Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #157 [Seed conversion: post #157] jobo2mi Here ... let me get that for you! Members 5,859 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Kalamazoo MI Country:US of A Posted 30 March 2011 - 03:43 AM Sounds like you are getting off to a great start with the varied diet. If you are truly worried that she isn't eating the pellets, you could try putting only pellets in her cage in the morning. Then later in the day, switching to her fresh foods only and check the amount of pellets. If she was weaned to include pellets (which would indicate to me that she had a WONDERFUL breeder!) then you will see evidence that she's munching on everything! Try this for just a few days but always make sure she has plenty of food that you KNOSW she is eating for at least part of the day. A few hours of not munching (if indeed she is NOT eating pellets) won't hurt her as long as she has the 'good stuff' later. If you find she isn't eating the pellets, you can try the conversion, but I think she IS eating them and you don't have to worry. Good luck with LuLu! Hope to hear more stories about your little dragon. Never be afraid to ask questions that may come up! Like This Jo's Flock - tiels - Rosie, Howie - budgie - Emma - sun conure - Precious - IRN - Nala - Quaker - Isis - caique - Timber - and the cat BK As you go to bed tonight, will Someone upstairs say you've won another tomorrow by what you've done today? - Harry H. Browne Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #158 [Seed conversion: post #158] Lornas Gypsy Adv Member Members 186 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Country:USA Posted 23 April 2011 - 07:49 PM Hello new quaker pet owner i have had Gypsy on pellets for three weeks now i must have been lucky.The first time i put Gypsy's Zupreem pellets in he has eaten it right off the bat.Oh he still wants his seeds but i only give them to Gypsy every Saterday night.Should i give Gypsy seeds every night or not?What i was thinking is getting the seed mix that the pet shop gave us when we bought Gypsy.The seed mix has penuts fruits and other things mixed in with seed.I was going to buy one pound of this miz with two pounds of the pellets and mix both.Will this be ok or should i just do what i am doing now? Like This Lornas Gypsy Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #159 [Seed conversion: post #159] GeorgeG Adv Member Members 46 posts 0 warning points Country:Greece Posted 26 April 2011 - 10:50 AM Hello all! My QP Ruby is now 1 year old! I forgot to say thanks for the conversion method! I converted my Ruby at age 4-5 months old! Now he eats Nutribird G14 and seeds 2-3 times at week and as treats only! Thanks again! Ruby convertred about the week that we put seeds 5 minutes! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #160 [Seed conversion: post #160] BlueOps Newbie New Members 2 posts 0 warning points Country:USA Posted 10 June 2011 - 09:19 PM I have just started to realize the benefits of pellets and have been thinking about how to go about doing this. This is very interesting and I want to give it a go. My only concern is that I'm at work all day. I do give my quaker breakfast before heading off to work in the morning but then it's 9 hrs later before he sees me again. I should probably prepare myself for some serious talkin to by my quaker when I get home. He's not going to be pleased with me for a while but I love him sooooo much and just want the best for him! So is it ok that my quaker isn't going to have any other options other than the pellets to eat for the entire day until i get home? Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report |
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:48:45 GMT -5
headfeathermistress Adv Member Members 715 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Vancouver, Wa Country:USA Posted 11 June 2011 - 10:01 AM Great tips! But remember that our birds do need fresh veggies, a little fruit and seed. It is ok for them to have. Really..... Posted Image Christa Like This Christa Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report Dpaq Newbie New Members 2 posts 0 warning points Country:United States Posted 02 August 2011 - 12:32 PM Hi - My name is Diane and am in need of some advice as well... I have had my Quaker (scooby) for about 2 years and 2 cockatiels for the last 3 years. I tried pellets with the cockatiels with ZERO luck so... I have been feeding seed from walmart and fresh fruits and veggies with cherrios/occasional pasta as treats and NOW.... after reading this thread - I feel horrible about the nutrition I have been giving to my birds. So after I convert my friends to pellets I will be able to give them seeds for treats and in toys - correct? I read that seed consumption is still important but not as the main diet - correct? and...of course they love sunflower & pumpkin seeds....so parakeet seed when treating? I want the best for them so any/all advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks again - Diane Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #164 [Seed conversion: post #164] GeorgeG Adv Member Members 46 posts 0 warning points Country:Greece Posted 06 August 2011 - 01:21 AM I have a question! At what age can i start the conversion? I have successful converted my male Ruby at the past! Now i have also a female that is 3,5 months old! Can i start the conversion? Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #165 [Seed conversion: post #165] jaytee Adv Member Members 4,380 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:S. E. Fl. Country:U S Posted 06 August 2011 - 03:17 PM At 3-5 months, I'm guessing you just got him. Be sure that he's settled in, comfy, happy, eating well,..... then go for it. Some, larger, birds require a higher level of fat in their diet. QPs are not one of them. They are prone to Fatty Liver Disease. Seed should NOT be added to the food dish. They can be used as a treat for a 'good bird', or as a training tool. Some seeds are better than others. For instance, Sunflower Seeds have a higher fat content than Punkin Seeds. Most fids love Punkin Seeds, so stick with the healthier. Seed mixes offer a variety of seeds. Birds will, usually, go for the fattier seeds. :wacko: Buy the seeds in individual packets (unsalted) so YOU can choose. Most pet supply stores offer seed packs. Like This Posted Image Never tell your Quaker anything, you don't want others to know. Posted Image 1 Blue Quaker, SMOOCHES 1/15/'08 jaytee's QUAKER PARROTS.com Florida's Wild Parrots.com Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #166 [Seed conversion: post #166] GeorgeG Adv Member Members 46 posts 0 warning points Country:Greece Posted 07 August 2011 - 07:51 AM No i have it from 5 weaks old! I weaned her almost a month now! I don't have any problems with her in food! She eats everything, from vegetables, fruits even pellets if i cut them smaller she tries! I give them Versele Laga G14 pellets! She is healthy, comfortable with me and my wife and she likes to play a lot! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #167 [Seed conversion: post #167] Carrie~Anne "The Sound of Birds Stops The Noise In My Mind" Senior Forum Manager 16,353 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:British Columbia Country:Canada Posted 07 August 2011 - 05:27 PM 'Dpaq', on 02 Aug 2011 - 12:32 PM, said: So after I convert my friends to pellets I will be able to give them seeds for treats and in toys - correct? I read that seed consumption is still important but not as the main diet - correct? and...of course they love sunflower & pumpkin seeds....so parakeet seed when treating? I want the best for them so any/all advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks again - Diane Cockatiels do just fine with a little bit of seed in their diet. Definitely use the seed a few times a week, just be careful not to give too much when doing the conversion method. Sometimes, birds can be quite stubborn and hold out for the seed. 'GeorgeG', on 07 Aug 2011 - 07:51 AM, said: No i have it from 5 weaks old! I weaned her almost a month now! I don't have any problems with her in food! She eats everything, from vegetables, fruits even pellets if i cut them smaller she tries! I give them Versele Laga G14 pellets! She is healthy, comfortable with me and my wife and she likes to play a lot! If you have to cut the pellets, perhaps the size is too big? I'm not familiar with the brand of pellets you are feeding. You may want to check to see if they come in a smaller size. Like This Living With Parrots is Infinitely Fascinating.... Tiko - Congo African Grey (1993) Chi Chi - Green Cheek Conure (2005) Lo Lee - Maroon Bellied Conure (2005) Max - Quaker Parrot (2005~2011) RIP Little One Love Your Pet?? Thank A Breeder!! Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #168 [Seed conversion: post #168] GeorgeG Adv Member Members 46 posts 0 warning points Country:Greece Posted 08 August 2011 - 01:03 AM 'Carrie~Anne', on 07 Aug 2011 - 5:27 PM, said: If you have to cut the pellets, perhaps the size is too big? I'm not familiar with the brand of pellets you are feeding. You may want to check to see if they come in a smaller size. The size is for cockatiels! I give them a year now at my male that is 16 months old now! The link to pellets that i give is here I don't have problems with the pellets! I just wanted to know if the bird is ok at 3,5 months old for the seed to pellets conversion! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #169 [Seed conversion: post #169] LyricsMomma Adv Member Members 62 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Ontario, Canada Country:Canada Posted 11 August 2011 - 06:20 AM Hey All! Andie, I have a quick question. I am starting the seed conversion method mentioned above tomorrow morning. I have an 8 week old male Quaker. Is he too young for this? I picked him up last Sunday and I guess I am still a little scared that I am doing something wrong and that he won't get enough to eat. I have tried so many different things to try to get him to eat the pellets and he won't touch them! :S I worry he won't eat at all if the seed isn't there. This is my first parrot so i guess i still don't know some of the natural instincts, so to speak, of the parrots yet. Can this happen? I'm anxious to get him eating pellets! The only thing readily available around here is Tropican. Which is what i have been trying to feed. I cannot seem to get Roudyboush or Zupreem! Thanks! 'jaytee', on 06 Aug 2011 - 3:17 PM, said: At 3-5 months, I'm guessing you just got him. Be sure that he's settled in, comfy, happy, eating well,..... then go for it. Some, larger, birds require a higher level of fat in their diet. QPs are not one of them. They are prone to Fatty Liver Disease. Seed should NOT be added to the food dish. They can be used as a treat for a 'good bird', or as a training tool. Some seeds are better than others. For instance, Sunflower Seeds have a higher fat content than Punkin Seeds. Most fids love Punkin Seeds, so stick with the healthier. Seed mixes offer a variety of seeds. Birds will, usually, go for the fattier seeds. :wacko: Buy the seeds in individual packets (unsalted) so YOU can choose. Most pet supply stores offer seed packs. I don't know if you guys have the stores called "Bulk Barn" in the USA. We do here in Canada. It's AWESOME!! Unsalted, hulled or not hulled, sunflower, pumpkin, any kinda seed you want to buy at great low prices. you can buy a little tiny scoop to see if the bird likes it or if you know they do you can get as big of a bag as you want. It's awesome...! Here is the link! Like This Posted Image The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?" ~Jeremy Bentham Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #170 [Seed conversion: post #170] jaytee Adv Member Members 4,380 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:S. E. Fl. Country:U S Posted 11 August 2011 - 05:42 PM That's great, that you can buy seeds by type. It gives you the opportunity to offer lower-fat seeds (like safflower, and punkin), and not offer higher-fat seeds, like sunflower. On a side note....... I've been looking for a list of popular seeds' fat levels. Anybirdie got a link? Sorry. :blush: ...back to LyricsMomma...... Your baby, Lyric? has only been with you for a couple days. The move, new surroundings, people, sounds, sights, .etc, is a huge change. The fact that he's eating, at all, is a good thing. Give him a week, or two to settle in, before worrying about diet (another change :wacko: ). Like This Posted Image Never tell your Quaker anything, you don't want others to know. Posted Image 1 Blue Quaker, SMOOCHES 1/15/'08 jaytee's QUAKER PARROTS.com Florida's Wild Parrots.com Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #171 [Seed conversion: post #171] LyricsMomma Adv Member Members 62 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Ontario, Canada Country:Canada Posted 11 August 2011 - 08:18 PM Thanks Jaytee! I will wait another week No rush I guess... Like This Posted Image The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?" ~Jeremy Bentham Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #172 [Seed conversion: post #172] Mizzely Adv Member Members 65 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Winona, MN Country:United States Posted 17 August 2011 - 09:32 PM Jingo and I have been trying this method for the past 3 days. One tip i have to offer, even this early, is DON'T GIVE IN right away. Of course, if they are losing weight (10% is the threshold, if I've read correctly). then stop. But, I just wanted to say the past few days were hard on me...he was clearly begging for food, and I couldn't get him to eat anything besides his seeds for the combined 40 minutes a day. He would push his pellets around looking for seed, but wasn't interested in them at all. He was starting to get SUPER screechy, just crying for food and it broke my heart; I almost gave in. Today though, after the evening seeds, he went over to his pellet dish... and actually started to eat them!! I've never been so excited to see dust in a bowl He also went back to them for his pre-bedtime snack, and was eating them for a good long while, not just picking through like he was before! Just wanted to give some encouragement...if you give in like I almost did, you could just be reinforcing the behavior of holding out for seed. This conversion method is working!! Like This Posted Image Proud mama to Jasmine and Lydia the cats, Juno the rat, Jingo the quaker, and a tank full of freshwater fish and snails! Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #173 [Seed conversion: post #173] LyricsMomma Adv Member Members 62 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Ontario, Canada Country:Canada Posted 22 August 2011 - 11:30 AM I'm having a lot of trouble converting my baby. He is currently 10 weeks old. I have tried 3 different types of pellets and he won't eat ANY of them. The other day when I put the new Zupreem Avian Entrees Harvest Feast in his dish he was in there for what seemed like forever! I left it in his cage and when I came home from work, as soon as I went to his cage to take him out so that I could give him his seed for the 20 minutes he was Quaking like they do when they ask for formula. He was starving! what do I do in this situation? He knows where his food bowl is and can easily access it. Please help! Like This Posted Image The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?" ~Jeremy Bentham Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #174 [Seed conversion: post #174] jaytee Adv Member Members 4,380 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:S. E. Fl. Country:U S Posted 22 August 2011 - 04:35 PM At 10 weeks, he's barely weened from formula, if at all. I forget how long you've had him. :blush: Give him time to settle in, keep offering seeds, and continue to offer the pellets. You could try breaking them into smaller pieces, mixing them with other foods, like his vegies, and fruits, soften with water, or un-sweetened fruit juice. (when mixed with fresh foods, or moistened, remove after a couple hrs., so the foods don't go bad) You can, also, pretend to eat the pellets. Act like it's the best food ever. Posted Image A few people on the form, have, actually, eaten the pellets in front of their fid. It worked, but the dining revues were not great. :lol: Keep offering the seeds, and weighing daily, be persistent with the pellets, and eventually, he'll break. When he starts accepting the pellets on a regular basis, start the conversion. Like This Posted Image Never tell your Quaker anything, you don't want others to know. Posted Image 1 Blue Quaker, SMOOCHES 1/15/'08 jaytee's QUAKER PARROTS.com Florida's Wild Parrots.com Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #175 [Seed conversion: post #175] LyricsMomma Adv Member Members 62 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Ontario, Canada Country:Canada Posted 22 August 2011 - 08:30 PM Thanks Jaytee. I've had him 2 weeks and he was off his formula when I picked him up. I think that is the key. He's still young. I have to be more patient. I'm just so worried that the seed diet is going to hurt him or make him sick that I'm rushing it. When I see him eating only the sunflower seeds I think...here we go fatty liver disease! . What age do you suggest starting to try and convert him? Should I wait a few months? Like This Posted Image The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?" ~Jeremy Bentham Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #176 [Seed conversion: post #176] jaytee Adv Member Members 4,380 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:S. E. Fl. Country:U S Posted 22 August 2011 - 08:54 PM 'jaytee', on 22 Aug 2011 - 4:35 PM, said: Keep offering the seeds, and weighing daily, be persistent with the pellets, and eventually, he'll break. When he starts accepting the pellets on a regular basis, start the conversion. If you offer a child asparagus, and cupcakes, which do you think they will choose? Try eliminating the Sunflower seeds, and watch for other favorites, gradually eliminate them, and keep pushing the pellets. Time frame depends on the persistence of you, and him. Posted Image Edited by jaytee, 22 August 2011 - 09:06 PM. Like This Posted Image Never tell your Quaker anything, you don't want others to know. Posted Image 1 Blue Quaker, SMOOCHES 1/15/'08 jaytee's QUAKER PARROTS.com Florida's Wild Parrots.com Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #177 [Seed conversion: post #177] LyricsMomma Adv Member Members 62 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Ontario, Canada Country:Canada Posted 22 August 2011 - 09:13 PM Ok. Got it Like This Posted Image The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?" ~Jeremy Bentham Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #178 [Seed conversion: post #178] Evo Member Members 25 posts 0 warning points Country:US Posted 25 August 2011 - 10:47 AM I have a question about this. I keep my birds loose in the house. I have a quaker and 2 parakeets. When i try to give Emma (my quaker) pellets, she refuses them. Then if i only allow her seed for a select period of time, she just finds the budgie's cage and eats their seed. Should i find a way to keep her from being able to get at the budgies seed? Any recomendations would be welcome. I'm tryin to get her to eat right, shes just a stubborn little bird. Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #179 [Seed conversion: post #179] Gkautz Adv Member Members 102 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Country:United States Posted 06 October 2011 - 10:53 AM O - M - G.... Living in the middle of no-where, I looked for food choices for my new quaker. Only found that seed mix variety so that's what I bought. Then I read the books about raising Quaker parrots and it mentions pellets but I was dumb enough to assume pellets where for weaning babies because at my house with livestock...softened pellets are for weaning calves and colts! SIGH!!!! I just ordered a 5 lb package of pellets. Can't wait to get them. Was thrilled to learn how to wean my quaker from his candy dish to one that contains the nutrition he needs. That will make a HUGE difference in how he receives me too. Right now all he likes me for is grapes and sunflower seeds (which I limit him to 2 each time we interact). THANK YOU (again) Quaker Parrot Forum! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #180 [Seed conversion: post #180] Meme7 Newbie Members 4 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Country:us Posted 16 October 2011 - 10:59 AM Should u leave pellets out all the time for ur quaker, or limit their intake!! Am new to being a quaker owner!! I want to convert him from seed to pellets!! He eats his fresh veggies & fruits good!! Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report |
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Post by msdani1981 on Jul 2, 2014 17:50:24 GMT -5
Birdysue Adv Member Members 315 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Country:USA Posted 16 October 2011 - 03:28 PM 'Carrie~Anne', on 31 Dec 2005 - 10:54 AM, said: That is a great conversion method!!! I was lucky enough that all my birds switched over immediately, except for Max who was weaned onto pellets. I've never thought of having two different pellet varieties though. I think next time I'm at the store I will pick up an extra bag of something and see how they feel about it My quaker has three pellets that she will eat so i rotate them.. Like This BirdySue Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #182 [Seed conversion: post #182] headfeathermistress Adv Member Members 715 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Vancouver, Wa Country:USA Posted 16 October 2011 - 09:25 PM Diane, You are feeding a good diet. You can only make it better by adding some pellets. Don't feel bad. Tiels are seed eaters in the wild. Start by putting the pellets in the cage in the morning for an hour or so before you feed fresh food and seed. You can removed that food after an hour or so and put the pellets back in. I feed 2xs per day and they have pellets available too. Make sure to weigh your birds so that you can keep track that they are getting enough to eat. 'Dpaq', on 02 Aug 2011 - 12:32 PM, said: Hi - My name is Diane and am in need of some advice as well... I have had my Quaker (scooby) for about 2 years and 2 cockatiels for the last 3 years. I tried pellets with the cockatiels with ZERO luck so... I have been feeding seed from walmart and fresh fruits and veggies with cherrios/occasional pasta as treats and NOW.... after reading this thread - I feel horrible about the nutrition I have been giving to my birds. So after I convert my friends to pellets I will be able to give them seeds for treats and in toys - correct? I read that seed consumption is still important but not as the main diet - correct? and...of course they love sunflower & pumpkin seeds....so parakeet seed when treating? I want the best for them so any/all advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks again - Diane Like This Christa Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #183 [Seed conversion: post #183] organizedchaos05 Member Members 14 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Country:uk Posted 11 November 2011 - 01:20 AM were trying to convert our quaker to pellets but he doesnt seem keen at all he just wants to eat sunflower seeds which he was eating at the pet shop when we got him, if i give him the pellets with my hand he will hold it in his beak for a second or 2 then just spits them out, could i add chilli flavour to them as he loves chillies?? Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #184 [Seed conversion: post #184] Slrlitlehart Member Members 16 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Country:USA Posted 12 November 2011 - 09:56 PM Hi everyone!!! I tried pellets when my quaker, Spike was young. He's over 9 now. But he refused to eat em. Posted Image I may try it again using this method. I notice that everyone praises using pellets over seeds. Suppose to be more healthier and i do want my birds healthy, for they will always be my 2 yr old children to me . Posted Image I notice that Spike eats entirely too many sunflowers, so i watch how many of them i even allow in his dish. Georgia Peach, i just recently got and it seems like she picks at her food. I also make sure everyday that they get their fresh salad and fruit. But i will try exchanging their seed for pellets pretty soon.. I do have a few questions though. Ok Andie, you stated that for the 1st wk to only place the seed in for 20 minutes. What if my birds wont eat the pellets the rest of the day??? Is 20 minutes enough time and enough seed for them to live on till the next day??? Posted Image I guess what im saying is, ive heard that its easy for birds to become sick fast and that they rarely show signs of being ill and by the time they do show the signs they are really bad an normally dont recover...Another thing, im sure that by changing my birds over to pellets that their stool would have to become different. How will i know what to look for as far as signs of illness in them now during the time im changing their diet on them??? Call me a worry wart, but i just dont want anything to happen to my precious babies Posted Image... I just want to know what signs to look for and to make sure id be doing it safely for them... Thanks to all who can help answer my questions... Posted Image Slrlitlehart Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #185 [Seed conversion: post #185] jaytee Adv Member Members 4,380 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Location:S. E. Fl. Country:U S Posted 12 November 2011 - 10:51 PM 'organizedchaos05', on 11 Nov 2011 - 01:20 AM, said: .... chilli flavour to them as he loves chillies?? Not sure what you mean by chili flavor, but many fids like hot peppers. WARNING!!!!! remember what you fed him, before asking for a kiss. 'Slrlitlehart', on 12 Nov 2011 - 9:56 PM, said: .... What if my birds wont eat the pellets the rest of the day??? Is 20 minutes enough time and enough seed for them to live on till the next day??? Posted Image I guess what im saying is, ive heard that its easy for birds to become sick fast and that they rarely show signs of being ill and by the time they do show the signs they are really bad an normally dont recover...Another thing, im sure that by changing my birds over to pellets that their stool would have to become different. How will i know what to look for as far as signs of illness in them now during the time im changing their diet on them??? Call me a worry wart, but i just dont want anything to happen to my precious babies Posted Image... I just want to know what signs to look for and to make sure id be doing it safely for them... Thanks to all who can help answer my questions... Slrlitlehart This method says 20 min., Twice a day. The seed, and vegies/fruit will keep him alive. The idea is to force him to supplement his diet with the pellets. As he starts eating more pellets, the seeds get reduced. Changing the diet shouldn't make him ill, but may cause a little weight loss. 10 % is cause for concern. Be sure to have a Digital Scale, and weigh daily, in the morning, after first poo, before breakfast. Wallmart, ( + - ) $20. Like This Posted Image Never tell your Quaker anything, you don't want others to know. Posted Image 1 Blue Quaker, SMOOCHES 1/15/'08 jaytee's QUAKER PARROTS.com Florida's Wild Parrots.com Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #186 [Seed conversion: post #186] organizedchaos05 Member Members 14 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Country:uk Posted 13 November 2011 - 09:41 AM cheers mate but i love chillies aswell so its all good lol, but he still didnt seem impressed, i think he doesnt see them as food, if i give him them from my hand he will hold them in his beak then he trys to crack them then just drops them but i think persistence will be the key, but how bad is millet seed for him?? Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #187 [Seed conversion: post #187] Slrlitlehart Member Members 16 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Country:USA Posted 13 November 2011 - 10:02 AM Thx Jaytee, im sorry i didnt notice it had said "twice a day".. I must have been reading it too fast. Another thing, for example when u change a dogs diet from lets say dry food to canned food. Just as u do the change slowly by mixing dry with canned little bit at a time as u are doing this bird seed to pellets. Normally the dogs still get the diarrhea during the process of the change. I was wondering if thats something i would be seeing in my birds when i change from seed to pellets and what color stool would then become abnormal Should i only become concerned if it contains too much liguid??? slrlitlehart Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #188 [Seed conversion: post #188] Jen_and_spiggy Adv Member Members 2,923 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:sunny south africa Country:sunny South africa Posted 13 November 2011 - 10:36 AM Some pellets are very hard for then to break if you make them I bit softer with vegs it helps.. Or break them up a bit for them. Like This God loved birds so he made them trees..Man loved birds so he made them cages..(Think about it) Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #189 [Seed conversion: post #189] organizedchaos05 Member Members 14 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Country:uk Posted 14 November 2011 - 03:59 AM he has got the idea now he eats them no problem at all although he still has a little seed in with them but i take all sunflower seeds out but im weaning off them slowly and he can have them as a treat Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #190 [Seed conversion: post #190] Jen_and_spiggy Adv Member Members 2,923 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:sunny south africa Country:sunny South africa Posted 14 November 2011 - 04:09 AM I don't denied spig seeds 10 sunflower seeds (organic from the health shop cos the pet shop ones are awful) a day and a little millet .. Glad his eating his pellets which brand did you get Edited by Jen_and_spiggy, 14 November 2011 - 04:12 AM. Like This God loved birds so he made them trees..Man loved birds so he made them cages..(Think about it) Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #191 [Seed conversion: post #191] organizedchaos05 Member Members 14 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Country:uk Posted 16 November 2011 - 11:50 AM he has got zupreem fruit blend and today he gave me a little "present" but im not that keen on them but the jester was nice lol, he does like me to crush them up a little though but its all good aslong as he eats them, and how much millet seed is ok for him? Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #192 [Seed conversion: post #192] Jen_and_spiggy Adv Member Members 2,923 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:sunny south africa Country:sunny South africa Posted 16 November 2011 - 08:14 PM I assume about a tsp of millet and don't forget vegtables and fruits (once a week .)... Pellets are hard I'm sure if they made them softer parrots will eat them a lot more Like This God loved birds so he made them trees..Man loved birds so he made them cages..(Think about it) Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #193 [Seed conversion: post #193] organizedchaos05 Member Members 14 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Country:uk Posted 17 November 2011 - 03:12 AM he has sussed it now he holds it with his foot then chips away at it or he just crushes it all up in his beak lol, and he really likes apple but not the skin lol Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #194 [Seed conversion: post #194] Jen_and_spiggy Adv Member Members 2,923 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:sunny south africa Country:sunny South africa Posted 17 November 2011 - 05:23 AM hehe I don't like the outside of apples either:D they like the insides of things I slice carrot and he only eats the inside ,sugar snap peas only the insides lol.every thing only the insides and here we thought the outside was good mmmm maybe they know better... Edited by Jen_and_spiggy, 17 November 2011 - 05:28 AM. Like This God loved birds so he made them trees..Man loved birds so he made them cages..(Think about it) Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #195 [Seed conversion: post #195] organizedchaos05 Member Members 14 posts 0 warning points Gender:Male Country:uk Posted 17 November 2011 - 02:47 PM im gonna see if he likes banana tomorrow (he eats better than i do lol) Like This Quote MultiQuote Delete Hide Edit Report #196 [Seed conversion: post #196] Oteyspeople Adv Member Members 134 posts 0 warning points Gender:Female Location:Southwestern Virginia Country:usa Posted 24 April 2012 - 05:22 PM Otey is 14 years old, and we are the new people in his life. Unfortunately, his previous caretaker (10 years) is suffering some major health issues and couldn't keep him any longer. We both had parakeets growing up, but this is our first parrot. Needless to say, we're sold. The problem is that Otey's prior diet consisted entirely of Walmart parrot food and occasional fruit. We had him checked out by an avian vet when we first got him, and she gave him a clean bill of health. Having read up on the breed and talking to other parrot owners, we've decided we want to change him over to pellets. He's decided otherwise. He has NOT been happy with the twice a day seed feed. He squawks, throws a hissy fit and tries to bite us when we take the seed cup out and leave only the pellets, which he refuses to eat. We have the small round Zupreem Natural with Vits & Minerals now--should we get fruit flavored or smaller pellets to mix in? Also, he generally gets a half inch slice of banana and some shredded organic greens a few times a week. He throws dried chilis at us, and is more interested in destroying a peanut shell than eating what's inside. Anything else to tempt him, or should we wait until the pellet conversion to give him treats? 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