How to Choose the Best Pellets for Your Parrot! | BirdNerdSophie
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- čas přidán 13. 07. 2024
- Hi everyone, thanks for checking out my video on parrot pellets and how to choose the right ones for your bird! Let me know if you have any dietary questions down in the comments! 🌽🥦🥬🌶🥕
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Hi everyone, I'm Sophie, also known as BirdNerdSophie, and I make educational and entertaining parrot care content! I've been working professionally with animals since 2009 across different jobs including working as a zoo keeper, animal trainer, zoo presenter, animal care lecturer and farmer! I have been lucky enough to work with parrots of all sizes, including: blue and gold macaws, yellow naped Amazons and budgies! I have a First Class BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare specialising in birds, and I have a growing flock of parrots who I love!
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I have recently received some inappropriate and unprofessional comments on this video directly from a parrot food brand. If you work for, or are affiliated with a parrot food brand, consider whether leaving me unprofessional and passive aggressive comments is good PR or not. All comments on my channel are public and can be shared on all social media platforms.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with my background, I have a Certificate in Animal Nutrition, a First Class BSc (Hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and a Triple Distinction National Diploma in Animal Management - I have studied animal nutrition with a focus on birds during each qualification.
I have been working professionally with birds for 14+ years.
Lots of people told me harrisons is the best. So I give my birds harrisons. :D
Nice one 😊💙🦜
A really good informative video, thank you! I brought my cockatiel home a week ago and am in the process of switching him from the all-seed rubbish he was on to fresh chop and pellets. I would say if anyone is struggling, I have found adding a little bit of warm water to the pellets to make them mushy has worked wonders with my lad. And as you mentioned, now seeds are not as common for him they are of higher value which is massively improving ease of taming and training!
Hey, thank you so much for watching! That's a great tip, thank you for sharing! It can definitely encourage fussy beaks to try new things! 😊💙🦜
**taking notes**
Let me know if you have any questions!
Cold pressed ✔️
OMG Sophie so happy for you congrats you have 1.55k Subs right Btw Nice video Helped a lot ❤️😘
Thanks so much Aadrika 😊💙🦜
Useful video and one I know you've wanted to do for a while!
Finally done lol!
Sophie, I have to catch up on all of your new videos!! 😜 Thank you for sharing this topic, informative and clear as always.
Thank you! Hope you are doing well! 😊🦜💙
Thank you so much. Your wisdom was very helpful.
Glad you enjoyed it!
With all the tons of opinions online I really appreciate this video. Thank you so much Sophie! ❤
Glad it was helpful! 😊
I came upon a foster cockatiel and I am so happy I found this. I am watching as many videos as I can! I want to make the best choice I can for my birb
Glad it was helpful! 😊
You are amazing. Thank you for this honesty. I’ve been going down the pellet route and I’m so nervous of upsetting my mustache parakeet’s diet and it’s so difficult finding information on their diets but my bird is definitely a healthy eater, I’m just concerned about not giving him the things that are vital to him.
Glad you found the video useful! Have you seen my diy dry mix video? It’s an alternative to pellets and much more fun and nutritious!
Thanks for the tips!
You’re welcome! 😊💙🦜
🦜 Would you like help with creating a tailored diet plan for your bird? Get in touch with us at Best Behaved Birds for an affordable and bespoke consultation!:
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Looking for someone to help me with my bird... why should I choose Best Behaved Birds?
@@breyanna6951 We have over 10 years of experience working with and training birds! We treat every case individually and provide you with an action plan and free email/messaging support after your consult! We have lots of positive reviews on our Facebook page if you want to check it out! Let us know if you have any questions! 😊🦜💙
OMG Sophie I feel so happy for you congrats you have 1.55k Subs right Btw Nice video Helped a lot❤️😘
Something to point out about salt. I can't say this is the same thing in other countries, but in Canada if salt is added to a pet diet, it can't exceed 1% so anything that comes after salt are often miniscule quantitiea
That’s for the info! I think it varies greatly, and there’s very little regulation on pet food. Salt is still an unnecessary ingredient to be adding to a parrot’s diet, and I think pellet companies should be held accountable for it! Thanks for watching! 🦜
Agreed! I highly recommend Top's Pellets, it's probably one of the only pellets I would consider quite healthy, I used to be on another pellet but after looking at the ingredients and a few documents about vitamins I realised that some of the vitamins listed didn't seem like stuff they actually need. Unfortunately you can in fact over feed vitamins so I switched to cold pressed all naturals as well as a chop I freeze into ice cubes and defrost on the day.
Absolutely - a lot of people don't realise that you can overfeed vitamins! My birds are fussy and like crunchy chop so I make it fresh weekly!
I bought tops being told it was the best 0-0 my parakeets wont eat them
@@River_wylde When I got my 1st boy (2008) the vet gave us a bag of Harrisons, saying that pellets must be 80% of his diet... Bubu didn't eat ONE! Money wasted. After that, I tried again when I had 8, and all 8 hated the pellets with a passion. Double money wasted. I wonder if we can make our own.
@@pixxa37 You can try grinding them
Very informative thank you
Glad it was helpful!
The harrison's pellets arrived (my mum made a mistake and it was super fine size but Fluffy has no issue with it) aaaaaand first ingredients is corn, then some others but I noticed there was soybean, peanut kernels, sunflower seeds and salt. But the other ingredients are ok so I think it will be fine, because I don't feed any of those like I don't feed peanuts or sunflower seeds (except sunflower seeds r Maya's favorite treat so I use it in training) but I think it is an ok pellets so anyway thanks for the knowledge in the video! 😉👍
I've actually mixed Tops and Harrison. My Budgie is a particularly messy eater and I can't quite tell which one he favors. But with the seeds, chop and treats he definitely has a well rounded diet available. ❤️
Sounds like you’re doing a great job 😊
Definitely agree that pizza should be eaten 3 times a day! 😉😂 great points covered! Amazing video!👍 i need to try sprouting soon.
Thanks Anthony! Yes that would be a cool video if you can give sprouting a go! 😊
I HAVE tasted that colorful one, and I found it quite bland😅. Other veterinary professionals I have talked to always cited the carbohydrate base as a good thing because it's lower calorie than seeds. You are right, they are not nutritious, but that's why vitamins and minerals are added. While I feed my bird chop everyday, I'm not up to the task of making it balanced. I will check out Tops. Very informative video, but also a bit discouraging.
I recommend watching this video as well which really goes into detail about it pellets, what they actually contain and how the ingredients interact with the body! czcams.com/video/yy77WVAez5U/video.htmlsi=HD5gfXVJ6EMzF0VB
Cute bird!! Also love your cowboy bebop poster.
Thank you! 😊
Game changer! I don't feel NEAR as bad about the diet now. They eat mostly vegetables and grains with a mix of healthier seeds. Maybe I should start putting the effort of getting them to eat pellets into doing more for fresh.
Oh absolutely! You are doing great! Balanced fresh is always better than processed pellets 😊💙🦜
My bird was on a fruity zupreem pellet diet when we got him last year, first we switched him onto the veggie flavor for a bit and then to zupreem natural. We tried Harrison's but it didn't suit him. Then we started TOP's, and honestly he loves it more than all of these pellets. Transitioning him onto this was actually easier than expected.
That’s awesome! It’s different for every bird but so nice when they switch easily! 😊
Can someone tell me which shop can I buy tops pellets?
My bird is on the fruit pellet rn, but I want too put him more on a vegetable pellet with no sugar.
But I just can't find one, especially the ones that comes in canaries size since my budgie only eats the small pellets.
I just Started watching i find this inntrsting
Glad you liked it!
Great video! Curious what I should do for my cockatiels daily feeding routine? Do you have any chop recipes that can be frozen? Sorry, I'm new to this!
Have you seen my parrot diet guide?
I personally don’t feed chop as my birds don’t like the texture! If you’re going to do it, don’t freeze fruit or leafy greens as they go really soggy, and add things like rolled oats or avian teas when thawing to soak up moisture!
I have veggies and fruits as well as TOP's pellets. Which specific Harrison pellets to buy to complement TOP's pellets? High potency or regular? My parrot is a 12 week old green cheek conure. ah and feed little seeds as treats for training.
Hello! I wouldn't necessary recommend adding more pellets to the diet - you you ever tried sprouting or your bird? Also I recommend checking out my diet guide! :)
So true with the "Vet Recommended" Stuff. I was going over this sheet about parrot care to see if it was legitimately okay. It was "Half seed and half pellet, long smooth perches, about 2 perches, and about 3 to 4 toys." And I was just reading it in disbelief. At the bottom it said, "Vet Recommended" I was just like....Uhhhh...No.... Sad how they will say something that's totally bad for your parrot is fine just so they can make a sale.
Oh crikey, that's very poor! Not all vets are bad, but sadly those who are willing to endorse inappropriate advice with them a bad reputation!
@@BirdNerdSophie yeah. I couldn’t believe it. But yeah there are good vets, just lots of the stuff I see at my pet store is pretty bad and they are like “Vet recommended.” I’m just like 😐
@@FeatheredFlock the vet I take my birds to is good so that's lucky😅
@@87.l9 oof that’s good.
I made the mistake with my cats, years ago, of thinking that there was no way my vet would ever recommend a terrible food that would be bad for my cats. So I switched my cats to the food they pushed so hard every time I went there. Turns out they were getting a HUGE KICKBACK from the petfood company who was basically sponsoring them to carry only that brand of food in their store and recommend that brand to all of their patients. It made me realize that just because someone has professional credentials, it doesn’t mean they have your best interests at heart or integrity.
I don't know how I'm only just now noticing that that artwork on your wall is Cowboy Bebop XD
Haha it is 😂
Hi there, I think I posted this comment already but I can't find it lol..
I saw a South African bird food company sharing this video in their TOP's pellets' product description, and I was really happy to see it!
I won't post a link as CZcams might removed it because of "spam" (facepalm) but the place is called "Pet Habitat" :)
Oh that’s so cool! 🥰 thanks for letting me know!
Hello! Do you know much on roudybush and if it’s good? I’m in NZ so we don’t have many options here besides that one, Harrison’s (it’s VERY expensive here so can’t get that one) and Verafarm.
It’s for a cockatiel! :)
Hey! Personally it’s one I wouldn’t use as it’s based on corn wheat and soy! I’d focus more on the vegetables and sprouts side of things 😊
By the way Sophie, are goldenfeast goldn'obles pellets healthy pellets too? The ingredients list looks nice
They have a lot of soy in which isn't ideal but the other ingredients look great! Though they will be high in natural sugars.
I've been struggling with figuring out the best diet ratio for my budgies and Fischers, if you have any suggestions it'd be really helpful 💕
Offer two teaspoons of chop and one teaspoon of sprouts in the morning and two teaspoons or dried items in the evening per bird and see how much they eat from that!
Is versele-laga nutribird g14 tropical a good choice for my agapornis? (3 months)
I personally wouldn’t recommend that pellet!
What do you think of the hagen tropical lifetime formula pellets? I'm just starting to convert my seed junkies but have also been giving them fresh vegetables daily so together, do you think they'd be OK to feed them?
They wouldn’t be pellets that I’d recommend based on the ingredients!
@@BirdNerdSophie tysmm
Hi Sophie thank you for this, What would be really good or maybe an idea if possible is do a video on a morning or in the day of diet video. The times you give food to your birds etc. I understand this may be different from bird to bird but are there times in the day you feed and other times you dont?
Hi Raj, I have a few day in the life vlogs where I show feedings, but typically I feed fresh veg and sprouts at 8m-2pm, then t 2pm they get a dry mix of freeze dried veg, seeds, herbs, flowers, spices etc which stays in there until the following morning! They also get their training treats throughout the day too!
@@BirdNerdSophie Thank you so much your videos are amazing and well done for all the information. I read somewhere that you can keep a few teaspoons of pellets in the cage bowl for the bird to eat as and when would you say this is a good idea? I am just thinking if I need to say pop to the gym or something during the day.
Hi is it okay to feed my budgie a Zupreem fruitbland pellet? I want to add pellet in my budgie diet but Zupreem fruitbland is the only brand I could find in my country.
Hey! No it wouldn’t be one I’d recommend!
Hey is a healthy seed, and lots of daily veggies deit good for budgies? We do also give them some egg weekly. I've heard poeple say to give your bird all pellet and veggies and chop deit, but that seems like way to much to keep up with. I get it is healthy, but I mean that would be like making a human only eat veggies 24/7. But I think that a healthy seed mix, and lots of daily veggies and some egg is a pretty healthy diet. But we do give them pellets occasionally.
As long as the vegetables are balanced then it would be good, but if you can, try and include sprouted seeds and grains as they'll be lacking protein from just the veggies and seeds!
Ideally for veggies you'll want 3 green types, 3 other colours and a herb daily to get a broad nutrient profile!
I have used so far 3 kinds of pallets
Harissons
Top’s
Pisstacus [ im not sure how to spell it im dislexic]
And my birds really liked harissons and pisstacus but i decided to feed them harissons since it worked better with my birds
Every bird is different so that's great!
I don't have a bird but this is interesting
Thank you 😊💙🦜
Hello Sophie! Just a quick question...We got our new 6 month old cockatiel roughly about a month ago from a pet shop. This bird was on a all seed diet and we have been introducing vegies and fruit to our birds diet (mixing it with seed that it originally ate) . The bird is very slowly starting to pick at the vegies but not sure weather hes eating it. We have been hearing so much about pellets so we watched your video on pellets and was very helpful. The only thing we are wondering is how do you introduce your cockatiels to the pellets? do you mix it with veg? Also when would you recommend to give these pellets? would it be an evening or morning meal? Just not so sure...if you could give me a few tips that would be great! Thanks Sophie! =)
Hey! Thanks for watching! If your cockatiel is starting to accept veggies, I'd keep going with that and see if you can add soaked and sprouted seeds, grains and legumes instead!
If you are going to introduce a high quality pellet, I'd use it in the dry evening meal in combination with freeze dried veggies, herbs, spices and flowers etc :)
@@BirdNerdSophie Thank you! =) i will have a look at your sprouted seed video to see if i can get any tips from that. I seen your partners video on spices and that was very interesting too! Thanks again! =)
Hi Thnx for a lot of information sadly the good quality pellets like Harrison or Tops easily arent available in India.
We have an Indian Parakeet, Sadly since my parents didnt look up it was being fed with corn, rice, fruits, peanuts and cooked food. Very highly unhealthy diet. Now sicne My College is over I am trying my best to feed it with veggies and fruits but still cant find a regular pellet for her. Should I only give her a veggie Chop??
I’d recommend checking out my DIY seed and dry mix videos 😊
Hi! I bet you have a video on this, but what size cage should I have for my Cockatiel🦜💛
The biggest one you can afford 😊
@@BirdNerdSophie okay!! Ty😊😊
Do budgies break open their pellets like they do the shell around the seeds ?
They do like to crunch things up yes!
Tops 5eva! 🤪🥳
Haha they're very good!
Can I skip out on the pellets or use like very little a day? I prefer chop and the pellets are expensive anyway so I want to save it. Chop for me is fussy and takes time, buuuuuut I feel it's more nutritious than pellets and seeds that's why I feed more veggies than seeds 😁
Buuut for Maya, who is a seed addict, she gets sprouts and leafy greens which she loves but still it's fatty seeds because she will not try a healthy seed and will not try crunchy vegetables like bell peppers and carrots. Still working with her
If you have the right balance with the vegetables then you can definitely reduce the pellets! We offer 1/2-1 teaspoon per bird in the evening most days along with some other goodies but most of their diet is fresh!
I just noticed my cockatiel always gag whenever I offer him RB crumble pellets 🥺 should i switch to top’s
Are you sure it's not crop clearing? But yes I would consider moving to TOP's anyway!
how would you rate harrisons? specifically the high potency formula as well as the adult lifetime formula.
It’s one of the better choices if you are going to feed pellets, but we don’t personally feed them and only ever offer TOPs!
@@BirdNerdSophie thanks for the reply, my birds have been on harrison's for the last year and their health has been phenomenal, is there a certain reason tops wins out over harrisons in your opinion?
@@imLuve we don’t recommend any processed food in general for birds as the heating process creates inflammatory compounds, plus pellets are based on the nutritional needs of chickens rather than parrots! TOPs is cold pressed so there’s no heat involved in the manufacturing, and the ingredients list comparisons are very different - more info here: czcams.com/video/yy77WVAez5U/video.html
I took a ridiculously long time choosing a pellet brand after all the brands recommended by other channels weren't available anywhere but the US. Picked tops after too much research
It’s the best one for sure!
It’s hard to get good pellets in Australia
Oh my god your yellow cockatiel looks exactly like my cockatiel lemon!
It’s a super cute colouration 😊
Would dried up mealworms be a good idea? (for a cockatiel)
Depends on the source but I wouldn’t use wild bird ones as id be concerned about how they were raised and the cleanliness as there are different standards for wild bird food!
@@BirdNerdSophie ah, ok! Thanks :)
Any openions on Psittacus pellets ?
The first three ingredients are corn, soy and wheat so it wouldn't be one that I recommend!
Is it harmful to change their diet abruptly, from a poor pellet to a good one? I switched mine from Zupreem to Top's (the intial bowl had about 85/15 mix of new to old) and both birds have been happily eating it all day. Poop consistency has changed, so I wondered if it's normal and they'll adjust, or if it's harmful to do a switch as quickly as they accept it?
Its best to slowly replace a part of the poor quality ones with the better ones over 7-10 days. There will be some change in the colour and consistency of the poop which is normal as the ingredients are different. If you have any bird poop concerns you can always send me pics and I can take a look lol!
@@BirdNerdSophie well, just much runnier than normal, like they've had too much fruit lol. I can tell from watching them and dumping the water that they're eating the new food, but if it should be slower, then I can add more old stuff back in. That was one thing I couldn't seem to find info on, everyone seems to say taper them slowly, but because they're worried the birds won't eat it. I guess the rainbow chickens can have a bit more of their rainbow food for now!
@@tomferrier6143 it’s great that they’re eating them! You can take as long as they need, just don’t do it any quicker than a week or so! Also if they’re dunking pellets they could be taking on more water which could contribute to wet poops? Just an idea!
Hey, I have 2 cockatiels, I got them both on the coloured fruit flavoured vetefarm pellets, a couple of years later I stumbled across roudybush and bought a massive bag of the smallest size because they didn’t have any other, so I have been feeding them that for about half a year now and have recently found out about tops pellets which are the best❤ but there is one big problem, I live in New Zealand, so the shipping for them is about $500 which is absolutely insane!
Have you seen my DIY dry mix videos? They’re a good alternative to feeding a large meal of pellets 😊
@@BirdNerdSophie I should check them out! Thank you so much 😊
My birds have been on Harrisons. I am having a hard time converting them to Tops pellets. Any tips
You can use the tips in my how to get your bird to eat veggies video, or add them to a diverse dry mix!
@@BirdNerdSophie thank you .
Hello, I'm getting a parakeet. It's my first bird, i wanted to ask what some good food/ pellets for budgies
This video will answer a lot of your questions! czcams.com/video/YwSMGWBfmTI/video.html
@@BirdNerdSophie thank you so much ❤️
When I got my two Lovebirds they were on an all-seed diet. After about a year I realized that this had to change. Now after a few months, they eat only pellets (Zupreem vegetable flavor not dyed to be specific). I thought these were really good until watching this video. This was a big step and I haven't started getting them to eat vegetables yet. I now give them seeds every couple of days and they get millet and sunflower seeds when I train them. My question is if an all pellet diet is better than an all-seed diet? The male bird has always struggled with feather plucking because of his skin. Does a seed diet also cause itchy skin? I know that feeding fresh food is better but getting them to like vegetables/fruit is going to take a while. Until then, I would like to feed them a diet that doesn't make their skin as irritated until I can get them to eat vegetables.
Hi Stacey! I think the seeds V pellet diet is subjective to which ones you feed. Also just as a side note, some of the ingredients in the Zupreem (wheat, corn, soy) can cause skin irritations in some birds. I wouldn't recommend a all seed or all pellet diet really as neither can meet the nutritional needs of a parrot.
I have a video on my channel to help your birds to eat veggies which might help! 😀
@@BirdNerdSophie Ok thanks! Until they start eating veggies, do you think I should continue giving them those pellets or giving them seeds? If the pellets is causing the plucking I would rather give the birds seed again.
@@staceychristie3676 it depends on the seed mix - you could go half and half for a while!
Also I strongly recommend trying your bird with fresh herbs like rosemary and mint. So many fussy birds I know have loved herbs which has then encouraged them to try vegetables! They are also really great for skin irritations too! :)
@@BirdNerdSophie Ok, thanks!
Hi again, I have been trying to get the birds to eat vegetables. They know the trick touch very well so I started getting them to touch a carrot and then some greens. Rocky, the male bird, has been biting them off then spitting them out to get the treat. Is there anything you recommend doing to get him to eat the vegetable and not spit it out? I don't think he minds the taste too much and I have tried to disguise the veggies in seed shells but both birds are too smart for that.
Hi! What are your thoughts on BirdTricks’s pellets?
What about Zupreem? (I know it is one of the less healthier ones)
BirdTricks pellets are just TOP's rebranded - the have the exact same ingredients list!
Zupreem are definitely NOT one I'd recommend! The ingredient lists speak for themselves, even the 'natural' ones.
So what are some good incidents to look for in pellets?
Look for a cold pressed pellet that doesn’t have sugar, corn, wheat or soy as the first 5 ingredients!
@@BirdNerdSophie Thank you so much!! I’ve used a great deal of your videos to make a care guide I can study to help me be fully prepared to get a few cockatiels! You’re videos are always so full of useful and really informative and helpful information! Just recently stumbled upon your account and I already love you and your flock! Keep up the awesome work!🫶
@@Hooter_ace004 thank you so much for your kind words 💙😊
Hi Sophie my baby is 10 wks old and I know this aint food related she dropped her tail feathers and she is ok however can u if u could give advice
Hi Samantha! Birds normally drop their tail feathers if they have a spook or get caught on something. Assuming baby is okay, they'll grow back normally in time!
@@BirdNerdSophie thank you 😊
I just got a 30 yr old rescue African grey & he was on an all seed diet and the sanctuary put him on zupreem, I’ve looked up the info on Harrison’s Tops Roudy bush Birdtricks etc & it’s all mixed. I don’t know which ones are actually the best for him ugh
Edit: My budgies eat all organic natural seeds like chia flax oats mixed with Harrison’s HP super fine. Fresh veg daily & fruit sometimes. I will say the Harrison’s HP is supposed to be amazing for budgies but Harrison’s in general has caused very serious problems with African greys & should not be fed.
Your bird doesn't have to eat pellets to be healthy - I'd recommend watching my DIY Dry Mix videos for some inspiration on a healthier alternative!
Hi, can I use Tops pellets to budgies?
Yes absolutely!
So, I am going to take my cockatiel to the vet for the first time in a few weeks
What questions would be good to ask? Proper etiquette when I take my bird to the vet? Ways I can tell my vet is qualified?
Is your vet an avian vet? If so then they will be qualified to check out your bird!
At a general wellness exam I would expect them to give your bird the once over, weigh them, check their nail and beak length, feel the keel bone and ask you about your bird's set up and diet. And if you have any concerns of course!
@@BirdNerdSophie yup! They are an avian vet...
Thanks for replying, I very worried that that the vet appointment might go wrong or something (probably just me worrying too much)
@@breyanna6951 haha I would worry too but I'm sure it will be fine! :)
Hi guys just bought an Amazon parrot which pellet food is the best for him
Thanks
Hello! We promote a raw, whole food diet rather than pellets - see my parrot diet guide for more details!
I feed my sun Conure lafeber pellets are those okay I did some research and it says they use real fruits in their pellets so I’m assuming they are ok? (They are the Lafeber gourmet tropical fruit pellets)
I personally wouldn't feed them as they're based on corn, wheat and soy which are filler ingredients. There's also a lot of fruit there, and ideally conures should only get a small amount of fruit 3 times a week!
@@BirdNerdSophie for now would these be okay until I can get some Harrison’s or tops?
@@BirdNerdSophie also would feeding these with lots vegetables, fresh fruit and a little nuts and seeds be ok?
@@mateolopez3454 of course! Have you teen my diet guide video? I think you’d find it useful 😊
@@BirdNerdSophie ok because I bought quite a lot of these fruit pellets thinking they were the best so I will continue to feed them these fruit pellets with lots of other things
I purchased online ZuPreem Fruit blend pellet, waiting for delivery...is it a bad one?
Zupreem is not one that I recommend!
@@BirdNerdSophie Oh no! I just wasted £12.
Thank you for taking the time to reply❤️
@@arli4406 you could always use them as treats! :)
how long will 1kg of pellets last 1 gcc
It depends how often you are using them and what the rest of the diet looks like!
I've personally had a real struggle with pellets.
I got a bird raised moustached parakeet 6 weeks ago. The breeder told me he was fed on bucktons cockatiel mix with 1/8 bucktons parrot supreme.
Now my bird loves my home made chop and still loves me trying to tame him with treats...
But my problem is that I went and got the fine harrisons pellets, of which he doesn't have any interest in and just chucks it from his bowl.
I am not even 100% sure that these pellets are the best for my bird.
Its so confusing to me as there isn't much info out there on what pellet for what bird 🤦🏼♂️
Hi Jason! Those pellets would be fine for a moustache parakeet, but birds can be fussy with trying new things! You could combine them with some plain masked sweet potato or scrambled egg to make them more palatable! Or pretend to eat them yourself so he gets interested and wants some for himself!
Generally speaking though, if you can create a balanced chop with sprouted seeds, grains and legumes, pellets aren't necessary! 😊🦜💙
@@BirdNerdSophie thank you so much for your informative reply 😁 I do make him a proper chop with all those components but will have to start adding sprouted seeds as that's one thing I haven't tried yet. Also I need to switch out the rice grains in my next chop as he isn't into those either 😅
I'll be sure to try mixing the pellets with other food and maybe make that his evening meal.
Thank you again 😁
I did read on Google that Conures, in my case my Blue Throated Conure, needs 80%?! Isn't that like a lot?! Omg....
That’s definitely not something I agree with at all! No animal needs 80% processed food as their diet! 😅
I wish I could have such wide selection of pellets here. There is literally only ONE (yes you read that correctly) online shop that sells bird pellets. There are vl nutribird (trash), zupreem (trash), rowdybush, tops and harrison
However costs of feeding last 3 would cost me so much that I couldnt afford to feed myself (no kidding, I earn 500e a month and feeding my 2 birds would cost me 100e). So I am stuck attempting to feed my birds veggies (they eat them at some days and ignore at others) and mixing tops with zupreem. I honestly feel so hopeless
Have you seen my video on how to get your bird to eat vegetables? It might help! I also created a DIY healthy seed mix video and one on sprouting which might be of interest! Bird can be stubborn, but keep trying!
@@BirdNerdSophie I have tried absolutely every possible method. They just wont eat anything in big quantities. They will just take few bites and call it a day. One will eat decent amounts of broccoli but that's it
Outside of pellets they get legume and grain/seed mixes (including quinoa, wild rice, flax, chia etc). And only seeds (I make my own very varied mix) they get are mixed into their chop (so they forcefully get some veggies)
But it's just not enough veggies, I try 3 times a day for about 3 years now. Switching up methods as I go. They just think that veggies arent tasty enough and pellets win any day. I just wish I could afford good pellets, I feel so guilty feeding them zupreem as its packed with sugar
Oh one thing l don't mean to annoy u but l have been looking for bird pellets the budgie size but l can't find any .
If you are getting TOPs then search for the mini size 😊
Ok tysm agian
Is roudybush a pellet for birds and is it healthy??
my parrot now eats mazuri food before his food was zupreem fruit blend I changed it and it was the best thing I did it looks much better healthy I do not recommend zupreem for me
Going to be honest on, vets are paid to recommend certain brands to you. Signing off on a brand is also a nice fat check, 9 out of 10 dentists will agree... You get the same treatment from your human doctors as well, and they come with more regulations!
Nothing against vets, they make such crappy incomes for how much schooling and time is required. Avian vets it is even worse.
Were are the studies, notes and research from Zoologists, or major Ornithology departments that are located all over the world?
Why do a vast majority of captive parrots live a lot shorter life spans than their wild counterparts?
There is obviously something going on. No one seems to question any of it.
I had a thin crust philly cheese steak pizza for lunch :D
(and yes I picked off all the veggies and put it on the side lol)
Right now I have 2 new, very moody budgies in the other room, who are not amused. No more 24 / 7 seed access to them. Already introduced them to veggies. With their normal seeds mixed in small amounts. I also made a fun pellet ball. Which is basically taking hard pellets, adding a tiny amount of water to soften them, then mashing it into a little bit of seed, rolling it into a ball. They pick through that getting to the seeds. Did this to convert my other 5 birds off an all seed diet. Worked quite well. The end goal being veggies / sprouts during the day, with seed foraging in the afternoon. With pellets given in the evening.
Still waiting for my new seed mix to show up. Found a pre mix. Going to give it a try. The one I made up is going to cost the same, but has to be bought in bulk, and I don't have $97 right now. So did a bunch of looking around and found this brand.
Basics Plus Parakeet has No preservatives and No added dyes. Contains many of the gourmet ingredients used in our “Goldenfeast Gourmet Blends”. Cleaned and packaged to the same exact specifications as the Goldenfeast Gourmet Line. Ingredients Canary Seed, white proso millet, german (small golden) millet, hulled oats dehydrated spinach, dehydrated carrots, raspberries, Niger seed, flax seed and sesame seed. Guaranteed Analysis Crude Protein (min.) ... 11% Crude Fat (min.) ... 3.75% Crude Fiber (max.) ... 5% Moisture (max.) ... 4% Ash (max.) 4% Hard to find any budgie seed mix where canary seed isn't the top of the list. It seems like a good list, or contain dehydrated veggies / fruit in them. This was one of the few I found that wasn't full of nuts and fatty seeds for a filler.
My ideal seed mix would be: whole grain rye berries, whole spelt berries, hulled barley, whole wheat berries, buckwheat grouts, oat grouts. (as 50% of the mix), with clover, and alfalfa seed (25% of the mix) and flax seed, hulled millet, white sesame seed, and nyjar ( 10% of the mix). mind you, this seed mix is only added throughout the day, as a foraging incentive for toys and play areas (so maybe 25-35% of their daily intake). Main diet is still veggies, and sprouts. with pellets in the evening.
I found out Buddy loves eating veggies more if I have them on a plate! he was barely touching them much in a stainless steel bowl. I guess he thinks he is getting away with stealing my food this way LOL! SO now I put his morning chop on a small plate for him to enjoy.
You might find this book interesting - the articles on nutrition are very good! www.amazon.co.uk/Parrots-Healthy-Dining-Nutritional-Recipes/dp/1527276333
Haha poor moody budgies! Hope they're settling in okay!
That sounds like a very good seed mix naturally it's one that's not available over here!
That's so cute of Budd and yes birds think they're stealing food! Pickles likes that too but I haven't tried it with the other conures! The boys don't like plates lol!
@@BirdNerdSophie Thanks for the link! Added it to my shopping list. Lucky it is sold in the US as well! $26.50 + tax though. For some reason Used copies of the book cost even more.... lol 'MERICA!
I live in northern europe and went ton TOPS parrot food to buy the pellets, but the shipping cost was over 150 dollars!
You should be able to source them closer - we get them in the UK 😊
As a follow-up, both my conures absolutely love the Top's pellets, and are quite fond of the birdie bread too. I've been crumbling it and putting it on their veggies. Top's sure does turn into powder easily, so I'm going to try the 'mini' pellets instead of the ones advertised for conures, which are one size up from mini. I mean, they crush it anyway, so at least they won't have as much to drop from their faces to waste all at once lol. They seem to be interested in eating the powder too if it's all that's in the dish near the end of the day. The downside is it becomes difficult to see how much food they're actually eating.
That's brilliant that they're eating the pellets - nice work! And yes they can be crumbly! If you feed pellets on their own, you can save the powder and sprinkle it over veggies the next day so it's not wasted!
@@BirdNerdSophie in your experience, how long is the bread safe for, refrigerated after baking? I've almost used up what I made and left in the fridge 6 days ago, and I thankfully froze the rest. Thinking it'll be easy to defrost a square every couple of days. Can you overfeed it? I've been adding half a square daily in their veggies.
@@tomferrier6143 of probably only use it for four days including the day you made it!
Also as it contains egg, I wouldn’t feed daily, maybe twice a week from the freezer - egg is a great source of protein but the yolks when fed regularly are quite fatty!
@@BirdNerdSophie that reminds me that I need to pull out the small food scale and start weighing them again. I used to do it monthly but it's been long enough now that they'll need to adjust to not be afraid of the scale again lol. With changing their diet, I really should have gotten a point of reference first. They both used to be mid 60 grams, but that was back in July.
@@tomferrier6143 Sounds good! We usually weigh ours every couple of days and I track it on an app, though I have a rough idea of what they should be! Our conures have stables weights between 63 and 65g so that great!
Can my budgie eat Harrisons fine food? My parrot keeps going in his cage and eating his food which is all seed 🙄
Hey! Yes your budgie can eat Harrison’s fine! They might prefer super fine but either is all good!
Also it won’t let me reply to your other comment but thank you for watching my videos! If your bird is on a balanced diet with foods naturally high in calcium then they won’t need a calcium supplement!
@@BirdNerdSophie thank you. I'm a bit slow thinking that I could fed, sky, the budgie it to then the parrot can't gouge on all that seed.
@@BirdNerdSophie No worries tech doesn't normally work for me 😃. He has raspberries, sugar snap peas, kale, mango, Apple, strawberries, blue berries, figs, papaya, carrot, kiwi, corn, sprouts, peas. Is there anything else I can add for calcium?
Some of the best veg for calcium are broccoli, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, kale, okra, spinach... basically most of the green veg that’s safe 😂
Thank you your channel is so helpful and your so lovely.
Thanks for sharing such a good information video please stay connected #KMKHYD
Thanks for watching! 😊💙🦜
@@BirdNerdSophie Your Welcome Please visit my channel and give comments thanks in advance
Great information, super important for both the physical and mental well-being of any living creature. And why give sugar to a flying toddler with a sharp beak...no one needs that toddler tantrum lol
Thanks Yamuna! If we are going to give sugar to our flying toddlers (😂) then it should at least be from a natural source like occasional fresh fruit! Thanks for watching as always! 😊💙🦜
Love your vids and birbs! My kaks were given marriages cockatiel/lovebird seed before i bought them any idea if it's good? Ofc i have parrot stand out for them to feast on fruit and veg too! They love the aaaappel and spinach
www.jollyes.co.uk/marriages-cockatiel-and-lovebird-1kg.html
Also What do you think of the fruity parrot mixes? My previous kakariki lived on fruity parrot mix most his life. Was a healthy boi had him for 15 years.
Hey Luke! Thanks for watching! The seed mix isn't too bad but I would personally and ones with sunflower seeds and 'added vitamins and minerals' like it says on the ingredients list!
I personally also avoid mixes that are marketed as fruity as they will be high in sugar - you are better off buying a normal seed mix and offering fresh fruit 3 times a week!
@@BirdNerdSophie ok that's good advice thank you. I can cut my own fruit and just add the sunflower seeds.
Can you have one budgie and one cockatiel in seperate cages?
Yes you can, though I do feel like birds of the same species are better together! :)
@@BirdNerdSophie ok thanks for the information I will take that in mind whilst choosing my birds:):)
Pellets isn't available in India. What should I do!😶🤨
A diet of fresh vegetables and grains - see my diet guide video 😊
Keen for a everyday feeding video and recipes I can do on the daily morning and night cause I bought conures from a lady and they are just eating trill bird seed 🤮🤮
I'll add them to my list! I usually make a batch of chop that lasts a week which makes meal times easier in the mornings! 😊💙🦜
My local parrot rescue has a very lengthy and involved process to procure a rescue bird. Long story short, my husband and I are in the process of being reviewed to get a rescue parrot that eats a diet of a particular pellet that isn’t particularly healthy. The people that run this rescue are very much gatekeepers as far as setting themselves up as the foremost authorities on all things bird. So I’ve had to go out and buy some this particular brand, as well as everything else they’ve recommended, to have it showing for the home visit. I looked at the back of the bag for the ingredients and they aren’t nutritious at all. We will have to rush out and buy a more nutritious food if we ever get approved to adopt this bird and then work on switching him over, but can’t have that food showing in the home visit because the rescue is so controlling and don’t like to have their authority questioned. It’s 4 months already so I’m beginning to have my doubts if we will ever get approved to adopt this bird 😫
Anyway, thank you for making this video
When we rescued Olive, the lace insisted that we had to buy this poor quality seed mix and vitamin powder! I didn't want to, but they wouldn't give her to us unless we did! I hope you can get the bird soon!
Big problem with these rescue
People is there making
It so complicated to adopt
A bird that a lot of birds
Won't be getting adopted
Out
I agree. I originally wanted to adopt a rescue bird…… agree paying for home check etc…. Not suitable because I had no experience….. did a lot of research and reading….. got in touch only to know I would be paying again for a home check…. After reading more on the rescue site I have now purchased my bird from a store. I feel I could have given a rescue bird a very loving and caring home…
@@BirdNerdSophie I just wanted to update you. We got the bird. And now we have 4 rescue birds. The others we got from individuals we “met” on social media who were posting they needed to rehome. They’re all small (parrotlets and budgies.) So I’ve discovered how it is possible to get a rescue without having to deal with the rescue organization, who make it so weird. But they do obviously want to get the birds to the right, caring owners. I just wish they didn’t allow some of their fosters to have such weird control over the potential adoptees, micromanaging what kind of pellet they give and such. Anyway, we were able to convert all of the them to a combination of fresh chop, pellets (Top’s and Harrison’s) and just a few seeds at the end of the day. Thanks for your channel and all you do! Your interview with Dr. Crean (sic?) was very helpful and informative too.
congrats on your new additions! Rescues can be super weird and make adopting difficult which is a shame considering how many birds need homes!
@@dorkusamericanus
Pellets
Pellets!
Best one is the one thay will
Eat, any pellet is better then
No pellets
Also take in to consideration that
Not every one telling you what to give your birds are avian nutritional experts
Speak to a avian vet
I actually disagree with you on this one - here’s a discussion all about pellets with an avian nutrition expert: czcams.com/video/yy77WVAez5U/video.html