[Pappagallo]

my girls are on a pellet based diet (roudybush) and have their veggies and fruits. They also eat a bit of pasta.

I like to give them the following kinds of treats

Avi Cake (one small cocketiel size, once a week)

Nutra Puffs (one of them, once a day)

They like millet but I am afriad to give it to them too often becuase I am afraid that will be bad for them

How often can I give them millet sprays. I am bird sitting and the cocketiel I am watching gets it all the time whcih I think is too much.

Can I give them a spray (to share) once a week or should it more like once a month?)

I know treats should be like 20 or 10 percent of diet I just hope I am not giving them too much.

[Frankie's Mom]

Hi Jennifer,

To me it sounds like you are doing just fine with the treats. I give millet to all of my birds twice a week. My vet didn't see an issue with that, as long as 80-85% of their diet was pellet based.

I would consult your vet for certain ... though I am positive more experienced members could give you great information!

[Uncle Zippy]

Millet is fine as a regular treat. It's a grain, not a seed, so it has more nutritional value than seeds that tend to be higher in fat.

[Carrie~Anne]

Like Ron said, Millet is a grain, not a seed, which makes it very healthy for our birds. I usually will give a spray of Millet once a day I've done this ever since I got my first bird and it has had no ill effects.

[Pappagallo]

OMG I didn't know millet was a grain.

Why did I hear that it was fatening?

Anyways, I am happy that the girls aren't wolfing it down as it would take away from the main sources of their diet.

Ok, how about nutra puffs?

Avi cakes have seed in them right?

Also, what makes pellets more nutritious than seeds again? I thought it was grounded seed?

[tikileahsmom]

Seeds can be fattening and also lack certain vitamins. Especially if they pick and choose their favorites. I think it's calcium and vitamin A they are really lacking in. They can also be filling which is why you wouldn't want to add more than 10% of them to the diet. quakers are prone to fatty liver disease so you may want to limit them even more than that. Some people here only give their quakers seeds a couple times a week. I'm guilty of giving more than that, but my quakers are very good pellet eaters.
I love millet spray for my birds and I give it a couple times a week. My vet said it's good to give daily while a bird is molting as it's really good comfort food and it really is very good for them.
Also almonds have calcium in them so I give my small birds an almond twice a week. They love them. I give them the shelled ones but my ringnecks seem to be able to crack the ones in the shell so they get those. They love working on the shell and it gives them something to do. My greys get them daily and so does my mini macaw.
tikileahsmom

[Pappagallo]

well the only thing that probably has seed in it would be the avie cake.

My girls are pretty good with eating the fruits and veggies and pellets. They are such great eaters LOL

[Carrie~Anne]

OMG I didn't know millet was a grain.

Why did I hear that it was fatening?

lol...most people don't realize that millet is so healthy. It's a huge misconception that it is fattening. So don't worry about that

Millet is also great for rebuilding up the blood supply after a bird loses some blood (from an injury or broken blood feather).

[Pappagallo]

Wow I never new that. I also didn't know that right now, I have been wearing my shirt backwards

[Jenner]

Karmen will NOT eat millet... and I wasn't too concerned about it, but since everyone is saying it is so healthy, should I try to get her to eat it?

[Carrie~Anne]

Karmen will NOT eat millet... and I wasn't too concerned about it, but since everyone is saying it is so healthy, should I try to get her to eat it?

I wouldn't worry about it too much. My QP won't touch millet either All the other birds go nuts for it except her. I still offer her some a few times a week, but she's never touched it in the two and a half years she's been with me.