my petey is really picky... i got him the zupreem fruit blend.. he wont touch it. all he has been eating is corn. bananas, and pasta.. i got some nutriberries the other day... and he throws them out of the cage.. so i got some kaytee fusion parrot blend today, and he actually seems to like it. but the bag didnt say anything about quaker/monk parrots...
does anyone else feed this blend to theirs.?

Check the bag for ethoxyquin. It's a preservative that's bad for pets. I wouldn't use it if it has that. They probably took it out as alot of others did, but a friend of mine kindly brought me a bag last year that was on sale and it had it in it. Probably was sitting on shelf for a long time and that's why it was on sale.
Try crushing the nutriberries up a bit and see if that helps and then as he gets use to them he may eat them whole.
Another thing you can try with pellets is mixing a little juice in them to soften them. They sometimes will give them a try then. Just take them out after a couple hours. Maybe try some apple juice. Good luck
tikileahsmom

oh crap. it does have ethoxyquin...
that really sucks because he really likes it....
its a brand new bag too... just opened it today... i really hate to throw it away.

wow. thats really scary.. this is what i found out...

Ethoxyquin was found to: pronounce kidney carcinogenesis; significantly increase the incidence of stomach tumors; enhance bladder carcinogenesis; and significantly increase number of colon tumors. The Department of Agriculture lists ethoxyquin as a pesticide.

that was taken from http://petnblog.preciouspets.org/?p=145

maybe ill email or call the kaytee company and see what they have to tell me .....

Oh darn! I was really hoping what I had was just an old bag. Alot of bird foods had it as a preservative for quite some time. Call your avian vet and see what they say about using that bag and if it might possibly cause health issues. Maybe it can be used until you find something else your bird likes. I would do some research or call a vet though before you continue as these guys are so small.
Tikileahsmom

i am very surprised and impressed.. just sent kaytee an email. and already have gotten a response..


We appreciate the time you have taken to write Kaytee of your concerns about the ingredient "ethoxyquin" contained in our products. We want to assure you Kaytee has taken the necessary steps to make sure the ingredient and most importantly, the level of ingredients used in the foods we manufacture are safe and not harmful to the intended animal.



Kaytee has a Ph.D. Nutritionist on staff that formulates all the products we manufacture and researches the ingredients that are contained in these products. Kaytee also takes the extra step of extended feeding studies prior to the marketing of the products to make sure they are as safe and nutritious as they are intended to be. We want to assure you Kaytee is aware of the appropriate usage recommendations and actually uses levels below these recommendations.



Tests and studies of extreme levels of a nutrient or additive generally produce very different responses then when used at normal levels. This is illustrated by the following examples of the essential nutrients selenium and salt, and the use of ethoxyquin.



It is important to understand that any ingredient that is inappropriately provided can be considered harmful. For example, salt is a mineral every living thing needs. However, if salt is consumed at 40 times the appropriate level, it will cause death in 2-3 days. (Salt is also used as a very effective herbicide.)



Selenium as another example, is a mineral we need in our diets. At low dietary intakes, the rate of cancer is increased; at adequate levels it suppresses the incidence of cancer. At higher levels (10 times requirement), it becomes carcinogenic. This a good example of how a nutrient can have opposite effects at different levels. Please see the attached Technical Focus, "Antioxidants and Preservatives", with more information.



For seed based diets where nutrients are added, via a fortified concentrate (such as with extruded shapes or pellets), the preservative (ethoxyquin) is only present in these items. Therefore the total level of ethoxyquin in the diet is approximately 0.001%. This provides minimal exposure while providing the animal the safety from the formation of dangerous oxidation by-products and possible deficiencies caused by nutrient destruction.



The Kaytee Avian Research Center has feed the products we manufacture with the necessary levels of ethoxyquin to over 4000 birds for over 17years, with no adverse side effects.



It is important to note that providing products that are not properly preserved can cause major health issues. The use of vitamins such as vitamins E or C are not as dependable and if overused may also be considered a concern. The appropriate use of ethoxyquin as a preservative is safe and ensures the product it is preserving provides the animal with the nutrition it is intended to provide.



We want to assure you Kaytee uses safe levels of the ingredients included in the foods we manufacture. We appreciate you bringing your questions and concerns to attention. Please review the attached Technical Focus and please let us know of any questions you may have.





Jennifer Bauknecht


i dont know how to post the attachment. but if anyones intrested, im sure i could take the time and figure it out..

Kaytee Fusion is loaded with seeds. I was told NO by my vet on that.
I can't get poppy to eat pellets. He was weaned on that Fusion. What he will eat is anything fresh, nutriberries and avi cakes, beak appetite (I've created a monster), Fresh orchard organic yogurt with egg food sprinkled on top, and pretty much anything I am eating.
I have pellets in his cage 24/7 but end up throwing them away. He won't eat them. But, I won't let him have all those seeds...

im looking at what hes been eating out of that.. looks like hes leaving the seeds alone.. hes eating.. the mangos, and some of the shapes.. but he does seem to like the pumpkin seeds.
and the almonds.