Every one on here is so against a seed fortified diet why? Also I had to take Kiwi off her vitamins because they made her real cranky. I tried them to maybe get some of her feathers back it helped but I would rather have a bald bird than a cranky one. Isn't pellet food loaded with vitamins and stuff so if I switch her to that wont she get grumpy again? I only want whats best to make her happy.

Don't do it cold turkey- I think there is something posted somewhere for a conversion regimen- but yeah, definitely do it. Seed only could be the reason for the picking, plus sunflower seeds are high in fat and QPs are at risk for fatty liver, plus they won't get the nutrients they need, even from a fortified diet... it's kind of like if you were to eat only Fritos or ramen, etc.

Here's from this site.

Here's another site I found...

And here's another one I like a bit better...

Go slow, she will likely be in better feather, better attitude, and live longer if you convert.

Jess since you just got your bird recently I would suggest you let her go thru her adjustment period with you first before trying to convert her to a more healthier diet. I cant remember if you have taken your bird to an avian vet yet or not but they too can help you with dietary changes to ensure your bird has a healthy future ahead of her.

There are different schools of thought when it comes to feeding and caring for birds and mostly if you are not going to be spending alot of time in the kitchen preparing food for your bird pellets are the best way to go to ensure proper nutrition. Some birds have preferences when it comes to pellets some will eat zupreem others like roudybush but the weaning process to pellets requires yet more patience and you cant just throw the pellets into the dish and expect her to like them. I think someone else gave you some urls for pellet conversion tips which will be very helpful. Alot of times its trial and error.

Vitamin supplements should only be given under a vets recomendation because getting too much vitamin isnt good for a bird either.

If you went and bought pellets you might try crushing them and mixing it in with what you are feeding her now. Chances are she will try to pick out the pellets but wait and see. Some are easier to convert than others.

Good luck and hang in there

One of the reasons it is now recommended to have birds on a pelleted diet is that even though the seed has been vitamin fortified, all that means is liquid vitamins have been squirted on to the seed and mixed together. Since most parrots and finches hull the seed before the eat it, the major portion of that vitamin liquid remains on the hull and isn't injested anyway. So you are basically paying for something that your bird really isn't receiving any value from.

Andie's pellet conversion is a great method, but as Impy suggested if you've only recently received your bird give it a month or two to adjust. Slowly convert over to a pellet diet, its not to say your bird can't have some seed, but make it a treat not a mainstay.

Also as has been stated, Quakers are prone to fatty liver disease, This is caused from too high of fat content in their diets, seed is very high in fat especially sunflower and safflower seeds.

Most pellets have been formulated to have a balanced nutrient package and can be fed as a complete diet, though most people/vets will tell you that it should be accompanied by fresh fruits and vegetables. Between 70-80% pellets and the rest being fresh food.

If your bird is still young it may be that its not been used to being fed fresh fruit and veggies and it may take some time for them to accept them, but just keep offering different things and even though they don't eat them right away they may eventually. It might even take seeing you eat things in front of them, or at least pretend that you are. It kind of becomes a monkey see, monkey do type situation.

Hope this helps

I have to tell you... my bird will not convert. The best I can do is nutriberries, avicakes, beak appetite, and fresh foods.
I have tried everything. He will go without eating and becomes very cranky.
I have come to accept this, although my vet takes birds in specificlly to convert them (and that is a thought). But... I don't feed any seeds other than what's in the Lafeber products. I am trusting he is getting all he needs.
After nearly 3 months, I still keep him pellets available but I just throw them away, untouched.
He seems healthy.

I used to feed nutriberries to some of my birds that would not convert. One was weaned to a mostly seed diet and the other was locked away in a cage for 15 years and fed nothing but seed. That would be my wild caught grey, Tobias. Once he got to the rescue he was quickly converted to nutriberries and then slowly to pellets. Once he got here my quest was to get him to eat veggies. I put them in his cage every day for a year before he finally tried them. Now he's the best veggie eater in my home, including us people!!! hee hee
My Zoey had been weaned to seed so I put her on the nutriberries at the vets request. My vet says nutriberries are a complete diet and loves them. Especially for a bird that won't convert. I got Zoey to try pellets by adding apple juice to them. She'd then sit there tail in the air and barely come up for air. She now eats them. It took quite a while though, but don't give up.
I was worried about Tobias' liver after being on seed and water for 15 years, but I had his liver checked and it's just fine.
I still give my guys a couple nutriberries every day as a treat along with thier current diet which most of you have probably never heard of, but it's organic and dehydrated mixes and species specific. I learned about it through a rescue that uses it.
Best of luck and don't give up.No matter how long it takes
tikileahsmom

I can't add anymore than what was already said. Personally, I always have pellets available. However, I'm lucky because my bird was weaned on Pellets and Beak Appetit. I've done a lot of reading a research since I got my QP and whent through several different brands of pellets (for my sake not his - he has no problem eating them). I found one that I am very happy with and feed that in conjunction with every day Beak Appetit, veggies daily, fruits 3x a week on average, birdy bread daily, and some people food whenever I cook. However, I am not concerned about how much of the pellets he eats. Some days he doesn't touch them, some days he eats some, and some days he pigs out on them. I figure he'll now when he needs and wants them. As long as they are about 30-50% of his diet, than I'm happy. He also gets seed, however it is an organic seed blend and he gets only a pinch of it. I'm also lucky, because he doesn't seem to be seed junky. Some days he won't touch the seed at all. Some days I feed dry seed, others it is soaked and other days it is sprouted-which has the most nutrition.



Tikileahsmom: May I ask what kind of foods you feed? I'm interested, because my goal is to be as natural and fresh as possible with lots of varieties.

Hi Seasa,
I don't mind at all. Here are the links to the food I give my birds. It's expensive, but I think it's worth it as you'll feed less than you might think. The shipping is the worse part about it, but thankfully one of the foods I can pick up myself as it's about an hours drive or so.
I mix the two and I also keep some pellets in my birds bowls at all times just in case. I just think variety is important for a happy bird. Then of course they get their daily veggies.
parrotsontheporch.com

thebestbirdfood.com

Please let me know if you have any questions at all
tikileahsmom

Hi Tikileahsmom,

Thanks so much for the links. I love it!! That is what I've been looking for, right down my alley. Thank you so much. I'm placing orders today!!

Great! One of those foods is made by a new member on this board. I found out about her when she figured out who I was through a post. Not many people have 11 birds and I was ordering a lot of the food. hee hee. I've never met her, but have met her business partner when I pick up my food.
tikileahsmom

had a couple of questions about pellets. As far as dog food goes, corn is considere a filler, and causes allergies in some dogs. Now here is my question: is corn considered a filler or a possible allergen in regards to some parrots? I noticed the first ingredient in my greys zupreem pellets is corn. I also noticed many people on this forum state that pellets are complete but still add fresh fruit and veggies to their birds diet. now im wondering if these pellets are a complete food as manufactures claim, would it be possible that the addition of fresh foods could cause a toxic amount of vitamins to enter the body of the parrot? I know that too much of some vitamins is harmful to humans. My own vet is very against anything that isnt fresh. Im trying to find scientific(not by breeders experiences) data that is species specific on nutrition. I see stuff done by the poultry industry cited by pellet companies. am i wrong in thinking this is worthless to compare it to a parrot from a specific geographic location? Im trying to find info on giving my birds as natural a diet as possible. Including live food. im currently feeding some pellets along with beans grains fruit and veggies. Id like to fine tune it though so they get a well rounded diet. I currently feed 50% pellets the rest being seed, veggies,berries and grains and egg a few times a week for my grey.in the summer the birds get to eat the bugs off the blackberries. Anybody have links to what zoo's feed their parrots? sorry so many questions, i am just thoroughly confused.

Blue,
Mazuri is one food the zoo's feed and scenic is another. Here's a link to mazuri.I have to go find the scenic one and I'll post it.
Corn can be an allergin and is a filler I would think for birds. I understand where you're comming from. I've read about birds going into liver failure from being fed ALL pellets. That's why our vets say add fresh stuff too. Most people, including myself don't fully understand how to give a balanced all natural diet to our fids, which is why it's good to give at least 50% pellets since they are nutritionally complete.
Fresh is always better, but not if they're getting too much of this, not enough of that and none of something else that's needed.
So with that said add some fresh stuff with the pellets and it'll be easier on their liver. Best of luck in your quest for answers. It's not easy
tikileahsmom
http://www.visiobrand.com/frame.jsp?linkId...penedfrom=index

Ok Blue,
Here's the other site on the food that zoo's feed their animals
http://www.scenicbirdfood.com/index.htm

thanx for the links. . i was thinking that 50% would be a good compromise . unfortunately i need to feed frozen?thawed veggies and fruit during winter, i hope this is okay.

That's what my sister in law feeds her birds. Just try to get your frozen green beans separate and buy them organic as even the frozen ones are loaded with pesticides.
If you can even buy some fresh kale or broccoli that would be great too. You can just hang the kale leaves in cage. Wash them and dry them well and I keep them in baggie in fridge with a paper towel inside for a week. Take a leaf off each day. Weave it through the cage bars or whatever.
What I was told is "Anything fresh is best" Frozen is pretty darn close
tikileahsmom

My fids have pellets available all day long, I give them seeds a few times a week(no sunflower though), lots of fresh fruits and veggies, and I've been cooking up a storm over here since I got a birdie cookbook, birdie bread,pancakes and other yummy birdie stuff LOL but they love it