gidday
is there any members of this forum in australia that can recomend the correct pellets for our quakers?
the brands and types listed on this site don't seem to be available in oz. what ingredients should we look for?
also is there any vegetables or fruit we should not feed our birds and should we remove seeds from same.
thanks in advance,
regards, milo

bumping up

Hi Milo,
Good to see a fellow Aussie quaker owner . I just checked and the brand I use is Vetafarm pellets. I haven't managed to convert yet, its not quite working. Those were the only brand pellets I could find in all the pet shops in this area. They're a blue packet with a cockatiel on the front.

If any other Aussie members know of brands you can get here, let us know.

I am not from Austrailia, but just a few things you should NOT feed your quaker is: chocolate, caffiene, rhubarb, avocado. Below is a place you can get good info. It is on the home page of this forum.
http://www.quakerparrots.com/diet/food-nut...le-for-parrots/

Majj is in Sydney and I am pretty sure she is feeding Roudybush .. not sure if she gets it locally or online ..

Hmmm interesting. Roudybush is such a strange name . Is it ok to feed them peanuts? Just in tiny amounts as treats?

Hi Yes I feed Roudybush Crumbles its imported to a Queensland company and they have distributers around the different states ..If your in Sydney you can get it theough Keith Galligar...0298381256.
I also mix with Roudybush a Vetafarm maitanence Pellet its called..."South American Mix" its good to have a couple of brands in case for some reason you cant get one or the other ..
Another good Brand I have used but the boys prefer Roudybush is ..Hagens Life time granuals..(it smells like Juicy fruit chewing gum)..
Here is a link on NUTs..
http://www.landofvos.com/articles/NutNutrition.html

MYboys LOVE cashews and I think any nut for a treat is fine BUT ONLY UNSALTED...Bye for now ..

O.K just checking to see if our Aussie mate has been back for the information she requested on Pellets..
Off to bed chat later ..
Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I have heard that peanuts are actually not the best because they may contain a harmful fungus that can make birds very sick.

Human Grade nuts fresh are the only ones my birds have (UNSALTED)...Nuts don`t last too long in this house with Hubby and son about no fear of having a LONG storage life..lol
My fifs favorite nuts are cashews..(un-salted)...

PEANUTS--This hard, nut-like seed is a member of the legume family, as are soybeans, peas, beans, and licorice. Many years ago, they were accurately called "ground peas". Peanuts have been a part of the parrot diet for many years. Some parrot owners choose not to feed them to their birds because of the possibility of aflatoxin contamination. Aflatoxin is the most potent, naturally occurring carcinogen known to man and is a by-product of mold growth in peanuts and tree nuts. It has been linked to a wide variety of health problems in humans and other animals. Peanuts also are a common food allergen of parrots. Food choices of birds that are allergic to peanuts must be restricted due to the extensive use of peanuts in pelleted diets, Nutriberries, and other foods. Peanuts contain 167 calories and seven grams of protein per ounce.



BUYING NUTS


The best time to buy nuts is when they are freshly harvested during the Fall months. For best quality, select clean, unshelled nuts free from splits, cracks and holes. Nuts in the shell should be heavy for their size, indicating a fresh, meaty kernel. Nutmeats that rattle around in their shell are usually stale. Crisp, plump and meaty nutmeats indicate high quality. Shriveled nutmeats indicate poor quality. Nuts that are not tightly sealed could be contaminated with deadly mycotoxin, including aflatoxin. Prevention is infinitely better than the cure in this case and nuts should always be examined carefully before they are offered to birds.



SAFE STORAGE OF NUTS


The importance of proper storage of nuts cannot be overemphasized because an extremely potent carcinogen, "aflatoxin", one of the mycotoxins, is found on improperly stored nuts, corn and grains. According to the authors of AVIAN MEDICINE: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATION, "Fatty degeneration and the feeding of feeds contaminated with mycotoxins causing aflatoxin hepatosis are likely to be involved in the high incidence of liver disease in birds. Peanuts and Brazil nuts are notorious sources of aflatoxins..."

Humidity is the biggest problem for those of us who stock up on whole nuts in the fall or when they go on sale after the holidays. The best way to store nuts is to leave them in their shells. The shells protect them from light, heat, moisture and exposure to air, all of which cause rancidity in shelled products. Unshelled nuts have a much longer shelf life than do shelled nuts, and will keep for several weeks at room temperature. For longer storage, nuts in the shell should be kept cool and dry to prevent flavor changes due to rancidity of the fat. Keep them below 70 degrees Fahrenheit in airtight, sealed plastic bags or in tightly closed containers. They will remain fresh for about six months in the refrigerator. The lower the storage temperature, the longer the shelf life of nuts will be. Nuts can be frozen if sealed in moisture-proof containers and they can be kept for a year or more.

Check and see if harrison's ships to Australia:

http://www.harrisons.com/

I think this is the best for my QP. He doesn't like roudybush at all because it's too hard to crunch. He's been on harrison's ever since I got him last July and loves it. If I keep him on that I don't have to worry about his diet as much and my vet swears by it. He says good diet is the major factor in keeping a bird healthy.

Yep Harrisons are available downunder through Vets only , my guys didn`t like em and they were too expensive to keep tossing out .....
But they are top quality....