YAY! they are eating pellets,should I switch?

[katar76]

I bought the Zupreem natural pellets to grind up and put in birdie cakes and bean mix purees. I wanted to see if they would eat some but didn't want to mix it with their seeds because the pellets are expensive and I did not want to waste them, plus you can't tell what they are eating from far away and usually when I come up to the cage to see anything... my tiels stop what they are doing and want to come out and play. I always put a couple of little dishes on top of the cage for treats, so that is where I put the pellets and they started to eat them. Everytime they are top of the cage they eat some pellets.
Should I totally switch them to pellets? I want to do what is best for my babies ,but aren't seeds what they are supposed to be eating? Sometimes I wonder if all the hype about pellets being superior to seeds is not created by the makers of pellets. Is there any proof? like a study before and after? And what about sunflower seeds,safflower seeds,hemp and all those other seeds other than millet... aren't those good for tiels? Or should I reverse it and put pellets in the cage and seeds on top of the cage in the treat cup? I am confused!
Does anyone have any experience with noticing an improvement in their bird after eating pellets?

[Aly]

Alot of people prefer pellets but I do not. Regardless of how pretty the package is and how many vitamins and minerals it claims they have, they are still processed foods. I am not big on processed foods for myself so my tiels don't get it either. They have lots of choices though, and I have to admit, it's alot more work to keep them healthy this way. Their diet includes everything from a local seed mix, to every safe veggie I can get, fruits, nuts, even chicken and fish.

[Raven2322]

I have a 16 year old tiel that untill the last year never had pellets. He's never had a single health problem (knock on wood). He seems pissed off whenever there is no seed, even tho he will eat pellets now. I find that all my cockatiels if given both will eat both. Some prefer seed, some prefer pellet. I'm working on adding as much fresh food and food made by me for birds as possible. I agree with aly, you always hear about pellet being better but they are processed, so who knows if what is put in them is natural or made in a lab. I personally plan on looking into organic stuff and well as sprouting my own seeds to add to my tiels diet. I think if you do a good mix of everything you'll do just fine. I also think that if you do feed more seed, then more exercise is good for your tiel because of the fat content in seed. Also, they always say seeds aren't good because they don't get to eat the minerals, etc that they are coated in. So I think the same goes for that, who said what they coat seeds in are natural, it could be synthetic too. I don't think you'll miss out on much as long as you feed fresh food too they should get all the nutrition they need. but that's just my thoughts on the matter.

[skthurley]

I think it's important to have a wide variety in a bird's diet. I think it's wrong to feed only pellets and only seeds. By offering both pellets, and seeds you are providing your bird with lots of different vitamins and nutrients. Of course, in addition to this, you should offer fresh veggies, fruits, sprouted seeds/grains and sprouted and/or cooked legumes. Variety offers a good balanced healthy diet.

I personally offer cooked grains, fresh veggies, various sprouted grains/seeds and sprouted legumes, with a small bit of fruit for breakfast. At lunch time they are offered Zupreem natural pellets. During the day they either get a small tsp of budgie seed, a few nutriberries or millet spray in their foraging toys. I rotate per bird's preference and for variety. In the evening they get some green and red pepper pieces and seeds, plus more sprouts and some fruit pellets on their playstand.

[sweetrsue]

My Vet was very glad to hear that I fed my birds pellets. It is well balanced in itself but I feed seed as well. They get pellets and bean mix in the morning. Greens a few hours after the beans and seed only only the evening. A balanced diet is the key to a healthy bird.

[atvchick95]

all mine eat Zupreem Fruit Blend pellets, if they come to me on a seed diet, they get converted over.

Seeds are unhealthy, even when they get greens and veggies, the nutritious part of a seed is in the hull, they don't eat that Plus the seeds bought at a store is nothing like what they eat in the wild, the seeds bought at the store is actually made to make different Oils (like cooking oils) where as the Wild seeds are not.

Mine get Pellets, and fresh veggies daily, birdy bread home made several times a week (we make a large amount and freeze it and unthaw it as we need it) along with other cooked foods a few times a week like whole wheat noodles, with hard boiled eggs mixed in (shell and all)

they do not get seed very often (the only ones who get it daily are the birds breeding at that time, and they only get a total (all day) 4 teaspoons 2 in the morning and 2 at night) my non breeding birds get seeds maybe once or twice a month.

and they get Spray Millet a few times a week .

what i have noticed with the birds i got who were older and been fed seed all their life, their feathers were dull, they weren't bright, their eyes were eh so so, (not sick eyes) but not as shiny i guess is the word as my bird who had been eating pellets for a long time.

My birds who have been eating pellets for a long time have vibrant feathers, no dull feathers there eyes are nice and shiny and they just seem over all more energetic and happy after finally switching over and eating pellets for a while compared to when they were eating seed only(or seed and veggies)

but that is just my opinion and view on the birds I have (by the wall all of them but 3 have came to me eating nothing but seeds)

[sweetrsue]

Some seeds that are high in fat if fed exclusively are not healthy and can lead to fatty liver disease. On the other hand an all pellet diet can lead to kidney disease. I mix my seed. I buy one high quality mix that has sunflower and one mix that does not and mix them thereby reducing the ratio of sunflower. I then add extra flax seed (very high in Omega 3). There are essential nutrients in seeds and millet is although one of their favorite foods high in nutritional value. The bottom line is Balance.

[Aly]

Seeds are unhealthy, even when they get greens and veggies, the nutritious part of a seed is in the hull,

The hull doesn't contain anything really so I'm not sure why you would think that. The ones that claim to be vitamin and mineral enriched, yes, are sprayed. The hull goes in the mouth for a brief time so it doesn't help. I definetly don't agree that seeds are unhealthy even when getting veggies, fruits, nuts, etc. A variety is key and eating pellets daily with little of anything else doesn't provide a healthy or fun diet. Mental stimulation is important, esspecially in captive birds. It's like a human eating nothing but protein bars. Yes, they contain what you need to survive but they are processed, boring and god knows what additives are put in to keep them fresh, give color, smell, etc. I know you personally take care of your birds, so don't take this the wrong way atvchick-known you for a while I just don't agree with you on this one. It's a conterversional subject though and that's to be expected. I've been feeding this way for years and all my birds have also been super healthy, at the right weight, great plumage, etc. In my opinion, ofcourse vets will recommend it since it works the same way as with doctors and pharmacy companies. They get paid to.

The bottom line is Balance.

Exactly.

[Solace.]

Okay, so when 'tiels are in the wild they're not getting any pellets, so how is it that 'tiels in the wild live for so long if they're only eating certain things, and not getting what they should be having? cuttlebone, veggies, pasta, etc etc..

[Danielle]

I find it pretty confusing myself.

I know pellets are nutritionally complete, but in the wild they eat seed; granted, they eat other things as well and they don't eat the same mix as they do in a box, but seed seems to be a normal part of their diet. Doesn't hulling seeds have some sort of psychological benefit for them?

I offer my tiels vegetables, pellets and seed. They'll only touch broccoli, they generally ignore the pellets and they of course go for the seed. I always try to get them to try new things, but they're pretty stubborn.

[xxxSpikexxx]

Okay, so when 'tiels are in the wild they're not getting any pellets, so how is it that 'tiels in the wild live for so long if they're only eating certain things, and not getting what they should be having? cuttlebone, veggies, pasta, etc etc..
I don't think tiels in the wild live as long as tiels in our homes do. Iam sure they eat a variety in the wild like plants, bugs and seeds but then Iam sure something out there will eat them :eek: At least thats what I figure, Iam sure it is alot harder for wild tiels, then our house tiels to live a long life. I just think feeding as large a variety of foods as possible is the way to go :)