seeds ok?

[twig braker]

well i was planning on switching my tiel to pellets but then i got this coupon for a 4.5 pound of seed mix (it actually has a lot of stuff in it but mostly seed) so i bought it and i still have about half of the first seed bag i got him that has pellets in it but still eats the seeds first (will eat the pellets but obviosly seeds first) so now i have another bag of seeds to go through before i get him pellets so my question is, are seed diets really that bad? i still give him veggies and fresh food everyday for dinner, and i try to whenever i am home, so is it ok to have seeds in the cage, or is pellets in the cage strongly considered. so i geuss im really asking pellets vs. seeds. i did some research after i bought the bag cause i felt guilty for not getting the pellets, and i found both ways. so i would like to hear what you guys have to say.

[SweetSimmy]

its ok to give them seeds. just as long they still get their veggies and fresh food

[twig braker]

ya i thought he would be ok, but is it bad for them to have seeds in the cage available to them all the time in the cage. does anyone here have seeds rather than pellets? i just want to make sure im not putting my tiel at risk.

[tielfan]

My birds have seeds and pellets available all the time. They also get lots of fresh foods in the morning - sprouts and veggies.

[xxxSpikexxx]

Spike gets four table spoons of seed a day and has pellets in his cage at all times. He also gets veggies and sprouts. As long as you don't feed just seeds all the time Iam sure it will be fine :)

[poppabill]

My birds eat seeds all the time, i make my own mix and have for years. I feed veggies pasta and a bunch of other stuff as well, I tried pellets a couple times but my Tiels for the most part only picked at the pellets. Birds been eating seed for years and i think as long as you off veggies pastas cereals etc a couple times a week its just fine. As i said i had tiels over 30 years and there healthy they seem happy and eat well so...be happy :)

[sweetrsue]

I feed both and will continue to do so. Some studies link a pellet only diet with kidney disease. A seed only diet with liver disease. I also feed veggies, beans, lentils, rice and quinoa. Variety is the key to a healthy diet.

[skthurley]

I feed a varied diet to my two, and it include both seeds and pellets. Everyday my guys get sprouted seeds in their veggie mash for breakfast, then a small bit of seed in their foraging toys.

Some days I really treat them and give them extra seed in the evening. During the afternoon they have pellets available to them.


As long as you are offering fresh veggies, fruits and some cooked dishes in addition to seed, don't worry about not having pellets.

I like to view them as multi-vitamins

[Bea]

I'm in agreement with the statement "variety is the key". :) My guys don't get pellets (simply because the Aussie brands seem fairly poor quality, and to buy something like Harrisons here is EXPENSIVE), but they do get a large variety of veggies everyday as well as some cooked soft foods (like beans, grains, rice, birdy bread, etc). I don't feel like they're lacking in their diet.

[tielfan]

to buy something like Harrisons here is EXPENSIVE

Buying Harrisons is expensive everywhere, although it's probably a lot cheaper in North America than anywhere else. It isn't sold at pet shops, you have to get it from a vet or online. Other brands are cheaper but Harrisons is considered to be better quality.

[Bea]

Yeah, i can get it from my work (vet clinic), it's close to $20 for a 450g bag though. I'm not sure how that compares to other places but it seems like over kill to me.

[tielfan]

Double conversion needed here! It costs me about $9 US for a one pound bag of the adult lifetime fine. One pound is almost exactly equal to 450g. As of right now, one Australian dollar equals 72 US cents. $20 Aus x.72 = $14.40 US. So you're paying about 60% more.