# An All Seed Diet Is BAD For Your Birds Health!



## triinket (May 5, 2012)

"This picture is from *Brisbane Bird Vet* and shows blood taken from a bird on a seed diet, who was suffering from fatty liver disease beside a blood sample from a bird on a healthy diet. Yes...that is FAT in the left hand tube. A seed diet will shorten your bird's life dramatically. We lost a bird last week who had lived on seed his entire life. The damage was too extensive to fix by the time he got here. Please, do not feed your birds a seed diet, and if they have been on seed, please see an avian vet for a full blood work-up and information on converting to a pellet/vegetable diet."

The rescue with the cockatoo told me about this on their website. So i had to share with everyone and get your input!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Yes an ALL seed diet is bad, BUT that being said, seed still needs to be in a birds diet. If you've read our sticky here http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=27479 you will see that we recommend a varies diet of seeds, pellets, and veggies. An all pellet diet causes kidney issues as the bird gets older so neither of these things on their own is good for the bird, but a combo of both plus veggies is the best route to go.


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## Bird Junky (Jul 24, 2012)

Hi Can I just clarify the point that the problem stems from an
ALL SEED DIET & not a correct feeding of seed, fruit & veg
egg food & all the little tit bits to provide a wide a mix Vit & 
Minerals needed to keep our birds healthy. 
Pelleted feeds are advertised as being a complete diet. Adding
a extra's Could cause overdose. which oddly enough eventually
present the same symptoms as the under dosing caused
by a seed only diet......B.J


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## triinket (May 5, 2012)

roxy culver said:


> Yes an ALL seed diet is bad, BUT that being said, seed still needs to be in a birds diet. If you've read our sticky here http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=27479 you will see that we recommend a varies diet of seeds, pellets, and veggies. An all pellet diet causes kidney issues as the bird gets older so neither of these things on their own is good for the bird, but a combo of both plus veggies is the best route to go.


Right, like giving them only seeds. With no other options.
I thought the picture and what not would be helpful


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## budgieandtiel (Jul 24, 2012)

I find it massively helpful. Before I was taking my time with getting Shiraarat to eat things besides seed, but now I'm going to be taking things way faster than I was before. 
But pellets aren't necessary for a bird's diet as long as they're receiving proper nutrition, right?


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## triinket (May 5, 2012)

budgieandtiel said:


> I find it massively helpful. Before I was taking my time with getting Shiraarat to eat things besides seed, but now I'm going to be taking things way faster than I was before.
> But pellets aren't necessary for a bird's diet as long as they're receiving proper nutrition, right?


I would imagine they would need some pellets. As long as they are eating a nice variety of nutritious/healthy foods to take place of the pellets maybe? But that i cant be too sure of. Someone will know im sure. But like *Roxy* mentioned you cant leave it out of their diet, but you can manage on what they eat and how much they eat it.


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## meaggiedear (Nov 20, 2011)

If they are getting proper protein, like egg two times a week then you don't really need the pellets. I provide four bowls of seed with some pellets sprinkled in at the bottom of their cage and I put one bowl of pellets at the top of the cage where they hang out around their water bowl. I also provide a bowl with herb salad next to the pellets. They really like that. Fresh veggies and millet are given during out of cage time. I will give them the occasional toasted bagel or rice too if I have made some for myself.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> As long as they are eating a nice variety of nutritious/healthy foods to take place of the pellets maybe?


This is true...pellets are required if the birds will eat veggies and other things. I know when srtiels had her birds she didn't give them pellets just a varied diet of veggies and seeds.


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## clawnz (May 28, 2009)

Time for me to chirp in.

I called into post a notice from Petsmart re a Zupreem Pellet recall.

Roxy Culver is about right! But she meant to say "Pellets are required if birds will not eat their veges" I think? And this I feel is true.
Which should tell you it is more important to get your birds eatting their veges.
The main problem with any diet that is if it is just one thing, this can cause a health issue.
Just the same as bad foods could do.
I don't think you will go past a well balanced researched diet. Adjusted to how your bird is kept.
I mean a bird in an aviary will need a slightly different diet to a bird that in caged and does not get much excerise.
And another problem I see with pellets are they are not formulated to each type of bird.
Pellets are now said to be used as only a part of a birds diet. Small bird 25% or less.
Continued use of pellets can cause a imbalance of vital minerals and vitamins in your bird. This can lead to a shorter life.
Yes like sertiels and myself you can feed a decent healthy diet without any pellets.
Pellets (Natural, non coloured, no additives, no preservatives) can be very good when used to boost a birds condition. But I find it hard to agree with long term use.

If you do have trouble getting your Fids to eat things!
Birdybread, Birdymash, or making nuggets, where you can add things they would not normally eat if put out on their own, can work wonders. And the plus is you can slip things into the mix to boost minerals, vitamins, and even add some meds in if needed.
This has worked for me in the past. And I offer my flock as evidence that you can keep birds in top condition without pellets.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> Roxy Culver is about right! But she meant to say "Pellets are required if birds will not eat their veges" I think? And this I feel is true.


Heehee good catch Clawnz!!! I actually meant they aren't required if your bird is on a varied diet and does eat their veggies. If they don't eat their veggies then pellets are a must.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> Before I was taking my time with getting Shiraarat to eat things besides seed, but now I'm going to be taking things way faster than I was before.


Don't try to force your bird to eat new foods by withholding the regular food, because this can be dangerous. From http://www.littlefeatheredbuddies.com/info/nutrition-conversion.html :



> Some birds may change their diet readily but most will not, because their instincts tell them not to eat anything that they don't recognize. Many plants contain toxins, and in the wild there's no easy way to tell what's safe and what isn't. A bird that eats something unfamiliar could end up dead. Most birds learn about safe foods as fledglings by eating what their parents eat, and once they get past this young, impressionable stage they can be VERY reluctant to try something new. Birds have even been known to starve to death rather than eat an unfamiliar food that was sitting in their food cup. This wasn't stubbornness. They simply didn't understand that it was food.
> 
> It's obvious that diet conversions have to be made slowly and carefully. A healthy diet is important for your bird's long-term health. In the short run, a bad diet that gets eaten is a thousand times better than a good diet that isn't touched. It's important for your bird to get enough calories every single day, because failure to do so can trigger illness and even lead to death. Buy a scale that weighs in grams (a small postal meter or kitchen scale works well) and check your bird's weight frequently during a diet conversion to make sure it's maintaining a healthy weight. Checking the weight regularly is a good idea anyway, since many times weight loss is the only symptom of an illness.


There's more info at that link on persuading a bird to eat new foods.


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