The problem is the human

Kentuckienne · Oct 18, 2016

So..the B&G came from the rescue eating roudybush pellets and fruit but didn't like veggies. I immediately got some Harrison's and he was eating them fine. But the human can't stand it. Insisted on giving him the Zupreem from the freezer because he really liked it. I tasted those and they are sweet as candy, so duh. He also fed him pizza and pizza crust. And gave him a potato chip every night. Now bird throws out Harrison's and begs for chips. I explain, it's not that those are bad for him - well the pizza and chips are bad - but they educate his palate to want that sweet/salty stuff and dislike the good food. I could get birdie back on a good diet, no problem, did it before. But how do I train the human?

And since he's halfway switched, are Zupreem a good enough pellet for a macaw? He does love them. I searched a ton of other posts on this and came away just as unsure as ever. I'm thinking of offering a day all: he can have Zupreem if you cut out the junk food.

Today I made him a tiny veggie omelet and he ate some of the veggies and all of the egg. Cannibal!

chris.carr11.cc · Oct 18, 2016

Kentuckienne said:
So..the B&G came from the rescue eating roudybush pellets and fruit but didn't like veggies. I immediately got some Harrison's and he was eating them fine. But the human can't stand it. Insisted on giving him the Zupreem from the freezer because he really liked it. I tasted those and they are sweet as candy, so duh. He also fed him pizza and pizza crust. And gave him a potato chip every night. Now bird throws out Harrison's and begs for chips. I explain, it's not that those are bad for him - well the pizza and chips are bad - but they educate his palate to want that sweet/salty stuff and dislike the good food. I could get birdie back on a good diet, no problem, did it before. But how do I train the human?

And since he's halfway switched, are Zupreem a good enough pellet for a macaw? He does love them. I searched a ton of other posts on this and came away just as unsure as ever. I'm thinking of offering a day all: he can have Zupreem if you cut out the junk food.

Today I made him a tiny veggie omelet and he ate some of the veggies and all of the egg. Cannibal!

You could probably get a shock collar on amazon fairly cheap. Whenever the human gives them the bad food just give them a good jolt

Dopey · Oct 18, 2016

Kentuckienne said:
So..the B&G came from the rescue eating roudybush pellets and fruit but didn't like veggies. I immediately got some Harrison's and he was eating them fine. But the human can't stand it. Insisted on giving him the Zupreem from the freezer because he really liked it. I tasted those and they are sweet as candy, so duh. He also fed him pizza and pizza crust. And gave him a potato chip every night. Now bird throws out Harrison's and begs for chips. I explain, it's not that those are bad for him - well the pizza and chips are bad - but they educate his palate to want that sweet/salty stuff and dislike the good food. I could get birdie back on a good diet, no problem, did it before. But how do I train the human?

And since he's halfway switched, are Zupreem a good enough pellet for a macaw? He does love them. I searched a ton of other posts on this and came away just as unsure as ever. I'm thinking of offering a day all: he can have Zupreem if you cut out the junk food.

Today I made him a tiny veggie omelet and he ate some of the veggies and all of the egg. Cannibal!

Here's my vet's take on pellets. If you are going to switch to a new one from seed go to Harrison's. BUT if your bird is already on Zupreem leave them on it. I mix it up at my house. I don't have Harrison's but I have Zupreem and Goldenfeast (?) and a Macaw blend from Drs. Foster and Smith.

Kiwibird · Oct 18, 2016

Couldn't find any good necropsy photos of fatty liver disease of a parrot, but I did find a diagram of a fatty human liver. The image on the left is approximately what will happen to a parrots liver on a long term junk food diet, just like what would happen to a human who eats excessive salt, fat and sugar.

SailBoat · Oct 18, 2016

The other Post have well handled your other questions so I will target your question regarding Pellets.

The manufactures of Pellets, as a group, have come a long way since the eighties. Today, the primary targets for selecting a Pellet for your Parrot are:

Manufactured in a USDA (USA) approved facility (Human Grade, World Wide)
Avoid Pellets that are Red or have some Red Pellets
In general, avoid Pellets that use food colouring
Target Pellets that contain very little to no Sugar
Target Pellets that contain very little to no Salt

Always Freeze and keep frozen all Pellets (and all dry foods) that are not going to be used in the next couple of days.

GaleriaGila · Oct 18, 2016

I can't resist putting in my two centavos... I'm just so grateful to Harrison's.
I love Harrison's, supplemented by fresh healthy treats. My first, and later, my current avian vet recommended it. 30-ish years ago, Harrison's was still a small company. My vet was actually able to talk to Dr. Harrison about my bird's species and status, and they decided on the High Potency. My bird loves the pellets now, but to get him converted, my avian vet suggested putting pellets out all day, and putting seeds (his old diet) out for two 15-minute periods a day. That would sustain him but leave him hungry. He was eating pellets in a couple of days, and now I can feed a good variety of other stuff, knowing he has the pellets as a basic.

goalerjones · Oct 19, 2016

As for getting the bird onto veggies, try making them for yourself, then eat them in front of your bird. Jealousy and flock behaviors often help get my macaw to eat something healthy.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

fowlstack · Oct 21, 2016

try making them for yourself, then eat them in front of your bird.
Wow, I find this is so true. I thought it was just Rio being childlike and stubborn, but if I offer him a new food, he flat refuses to acknowledge it. If I act like I am eating it he immediately changes his mind and wants what I have..

The problem is the human

Kentuckienne

Supporting Vendor

chris.carr11.cc

New member

Dopey

New member

Kiwibird

Well-known member

SailBoat

Supporting Member

GaleriaGila

Well-known member

goalerjones

Well-known member

fowlstack

New member

conure food and snacks?

Indian Ringneck Lafeber Pellets

Most Reactions

Similar threads

Latest posts