Switching off Goldenfeast??

Okay, I know I might sound weird but here it goes....

Eli, my Sun Conure, is doing great! No problems whatsoever, and passed his most recent exam with flying colors.

When he came from his breeder, he was on a diet of Mazuri pellets, Higgins Safflower Gold, and a chop mix. After doing some research, I decided to feed him Goldenfeast for his seed and pellet, and he's been eating that the past year or so.

Digging even further though, I just feel like the Goldenfeast just has too much sugar in it. Ive noticed subtle changes over the past few months, but never thought much of it. You know, I just don't think he LIKES the pellets. It's almost like he eats them begrudgingly, because I'll find a ton of it wasted at the bottom of his cage. And, as you know, that stuff is too expensive to waste.

I was in PETCO today and happened to see their expanded line of Higgins products. I really liked the look of the Higgins InTune pellets and the Safflower Gold.

Any thoughts of those products? Am I crazy to think that the Goldenfeast is too sugary? Not only does it have the sugar from the tons of fruits in it, but it also has bee pollen and honey as well. Don't get me wrong, I love all the ingredients in the Goldenfeast, I'm just wondering if I could do better.

Thanks for reading!


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Having never used it myself, nor read the ingredients list, I would aim toward a low sugar diet where possible, and I prefer to feed my fruit fresh rather than in pellets. Keep in mind that the ingredients are listed in order of concentration, so even if two brands both list "honey" the brand where it is listed sooner will have more honey than the brand where it is listed later.


I also find most birds tend to have a bad attitude toward pellets when seed can be had this is why my tame birds get their seeds only as treats from humans


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This is the ingredients list for Goldenfeast Goldenobles II

Goldn’obles II is made by processing the following select ingredients: Quinoa, organic brown Rice, organic black beans, Organic triticale, organic soybeans, organic barley, organic flax seed, organic banana puree, organic mango puree, organic alfafa, organic rye seed, organic sunflower kernals, organic rice syrup, almonds, dehydrated raspberries, vegetables composed of parsley, cabbage, Carrots, spinach & garden Peas, rolled Oats, white proso millet, organic apples, dehydrated honey, amaranth, sesame seed, spelt, apple cider, beets, chia seed, kamut, hemp seed, fenugreek, organic cranberries, honey, organic acai puree, pinto & kidney beans, cinnamon, Fennel seed, Ginger, Star Anise seed, Bee Pollen, Echinacea, cilantro, red clover leaf, basil, oregano, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried lactobacillus fermentum fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product and dried bifidobacterum.

This is the ingredient list for the Higgins InTune Naturals Conure Blend

Ground Yellow Corn, Brown Rice, Soybean Meal, Ground Wheat, Oatmeal, Cane Sugar, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate, Sea Salt, Cranberries, Apples, Blueberries, Celery, Beets, Parsley, Lettuce, Spinach, Watercress, Brewer's Dried Yeast, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Algae Meal, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Rosemary Extract, Potassium Chloride, Yeast Extract, Iron Oxide, L-Carnitine, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Calcium Iodate, Sodium Seleni, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Turmeric, Natural Annatto Coloring, Beet Juice, Natural Citrus Flavor, Natural Banana Flavor, Natural Pineapple Flavor, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.


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In goldenfeast the first sugar is listed 13th. In Higgins the first sugar is listed 5th. There is your answer: switching will increase not decrease the sugar intake. Yes, fruit contains sugar but also tons of great nutrients and not nearly enough to make up for cane sugar being the 5th ingredient.


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