Harrison's

I am looking at switching the pellets (Zupreem Fruit Blend) that Jasper (CAG) and Tillie (GCC) came to me on. I bought Roudybush, had to buy 2 different sizes so 2 different bags. It seems the Roudybush is much harder than what they're used to so it snaps into dust. I've been mixing it in their normal pellets but they don't seem to like it much. Probably because it doesn't have the sugar in it like the Zupreem does. I was thinking that I could rinse it in a bit of apple juice. It would sweeten it up and put some moisture in it too.

I'm also looking into Harrison's feed. I looked at their general feeding recommendations. For an African Grey, it recommends 1.5 - 3 Tablespoons and 1.5-2 teaspoons of supplemented items. 3 Tablespoons?? I'm feeding Jasper about 4 times that amount in Zupreem which is under what they recommend. What do they mean by supplemented items? fresh fruit and veggies?? Again, he gets more than that.


I try to put out enough pellets for 24 hours. I dump the pellets, wash the bowl and put new pellets in. If you feed Harrison's, how much do you feed?

I feed 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. Pellets are out all day... fresh treats a few times a day. The Rb eats (or throws) about 1/8 cup a day. At night I take it out and dump it. I don't leave mice-attracting stuff out at night.

First of all I'm not familiar with Roudybush pellets at all, I know they are supposed to be a good staple pellet but I have no experience with them. Harrison's I do and they're great pellets. Yes, I believe they mean fresh veggies and fruits, as well as whole grains and seed mix as the "other supplemented food". As far as the amount of Harrison's to feed, I do know if you're feeding the "High-Potency" pellets you'll feed less, but the amount they are stating does not sound like nearly enough. I would call your avian vet and tell them what you're trying to convert from Zupreem Fruit pellets to Harrison's and follow the amounts he advises you to feed, as avian vets often deal with this exact question, especially because a lot of them sell Harrison's pellets...That being said, I have another idea for you...

Why don't you consider feeding Zupreem Natural pellets? I've been feeding all of my birds Zupreem Natural pellets as their main staple diet for years. It was actually recommended by my certified avian vet years ago as being the same quality as Harrison's, and my birds have all transitioned easily onto the Zupreem Natural pellets from either seed mixes or fruit pellets. Since your birds are already eating the Zupreem Fruit pellets (yes, they will prefer the Fruit pellets to anything because of the sugar), I'm going to assume that it would be a much easier transition from Zupreem Fruit pellets to Zupreem Natural pellets than to a completely different brand, because I'm willing to bet the taste, consistency, and textures are very similar between the two, if not very much the same. They would just have to adjust to the lack of sweetness of the Natural pellets, otherwise not much would be different in their minds, even though they are much healthier pellets.

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Just a note on amounts; 2 tablespoons is 1/8 cup. That's about what my Pionus eats daily. She is a little smaller than an African Grey. My IRNs eat about the same but they are insanely active. My GCCs eat about 1 tablespoon per day (all this is roudybush and fresh food). If I give more than that, it's wasted. They don't eat it. I've had birds that would eat everything in front of them, but those birds typically would get overweight if not controlled as well.


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EllenD said:

Why don't you consider feeding Zupreem Natural pellets?

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I didn't think of that because when I went to the shop that carries the most parrot items, they didn't have them. Even though they have the biggest selection, they're frequently out of parrot food. I don't know if they don't order enough or don't order frequently enough.The Zupreem pellets would be much easier for me to come by. I could get them at Petco which is closer to me. I'll try that! Thank you.

Wonder if I could mix all three together with a little diluted apple juice and slowly reduce apple juice and Fruit Blend until it's they're just eating the Natural pellets...