Need New Food for Treble-this is so overwhelming!

TrebleMama

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Nov 22, 2019
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Treble-Red-Headed Amazon
So we've now had our Amazon, Treble, for just over 2 weeks. When we bought him we bought some of the food mixture that they were feeding him in the store-we're now down to one canning jar's worth of food, so I need to get on this and figure out his new food regiment. He's going to the vet next week but I don't want to run out of food before we have a chance to talk to her! He likes his food well enough, but the store is 1.5 hours away so not practical to drive there for food. The clerk mentioned that they mixed it themselves and looking through it, it has tan squarish pellets, seeds, and then there's a small amount of dried fruit mixed in, so I'm thinking it has three components, (pellets, a nut and seed mixture, and then a dried fruit mixture).

The clerk also told us to give him fresh veg/fruit twice a week as well, but from what I'm reading this should be a daily thing/much bigger part of his meal time? Right now we're still in the figuring out what he likes stage and so far carrots and apples are good, raspberries and fresh bananas are no and he was terrified of blueberries?! Right now I'm giving him some shredded carrots with his morning meal. We're going to try mango today and see how that goes.

I want to go out today and get the stuff locally, I also need to be practical and while it sounds like TOPS is the best pellet, I just can't afford that (and I can't get it locally either). Trying to figure out what to get and it's so overwhelming :56: I've read through the pellet ingredient list but my price range puts me in the ZuPreem range. We have a Pet Supplies Plus that I was going to check out this morning, and from memory they sell bulk pet bird seed-so I'm thinking that route for the nut&seed mixture, to mix with the pellets, and then I have no clue about the dried fruit mixture.

Sorry this is mostly a vent, just losing my mind a bit here, lol.

ETA: Went ahead and placed an order for the Lefebers premium daily parrot food (green tub). This looked decent in the pellet comparison thread, and it's reasonably priced per pound. Pet Smart had low inventory so I ordered it to pick up later today. So, think I have the pellets figured out, now I need to look into a nuts&seed mixture and then some sort of dried fruit mixture (or is this one not necessary if I'm giving fresh fruit/veg?).
 
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1oldparroter

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I am 71, married and fairly private. I have PM privileges but prefer the phone. Printed messages, are so limited. jh
[url="https://youtu.be/3AsHsuneizY or https://youtu.be/c2Yi6qaLHas These are 2 sites on youtube.com about feeding birds veggie's and fruit. Keep in mind that different birds like the stuff cut into different sizes. One person has mentioned that her birds don't care for the "chop" until it has come to room temp. Another mentioned that sweet potato needs to be steamed a bit. Someone else says they fill ice trays with chop then store it in baggie's to be dispensed. Keep doing your research and observe you birds eating preference's. jh PS: click on the pic to go there (I think) or copy the https link and paste it in the browser goto above https://youtu.be/3AsHsuneizY or https://youtu.be/c2Yi6qaLHas jh
 
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SailBoat

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The long term goal is to provide a wide cross-section of natural greens and than other Veggies as part of the fresh food section.

The primary goal with Amazons is to keep the amount of Sun Flower Seed (plus, its clones) and peanuts to a small to very small part of your Amazon's dry diet.
The vast majority of seeds are healthy for your Parrot. Nuts are a great adder to your Parrots diet, but they should not be a major part of it. Grains are also something to look for as part of your Amazon's diet.

Freeze dry Veggies is a great added for the dry diet. Take care not to place too much dry fruits as they tend to enhance the amount of sugar in the diet.

We look at our Amazon's diet as if we are looking at a healthy diet for your children. And, as a result, you will find yourself using what you select for your children and your Amazon together.

Bulk food can be a problem as you have no idea of its age, nor who processed (bulk Packaged) the product. At this point, look for the best quality that you can afford and target in proving the quality as cash flow improves. Also, it will get you past your upcoming Avian Professional's examination.

FYI: Ask for a document set that covers your Amazons Blood Screens plus any other tests. Also an overall assessment (findings) of your Amazon's Visit! It will help greatly in the weeks after the Visit in recalling what the Vet found!

We buy from "Parrot Island" located near the Mall of America in Minnesota. They can provide you a Dry Diet that is blended to the needs of your Amazon.
 

fiddlejen

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Sunny the Sun Conure (sept '18, gotcha 3/'19). Mr Jefferson Budgie & Mrs Calliope Budgie (albino) (nov'18 & jan'19). Summer 2021 Baby Budgies: Riker (Green); Patchouli, Keye, & Tiny (blue greywings).
I clip my birds' ( conure & 2 'keets ) produce around their cages so it is an activity (chew toy) as well as nutrition for them. As I started I noticed what they do and don't prefer. After several months we have it down. My Budgies are yelling at me right now because I haven't given them any lettuce yet today.

Be sure to check the safe foods list -you can find it on this website somewhere. A few things to avoid are onions avocados coffee tea chocolate.

Also most birds don't actually Need fruit. Fresh is as good or better than dried. It's in their food mixes as a treat, and no harm in providing it, but if you find one she likes you might hold it back to dispense as a reward.

Learning about the food is overwhelming at first. That's how I felt too originally. As time goes on it'll get easier.

Also. You mentioned expense and this might be a little pricey. But goldenfeast has all great stuff in it, and smells delicious! My own conure refused it because it smells partly of pecans... which she hates.

You are wise to start your bird with pellets. That way as you learn her likes & dislikes of other items, you can use the other foods (nuts, fruits, waffles etc) for treats. (I have not been able to do this with my bird because she views all good-stuff as her rightful food and deigns to do tricks.)

If you want produce in a more convenient form, or if you want to build your own blend, there is a company called "Avian Naturals" that let's you do just that. Now that my Conure has me well-trained on her likes & dislikes, Ive begun ordering from them & I recommend them highly.
 
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fiddlejen

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Sunny the Sun Conure (sept '18, gotcha 3/'19). Mr Jefferson Budgie & Mrs Calliope Budgie (albino) (nov'18 & jan'19). Summer 2021 Baby Budgies: Riker (Green); Patchouli, Keye, & Tiny (blue greywings).
Oh also it turns out that many companies can offer you a sample size packet of some of their food. I'm really Glade I tried that with TOPS because despite all the good recommendations, all my birdies refused it. My conure is happy with her side-dish of Harrisons pellets, which I believe are pretty healthy.
 
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TrebleMama

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Thanks for all the responses, reading and re-reading them :)

So today I went out and got the 5lb green tub of Lafeber's pellets. Then I also picked up ZuPreem's Sensible Seed mix-a 2lb bag. I bought a container to combine them and it's now mixed and sealed. We'll try this combo for now, still incorporating his current food in it during the transition. I'll also write down what I mixed and bring it into the vet and see what she thinks/would suggest adjusting.

He did try fresh mango and LOVED it! But, even on sale it's $1 each and I don't think they last once they've been cut, so I found some dehydrated mango on sale for $4, for an 8oz bag (only ingredient is organic mango). This will be a reward/treat, maybe once a day? He's also been getting 1-2 peanuts a day as a reward for training, (stepping without beaking). When the bag is finished I won't be buying more, since peanuts seem to be on the crap list, lol.

And then on a whim I picked up some fresh broccoli (on sale for $1 a crown, can't beat that). It was so funny watching him with it-I put a piece it on his playgym and he freaked, LOL. He ran to the other side and head bopped at it for a bit. Then he inched forward, then scurried back, a few times. Finally he figured out that he could get on a higher rope and approach it from above...then he felt comfortable enough to do a quick taste. He really likes it and is now carrying it around the playgym making little noises LOL. I am seriously in love with this bird :green1:
 
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bill_e

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Just a comment on Bananas. My Nike will not eat it from her food bowl but what I do is peal a banana and hold it up to her. She will always eat about a half inch of the banana and I finish the rest. She doesn't need it or the sugar but is is variety which I think is important. Give that a try.

Often times I hold it up to her for a bite and then I take a bite out of the bottom and alternate snacking with her.
 
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TrebleMama

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Just a comment on Bananas. My Nike will not eat it from her food bowl but what I do is peal a banana and hold it up to her. She will always eat about a half inch of the banana and I finish the rest. She doesn't need it or the sugar but is is variety which I think is important. Give that a try.

Often times I hold it up to her for a bite and then I take a bite out of the bottom and alternate snacking with her.

I'll try it out of the dish, thanks!
 

Laurasea

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All my parrots really like oven baked bites made by all living things. There are others that day oven baked bites but only the ones by all living things is the kind I like. Available at pet smart.

You can feed oatmeal cooked, quinoa, some pasta, some scrambled or boiled eggs as well..

On the frozen veggies , mine like peas that I thaw for them, the frozen broccoli sometimes thawed or given a quick boil.

Peppers all hot peppers to are great for vitamin A and are well liked by most parrots! The little red hot chili peppers are cheap!!!

Fresh cranberries are well liked by my birds and are cheap right now too.

As are carrots, shave a little for him each day, last great in fridge. Celery is a good option . Radish is 88 cents at Walmart and a good veggies you can feed the carrot tips and radish toos too.
 
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TrebleMama

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All my parrots really like oven baked bites made by all living things. There are others that day oven baked bites but only the ones by all living things is the kind I like. Available at pet smart.

You can feed oatmeal cooked, quinoa, some pasta, some scrambled or boiled eggs as well..

On the frozen veggies , mine like peas that I thaw for them, the frozen broccoli sometimes thawed or given a quick boil.

Peppers all hot peppers to are great for vitamin A and are well liked by most parrots! The little red hot chili peppers are cheap!!!

Fresh cranberries are well liked by my birds and are cheap right now too.

As are carrots, shave a little for him each day, last great in fridge. Celery is a good option . Radish is 88 cents at Walmart and a good veggies

Thanks! Do you do anything with the cranberries or just offer them right from the bag?

The carrots he's eating now are the juliene shredded style-they were on sale for similar to regular carrots and the work was already done for me, LOL. He really likes them-I put 4-5 of the shreds with his morning food and he eats them first :)

Also-it looks like 1/2 cup of pellets/mix is the recommended amount for an Amazon (will double check with vet), so far I've been feeding him 1/4c in the morning and 1/4c at supper time, but my husband thinks we can just do the 1/2c all at once in the morning. What does everyone's feeding schedule look like?
 

Laurasea

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Cranberry rinsed off and I halve them for my guys.

Pellets are available all-time in and out of cage at my house
 

SailBoat

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As an FYI: Keep the Dry Food refrigerated! And, consider Freezing half of what you have. In the future, work to buy at least two - four weeks prior to use and assure that you Freeze it for that period of time prior to use.

Why: Dry Foods commonly have bug larva and Freezing the new purchases will kill them. Also, it will keep the food fresher a bit longer. We Buy and Freeze then place into one week packets and pull the dated packet out and place that weeks bag in the refrigerator. May seem like a lot of work, but once organized it becomes simple.

Enjoy!
 
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TrebleMama

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As an FYI: Keep the Dry Food refrigerated! And, consider Freezing half of what you have. In the future, work to buy at least two - four weeks prior to use and assure that you Freeze it for that period of time prior to use.

Why: Dry Foods commonly have bug larva and Freezing the new purchases will kill them. Also, it will keep the food fresher a bit longer. We Buy and Freeze then place into one week packets and pull the dated packet out and place that weeks bag in the refrigerator. May seem like a lot of work, but once organized it becomes simple.

Enjoy!

We have a deep freezer that's mostly empty, so this would be an easy thing to do, thanks for the suggestion!
 
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TrebleMama

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A little update-I introduced the new mixture yesterday, along with some of his current food, and Treble seems to really like the Lefebers pellets! I think the old pellet are the ZuPreem natural ones, (I spent way to much time at the pet store yesterday looking at pellets, LOL), and the Lefebers are smaller, which he seems to like more. Really hoping the transition continues smoothly and I can phase out his old mixture with no problems.

Today we're going to try cucumber, wish us luck :04:
 
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TrebleMama

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A thought on TOPS. I have paid everywhere from $11 to $35 for a 3lb bag!
My best deal, currently, is TOPS themselves! They do carry a decent seed mix too!
I just placed a large order with Sprouts People for seed!
https://sproutpeople.org/

https://topsparrotfood.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwpqD1cKe5gIVAR6tBh04fgtTEAAYASAAEgIumfD_BwE

Hmmm, looks like their pellets run pretty cheap if you buy them in larger quantities-10lbs works out to only $3.68 per pound if I'm doing the math right?. I paid around $5 per pound for the Lafebers.... I'm also liking the idea of soaking seeds, like they offer, and that works out to 3.57 per pound if you buy the 5lb bag, vs the $7.50 per pound of ZuPreem seed mixture I bought yesterday-eek!!

Ok, reevaluating here and I think I may try Tops after all, after we use up our current batch of Lafebers/ZuPreem. Thanks for pointing out their website!
 
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bill_e

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Nike a Hawk Head Parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus)
Hmmm, looks like their pellets run pretty cheap if you buy them in larger quantities-10lbs works out to only $3.68 per pound if I'm doing the math right?. I paid around $5 per pound for the Lafebers.... I'm also liking the idea of soaking seeds, like they offer, and that works out to 3.57 per pound if you buy the 5lb bag, vs the $7.50 per pound of ZuPreem seed mixture I bought yesterday-eek!!

Ok, reevaluating here and I think I may try Tops after all, after we use up our current batch of Lafebers/ZuPreem. Thanks for pointing out their website!

Words of caution. Pellet food goes stale rather quickly once opened. Freeze or refrigerate immediately and portion out what you need.

Personally I dont like using the fridge because I think that moisture can easily get into your container so I spend the extra bucks for smaller sizes that Nike can consume within like six weeks. Nike doesnt eat much so large bags tend to be a waste for me.

And waste is the reason I like the Texas Natural Freeze Dried chop. No waste.
 

greytness

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Fresh veggies and some fresh fruit daily is on top of the list. Sprouts, some grains, some seed and pellets are also great things. The key is to offer him a wide variety of foods. I actually own a freeze dried organic avian food company, and plan to become a vendor here next month!
 

Scott

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RIP Gandalf and Big Bird, you are missed.
Birds are flock eaters and you are a member of Treble's "flock." One technique is to prepare two identical bowls of chop. (fresh veggies and fruit) One for you, the other for Treble. Begin eating, bobbing your head, making "mmmmmm" sounds of excitement. You'd be amazed at how stimulating the group effort becomes. Another notion is to be patient and continue offering ignored foods. It can take years for a stubborn parrot to finally take a nibble of an avoided food that becomes loved.

I remove pellets before offering chop 4 to 5 times weekly. Avoids temptation and focuses on the healthier offerings. Chop remains available for 5 to 7 hours depending on house temperature.
 

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