Seed to pellet diet change

jmdowd · Nov 12, 2014

I have read that Quakers should not eat seeds only. Rio came to us on a seeds-only diet of cockatiel food. He is not liking the pellets or died fruit at all that I have offered him. I have added a few seeds today but he picked them all out and then didn't eat anything else. Do I need to give him more time to get switched over or is there some trick that I need to try? Do I still need to give him some seeds?

I want him to be healthy and happy. Thanks.

cnyguy · Nov 12, 2014

One method that often works is to gradually decrease the amount of seed offered, while increasing the quantity of pellets at the same time. This can be done over a period of several days.

You may need to experiment with different brands and types of pellets before you find one that Rio will like. If you were to ask here which pellets everyone's QPs prefer, you'll get several different answers. ZuPreem Fruit Blend seems to be popular with many Quakers. Ralph likes them, and also likes Pretty Bird Daily Select and the Higgins fruit-flavored pellets. He'll eat plain Roudybush pellets only if they're mixed in with some of the ones he prefers.

Something you might try is soaking some pellets in spring water or unsweetened fruit juice to soften them. Some parrots will eat the soaked pellets more readily than the dry ones. My QP Ralph loves soaked pellets and thinks they're a special treat.

Allee · Nov 12, 2014

Good for you, jm, for giving Rio a healthier diet, he'll thank you for it, but maybe not right away. I have a female quaker that had been fed the same diet of seeds as Rio. She has a temper and she wasn't happy about the new menu. I received the very same advice from cnyguy and the method he described worked, Harry's a stubborn girl, even for a quaker but she couldn't resist the organic pellets soaked in apple juice, she still considers it a treat when I soak the pellets for her. She eats lots of vegetables and fruits now and a variety of food. Don't give up, persistence pays off.

jmdowd · Nov 13, 2014

You guys are rock stars!! Wetting the food worked like a charm. How long with I have to soften his food? When do I add back in some seeds? Thanks a million.

Allee · Nov 13, 2014

Fantastic, I'm glad the soft pellet trick is working for Rio. If you haven't read it already, you may find this link helpful.

http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

cnyguy · Nov 13, 2014

Glad that the soaking method worked!

After more than four years, Ralph still gets some soaked pellets every day. As I said, he thinks they're a special treat and loves getting them. You can continue offering soaked pellets to Rio as long as you want to. Dry pellets can be offered too, anytime you want. Maybe you can try the gradual conversion method I described above, while continuing to feed some softened pellets to Rio.

veimar · Nov 14, 2014

I dunno about quakers, but my gcc and other bird just wouldn't eat any pellets AT ALL!

Only some Zupreem if I soak it in juice. I tried Harrison, Zupreem, all sorts of methods - nothing. So I'm just feeding them Volkman seed and fresh fruits/veggies. Hope your quaker is less stubborn.

Seed to pellet diet change

jmdowd

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jmdowd

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