Why are pellets supposed to be so awesome?

[Sasha2]

I am trying to understand this
.I look at the ingredients in pellets(Zupreem) and its like dog food, corn, soybean meal, wheat.Basically its grains and vitamins.

Even Harrisons organics main ingredient is ground Sunflower seeds, grains, peanuts. All the stuff we are told NOT to feed our birds. with some added vitamins and seaweed/alfalfa meal and other odds and ends like clay.

Now dont get me wrong, my birds eat pellets but also added seed mix(with dried fruit and veggies).And fresh stuff a couple times a week.

So according to the pellet people Im feeding my birds wrong because Im only supposed to give pellets.With only 10 percent real fruits and veggies.(which seems very wrong to me)

Should I stop all seed mix and most fresh stuff? I may do this for the conure but not so sure its a good idea for the tiels..I have a friend who fed her tiel only seed mix and occasional veggies and human food and it lived to be over 25yrs old.Never ate a pellet a day in its life.
Pellets havent been on the market for that long, have any long lived parrots grown old only eating pellets and 10 percent fresh stuff??? Were they healthy??


Im sorry please, Im not trying to flame pellets, just so many questions..
Im really wanting to hear everyones opinion on this?

 

[crimson]

It's always been a big debate....seed vs.pellets.There are plenty of different pellets on the market. One that comes highly recommended on this forum is Tops pelles(totally organic pellets)
For months I tried weaning my birds onto those pellets, and not one bird liked them.
Now I'm introducing Tropican lifetime pellets and the transition is going smoother.
I still feed my birds some seed, one of the better brand seeds, and plenty of vegetables (75%) and(25%) fruits, along with grains, beans, and leafy greens.

there is an excellent thread on here on the list of ingredients for different types of pellets.

 

[Grenage]

I'm with you on this, and remain sceptical about the ratios. I think that pellets are very useful in rounding a diet, in a situation where the parrot can't go out and get what he needs; it's not what I'd call an ideal scenario.

I feed 2 teaspoons of pellets, half or one teaspoon of seed, and a big bowl of mixed vegetables; I throw in home-grown sprouts, and vary the vegetables on a weekly basis. I don't give seeds as treats, but he gets some fruit here and there.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

I think pellets are great, convenient, balanced but i agree that they shouldn't eat almost entirely pellets!! It can actually be harmful to the bird to eat only pellets, contrary to what some manufacturers (and vets) may recommend.
I keep pellets in the bowl, generally a mix of different brands, and sometimes throw in a nutriberry or two, for during the day when i am at work. Then we eat dinner together, and that meal is entirely 'table food' for Gilbert, no pellets. Last night was pasta and broccoli, sometimes he likes beans and spinach, sometimes we share salad, he likes hard boiled egg whites a lot. I feel like it even makes him happier to have the variety.

 

[crimson]

It's always been a big debate....seed vs.pellets.There are plenty of different pellets on the market. One that comes highly recommended on this forum is Tops pelles(totally organic pellets)
For months I tried weaning my birds onto those pellets, and not one bird liked them.
Now I'm introducing Tropican lifetime pellets and the transition is going smoother.
I still feed my birds some seed, one of the better brand seeds, and plenty of vegetables (75%) and(25%) fruits, along with grains, beans, and leafy greens.

there is an excellent thread on here on the list of ingredients for different types of pellets.

I found the post, here it is:

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/28242-ingredients-pellets.html

 

[Abigal7]

From what I was told you leave pellets available in a food bowle. Then in another food bowle give fruit, veggies or food that is cooked for the bird. I think birds can eat grain and corn. I am kind of concerned about soy though. I know it is not good for dogs or cats to eat soy, corn, and grain (that is why a higher quality dog or cat food is the best to give them). I do give my bird the Katyee seed brand (what she was use to). I hate seeing sunflower seeds in seeds made for birds to eat. Some people use organic pellets and try to get seeds that are not sunflower seeds. Does anyone here buy organic pellets?
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x62hiF0GjiM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x62hiF0GjiM[/ame]

 

[BillsBirds]

Birds like budgies & 'tiels are seed eaters, and should be fed seed mix plus pellets. Plus all that fruit & veggie good stuff. Pellets are made of the same things. Plus, anyone who thinks they do not feed their birds seeds, is wrong. If you feed nuts, beans, corn, rice, grains, whole wheat bread, raisins, peas, soybeans, or sprouts, then you ARE feeding seeds to your bird. Pellets are a good way to balance your birds diet. But, not only pellets. Have you tasted them? It's like eating only dry corn flakes all day, every day. Boring & almost tasteless. I offer all my birds a cup of pellets, a cup of seed mix, and fresh veggies & fruit, plus other treat foods.

 

[Kiwibird]

I personally won't feed pellets. They are highly processed regardless of brand, unnatural, cheaper brands contain GMO ingredients (corn, wheat, soy), some brands contain dyes/artificial flavors, they taste DISGUSTING (yes, I've tried one before), and I'm just wholly unconvinced they are a healthy thing to give my bird. I give Kiwi a varied diet of unprocessed foods. He gets a seed blend in the morning, cooked grains mix at night, LOTS of fresh produce (probably 40-50% of what he eats), and healthy table food (I cook mostly from scratch, and all organic). He probably eats better than most people! Seed is really only unhealthy when it is the majority of what the bird eats, as would be pellets or anything else. Parrots need a varied diet with a lot of fresh produce daily. If I were you, I would stick to seed, incorporate more fresh produce (daily) and research healthy table foods for more variety. Nuts and pellets (if your bird actually likes them) should be reserved for treats only.

 

[MarciaLove]

Im glad this topic came up! I have always thought exactly what kiwibird said here

I personally won't feed pellets. They are highly processed regardless of brand, unnatural, cheaper brands contain GMO ingredients (corn, wheat, soy), some brands contain dyes/artificial flavors, and I'm just wholly unconvinced they are a healthy thing to give my bird.

But I have begun to question how I have thought about them lately cause so many people say they are good for your bird. I personally feed my birds, 80% seed 20% pellet mix in bowl, along with occasional organic rice and grains, and always fresh fruits and veggies different ones every day.

 

[Jtbirds]

I personally use pellets just to have a more stable diet and a balance. I try to do about 50/50 and then all the fresh fruits and veggies plus nuts and so on in my bids diets. Some pellets are better then others that's for sure. I really think though no matter what you should always be doing some pellets in the diet just to keep it balanced.

 

[SandyBee]

I wish I could use all fresh foods but my amazon is so picky and I don't think I could get the right balance of what he needs into him.He only likes certain veggies and seems to have no use for fruit. I only use about 50% pellets(vet recommendation)and even that's been a struggle until I recently found one he will eat.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I feel using the highest quality pellets is important and should be included in a birds diet. But high quality foods is just as important

 

[khaiqha]

I find myself disagreeing with many of the opinions posted so far. Giving pellets as a "supplement" to a diet won't really work. The reason why the bags say to make pellets 80% of the diet is because they are formulated to have to be eaten enough to provide a bird the necessary ratio of vitamins, nutrients, etc. For instance, if the diet is lacking vitamin A and you give a few pellets, those few pellets won't have enough vitamin A to make up the difference.

If someone is following research and measures out the nutritional info of common ingredients we can get at the grocery store and comes up with a specific diet, I would be all on board. As it is I do not feel comfortable coming with an arbitrary ration of "healthy" food and expect my birds to be fine. Not to mention pellets ensure a bird is eating all the food, where as providing a bowl of mixed veg does not ensure everything is eaten.

As for pellets being processed and using GMOs, well, I can't argue against that. I would love to give my bird organic, pesticide free produce only. I just can't say that type of diet will benefit the bird nutritionally though. Not to mention, the produce we have in America is not what any parrot eats in the wild.

Honestly, this is just my guess, but I think many species of birds have the ability to be flexible in their diets. It'd be nice to have studies on diets and lifespans, but it wasn't even too long ago that everyone thought just to feed birds sunflower seeds and peanuts.

Oh, and as for taste, birds have different taste buds than us. They can taste fewer things, and could just be wired to find different things tasty. I mean, dogs find plenty of things tasty that humans don't. Taste does not equate with nutrition. I do agree with giving birds more than just pellets though, as it makes life more exciting for the birds.

 

[Grenage]

Your points are completely valid, and that's the logic vets who recommend pellets must be following. That said, I would never want to live on vitamin pills and bread, and am skeptical about how effectively refined vitamin and minerals are absorbed; I mean, for most people, you're effectively creating expensive urine.

Like you say, animals are flexible in their diets, and a body does adapt its processes to get what it needs out of what it has to work with (to a degree). As a vegetarian, I don't eat any meats; shockingly, I have neither a low iron count, nor lack omega to the point where I am myself a vegetable.

Damn science, I was sure we'd have healthy meals in a pill by now!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

My vet urges people to feed their parrot a lot of fresh organic, or local veggies. She didn't give me a specific amount, just said that veggies are a very important part of the diet. She also feels strongly about pellets though and wants all birds to get them.

She did not give a specific ratio to feed, just said that both are equally important

 

[SandyBee]

Our vet did say when asked.
50% pellet, 40% veggies and grain and 10% fruit.

if your dilligent and your bird will eat everything then fresh food could be used, but most birds aren't that compliant.
Mine won't eat enough of certain things.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

And.... it depends on the bird's health, as I have learned. Pritti has been eating pellets for decades, but now that he has a bit of a deficiency in his kidney function, our A-Vet advised against pellets and said my kitchen's foods will be best for him. I still leave pellets in his cage so that he always has something to eat when there isn't fresh food in the cage. He nibbles on them, but maybe 10% of his diet is pellets now.

 

[Kiwibird]

Our vet actually strongly recommends the newer cooked grains mixes as the "staple" over pellets or seed. We use the "rainbow" brand bean and grains mix and he LOVES it (you can get it online at Rainbow Parrots! Parrot Sprouting Mix -- Parrot Sprouts). The primary reason Kiwi gets seed mix in the morning is so it doesn't go bad during the day. Between all the other good stuff he gets, he actually eats very little of the seed (I just worry he may get hungry and always want him to have food available). And while the most of the produce available in stores isn't native to the jungle, it's still much much closer to a natural diet than pellets will ever be. Even seeds are far more natural (I would assume they find and eat some kinds of seeds in nature) than pellets. I mean, how would you like to eat nothing but bland, dry, vitamin fortified bread with a piece of fruit thrown in here and there? That's basically what the "suggested" pellet diet is. And even if they have weaker taste buds, they still have some ability to taste. Imagine eating something that tastes gross, or at least very very bland, day in and day out with absolutely no choice in the matter. That would suck. It is quite a bit of extra effort and cost to feed them a balanced whole foods diet, but IMO, pets aren't about your convenience when you have the choice NOT to own one and have to go to all the trouble. Plus, pellets are still relatively new, and no one really knows just how much they may contribute to health issues or reduced lifespans in animals that live 60+ years yet. Just look at what we're just finding out about the "food" that is GMO, antibiotic/hormone laced, and is processed to the point it no longer resembles something natural in human populations. Why would I risk my birds health to feed him similar substances, and at 80% of his diet none the less?

 

[MarciaLove]

Your points are completely valid, and that's the logic vets who recommend pellets must be following. That said, I would never want to live on vitamin pills and bread, and am skeptical about how effectively refined vitamin and minerals are absorbed; I mean, for most people, you're effectively creating expensive urine.

Like you say, animals are flexible in their diets, and a body does adapt its processes to get what it needs out of what it has to work with (to a degree). As a vegetarian, I don't eat any meats; shockingly, I have neither a low iron count, nor lack omega to the point where I am myself a vegetable.

Damn science, I was sure we'd have healthy meals in a pill by now!

I agree I am a vegan and healthy as a horse Also I don't get shots or vaccines except tetanus which working with horses is a must. I am very much a beleive that you can get all your nutririon from live foods not form artificially processed things or dead animals.

 

[Sasha2]

Wow lots of different opinions.Its nice to know Im not the only one that questions the pellets usefulness.
I think they have a great convenience factor though.I think I will get rid of the seed mix entirely except for foraging treats(I want her to learn to forage anyway).Use pellets as my base and lots of cooked and fresh stuff..Sounds like basically just lots of healthy choices is the best bet.