BHT and BHA in Pellets

[PacMan]

Im Brazilian and here we dont have Harrison's, right now im using Nutrópica, the best and most expensive pellet brand here, and they have BHA and BHT in the ingredients, but recently i found out a online place that sells Hagen Tropican pellets for the same price as Nutropica, would be worth it to buy it instead? Here's a comparison between them: (basically Nutropica has an advantage in having less fat and using whole grains while Tropican has the advantage of not using BHT and BHA)

Nutropica:
Guaranteed Analysis

Moisture (max.) 12.00% (120 g/kg)

Crude Protein (min.) 14.00% (140 g/kg)

Crude Fat (min.) 5.00% (50 g/kg)

Crude Fiber (max.) 4.50% (45 g/kg)

Ash Mineral Matter (max.) 4.00% (40 g/kg)

Calcium (max.) 0.60% (6,000 mg/kg)

Calcium (min.) 0.30% (3,000 mg/kg)

Phosphorus (min.) 0.30% (3,000 mg/kg)

Sodium (min.) 0.07% (700 mg/kg)

Yucca schidigera extract (min.) 0.025% (250 mg/kg)

Fructooligosaccharides FOS (min.) 0.10% (1,000 mg/kg)

Mannan-oligosaccharides MOS (min.) 0.10% (1,000 mg/kg)

Bacillus subtilis (min.) 6.4 x 10^8 CFU/kg

Bacillus licheniformis (min.) 6.4 x 10^8 CFU/kg

Basic Composition Ingredients

Whole corn, whole wheat, micronized whole soybean, whole oat, whole linseed, brewer's dried yeast, corn gluten, beet pulp, dehydrated whole egg, soybean oil, palm oil, mannan-oligosaccharides prebiotic, fructooligosaccharides prebiotic, sodium chloride salt, antioxidants BHA and BHT, bentonite mycotoxin adsorbent, yucca extract, monocalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, L-lysine, DL-methionine, Vitamin A, Beta-carotene, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, choline, biotin, folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, selenium, copper, iodine, manganese, zinc, probiotic additive, and banana aroma

Vitamin A: 4.000IU
Vitamin D: 950IU
VItamin E: 100mcg

Tropican:
Ingredients

Corn, soybean meal, wheat, dehulled peanuts, dehulled sunflower seeds, brown rice, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, lecithin, oat groats, dried tomato, flaxseed, L-lysine, alfalfa nutrient concentrate, choline chloride, DL-methionine, orange oil, banana oil, biotin, vitamin E supplement, niacin, calcium L-ascorbyl-2-monophosphate (source of vitamin C), zinc oxide, manganous oxide, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin B₁₂ supplement, rosemary extract, beta-carotene, riboflavin, copper sulfate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, inositol, folic acid, vitamin A supplement, calcium iodate, sodium selenite, vitamin D₃ supplement.

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein (min.) 13%,
Crude Fat (min.) 7%,
Crude Fibre (max.) 3.5%
, Moisture (max.) 11%,
Calcium (min.) 0.8%,
Phosphorus (min.) 0.6%,
Vitamin A (min.) 5,000 IU/kg,
Vitamin D₃ (min.) 500 IU/kg,
Vitamin E (min.) 200 IU/kg,
Beta-Carotene (min.) 1.8 mg/kg, Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min.) 0.03%, Omega-6 Fatty Acids (min.) 0.25%.

 

[wrench13]

Yipes!! I'm reasonably intelligent, and I've never heard of most of these chemicals, much less know how they affect parrot physiology. I'm so glad Salty loves his chop, made with whole veggies. He eats pellets as a snack type food, never his main source of nutrition. Considering how little (relatively) effort is needed to provide a chop based diet, I do not know why this is not considered by all as a fact of parrot ownership, like dogs need bones. Parrots are not an 'easy care' pet. My wife loves penguins, but there is no way we could provide an adequate diet for one. Using pellets the same way a can of cat food or a bag of cat chow is used for cats means one has to subject your parrot to the pharmaceutical grocery list given above.

 

[PacMan]

Yipes!! I'm reasonably intelligent, and I've never heard of most of these chemicals, much less know how they affect parrot physiology. I'm so glad Salty loves his chop, made with whole veggies. He eats pellets as a snack type food, never his main source of nutrition. Considering how little (relatively) effort is needed to provide a chop based diet, I do not know why this is not considered by all as a fact of parrot ownership, like dogs need bones. Parrots are not an 'easy care' pet. My wife loves penguins, but there is no way we could provide an adequate diet for one. Using pellets the same way a can of cat food or a bag of cat chow is used for cats means one has to subject your parrot to the pharmaceutical grocery list given above.

I think its hard to give everything they need just with chop, what ingredientes do you use in your chop?

 

[Macawdamia Nut]

Yipes!! I'm reasonably intelligent, and I've never heard of most of these chemicals, much less know how they affect parrot physiology. I'm so glad Salty loves his chop, made with whole veggies. He eats pellets as a snack type food, never his main source of nutrition. Considering how little (relatively) effort is needed to provide a chop based diet, I do not know why this is not considered by all as a fact of parrot ownership, like dogs need bones. Parrots are not an 'easy care' pet. My wife loves penguins, but there is no way we could provide an adequate diet for one. Using pellets the same way a can of cat food or a bag of cat chow is used for cats means one has to subject your parrot to the pharmaceutical grocery list given above.

I am a bad bird owner. My avian vet says pellets should comprise 80% of the diet (she worked for Dr. Harrison for years, so biased?). My macaw hates pellets! I have tried so many brands. He will begrudgingly eat a few only if desperate. Shhh! Do not tell his vet! He is well into his 50s and has always had gorgeous feathers and perfect health. My bird gets nuts, oatmeal, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, baby Swiss chard, baby spinach, radishes, apples (cosmic crisp only!), bananas, berries, pomegranates, oranges, mango, papaya, and other random fruits and veggies that are lying around. Sometimes I give him part of the egg white from a poached egg and feta cheese. I know I am forgetting quite a few things, but pellets are very low down on the food chain! His vet says, “Keep doing what you’re doing because he is doing great” so I will.

 

[LaManuka]

BHA and BHT appear to be used as preservatives in the Nutrópica product you're using, yes? It seems that Hagen market their product as being preservative free, and if this is the case it's likely to have a shorter shelf life so care will need to be taken to ensure it's stored in an airtight container once opened, kept cool and the "use by" date is adhered to.

 

[PacMan]

I am a bad bird owner. My avian vet says pellets should comprise 80% of the diet (she worked for Dr. Harrison for years, so biased?). My macaw hates pellets! I have tried so many brands. He will begrudgingly eat a few only if desperate. Shhh! Do not tell his vet! He is well into his 50s and has always had gorgeous feathers and perfect health. My bird gets nuts, oatmeal, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, baby Swiss chard, baby spinach, radishes, apples (cosmic crisp only!), bananas, berries, pomegranates, oranges, mango, papaya, and other random fruits and veggies that are lying around. Sometimes I give him part of the egg white from a poached egg and feta cheese. I know I am forgetting quite a few things, but pellets are very low down on the food chain! His vet says, “Keep doing what you’re doing because he is doing great” so I will.

Oh thats good! I also try to vary my birds diet the best i can, using lots of veggies and grains in their chop

 

[PacMan]

BHA and BHT appear to be used as preservatives in the Nutrópica product you're using, yes? It seems that Hagen market their product as being preservative free, and if this is the case it's likely to have a shorter shelf life so care will need to be taken to ensure it's stored in an airtight container once opened, kept cool and the "use by" date is adhered to.

Yep it is, i've seen ppl complain about it (there's a website here made for complaining or give feedback to companies) and they always answer the same thing, that they use so little of it that it isnt bad for them and thats there's not enough evidence that causes cancer, but i still feel skeptical about this, i wish they only used natural products. The other 2 good brands here in the country also does the same thing

Nutropica says to use it 60 days after opening the package, Hagen is 820g i think i could use it in around 45 to 50 days

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I don't like the idea of feeding my birds highly processed manufactured foods like pellets. I feed my 20 budgies homemade chop with fresh vegetables and whole grains plus fresh leafy greens and a seed mix (white millet, red millet, canary grass seed and oats groats. They are all very healthy birds.

I make an exception for handfeeding baby bird formula when I'm raising a baby. There isn't a good alternative and the three babies I've raised grew very well on formula feedings. I've used several good brands with excellent results.

If your bird likes pellets and is healthy I don't see anything really wrong with any of the quality pellet brands other than that unless it's supplemented with fresh foods it would be a very boring diet.

 

[PacMan]

I don't like the idea of feeding my birds highly processed manufactured foods like pellets. I feed my 20 budgies homemade chop with fresh vegetables and whole grains plus fresh leafy greens and a seed mix (white millet, red millet, canary grass seed and oats groats. They are all very healthy birds.

I make an exception for handfeeding baby bird formula when I'm raising a baby. There isn't a good alternative and the three babies I've raised grew very well on formula feedings. I've used several good brands with excellent results.

If your bird likes pellets and is healthy I don't see anything really wrong with any of the quality pellet brands other than that unless it's supplemented with fresh foods it would be a very boring diet.

Oh thats great! Recently i have been thinking about decreasing the pellets and increasing the chop, after looking at some ingredients im seeing they're not as perfect as i tought at first