Diet Choice

[laerenielwen]

So after reading all the info before getting my new conure, I read that a seed only diet is no good for them and that switching to a pellet diet is better. I also read that this can be difficult because they are picky eaters.

When I got him he was on Katee Gourmet Recipe parrot food. I have switched him over to ZuPreem FruitBlend (only took 2 days!) and will add in the occasional bit of Katee along with fresh fruit and veggies every couple days.

Do you think this is a good diet? Any changes or suggestions?

 

[kellie]

I have heard that zupreem is not the best choice. Not sure why- sugars, dyes, preservatives? I have Lukah on Roudybush maintenance. There are no dyes, no preservatives, etc. He LOVES it. He came to me on an all seed diet and I just took out the seeds, put in the pellets, and fed him a few by hand and he was hooked. I get the large pellets I think.. or maybe mediums. sometimes smalls. not sure haha!

That being said, fresh fruits and veggies and grains are SUPER SUPER important. I learned that by being lazy and not giving him some for a few days and the color and consistency of his poop was bad- his urine turned yellow!

You should give your guy a mix of about a 1/2 cup to a cup of fresh fruits and veggies each day. There are so many to choose from and you kind of have to learn what he likes best. Vegetables are typically better than fruits, but fruits are good too.

Apples, carrots, grean beans, kale, spinach, canteloupe, sweet potato, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, all kinds of peppers- jalepeno, bell, poblano, chili, banana, broccoli, pasta, quinoa, whole grain bread, peas etc!! The list goes on and on.

STAY AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE, CAFFEINE, AVOCADO AND FRUITS WITH BIG PITS LIKE PLUMS.

The fruits and veggies should make up the majority of your guy's diet, with the pellets supplementing it.

To get him to eat his veggies, you can put the veggies he really needs (like broccoli, spinach, carrots, all those good ones that he probably won't like if he's anything like my lukah) and stuff them in a food processor with some masking fruits he does like (like apples and bananas if he's like lukah!) and then mix them all up till they're nearly bite size. You can do this each morning and give it to him and put the rest in the fridge for a couple days or you can do a big batch, put it in ice cube trays and freeze it and then pop it out each morning, put it in the microwave for a couple seconds and PRESTO!

Sorry this is typed really crazy and scattered because I am avoiding taking a test for my class right now haha. But that's the basics of diet

Oh and use millet and nuts as treats primarily. I give lukah almonds and millet as treats. Works really well--- he will do anything for an almond!

 

[MonicaMc]

Conures may not eat more than 1 tablespoon of fresh foods in a day, unless you have them on a fresh food based diet.

Kellie is right. I don't like Kaytee products, and Zupreem is "ok". If you can get it, I do recommend Harrison's, TOP's, Roudybush or Mazuri though. Seeds could be Goldenfeast, Volkmans, TOP's, Kaylor of Colorado or another dye-free blend.


Fresh and cooked foods are also important!

http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...afe-fresh-foods-toxic-food-lists-sprouts.html
http://www.parrotforums.com/parrot-...7-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Any pellet is better than no pellet, you've taken the first step and that's awesome! As said above zupreem fruit blend has a lot of sugar and dyes. A much better zupreem pellet is "zupreem natural". It has no dyes in it, and like fruit blend is also human grade.

A pellet I highly recommend is Harrison's, good ingredients that utilises some organic ingredients - is human grade.

Totally organic pellets(TOPS) is also fantastic! Amazing ingredients, human grade, 100% organic. It's also the most affordable high quality pellet.

I'm not all that impressed with Roudybush's ingredients, but it is a better pellet that's available at most chain pet stores with a bird section. I add a small handful to Kenji's food once or twice a week as a treat lol.

For veggies a great way to go is a chop mix, make it in bulk and freeze in small freezer bags. Rosie is very picky and prefers chop mix over fresh food. Kenji on the other hand prefers fresh food. I offer both a selection of fresh and chopmix.

 

[kiwiS]

I feed Kiwi a mix of Harrisons and Roudybush available all day, plus a breakfast of chopped up veggies and fruit (kale, swiss chard, celery, carrots, grapes, apples, blueberries, chillis etc.) frozen in ice cube trays then heated up, and a dinner of wild rice, quinoa, sweet potato, spinach. She gets her seeds from nutriberries which I place in foraging toys so she has to work hard for them.

In the pet store she was eating a zupreem colorful blend and seeds and her feathers were dull with a brown edging. A few months later with her new diet, and a fresh molt, her feathers have grown out bright and vibrant and she is so beautiful and healthy! I highly recommend!

 

[jugoya]

I feed my birds a special bird bread that I make in a big batch and freeze.

Mainly ground up pellets; pureed veggies and rolled in seeds.

Baked.

And a mix of fresh fruits and veggies.

 

[Thatdude596]

Wow I'm impressed by the foods you give your birdies. I don't have a bunch of time to play Paula dean for my birds but I feed zupreem fruit blend 2x a
Day with a little of Higgins conure blend seed. I also will add grapes or apples as he won't touch carrots or leafy greens on most days. When I can't provide fresh fruit I
Put a few teaspoons of dehydrated fruits and mixed nuts in his other
Bowl. I also buy the vitamin drops for his water. Not sure if that's snake oil or not but I
Add it anyways.

When I get older and have more time I will have give the chops n breads a shot.

I have also tried adding in roundy bush pellets but he just tossed them. When we got him he was on a 90-10 seed diet so he's getting better diet but not what some of you guys are feeding!

 

[kiwiS]

It's really not that difficult. For the fresh veggie and fruit mix you just have to blend everything together in a small mixer. It takes maybe..half an hour. Then you just freeze it in ice cube trays and you'll have enough veggies for the next two weeks or so. The same with the rice and sweet potato mix. Then it literally takes 30 seconds in the microwave and you have a meal ready.

It's all about prioritizing your time, and as you can see, it really doesn't take that much time at all.