GCC Diet Question

BleuBug

New member
Mar 8, 2022
16
22
Parrots
Atlas - Green Cheek Conure
Hi everyone! We just brought home Atlas, a 6-8 month old Pineapple green cheek conure! I haven't owned a bird for quite some time(15 years) so I've got some brushing up to do on some of the details of bird care.

On to the question, currently she's eating ZuPreem Smart Selects for Parrots and Conures because that's what she was eating prior to coming home and I didn't want to stress her too much with switching. I feel like it has a lot of dried fruit in it so I try to only have a few of those in her dish at a time. My question is, is this adequate to keep her on or should we plan to make the switch to full pellets? If we should switch, should I wait a few weeks to let her settle or start switching now? She also gets plenty of veggies as well. I'm trying to expand her fresh food diet little by little
 

BirdyBee

Well-known member
Jan 7, 2022
3,749
Media
34
Albums
6
8,080
South Africa
Parrots
Current birds:
John
Snowy
Pippen

Past birds:
Grumpy
Sunny
Griffen
Jeff
Gertjie
By "full switch" to pellets, what do you mean?

To be honest, ZuPreem isn't the best brand, because of colourings and sugar, even the "natural" ZuPreem pellets contain sugar!. For now, I think just let her settle in, then try diet-conversion. Some brands that are better for birds are Harrison's/TOP's.

dried fruit are way to high in sugar and should only be used as a training treat.

Fresh food like veggies, sprouts, etc, should be most of the diet, as it contains a lot of nutrients. Pellets should only be a small part of the diet, I'd say 1/3 or less. Birds also need a small amount of healthy seeds, grains, nuts etc in their diet.

Good luck!
 
OP
B

BleuBug

New member
Mar 8, 2022
16
22
Parrots
Atlas - Green Cheek Conure
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
By "full switch" to pellets, what do you mean?

To be honest, ZuPreem isn't the best brand, way too much added sugars. For now, I think just let her settle in, then try diet-conversion. Some brands that are better for birds are Harrison's/TOP's.

dried fruit are way to high in sugar and should only be used as a training treat.

Fresh food like veggies, sprouts, etc, should be most of the diet, as it contains a lot of nutrients. Pellets should only be a small part of the diet, I'd say 1/3 or less. Birds also need a small amount of healthy seeds, grains, nuts etc in their diet.

Good luck!
That was probably a little confusing wording, my bad. I only mean to fully switch the portion of her diet that comes from the blend she eats now to only pellets. Not her full diet being pellets. It really bothered me that it tries to say it's a complete and healthy diet but it has SO MUCH dried fruit in it. I usually only feed her one or two chunks of the fruit but it's a bit of a chore picking around it honestly. I'll let her settle in more then try to start the transition.
 

BirdyBee

Well-known member
Jan 7, 2022
3,749
Media
34
Albums
6
8,080
South Africa
Parrots
Current birds:
John
Snowy
Pippen

Past birds:
Grumpy
Sunny
Griffen
Jeff
Gertjie
That was probably a little confusing wording, my bad. I only mean to fully switch the portion of her diet that comes from the blend she eats now to only pellets. Not her full diet being pellets. It really bothered me that it tries to say it's a complete and healthy diet but it has SO MUCH dried fruit in it. I usually only feed her one or two chunks of the fruit but it's a bit of a chore picking around it honestly. I'll let her settle in more then try to start the transition.
Yup, I hate it when pellets say they're a "complete diet" or it has to be 70-90% of your diet.

If you have any question regarding to care, you're more than welcome to ask me or other forum members :)
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
Hello and welcome to you and Atlas!

For me I like to wait a few weeks before starting a diet changes . But I offer everything I want them to eat, I just don't restrict what they had been eating.

Its great to offer lots of different leafy greens, cooked legume, veggies as at this age they are very willing to explore new foods.

It's also a great idea to have a digital kitchen scale and log weight weekly. Your baby will still probably gain slowly as matures. But catching health issues early by weight loss saves lives!!! Most sick birds will drop weight before you ever see anything else, more than 4% weight loss get them checked out by a veterinarian, 10% loss you are likely going to need to supplement support feed.

I feed seed mix, plus quality pellets , plus lots of veggies and fresh stuff. Mine love their fresh a stuff.

I don't do chop, as in I don't chop up my veggies fine, I serve mine in big hunks or cut up slightly. Served fresh. So I use the sane ingredients I just serve different.
.....anyway lots if people get into chop so this provides great information

 
Last edited:
OP
B

BleuBug

New member
Mar 8, 2022
16
22
Parrots
Atlas - Green Cheek Conure
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
Hello and welcome to you and Atlas!

For me I like to wait a few weeks before starting a diet changes . But I offer everything I want them to eat, I just don't restrict what they had been eating.

Its great to offer lots of different leafy greens, cooked legume, veggies as at this age they are very willing to explore new foods.

It's also a great idea to have a digital kitchen scale and log weight weekly. Your baby will still probably gain slowly as matures. But catching health issues early by weight loss saves lives!!! Most sick birds will drop weight before you ever see anything else, more than 4% weight loss get them checked out by a veterinarian, 10% loss you are likely going to need to supplement support feed.

I feed seed mix, plus quality pellets , plus lots of veggies and fresh stuff. Mine love their fresh a stuff.

I don't do chop, as in I don't chop up my veggies fine, I serve mine in big hunks or cut up slightly. Served fresh. So I use the sane ingredients I just serve different.
.....anyway lots if people get into chop so this provides great information

Thank you! When we got her they said she doesn't like vegetables at all but I haven't had a problem getting her to try any. I have found a few she doesn't like, but plenty she loves so I think they may not have been introducing a variety to her. She will definitely try anything right now so I am hoping that when I do switch to some pellets she will be more open to trying them. I thought about making some chop but today I just did chunks and she doesn't seem to mind. I might try chop just to see if she prefers it though
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
awesome!
Don't give up on stuff she rejected! Things go in and out of favor . Took 2 years for one of mine to like romaine and now its always the first thing she goes for!!!

I don't want mine picky on pellets, so I offer zoopreem, ( 2 came to me eating those) oven baked bites, mizurri, and tops, and avi cakes, I've used other brands as well . Sure worked in my favor when pandemic made some hard to find!!!

Many people are loyal to one brand..I don't like Roudybush as it spoiled, had lots of soy and peanut in ingredients..( msybe thst changed ill have to look)

I think Tops has best ingredients
 
Last edited:
OP
B

BleuBug

New member
Mar 8, 2022
16
22
Parrots
Atlas - Green Cheek Conure
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
awesome!
Don't give up on stuff she rejected! Things go in and out of favor . Took 2 years for one of mine to like romaine and now its always the first thing she goes for!!!

I don't want mine picky on pellets, so I offer zoopreem, ( 2 came to me eating those) oven baked bites, mizurri, and tops, and avi cakes, I've used other brands as well . Sure worked in my favor when pandemic made some hard to find!!!

Many people are loyal to one brand..I don't like Roudybush as it spoiled, had lots of soy and peanut in ingredients..( msybe thst changed ill have to look)
They switched up her brand of feed pretty much every time they ran out previously so I might continue doing that just to avoid pickiness like you said! Are you happy with the zupreem pellets? I seem to get mixed opinions on whether they're good enough or not.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
I'm not happy with zoopreem as sole diet, as it seems to miss something??? The burds I had thst came only eating this before coming to me were low in weight and duller feathers... but I'm fine feeding it with other stuff.

This is oven baked bites and I really like these ingredients as well, and my parrots seem to prefer this one. Tho I don't think any are perfect
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Ingredients:

Oatmeal, Oat Flour, White Millet Flour, Soybean Meal, Sunflower Meal, Sunflower Oil, Sunflower Kernels, Glycerin, Dried Egg Product, Peanuts, Freeze Dried Papaya, BananaChips, Cranberries, Wheat, Germ Meal, Lentils, Barley Flour, Peanut Meal, Natural Flavors, Dicalcium Phosphate, Cayenne Pepper, Alfalfa Meal, Marigold Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Peas, Carrots, Blueberries, Apples, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, L-Threonine, DL-Methionine, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Iron Proteinate. Vitamin E Supplement, Copper, Proteinate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), Wheat Meal, Yucca Extract, Silicon Dioxide, Potassium Iodide, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite,Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Menadione, Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K Activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate.Contains eggs and peanuts.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
Many swear by Harrison
I had a lot of waste and mine weren't crazy about it. I wish there wasn't soy or peanuts in any of the pellets brands....
Ingredients: *Ground Hulled White Millet (Proso), *Ground Shelled Sunflower Seeds, *Ground Hulless Barley, *Ground Yellow Corn, *Ground Soybeans, *Ground Shelled Peanuts, *Ground Rice, *Ground Green Peas, *Ground Lentils, *Ground Toasted Oat Groats, Chia Seed, *Ground Alfalfa, Calcium Carbonate, Montmorillonite Clay, Spirulina, Ground Dried Sea Kelp, Vitamin E Supplement, Sea Salt, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, d-Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite.
*CERTIFIED ORGANIC INGREDIENT
 
OP
B

BleuBug

New member
Mar 8, 2022
16
22
Parrots
Atlas - Green Cheek Conure
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #11
I'm not happy with zoopreem as sole diet, as it seems to miss something??? The burds I had thst came only eating this before coming to me were low in weight and duller feathers... but I'm fine feeding it with other stuff.

This is oven baked bites and I really like these ingredients as well, and my parrots seem to prefer this one. Tho I don't think any are perfect
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Ingredients:

Oatmeal, Oat Flour, White Millet Flour, Soybean Meal, Sunflower Meal, Sunflower Oil, Sunflower Kernels, Glycerin, Dried Egg Product, Peanuts, Freeze Dried Papaya, BananaChips, Cranberries, Wheat, Germ Meal, Lentils, Barley Flour, Peanut Meal, Natural Flavors, Dicalcium Phosphate, Cayenne Pepper, Alfalfa Meal, Marigold Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Peas, Carrots, Blueberries, Apples, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, L-Threonine, DL-Methionine, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Iron Proteinate. Vitamin E Supplement, Copper, Proteinate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), Wheat Meal, Yucca Extract, Silicon Dioxide, Potassium Iodide, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite,Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Menadione, Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source Of Vitamin K Activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate.Contains eggs and peanuts.
Thanks for the suggestion! Would this be ideal as a replacement for the pellet portion of her diet or would this be in addition to pellets(plus all the other parts of her diet)? Sorry if I'm asking a lot of questions, I did own birds previously but it's been a LONG time so I'm kind of relearning some stuff and info has changed since then.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
I'm not exactly Clear on your question?
If you are asking if only zoopreem as sole pellet fed plus the veggies and stuff...no , only my personal opinion , i would not have this be the primary pellets.

People say zoopreem has a higher sugar content, but I haven't read and compared.

Diet... we are all working on it, there us lots of info out there.
I feed and mine actually eat pellets, as part of their diet to cover micronutrients. But I'm not sure, and there are studies, that a processed high Vitamin diet is good long term...and they weren't developed specifically for parrots of different species...I think they were developed using a chicken model...

So I try and feed every thing , and mine are darn good at eating lots of different stuff.
I try and rotate everything in on the parrot safe list of veggies , greens, legume, sprouts, fruits abd berries, they get a seed mix, and bowls of pellets , rarely a few walnuts, or other nuts, some boiled, egg, some Greek yogurt.

They veggies I sever twice daily and are the highlighted part of their day

Am I getting it right? I don't know, but their feathers are lush and radiant , molt regularly without signs of looking patchy or scruffy.

If you choose to have pellets as primary part of diet, then recommend to still feed 10% seedmix plus veggies.

I think mine est 10-25% pellets. Some days they are at the pellet bowls munching away, some days they just grab a few. I think close to half their diet is the veggies. But I don't limit anything. The seed mix is in their cages only, and they are out all day with veggies and pellets. They can go in to eat the seeds but they don't. When I put them up in the evening everyone is crunching away on their seeds. Its funny cuz it gets loud with seed cracking!

An all seed diet is a no go. It is not a complete diet missing do many vitamins.
 
Last edited:
OP
B

BleuBug

New member
Mar 8, 2022
16
22
Parrots
Atlas - Green Cheek Conure
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
I'm not exactly Clear on your question?
If you are asking if only zoopreem as sole pellet fed plus the veggies and stuff...no , only my personal opinion , i would not have this be the primary pellets.

People say zoopreem has a higher sugar content, but I haven't read and compared.

Diet... we are all working on it, there us lots of info out there.
I feed and mine actually eat pellets, as part of their diet to cover micronutrients. But I'm not sure, and there are studies, that a processed high Vitamin diet is good long term...and they weren't developed specifically for parrots of different species...I think they were developed using a chicken model...

So I try and feed every thing , and mine are darn good at eating lots of different stuff.
I try and rotate everything in on the parrot safe list of veggies , greens, legume, sprouts, fruits abd berries, they get a seed mix, and bowls of pellets , rarely a few walnuts, or other nuts, some boiled, egg, some Greek yogurt.

They veggies I sever twice daily and are the highlighted part of their day

Am I getting it right? I don't know, but their feathers are lush and radiant , molt regularly without signs of looking patchy or scruffy.

If you choose to have pellets as primary part of diet, then recommend to still feed 10% seedmix plus veggies
Ideally, if possible and good for her, I'd like veggies etc to be her primary source of food with pellets to fill in the gaps nutritionally plus seeds/nuts as occasional treats. Does that sound okay? Also you are being very helpful! Sorry if my questions are a bit confusing, I have developed communication issues that I am working on
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
Yes, but pellets should always be available, and I wouldn't have zoopreem be the primarily pellet.

Veggies don't have enough protein, calories...so pellets would have to be a bigger part. Or more soaked cooked legume, soaked sprouted whole grains...it gets complicated lol
I'm no nutrition expert!!!! Google lots of sources !
 

BirdyBee

Well-known member
Jan 7, 2022
3,749
Media
34
Albums
6
8,080
South Africa
Parrots
Current birds:
John
Snowy
Pippen

Past birds:
Grumpy
Sunny
Griffen
Jeff
Gertjie
Yes, but pellets should always be available, and I wouldn't have zoopreem be the primarily pellet.

Veggies don't have enough protein, calories...so pellets would have to be a bigger part. Or more soaked cooked legume, soaked sprouted whole grains...it gets complicated lol
I'm no nutrition expert!!!! Google lots of sources !
Yeah avian diet is sooo confusing! Some people say majority of the diet should be fresh food, and others say majority should be dried foods like pellets, seeds, etc🤪

I'm kind of in-between. I give my fids fresh food for breakfast and lunch, and dried food in the evening(am I doing anything wrong?)

While diet is debated, one thing's for sure: only seed is inadequate, and only pellets isn't healthy long-term.
 
OP
B

BleuBug

New member
Mar 8, 2022
16
22
Parrots
Atlas - Green Cheek Conure
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #16
We had a huge breakthrough with confidence/behavior/trust last night(at least in my opinion) She willingly got out of her cage on her own and even started trying to fly a bit. She's still fearful of hands but I figured out if I use one of those crappy dowel perches that come with cages she will willingly step up onto it and then sit on my lap/shoulder. She's never had the opportunity to fly before coming home to us so that was a pretty big deal for her. That being said it seems she is adjusting faster than I anticipated(she was mistreated) so I went ahead and ordered some pellets and I might start the switch next week if she continues to show improvement like this. If not at least I will have them for when she is ready
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
Yeah avian diet is sooo confusing! Some people say majority of the diet should be fresh food, and others say majority should be dried foods like pellets, seeds, etc🤪

I'm kind of in-between. I give my fids fresh food for breakfast and lunch, and dried food in the evening(am I doing anything wrong?)

While diet is debated, one thing's for sure: only seed is inadequate, and only pellets isn't healthy long-term.
Pip , you aren't doing anything wrong.

Its just i learned to always have food available . Because of simple gi system and more snackers than gut loaders. So they can regulate , if they need more calories.

But I've read new information that suggests parrots are morning and afternoon forageres.

I will always have pellets available. For me and mine. I do not have to restrict pellets or seeds to have them eat my veggies and fresh stuff. If they are still in the cage eating seeds and I come to set veggies out a d let them out , they leave seeds rush to fresh stuff!
 

BirdyBee

Well-known member
Jan 7, 2022
3,749
Media
34
Albums
6
8,080
South Africa
Parrots
Current birds:
John
Snowy
Pippen

Past birds:
Grumpy
Sunny
Griffen
Jeff
Gertjie
Pip , you aren't doing anything wrong.

Its just i learned to always have food available . Because of simple gi system and more snackers than gut loaders. So they can regulate , if they need more calories.

But I've read new information that suggests parrots are morning and afternoon forageres.

I will always have pellets available. For me and mine. I do not have to restrict pellets or seeds to have them eat my veggies and fresh stuff. If they are still in the cage eating seeds and I come to set veggies out a d let them out , they leave seeds rush to fresh stuff!
That's why I can't have pellets/seed in the cage 24/7. If I do they refuse to eat their veggies.
 

Laurasea

Well-known member
Aug 2, 2018
12,593
10,702
USA
Parrots
Full house
We had a huge breakthrough with confidence/behavior/trust last night(at least in my opinion) She willingly got out of her cage on her own and even started trying to fly a bit. She's still fearful of hands but I figured out if I use one of those crappy dowel perches that come with cages she will willingly step up onto it and then sit on my lap/shoulder. She's never had the opportunity to fly before coming home to us so that was a pretty big deal for her. That being said it seems she is adjusting faster than I anticipated(she was mistreated) so I went ahead and ordered some pellets and I might start the switch next week if she continues to show improvement like this. If not at least I will have them for when she is ready
Great job! Wonderful progress
 

Most Reactions

Top