Harrison's High Potency vs. Zupreem

[lgallagher]

I have been seeing some negative posts about Zupreem food.
I have two conure babies that have been eating Zupreem. I am considering transitioning to Harrison's High Potency. There is a fine and a course variety....I am confused which to choose or if I should transition at all.
I would greatly appreciate comments and advice.
Thanks....Lori, Eddie & Sophia

 

[LoveOfallAnimals]

I have been seeing some negative posts about Zupreem food.
I have two conure babies that have been eating Zupreem. I am considering transitioning to Harrison's High Potency. There is a fine and a course variety....I am confused which to choose or if I should transition at all.
I would greatly appreciate comments and advice.
Thanks....Lori, Eddie & Sophia

There is no such thing as a perfect pellet. They all have their good and bad. I would stay away from any that have artificial flavors, dyes, high in sugar, and high in salt. The best pellet for your parrot is the one that it will eat. The main thing to make sure of is that you are feeding a balanced diet with fruit, veggies, sprouts, grains, and some high-quality seeds.

 

[HowdyDoDee]

I have been seeing some negative posts about Zupreem food.
I have two conure babies that have been eating Zupreem. I am considering transitioning to Harrison's High Potency. There is a fine and a course variety....I am confused which to choose or if I should transition at all.
I would greatly appreciate comments and advice.
Thanks....Lori, Eddie & Sophia

Read the ingredients list. Sugar and processed / artificial ingredients for color or flavor do not belong in the daily diet. If these are found in the first handful of the ingredients, it’s junk food.

Corn “meal”, for example- did they just sweep the floor at a corn processing plant and throw it in the bag? No thanks! Not spending my hard earned money on that! (Why not use the whole grain?)

 

[Terry57]

To the OP, I have fed my birds Zupreme for almost a decade and my flock is thriving. Pellets are a personal choice we make for our birds and if you want to switch I recommend switching slowly.

I often use corn meal to make birdie bread. Also eat our own cornbread with it.

I agree completely with @LoveOfallAnimals . The best pellet is the one your bird will eat. We tried to transition to Harrisons once, and one bird out of the 32 we had then would touch it. We tried and tried as i had bought a 40 pound bag but they stopped eating.
That is not worth wasting my money, and more Importantly their health on.

There isn't only one correct way to feed our birds other than the fresh veggies they need no matter what pellet you use.


.

 

[wrench13]

Harrisons is considered to be a higher quality parrot pellet, but as has been said, the best one is the one your parrot will eat. CHanging over to a new pellet should be done gradually, slowly reducing one and increasing the other over a period of a few weeks. Parrots WILL starve themselves if they are given a hard transition to a new food. Might be easier for you with babies.

 

[HeatherG]

The only hard rule I have about pellets is that I won’t feed pellets with artificial colors or dyes. They cover up changes in the droppings and make them stain carpet and clothes much worse.

My Lucy was on zupreem natural for almost two decades. Brought Willow home and could only get him to eat Harrison’s high potency pellets (from an original seed diet). Jasper mainly eats Zupreem naturals but will suck down any extras that Willow won’t eat. Besides they get a bit of seed as treat, some avicake, vegetables and fruit.

If they made people B pellets I would probably eat them as I’m not so good about getting a balanced diet. I think pellets help people get most of the right nutrients into their parrots.

 

[lgallagher]

So I purchased some Harrison's Fine and started mixing it in with their pellets and sprinkling some over their fruits and veggies. I guess they are eating it it's hard to tell lol.

 

[LoveOfallAnimals]

So I purchased some Harrison's Fine and started mixing it in with their pellets and sprinkling some over their fruits and veggies. I guess they are eating it it's hard to tell lol.

I'm sure they are probably getting some of it in them. My amazon would not eat Harrisons but will eat Roudybush. I weigh my birds weekly in order to know that they are consuming enough food.

 

[lgallagher]

What type of scale do you use and how do you know how much they should weigh?

 

[HeatherG]

What type of scale do you use and how do you know how much they should weigh?

You can get a kitchen scale that weighs in grams (g) and not ounces. Ounces is too big a unit for weighing small birds.

There are charts online giving average weights for parrots.

 

[LoveOfallAnimals]

What type of scale do you use and how do you know how much they should weigh?

I use the one below and like that it has three different sizes for your bird to perch on. I find it to be just as accurate as my vets, and you can't bet the price.

https://www.amazon.com/W-C-Redmon-Digital-Scale-Animal/dp/B000WP6LRY/ref=sxts_rp_s_a_1_0?content-id=amzn1.sym.eff26b9b-e255-411b-a40d-eccb21f93fe4%3Aamzn1.sym.eff26b9b-e255-411b-a40d-eccb21f93fe4&crid=2SK9RH6MMMDM1&cv_ct_cx=parrot+scale&keywords=parrot+scale&pd_rd_i=B000WP6LRY&pd_rd_r=4dbdf2d9-4d3e-4a99-a006-9407c3197e6b&pd_rd_w=23FFp&pd_rd_wg=MaHd6&pf_rd_p=eff26b9b-e255-411b-a40d-eccb21f93fe4&pf_rd_r=HYQYRP86M3A1YCFC9BTQ&qid=1672532229&rdc=1&sprefix=parrot+scale%2Caps%2C106&sr=1-1-5985efba-8948-4f09-9122-d605505c9d1e

 

[ravvlet]

When I got my first scale, I was told the rule of thumb was to find one that can measure to a tenth of a gram, and has a wide enough base to hold a T stand or other perch! Make sure to tare out the perch of course!

I was also told that the weight lists online aren’t bad, but a lot depends on your birds size and body type. For Kirby a healthy weight, according to his vet, is about 480g, but the average weight for an OWA is MUCH lower. It’s something I struggled with - I was so worried he was still overweight, but it’s about their body feel! You can check their keel and see how much meat they’ve got in that area, etc. Your vet can likely give you a hands on guide on how to gauge a healthy body shape & size. Flighted birds will have more musculature and may weigh more and feel different than a sedentary bird.

 

[HeatherG]

When I got my first scale, I was told the rule of thumb was to find one that can measure to a tenth of a gram, and has a wide enough base to hold a T stand or other perch! Make sure to tare out the perch of course!

I was also told that the weight lists online aren’t bad, but a lot depends on your birds size and body type. For Kirby a healthy weight, according to his vet, is about 480g, but the average weight for an OWA is MUCH lower. It’s something I struggled with - I was so worried he was still overweight, but it’s about their body feel! You can check their keel and see how much meat they’ve got in that area, etc. Your vet can likely give you a hands on guide on how to gauge a healthy body shape & size. Flighted birds will have more musculature and may weigh more and feel different than a sedentary bird.

This is absolutely correct.

The online lists can give you a general idea of how much your bird should weigh, but it would be better to have your bird weighed at the vets office when it is at a good weight and refer back to that.

Your vet might also show you how to feel your birds chest muscle to determine if the bird is too thin or too heavy. If you can feel the keelbone very sharply underneath the muscles, your bird is too thin. If you can barely feel it or can’t feel it at all, your bird is too fat (more like a broiler chicken than an active parrot).

 

[lgallagher]

I use the one below and like that it has three different sizes for your bird to perch on. I find it to be just as accurate as my vets, and you can't bet the price.

https://www.amazon.com/W-C-Redmon-Digital-Scale-Animal/dp/B000WP6LRY/ref=sxts_rp_s_a_1_0?content-id=amzn1.sym.eff26b9b-e255-411b-a40d-eccb21f93fe4%3Aamzn1.sym.eff26b9b-e255-411b-a40d-eccb21f93fe4&crid=2SK9RH6MMMDM1&cv_ct_cx=parrot+scale&keywords=parrot+scale&pd_rd_i=B000WP6LRY&pd_rd_r=4dbdf2d9-4d3e-4a99-a006-9407c3197e6b&pd_rd_w=23FFp&pd_rd_wg=MaHd6&pf_rd_p=eff26b9b-e255-411b-a40d-eccb21f93fe4&pf_rd_r=HYQYRP86M3A1YCFC9BTQ&qid=1672532229&rdc=1&sprefix=parrot+scale%2Caps%2C106&sr=1-1-5985efba-8948-4f09-9122-d605505c9d1e

Thanks so much for the suggestion....i just ordered one.

 

[bill_e]

The important thing is to weigh them at least weekly and look for changes in weight, If you weigh often you'll be accustomed to their normal weight variations, like before and after morning poop etc. Drastic changes from that or a downward trend are cause for a vet visit.

Most food scales will work and homemade perches are simple to make.