Harrisons Pellets

[Merlee]

I have been reading a lot of endorsements for Harrisons and many forums and I wish somebody would explain to me what the big deal is other than the ingredients are supposedly organically grown.

I read the ingredients and compared it to different brands. I noticed that Harrisons had Spirulina and kelp in it. So what's so important about that?

Would somebody please explain the nutritional difference Harrisons offers compared to any of the Zupreme products? My rehomed amazon came with a little bit of Harrisons and it says only to offer no more than 10% supplements with fruit and vegetables. If that is the case, then why are so many people making chop or mash if Harrisons is so good?

I am just mystified why people are willing to pay over $30 for a 5 pound bag while you can spend $40 or so and get so much more for their money with another brand.

Harrisons HIGH POTENCY COARSE
Ingredients: *Ground Shelled Sunflower Seeds, *Ground Hulless Barley, *Ground Soybeans, *Ground Shelled Peanuts, *Ground Green Peas, *Ground Lentils, *Ground Yellow Corn, *Ground Rice, *Ground Toasted Oat Groats, Psyllium, Sun Dried Alfalfa, Calcium Carbonate, *Spirulina, Montmorillonite Clay, 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

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min.) 18%, crude fat (min.) 15%, crude fiber (max.) 6.5%, moisture (max.) 10%.

Zupreme Veggieblend:

Ingredients: Ground corn, Soybean meal, Ground wheat, Wheat germ meal, Sugar, Vegetable oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Calcium carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Iodized salt, DL-Methionine, Dried carrots, Dried green beans, Dried peas, Dried celery, Dried beets, Dried parsley, Choline chloride, Natural carrot flavor, L-Lysine, Vitamins (Vitamin E supplement, Niacin, Calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Biotin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Thiamine mononitrate, Menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin B12 supplement, Vitamin D3 supplement, Folic acid), Artificial colors, preserved with Mixed tocopherols and Citric acid, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of Vitamin C), Minerals (Manganous oxide, Zinc oxide, Copper sulfate, Sodium selenite, Calcium iodate), Rosemary extract.

I know corn is not nutritional for humans and peanuts are a no no. Sunflower seeds is said to be too high in fat. I thought the clay was only needed for detoxing or cleansing the body. If our birds are eating well nutritionally, is the clay really necessary? Is this clay really being imported from South America?

Zupreme shows that there is a variety of veggies in it. Isn't that a good thing?

I am not getting it!

 

[MarciaLove]

well organic is always bette cause nothing is GMO or pesticide grown and spirulina is a type of algae with great B12 vitamins in it very healthy I use that supplement in my food. Of course no pellets are a complete food and all bird need some fruits and veggies as well.

 

[Merlee]

After posting the above I found those things mentioned to be true. Other reasons?

 

[SandyBee]

ahhh, the great pellet debate. Harrison's is a decent brand, my birds won't touch them lol
They have a great marketing strategy by getting vets to carry and sell them.

My vet who does sell them says any good pellet is fine, but should make up 50% of the diet. Veggies and grain 40% and fruit 10%.

The only thing pellets do that a all fresh diet might not is provide all the vitamins and minerals that is hard for us to provide properly. But I think any reputable pellet can do that. Harrison's has just managed to do great marketing.

 

[SoCalWendy]

After posting the above I found those things mentioned to be true. Other reasons?

That sounds good to me. 100% organic, no GMOs. That's what is important to me. But if not to you then there are other pellets you can feed that many birds love to eat. I just prefer a 100% organic non GMO product, and I feed a varied diet, not just pellets.

 

[Gizmomania]

When I first got my duskies, I started them out on Zupreem, which had been recommended to us by the people who sold them to me. However, my duskies experienced very watery poops. Once I switched their pellets over to Harrisons, not only did their water poop problem resolved, but their feathers took on a beautiful sheen with vivid colors.

I feed all three a combination of Harrison's larger and finer grain pellets, plus, of course, fresh fruits and veggies.

 

[Merlee]

Harrisons HIGH POTENCY COARSE
Ingredients: *Ground Shelled Sunflower Seeds, *Ground Hulless Barley, *Ground Soybeans, *Ground Shelled Peanuts, *Ground Green Peas, *Ground Lentils, *Yellow Corn, *Ground Rice, *Ground Toasted Oat Groats, Psyllium, Sun Dried Alfalfa, Calcium Carbonate, *Spirulina, Montmorillonite Clay, 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

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min.) 18%, crude fat (min.) 15%, crude fiber (max.) 6.5%, moisture (max.) 10%.

Zupreme Veggieblend:

Ingredients: Ground corn, Soybean meal, Ground wheat, Wheat germ meal, Sugar, Vegetable oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Calcium carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Iodized salt, DL-Methionine, Dried carrots, Dried green beans, Dried peas, Dried celery, Dried beets, Dried parsley, Choline chloride, Natural carrot flavor, L-Lysine, Vitamins (Vitamin E supplement, Niacin, Calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Biotin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Thiamine mononitrate, Menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin B12 supplement, Vitamin D3 supplement, Folic acid), Artificial colors, preserved with Mixed tocopherols and Citric acid, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of Vitamin C), Minerals (Manganous oxide, Zinc oxide, Copper sulfate, Sodium selenite, Calcium iodate), Rosemary extract.

I know corn is not nutritional for humans and peanuts are a no no. Sunflower seeds is said to be too high in fat. I thought the clay was only needed for detoxing or cleansing the body. If our birds are eating well nutritionally, is the clay really necessary? Is this clay really being imported from South America?

Zupreme shows that there is a variety of veggies in it. Isn't that a good thing?

The marketing strategy is amazing for Harrisons! My birds eat a pelleted diet with supplemental vegetables and fruit. The comparison of ingredients just blow me away as well as the total cost.

 

[kiwiS]

Kiwi's pellet mix has both Harrisons and Roudybush in it, and I noticed she'll eat all the Harrisons first. I would try to avoid anything with too much food coloring in it? I also see in Zupreem Sugar is higher up on the list of ingredients.

Kiwi also gets a mash for breakfast, and dinner. The mash contains a teaspoon of chopped veggies (chili pepper, kale, carrots), a piece of crushed raw pasta, a teaspoon of sprouts, half a teaspoon of boiled squash/carrot/pumpkin mixed with cooked quinoa and wild rice, and either a blueberry, quarter of a grape, or a small piece of green apple (fruits only in her dinner). The pellets are there all day and night for her to snack on in between her mash.


So far she eats everything with gusto, but there is always some mash leftover, except for those rare times she licks her plate clean!

 

[SoCalWendy]

Harrisons HIGH POTENCY COARSE
Ingredients: *Ground Shelled Sunflower Seeds, *Ground Hulless Barley, *Ground Soybeans, *Ground Shelled Peanuts, *Ground Green Peas, *Ground Lentils, *Yellow Corn, *Ground Rice, *Ground Toasted Oat Groats, Psyllium, Sun Dried Alfalfa, Calcium Carbonate, *Spirulina, Montmorillonite Clay, 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

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein (min.) 18%, crude fat (min.) 15%, crude fiber (max.) 6.5%, moisture (max.) 10%.

Zupreme Veggieblend:

Ingredients: Ground corn, Soybean meal, Ground wheat, Wheat germ meal, Sugar, Vegetable oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Calcium carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Iodized salt, DL-Methionine, Dried carrots, Dried green beans, Dried peas, Dried celery, Dried beets, Dried parsley, Choline chloride, Natural carrot flavor, L-Lysine, Vitamins (Vitamin E supplement, Niacin, Calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A supplement, Biotin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Thiamine mononitrate, Menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Vitamin B12 supplement, Vitamin D3 supplement, Folic acid), Artificial colors, preserved with Mixed tocopherols and Citric acid, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of Vitamin C), Minerals (Manganous oxide, Zinc oxide, Copper sulfate, Sodium selenite, Calcium iodate), Rosemary extract.

I know corn is not nutritional for humans and peanuts are a no no. Sunflower seeds is said to be too high in fat. I thought the clay was only needed for detoxing or cleansing the body. If our birds are eating well nutritionally, is the clay really necessary? Is this clay really being imported from South America?

Zupreme shows that there is a variety of veggies in it. Isn't that a good thing?

The marketing strategy is amazing for Harrisons! My birds eat a pelleted diet with supplemental vegetables and fruit. The comparison of ingredients just blow me away as well as the total cost.

Have you looked and compared the ingredient in all the others. There is a very helpful thread on here somewhere that compares the ingredients. No commercial food, organic or not is going to be perfect in their ingredients. That's why I feed a varied died, along with the pellets. Harrison's HP is recommended as the bird transitions for 6 months then it is recommended to go to the maintenance, the ingredients is different. I love it, no pesticides, no gmo ingredients, and it's 100% organize. I don't mind paying the price.

 

[Kalidasa]

I mix Harrison's and Higgins. Not a big fan of the high sugar content of many others, I like the sugar they get to come from fresh berries and stuff rather than from processed sugarcane.

 

[crimson]

I've tried plenty of pellets, Harrisons,Zupreem,Tops(totally organic pellets), Tropican,the list goes on and on....and the $$$$out the window.
since I have many birds here, it was impossible for me to get ALL of them onto one type of pellet. One liked it, some didn't. It was way too costly for me to buy various types of pellets.

I now have all my birds on Tropican lifetime, it's in the middle from poor to best, and most of them eat it, hallelujah!

All my birds receive Higgins seed as well, so I mix it all together. you have to do what works best for you and your bird.
Plenty of Vegetables(85%, and the rest is fruits), my finches and canaries also receive daily vitamins, but not for my parrots.

Pellets and bird food are very costly, and it seems it can keep people going around and around trying to find the best pellet for the best cost, and what is best for your bird.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Our Ashley (Copperarabian) made a fantastic thread about pellets and what's in them a while ago. Check it out.

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

 

[SoCalWendy]

There is it, thanks so much Wendy for posting this again.

 

[SoCalWendy]

I've tried plenty of pellets, Harrisons,Zupreem,Tops(totally organic pellets), Tropican,the list goes on and on....and the $$$$out the window.
since I have many birds here, it was impossible for me to get ALL of them onto one type of pellet. One liked it, some didn't. It was way too costly for me to buy various types of pellets.

I now have all my birds on Tropican lifetime, it's in the middle from poor to best, and most of them eat it, hallelujah!

All my birds receive Higgins seed as well, so I mix it all together. you have to do what works best for you and your bird.
Plenty of Vegetables(85%, and the rest is fruits), my finches and canaries also receive daily vitamins, but not for my parrots.

Pellets and bird food are very costly, and it seems it can keep people going around and around trying to find the best pellet for the best cost, and what is best for your bird.

Couldn't agree more