Parrot food storage - room temperature - 28-30°C, refrigerator or freezer

zana

Member
Sep 14, 2020
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I throw away her food (pellets and seeds) every 20-25 days, because I keep it in room temperature 28-30°C.
What would you recommend about food storage - room temperature - 28-30°C, refrigerator or freezer?
I don't want to throw away almost 1 kg pellets and seeds every 20-25 days.
information on the internet is VERY conflicting.
 

ravvlet

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Jun 25, 2019
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You can store pellets in bags or containers in the freezer. I'd freeze in batches of about 5-7 days worth. I keep my pellets in the fridge normally because we go through them pretty quickly.
 
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zana

Member
Sep 14, 2020
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Can I keep pellets and seeds in freezer more than a week? Like 40-50 days until my lovebird eat all of them? I will take 20-30 grams per day and put back in freezer?
BUT room temperature is 30°C. If I put pellets and seeds in the freezer I'm worried that condensation will form.
btw, I'm using glass jar with plastic cap. Original seeds and pellets packages are not good.
 
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ravvlet

Well-known member
Jun 25, 2019
2,349
7,085
Seattle WA
Parrots
Kirby - OWA, 33yrs old (2019-)
Broccoli - Dusky Conure - 3?mo old (July 2023 -)
~~~
(Rehomed) Sammy - YNA, 45 yrs old (2022-2023)
(RIP) Cricket - Cockatiel (2019-2022)
Do you have more than one storage container? You can freeze them in batches and move a week's worth to the fridge at a time. I haven't tried freezing my pellets, but I assume it is like bread in that they'll stick to each other when they're frozen and need to be thawed out to separate and serve.

Hopefully someone with more experience freezing them will answer you soon!
 

SailBoat

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Jul 10, 2015
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Western, Michigan
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30 degrees C and dry is very different from 30 degrees C with high humidity. Well sealed helps with limited openings during storage helps. Dry Parrot Food commonly have problems with bugs and it is the reason we Freeze! As stated above, we place in sealed packs or containers that provide our Amazon with a 7 to 10 days of dry food (includes pellets). We have stored up to a year in sealed containers with zero openings during the storage period with no problems regarding freshness.

Condensation is an issue when the package or container is not filled fully and /or extra air is not removed prior to sealing. Faulty seals are also a problem as they allow moisture to enter the container during variation in Freezer temperature.
 

SunConureBaba

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May 16, 2022
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Greater Toronto Area, Canada
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Sun Conure son (with me in spirit);
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Magpie (rescued as baby, returned to the wild after 1 year, 24+ years ago).
What kind of bags do you use if you put them in the fridge / freezer? I been using double Ziplock bags for fridge storage.

Harrison's suggests keeping pellets in its original package though. Their bags seal well, TOP's don't.
 

SailBoat

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Jul 10, 2015
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Western, Michigan
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What kind of bags do you use if you put them in the fridge / freezer? I been using double Ziplock bags for fridge storage.

Harrison's suggests keeping pellets in its original package though. Their bags seal well, TOP's don't.

Harrison's original packaging for the first two to three weeks to kill off an bugs than break-down into double Ziplock bags for storage marking them with purchase date and bag number 1 of XX, etc..
 

SunConureBaba

Well-known member
May 16, 2022
101
262
Greater Toronto Area, Canada
Parrots
Sun Conure son (with me in spirit);
Baby Robin (my son's reincarnation? RIP);
Red Factor Sun Conure (adopted);
Magpie (rescued as baby, returned to the wild after 1 year, 24+ years ago).
Harrison's original packaging for the first two to three weeks to kill off an bugs than break-down into double Ziplock bags for storage marking them with purchase date and bag number 1 of XX, etc..
kill off bugs? in the opened / unopened bag?
 

SailBoat

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Jul 10, 2015
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Western, Michigan
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Shock and surprise all dry foods have some level of infestation and as a result, all can develop bugs from grumps. Yes, even such staples as flour, although very uncommon nowadays. With Parrot dry food it still is a bit more common and as a result, it just good practice to Freeze for at least the first few weeks after you buy to kill-off any possible bugs.
 

Vampiric_Conure

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May 16, 2022
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I always freeze my food. Kills moths and it keeps the food fresher than leaving it out :)
 

SunConureBaba

Well-known member
May 16, 2022
101
262
Greater Toronto Area, Canada
Parrots
Sun Conure son (with me in spirit);
Baby Robin (my son's reincarnation? RIP);
Red Factor Sun Conure (adopted);
Magpie (rescued as baby, returned to the wild after 1 year, 24+ years ago).
Shock and surprise all dry foods have some level of infestation and as a result, all can develop bugs from grumps. Yes, even such staples as flour, although very uncommon nowadays. With Parrot dry food it still is a bit more common and as a result, it just good practice to Freeze for at least the first few weeks after you buy to kill-off any possible bugs.
Didn't know this, surprised! Though I haven't seen any bugs in my birb's food. Do I need to soak the Harrison's pellets before serving, after taking it out of my freezer?
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,662
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Western, Michigan
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Didn't know this, surprised! Though I haven't seen any bugs in my birb's food. Do I need to soak the Harrison's pellets before serving, after taking it out of my freezer?

No, unless you normally soak prior to providing.
We shift the next packet to the refrigerator the day before use and allow it to adjust to the refrigerator temperature prior to serving. You should find the product as fresh as when you placed it in the serving packet.

Lucky you, but just because you haven't does not mean you will not at some point in the future.
 

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