Pellets!!!!!

[Kern2012]

Ok I have a CGC and Im really trying to convert her to pellets, I know she will eat them cause she will eat them from my hand almost thinking they are treats, I want to know what is the easiest way for my conure to accept them cause I DO NOT want to cold turkey her into them....

 

[Featheredsamurai]

I find the easiest way is to add them to their food. If she's already eating pellets do 40/60 mix of her (40%)pellets and (60%)seeds. Over the course of 2 weeks add a little more pellets each day until that's all she's eating. Make sure to watch how much your bird is eating and don't let your bird starve because it's refusing pellets. It can take a long time(my galah took 6 months) but yours sounds like it should be a little easier

Some things that help is breaking up the pellets into smaller pieces and trying multiple brands at once. What brand are you feeding her? Harrison's and Totally organic are the best, Zupreme natural isn't bad and is human grade but they add sugar to there mix. Lafeabers also isn't too bad but their pellets aren't human grade(like most pellets).

I feed Rosie a mix of Totally organics and Harrison's fine(small) pellets

 

[truste]

Mine actually accepted them on the first try, so it was essentially cold turkey, but I would've offered her seeds too if she had rejected the pellets & tried to wean her slowly.

Do you already have your pellets picked and purchased? If you're not married to one specific type, you might try giving her a variety of you-approved pellets so that she can choose what she likes. Often people try to wean their bird onto one specific type of pellet and the bird wont have it, but this doesn't mean they'd be against ALL pellets. I was lucky in that the owner of the bird store near me gave me a huge baggie of mixed pellets for free for me to let my bird sample. She ignored everything but the Roudybush, and that's what I have her on today (+ a little TOPs). If the owner hadn't been so generous, I would've bought Harrisons and had a tough time converting her to it.

In terms of conversion, I second Copperarabian's advice. Another method I've heard people use is to leave a bowl of pellets in the cage at all times and only offer a bowl of seeds for, say, 1 hour in the morning, 1 in the afternoon, and 1 at night. Then, over the course of a few weeks, gradually decrease the amount of time the seed bowl is in. The pellets, of course, are in 24/7.

Good luck!

 

[Kern2012]

Well the Vet gave me Harrison and I just went and bought ZuPreem, she will eat the ZuPreem but doesn't really want to touch the Harrison. I will def not starve her just to get her to eat the pellets. Thank you for responding back I have confused about this for a couple days.

 

[Kern2012]

@ truste that is another very good idea both very good ideas! Im not married to one brand I just want Cooper to be health is all

 

[stephend]

With all my birds I found it easy to give them a bowl of pellets and a bowl of seeds.

They still get some seeds, Bob because she needs them and Cricket and Acorn because they like them, but they only accound for 10-15% of consumed food.

 

[MonicaMc]

I've posted what I did as part of a "guide" into getting birds to eat healthier. Not sure if it will help.

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/23367-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html

 

[Eric7788]

Hello. I'm going to try switching Blaze over to pellets. Im seeing alot of people recommend Harrison's. Should I be buying the high potency or adult lifetime? Or something else? Blaze is approximately 8 months old and currently eating a seed mixture.

Oh! and Coarse? Fine? Mash?

 

[Grenage]

I think that the recommendation is high-potency for the first six months of pellet feeding, then regular afterwards. I'd probably pick the fine pellets.

 

[MonicaMc]

The High Potency diet is recommended for birds coming from a bad diet (and possibly poor health as well) and need a boost of nutrients to get started on the right path to a healthier diet - then switching over to the Adult Lifetime after 6 months.

You might want to contact Harrison's and ask them for some samples in different sizes and see which one you and your conure prefer the most. This'll help you decide and save you some money!