Thoughts on Lafeber pellet food

[vljenewein]

Opinions. Everyone has them. So, with that, I am curious as to whether any of you have tried the Lafeber prepared Budgie food/pellets?
Link is here: https://lafeber.com/product/parakeet-pellets/

I seemed to have read that Lafeber uses a lower heat and pressure processing that helps to preserve nutrients that can be lost when pellets are made in some manufacturing facilities that use high heat and pressure to process the food.

I did like that it has a substantial protein content as well as low moisture. Many are at least 12% moisture and some even higher. I copy and pasted part of the link/page here for quick view of analysis:
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min): 15.50%
Crude Fat (min): 5.00%
Crude Fiber (max): 3.00%
Moisture (max): 10.50%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids (min): 0.27%
Omega 6 Fatty Acids (min): 2.00%

I am sure there are other good products out there, but this one seemed to be created by a renowned Avian Veterinarian Dr. T. J. Lafeber, Distinguished Veterinarian. His story is found at this link: https://lafeber.com/our-story/ I believe he was from Niles Michigan.

 

[foxgloveparrot]

Lafeber's is good food for almost any bird, not just budgies. The packaging is nice and birds generally like it.
I feed it on occasion, but the main base diet I use for my birds is Harrison's pellets.
But Lafeber's is one of the best pellet brands out there if your birds like it and, of course, it's better than feeding seed.
Some reviews on this food say the size of the pellets is too big for your budgies, but if that is the case, just grind them up or smash them into small pieces.
Go ahead and feed them.

 

[vljenewein]

Some reviews on this food say the size of the pellets is too big for your budgies, but if that is the case, just grind them up or smash them into small pieces.

I was thinking the same thing. Run them through a colander and feed what falls though and the rest, rub it until it falls though or make smaller.

 

[Zoruace]

i personly never tried it but it seems good

 

[vljenewein]

I was also looking at TOPS as well, but on Amazon it sure is pricey. Looks a lot like the food you would see for rabbits.
When I was living on the farm/ranch we would feed cattle "cake" to the cows in the winter. Boy, they sure loved it. It was a combination of grains, etc. but because dry hay you put up in the summer is not as nutritious as fresh grass/hay, loosing some of the nutrient and becoming more of a "filler" it helped to add nutrition to the hay we feed... sort of off topic, but this is what the TOPS reminded me of.

 

[Birdgirl24]

I love harrisons pellets and my budgies adore them

https://www.amazon.com/Harrisons-Adult-Lifetime-Fine-1lb/dp/B0007LI0WC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=YZH9SJAMGN50&keywords=harrisons+pellets&qid=1640273153&sprefix=harrisons+pellets%2Caps%2C396&sr=8-2

 

[foxgloveparrot]

I was also looking at TOPS as well, but on Amazon it sure is pricey. Looks a lot like the food you would see for rabbits.
When I was living on the farm/ranch we would feed cattle "cake" to the cows in the winter. Boy, they sure loved it. It was a combination of grains, etc. but because dry hay you put up in the summer is not as nutritious as fresh grass/hay, loosing some of the nutrient and becoming more of a "filler" it helped to add nutrition to the hay we feed... sort of off topic, but this is what the TOPS reminded me of.

Top's is very healthy, high-quality food that is worth the money - if you can get your birds to eat it. I have owned a total of seven birds and none of them have ever tried the Top's pellets.
They are most likely to eat Harrison's, IMO.

 

[SailBoat]

We use primarily Harrisons with Tops as a second choice. That does not make one better than the other only our choice.

I go with Scott on this one. If your Parrot will eat it, you are 85% of the way there!

My NO Go items are:
No Sugar
No Salt
No Colorings

It is important to remember that Pellets are classified as a process food, which mean amount other things that it is ground to a powder and cooked at a high temperature to assure its 'dead' and thus has shelf life! The most important thing with Pellets is what they are adding to the paste to 'enrich' it.

If you are buying strictly based on price that is not a good way to select. We always choose to share our Amazons 'left behind' for the outdoor birds and whatever else visits the feeder.

 

[vljenewein]

I love harrisons pellets and my budgies adore them

I looked at the link you showed me and then looked at the Super-Fine Harrison link. One of the ingredients is bentonite, which is a clay compound that swells when hydrated. They use it a LOT in the wine making industry to pull out some protein and make the wine protein stable. If used too much it also strips it of some of the flavor. It is also used as a liner for bottomless stock tanks. We used it on the ranch to put into tanks with just a rim around them and then add water. The bentonite swells and prevents leaking in that manner. Odd that they used it in their formula
Also one reviewer gave it 1 star and would have liked to give it a -5 as 3 months after he started feeding it to his parakeet his budgie developed kidney failure and gout. Odd really. link to super-fine Harrison's https://www.amazon.com/Harrisons-Hi...e74fb8&pd_rd_wg=4vIOo&pd_rd_i=B0040QAESI&th=1

 

[vljenewein]

and cooked at a high temperature to assure its 'dead' and thus has shelf life!

The one nice thing about Lafeber is that it is processed at lower temperatures and heat than some extruded pellet foods. Lower heat means less nutrient loss. Example, You can heat some food so much that you loose some of the vitamin content. Shelf life is important, but a lot of shelf life I would imagine comes with lower moisture content.

 

[Laurasea]

lafeber is a great company, tgey also have veterinarians post articles on behavior and info on parrots which I really like. Tops is fantastic, my parrots did eat it but only when package is just opened, I tried different ways to maintain freshness but none worked as in they liked it way less.
My budgies will nibble on all if the pellets I offer my other birds. They also love leafy lettuces and veggies they do a great job of eating everything! They also always have parakeets seed mix available, and eat boiled egg abd eggs shells too

 

[vljenewein]

My NO Go items are:
No Sugar
No Salt
No Colorings

I don't think Harrison's fit's your "NO Go" list then, as one of the ingredients is sea salt. Salt is salt.

 

[foxgloveparrot]

If you are so sure what you are doing, why not just go ahead with what feels right to you?

 

[SailBoat]

I don't think Harrison's fit's your "NO Go" list then, as one of the ingredients is sea salt. Salt is salt.

Yes and it is expensive as well! So I forgive them. I know why and how much!

 

[foxgloveparrot]

Yes and it is expensive as well! So I forgive them. I know why and how much!

Personally I don't think it's that expensive, and is worth it

 

[vljenewein]

General consensus is that it might be a good food IF the parakeet will eat it.
There are some that object to ground corn and soybean, but processed right, I feel, it can add to overall protein and other nutritional value. What I do like is the lower moisture of it. Too bad you can't get a "sample" from the company to first try out.

 

[foxgloveparrot]

General consensus is that it might be a good food IF the parakeet will eat it.
There are some that object to ground corn and soybean, but processed right, I feel, it can add to overall protein and other nutritional value. What I do like is the lower moisture of it. Too bad you can't get a "sample" from the company to first try out.

Yeah, that's true. What good is healthy food if the budgie won't eat it? How many different pellets have you tried so far?

 

[Littleredbeak]

I looked at the link you showed me and then looked at the Super-Fine Harrison link. One of the ingredients is bentonite, which is a clay compound that swells when hydrated. They use it a LOT in the wine making industry to pull out some protein and make the wine protein stable. If used too much it also strips it of some of the flavor. It is also used as a liner for bottomless stock tanks. We used it on the ranch to put into tanks with just a rim around them and then add water. The bentonite swells and prevents leaking in that manner. Odd that they used it in their formula
Also one reviewer gave it 1 star and would have liked to give it a -5 as 3 months after he started feeding it to his parakeet his budgie developed kidney failure and gout. Odd really. link to super-fine Harrison's https://www.amazon.com/Harrisons-Hi...e74fb8&pd_rd_wg=4vIOo&pd_rd_i=B0040QAESI&th=1

Too much protein is bad. When I used high potency my lovebird started regurgitating alot. It turned out it was too much protein. I now just sprinkle it in with his TOPS pellets and sprouted seeds. I highly recommend TOPS and I've done alot of research. I also use Lafaber's Senior Nutriberries that has milkthisle and glutathione.

 

[vljenewein]

How many different pellets have you tried so far?

The only food I have that has pellets in it is ZuPreem Smart selects for Finches and Canaries. We got it when we bought the 2 Zebra Finches at VI Pets in Holland. It is part of the ZuPreem "Essential Nutrition"

I also have Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Egg-Cite! Food Parakeet on my Amazon wish list as well.

​

 

[vljenewein]

Lafeber is sending me some samples. Was supposed to be here today, but we are in a Winter Storm Warning and UPS cancelled it's "out for delivery" on me today. Maybe tomorrow. I did buy some Roudybush (small nibbles) to try. Might be here from Amazon on Friday. The odd thing in the ingredients in Roudybush is the inclusion of Ammonium hydroxide near the end of the ingredients listing, which means it only in trace amount. It does have Vitamin A added and is steam processed so as to not overcook and destroy vitamins. Does include alfalfa in the upper part of the ingredients and that adds in a good source of Vitamin K.

They do seem to like a tiny bit of apple I put in the cage on occasion.
I would think slices of carrots or something like Kale, Romaine lettuce, Collards or such would also be a good source of Vitamin A as well.

We live on a small farm and have a boat load of Sunchokes aka Jerusalem Artichokes (member of the sunflower family.... curious if any of you have heard of Budgies eating that? Not seeds, but tubers, kind of like a potato, but not of the same group of solanines like tomatoes, eggplants, etc.