what brand of food?

[quakerdad69]

I keep reading to feed my quaker pellet blend, is there a specific brand they will eat? All he wants to eat is seed mix.

 

[MonicaMc]

If your quaker doesn't eat any pellets, sometimes the best pellet is the one that he *will* eat. Once he's eating pellets, you can then try converting him to a better pellet... or start him off on the pellet you want him to eat right away and try different conversions to getting him to eat healthier.

I recommend TOP's, Roudybush, Harrison's and Mazuri as best brands. There are others out there.... as the following link will show - and many of these brands I may not suggest due to added sugars and dyes in the foods.
Cockatiel Sized Pellet Comparison - Artemis Aviary: African Lovebirds; North Carolina, USA

These are brands mostly in North America. People living outside of North America may not have access to these brands, but may have access to others... such as Australia has Vetafarm and Passwells (not recommended often),

 

[momto3]

Our Quaker will only eat the Pretty Bird brand of pellets and that is only if they are mixed in to her other seed food. I have been unable to convert her to any other brand and I have tried all that I can purchase. I haven't gone cold turkey on her because she is a small Quaker and the vet doesn't think she should lose the weight from not eating for a couple of days. Because she doesn't really eat any pellets, I make sure that she gets a vitamin A supplement, protein in the form of egg or chicken, and a good mix of fruits and veggies (including sweet potato). My Blue Crowned conure eats ANY brand of pellet and he has been very helpful in eating his way through the refrigerator full of uneaten pellets left over from our picky Quaker. I suggest to just keep trying.

 

[aliray]

My quaker won't eat pellets. So I feed Higgens Conure Gormet seed, veg,fruit and nut mix as a base diet and then daily fresh fruit, veg a starch and a protein. and I make birdy bread with ground up pellets added to the birdy bread. That way he gets some but doesn,t know it

 

[cnyguy]

Ralph likes the Pretty Bird Daily Select in the small size, and the small ZuPreem Fruit Blend; he'll eat plain Roudybush pellets too, but only if they're mixed in with the other brands.

 

[LoveMyParrots]

Harrison's and Roudybush is really good. I live in Australia, I feed my alexandrine parakeet vetafarm paradise pellet.

You can start with the coloured and fruity pellet first, like ZuPreem, pretty bird or kaytee. And then change to the better brands. It may help.

 

[quakerdad69]

I'm feeding him kaytee exact now. He won't touch it

 

[MonicaMc]

I don't necessarily recommend Kaytee, but if that's the easiest thing available to you, might be better than none!

Here's something that might help...
http://www.parrotforums.com/general-health-care/23367-converting-parrots-healthier-diet-tips.html



You might try contacting the different pellet companies and asking for free samples. Some may give them, some may give a free sample if you pay for shipping, some might sell small bags of foods while others will have a money back guarantee.

When trying out pellets, see if you can get them in two to three different sizes... i.e. the size recommended for your species, a size small and a size larger. In this way, you may be able to figure out what size your quaker prefers and potentially get him started eating better!

 

[Remy]

With both Puck and Darcy, I just put Harrison's High Potency in their bowls when I first got them, without any other food (just water), and they started eating them.

Lol, I wish I could have gotten Darcy on camera a couple weeks ago. He was standing on the edge of his dish, facing out. He kept reaching his hand backwards, into the dish, and grabbing handfuls of pellets.

 

[quakerdad69]

Well good news is I just gave him pellets and he was eating off and on today, the bad news he also started plucking out feathers on his chest and back. Probably not a coincidence.

 

[Remy]

Uh oh. What kind of pellets?

I wonder if he is stressed emotionally from the food change. Maybe giving him some of his old food, but still letting him have pellets too?

 

[quakerdad69]

Yeah, I agree, I'm going to have to mix them and hope he eats the fruit and vegies. After he finishes his seeds. And hope he doesn't stay stressed. Man caring for birds is tough but also rewarding.

 

[NWQuakers]

Mark & Lucky eat Zupreem avian maintenance with no problems. It's color-free, and tiel-sized little kibbles. Lately I've been sprinkling some Roudybush in with it, just to add variety. They eat some of both.

Mark has always had a good appetite and been willing to try whatever I put under her beak. Lucky came to us eating a seed mix, but seemed happy to have the kibble. I think Mark encouraged her though.

I can't recall when I settled on the Zupreem. It's been years though. It's available locally, so that's a big consideration. We shop at 3 diff feed stores plus Petco for our various critters, so it hhelps to have parrot food available at one of those places instead of buying online.

 

[MonicaMc]

Mark & Lucky eat Zupreem avian maintenance with no problems. It's color-free, and tiel-sized little kibbles. Lately I've been sprinkling some Roudybush in with it, just to add variety. They eat some of both.

Mark has always had a good appetite and been willing to try whatever I put under her beak. Lucky came to us eating a seed mix, but seemed happy to have the kibble. I think Mark encouraged her though.

I can't recall when I settled on the Zupreem. It's been years though. It's available locally, so that's a big consideration. We shop at 3 diff feed stores plus Petco for our various critters, so it hhelps to have parrot food available at one of those places instead of buying online.

Just thought of this.... Zupreem had a food recall... although the food you have is probably not included, since it was for the Fruitblend only.


ZuPreem FruitBlend Voluntary Recall

 

[Tuukee]

one good trick i do is my lil guy-- Tuukee doesnt like pellets yet either... so ive been sticking to fresh foods- there is a list on line: Fresh Food List For Parrots. he loves love love to eat fresh foods so every time i eat i make sure he flocks w me and he eats the same food i do... i.e corn- get him corn on the cobb good foraging for him and chicken- boiled and no seasonings... like that. it helps and then sweet potatoes i mis the pellets in that. it covring the bland flavor... thats my best advice... try it!

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Have you tried Harrison's fine size? It's small like seeds. Rosie never touched the normal harrison's but took to the fine sized pellets right away(she was already eating pellets)