#pellet ask

[flock-talk]

Hi! I was wondering how things have been going trying out HOPP pellets and your opinion on where it would fall in your pellet tier list! Thanks!

I’m loving them! I’d say they’re what I always wanted TOPs to be tbh. Lacking in the major filler ingredients and allergen friendly without sacrificing taste, texture, or nutrition to do so. TOPs is just a bit of a different market niche being that it’s all vegetable based not added vitamins (neither is bad or evil, just suits different personal preferences// allergies) but I’d say that HOPP is as close to TOPs as you can get with added vitamins n minerals instead of entirely dried food ingredients

Both my birds have been scarfing the HOPP pellets down, theyve quickly become Newts favourite and I’ll definitely be making them a part of our pellet mix. No allergic reactions from newt either. They break apart fairly easily with a satisfying crunch and leave standard crumbs behind (not the massive alfalfa crumbly mess that TOPs does) it’s pretty similar to the roudybush consistency.

I hope they end up expanding the line to more sizes, looks like they just have one pellet size right now which is fine but I like getting weird sizes for additional enrichment. If the caitec OFB ever come back I’ll be ordering them again regardless because of that giant size I can get them in (the birds love the biggest size for foot holding and I find it helps keep beaks down easier when offering oversized pellets). So my offerings would be Harrison’s hot pepper pellets, HOPP, caitec OFB, and the TOPs.

If I had to make a top 5 I’d probably put HOPP, caitec, TOPs, Harrison’s lifetime, roudybush

Based on ingredients, likeliness a bird will eat it, size variety, and allergens

I’m so glad there’s finally an entirely soy free pellet that isn’t just TOPs 😭

[flock-talk]

That last anon answer has me wondering, what in your opinion is the best pellet out there?

At the present moment I don’t believe there is a best pellet. With current research we don’t even know what exact foods wild parrots we keep as pets eat. what vitamins and minerals are actually needed in what quantities for optimal health. Most of the data used to formulate diets for captive parrots is based off studies done on chickens. Pellets don’t run feeding trials and the singular one that claims they do won’t publish any data for consumers to make educated decisions.

We don’t have any of the data necessary to be able to say that there is one that checks the boxes better than another. Currently when selecting pellets the knowledge you’re using is as primal as “is this toxic” and “will this cause harm to the body over time” which is where we are able to make statements on fillers, dyes, and sugars.

I feed three different pellets currently for various reasons

TOPs - the ingredients are wholesome foods, no real fillers or additives, no synthetic vitamins (there’s no studies on whether or not a parrot can actually absorb and utilize synthetic vitamins currently, hypothetically they should and there’s nothing wrong with synthetic vitamins, we just do not have proper peer reviewed knowledge on how they interact in a parrot body) however there’s loads of concern over whether TOPs on its own supplies enough nutrients to be a full diet on its own.

Harrisons - it is formulated by a veterinarian (say about that what you will *cough* science diet debacles *cough*), does primarily use fillers but does also have slightly more hearty things like oats and barley, packed with vitamins that may be lacking in other formulations. Have flavour varieties, tougher texture, and much more varied sizes that can benefit more picky eaters. Frequently recommended by other vets, same company also creates liquid formulas for sick and ill birds. Overall does seem like they know what they’re doing.

Caitec - I primarily started feeding this because Newt is allergic to soy and this has very low soy and doesn’t yield a reaction from him. Has some filler but primarily uses oats, quinoa, millet, sunflower. Then you move in to the added vitamins and minerals. Unique crunchy texture, very palatable to my birds, very large size variety which is great for enrichment.

My choice to feed multiples is because of a safety fallback in case of recalls, I won’t be left feeding seeds trying to quickly do a pellet conversion if I have two other backups they can eat. But also to cover nutritional bases. We do not know what they need and I don’t wish to rely on one specific company to be doing everything just right to be providing optimal health for my birds, serving several will hopefully make it so if one pellet is lacking something one of the others will have it. And lastly is enrichment- various flavours, colours, textures and pellet size make meals more interesting and really liven up mealtimes.

There simply isn’t a perfect pellet because nobody knows what that would even look like.

When looking for a food to feed your bird the ultimately best thing to do is ask yourself “is this product made for the birds or to draw human interest”. Flashy colours, silly shapes, and potent sugars will primarily be used to attract your eye- not your birds. The sugars will make it palatable which converts the bird quickly and make the human happy. But the dyes and sugars are not ideal for long term health.

And secondly “how do birds do on this food” in the dog industry you would just get the paperwork from a feeding trial but for birds this means reading forums or sampling it for yourself. you can tell pretty quickly whether a food is doing your specific bird any good. Dull plumage, inconsistent droppings, weird food intake fluctuations, lack of energy, feather destructive behaviour, would all be potential signs that a food isn’t working for your bird (also potential signs of illness so y’know, correlation is not causation)

I did a deep dive last year where I contacted major pellet brands and tried to get any basic info out of them, you may want to read in to that if you want continued reading!

Transparency With Parrot Food Manufacturers

There's been a significant rise in the expectation of transparency between pet food manufacturers and the general public. Dog food manufactu

[flock-talk]

I have a random question: Why do you think they don't make pellets with the nutrients of vegetables? It seems odd that no company has never thought to make food for birds that covers their entire diet?

some pellet companies do claim to be nutritionally complete, harrisons is one that makes those claims for example.  However it is largely agreed that we should not solely feed pellets for a variety of reasons.  The first reason is that parrots are very new to captivity, there aren’t a whole lot of studies that have been done and we do not by any means have a perfect understanding of their nutrition.  Feeding them as close to what they would eat naturally is going to yield the best health for the animal until more studies have been done.  The second reason is that pellets are extremely boring, they’re brown, they’re all the same consistency.  Parrots need a heck of a lot of mental stimulation and taking a big chomp in to a fresh fruit is a form of enrichment, the different flavours, textures, juices and crunch are all very fun things that create a much more enriching environment for them.  The last reason is that pellets are extremely dry, parrots don’t visit the water dish very often because a large portion of their water intake comes from fresh fruits and veggies.  If we take away a large water source like that the birds may become dehydrated which is quite terrible for their systems, as compensation some birds may over-drink which would then have adverse affects as well.

[flock-talk]

Determining whether or not birds are actually eating their pellets seems to be a common concern among bird owners so I’ve recorded a couple close ups of my girls eating which may hopefully help some of you out!

I know they’re eating these pellets by noticing a few things

1) Their body weight is consistent, if they weren’t eating I would see their weight starting to drop during the conversion since the new pellets take up a certain percentage of the pellet/seed portion of their diet

2) Their body language is telling me that they’re eating, not playing.  They’re all fluffed up, comfortable, their attention is aimed towards getting more food in the dish rather than playing around.  They’re calm and obviously focused on the task at hand rather than being thinned out, super energetic, and playing around with many pellets. This is the same way my birds behave while eating any other food I know they already eat, the fact that this body language is consistent is a strong indication that they’re in the mindset of wanting to eat them.

3) The crushed pellet coming out of their mouths is powdered, if they were playing with it the pellet would typically just be falling out in large chunks since the fun is in the way it crumbles.  This powdered portion is just them breaking it down in to a manageable size so they can swallow it.

4) They’re spending a considerable amount of time with each pellet, they’re working on breaking it down to an edible size which takes time and some focus, if they were playing with it the pellet would be short-lived since there’s really no end goal for it, they just want to see it break apart which is done in a matter of moments

5) They’re being repetitive, they’re giving each pellet the exact same treatment, running through the motions of shaving it down so it can be eaten.  If they were playing with it I would find that the way they interact with each pellet is different, when playing they’re trying to find unique new ways to have fun with it which means they may not be crushing each pellet in the exact same manner.

6) They’re aiming for the edge of the pellet after the initial bite. In order to shave it down to be eaten they work away at the sides to slowly make it smaller, when they play with the pellets they tend to aim more towards the middle to produce fun broken pieces. You’ll notice a few instances where Mia (the one with blue wings) breaks the pellet and decides to just drop it instead of eating, likely because she didn’t like the way it broke since she goes back in and picks up the broken pieces and finishes eating them

7) Their droppings have changed colour, their other pellets are roudybush which causes them to have brown droppings, now that they’re eating these TOPs the droppings are coming out dark green which tells me that they are digesting pellet material

All birds will be a little different, not all of them will show all of the indicators and some may present a mixture of things, body weight and droppings are going to be your best indicators if you can’t physically see the pellet being swallowed.

[flock-talk]

So after spending months trying to get my bird to eat her pellets (to no avail) I finally tried hand feeding her a few when she was about to go to bed. Low and behold she loved them. I've been watching her closely throughout the day to make sure she's actually eating but it looks like she is. It's okay to completely remove seed right? I don't have to slowly take it away? She doesn't have any seed now and seems to be doing fine but I wanted to make sure.

If you’re weighing her then yes but if not, no.  There’s no way to know if they’re eating enough without weighing them and when switching diets so rapidly like that it’s very easy for them to decide not to eat it anymore and starve themselves. Since birds drop weight very rapidly this can cause a TON of issues if you don’t keep a close eye on them and they drop.

If you can weigh them and monitor them closely you can definitely ditch the seed as soon as they eat the pellets independents but you do need to be certain you weigh them until they’re 100% on that food without any regression.

[flock-talk]

Do you know if there's any way for me to order Harrison's bird food off their website, when I live in Canada? Or do I have to go to a veterinarian to buy it? Thanks!

Depending on where you live there is a nice store called the West Coast Tropical Bird Studio that sells nothing but bird supplies and they have Harrisons, there’s also featheredaddictions who has them as well, both companies ship anywhere within Canada. I can’t find a way to ship to Canada from the Harrisons site so those two would be your best bet if you don’t want to get them from the vets.

[flock-talk]

Do you have a list of best to worst pellet brands? My girls are currently on fruit zupreem which I learned is not the best. I have the option of switching them to natural zupreem, lafebar pellets or pretty bird. Do you know which is best?

I don’t have a list of all of them but I get asked this a lot so hold on tight we’re going for a ride! Quick note that I am not a vet or nutritionalist, I’m just collecting information from various sources, if anything is wrong, missed, or misinterpreted please let me know so I can correct it. Ordered from best to worst, I would personally only feed the top 4.

Harrisons (adult lifetime)

Ingredients: *Ground Yellow Corn, *Ground Hull-less Barley, *Hulled Grey Millet, *Ground Soybeans, *Ground Shelled Peanuts, *Ground Shelled Sunflower Seeds, *Ground Lentils, *Ground Green Peas, *Ground Toasted Oat Groats, *Ground Alfalfa, *Ground Rice, *Chia Seed, Calcium Carbonate, Montmorillonite Clay, Vitamin E Supplement, Ground Dried Sea Kelp, Sea Salt, *Sunflower Oil, Natural Mixed Tocopherols, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, *Algae Meal, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Carbonate, *Vegetable Oil.*CERTIFIED ORGANIC INGREDIENT

Natural soybeans contain toxins (harrisons does state that they roast them to remove toxins, this also removes a lot of nutritional value)

Added salt, 19th on the list (lowest of the bunch)

Organic ingredients, spoils quickly

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude protein (min.) 14%

Crude fat (min.) 6%

Crude fiber (max.) 4.5%

Moisture (max.) 10%.

Totally Organics

Ingredients: Rice, barley, corn, sunflower seed hulled, alfalfa leaf, sesame seeds unhulled, amaranth whole, quinoa whole, buckwheat hulled, millet hulled, dandelion leaf powder, carrot powder, spinach leaf powder, purple dulse, rose hips powder, rose hips crushed, orange peel powder, lemon peel powder, rosemary whole leaf, cayenne ground, crushed red chili peppers, wheat grass powder, barley grass powder.

a lot of powdered ingredients, generally dehydrated or lacking more nutrients than their raw counterparts still good to have as a base

no added sweeteners or fillers

Guaranteed Analysis:

Protein 15% Max.

Fat 6% Min.

Crude Fiber 6% Max.

Roudybush (maintainence)

Ingredients: Ground Corn, Ground Wheat, Peanut Meal, Soy Oil, Soy Meal, Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate, Yucca schidigen Extract,Salt, Calcium Carbonate, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Lecithin, Silicon Dioxide (carrier for liquid antioxidants), Sodium Selenite (on Calcium Carbonate), Niacin, Alpha-Tocopherol Acetate (Source of Vitamin E), Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Zinc Oxide, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vit. A Acetate, Thiamine, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Vit K), Cyanocobalamin (VitB12), Vit D3 Sup. Folic Acid, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Propionic Acid, Ammonium Hydroxide, Acetic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Tartaric Acid, and natural apple flavoring.

Added salt, 9th on the list

Menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K), a man-made synthetic vitamin K3 which has caused Liver problems, allergic reactions, and anemia in mammals, not many studies on this with avians though and I haven’t found anything specifically saying it’s caused issues

Natural flavouring - These are obtained from plants, meat, fish, fungi and even wood.

Chemical compounds of nutrients, guaranteed nutrient value, covers it’s nutritional bases, lasts a long time

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein Minimum 11.0% Crude Fat Minimum 7.0% Crude Fiber Maximum 3.5% Moisture Maximum 12.0%

Lafeber (parakeet diet)

Ingredients: Ground corn, soybean meal, wheat flour, oat groats, cane molasses, dried whole egg, canola oil, dicalcium phosphate, ground limestone, iodized salt, citric acid, dl-methionine (an essential amino acid), l-lysine (an essential amino acid), vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, ascorbic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, folic acid, copper lysine, choline chloride, zinc oxide, manganese oxide, mixed tocopherols (a preservative), biotin, sodium selenite.

Added salt, 11th on the list

Menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K), a man-made synthetic vitamin K3 which has caused Liver problems, allergic reactions, and anemia in mammals, not many studies on this with avians though and I haven’t found anything specifically saying it’s caused issues

Ground limestone - a common soluble grit, while good for nutrients it may cause issues in the crop

Cane molasses - some health benefits but very high in sugar, 5th on the ingredient list,

Guaranteed Analysis: 

Crude protein not less than 15.5%

Crude fat not less than 5%

Crude fibre not more than 3%

Moisture not more than 10.5%

Zupreem (Naturals)

Ingredients: Ground corn, Soybean meal, Ground millet, Ground oat groats, Ground barley, Ground wheat, Wheat germ meal, Sugar, Vegetable oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Ground flaxseed, Calcium carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Iodized salt, DL-Methionine, Dried carrots, Dried celery, Dried beets, Dried parsley, Dried cranberries, Dried blueberries, Choline chloride, 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), preserved with Mixed tocopherols and Citric acid, Hydrolyzed yeast, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of Vitamin C), Minerals (Manganous oxide, Zinc oxide, Copper sulfate, Sodium selenite, Calcium iodate), Rosemary extract

Menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K), a man-made synthetic vitamin K3 which has caused Liver problems, allergic reactions, and anemia in mammals, not many studies on this with avians though and I haven’t found anything specifically saying it’s caused issues

Added Sugar, 8th on the list

Added salt, 13th on the list

dried/dehydrated foods

most nutritional value is obtained from supplements

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein (min.)14.0%Crude Fat (min.)4.0%Crude Fiber (max.)5.0%Moisture (max.)10.0%

Higgins (InTune Natural)

Ingredients: Ground Yellow Corn, Brown Rice, Soybean Meal, Ground Wheat, Oatmeal, Cane Sugar, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Calcium Carbonate, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate, Sea Salt, Cranberries, Apples, Blueberries, Celery, Beets, Parsley, Lettuce, Spinach, Watercress, Brewer’s Dried Yeast, DL-Methionine, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Algae Meal, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Rosemary Extract, Potassium Chloride, Yeast Extract, Iron Oxide, L-Carnitine, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K), Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Cobalt Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Turmeric, Natural Annatto Coloring, Beet Juice, Natural Citrus Flavor, Natural Banana Flavor, Natural Pineapple Flavor, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product.

Added Sugar

Cane Sugar - pure sugar, birds may become addicted, may refuse fresh fruits and vegetables, may lead to obesity, heart conditions, high doses of sugar can be toxic

Added salt, 15th on the list

“natural” flavourings - These are obtained from plants, meat, fish, fungi and even wood.

Menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K), a man-made synthetic vitamin K3 which has caused Liver problems, allergic reactions, and anemia in mammals, not many studies on this with avians though and I haven’t found anything specifically saying it’s caused issues

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude protein (min.) 15%

Crude fat (min.) 5%

Crude fiber (max.) 5%

Moisture (max.) 11%,

Zupreem (veggie blend)

Ingredients: Ground corn, Soybean meal, Ground wheat, Wheat germ meal, Sugar, Vegetable oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Celery, Green beans, Carrots, Parsley, Beets, Peas, Calcium carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Iodized salt, Natural carrot flavor, DL-Methionine, Choline chloride, 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), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, preserved with Citric acid and Mixed tocopherols, Yellow 5, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (a source of Vitamin C), Yellow 6, Minerals (Manganous oxide, Zinc oxide, Copper sulfate, Sodium selenite, Calcium iodate), Blue 1, Color added, Rosemary extract.

Dyes are high in sugar

Sugar - birds may become addicted, may refuse fresh fruits and vegetables, may lead to obesity, heart conditions, high doses of sugar can be toxic

Coloured pellets can cause birds to pick favourites and not eat the other colours, wasting the bag

Added salt, 15th on the list

Menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K), a man-made synthetic vitamin K3 which has caused Liver problems, allergic reactions, and anemia in mammals, not many studies on this with avians though and I haven’t found anything specifically saying it’s caused issues

Natural flavours - These are obtained from plants, meat, fish, fungi and even wood.

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein (min.)14%Crude Fat (min.)4.0%Crude Fiber (max.)3.5%Moisture (max.)10%

Pretty Bird (daily select)

Ingredients: Corn, Wheat, Oat Groats, Corn Gluten Meal, Potato Protein, Soya Oil, Coconut Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Natural and Artificial Flavors, DL Methionine, Isoleucine, L-Threonine, L-Tryptophan, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Ferrous Sulfate, D-Biotin, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Niacinamide, Magnesium Oxide,Vitamin B12 Supplement,BHT (as a preservative), Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Natural and Artificial Colors, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K3), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Cobalt Sulfate.

Sugary artificial colours

Corn Gluten Meal - little nutritional value, not toxic but just a pointless filler

Coloured pellets can cause birds to choose favourites and refuse other colours, wasting the bag

Birds have been known to develop sensitivities to food colourings

Menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K), a man-made synthetic vitamin K3 which has caused Liver problems, allergic reactions, and anemia in mammals, not many studies on this with avians though and I haven’t found anything specifically saying it’s caused issues

BHT (as a preservative), banned in Japan, Australia, Romania, and Sweden. America has banned it in infant food. Debated in the veterinary field, may cause cancer

artificial flavours

Natural flavours - These are obtained from plants, meat, fish, fungi and even wood.

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (min) 14%

Crude Fat/Oil (min) 5 %

Crude Fiber (max) 4%

Moisture (max) 10 %

Nutribird (P15 tropical)

Ingredients: Grains, seeds (at least 10% peanut kernels), fruit (at least 5% fresh fruit), vegetable protein extracts, vegetable by-products, sugar, minerals, L-lysine, methionine, extr. Yucca schidigera, fructo-oligosaccharides, vitamins, trace elements.

Sugary artificial colours

Sugar -  birds may become addicted, may refuse fresh fruits and vegetables,

fructo-oligosaccharides - another sweetener, vegetable-based, used in medicines, high doses may cause digestive upsets, may lead to obesity, heart conditions, high doses of sugar can be toxic

Coloured pellets can cause birds to choose favourites and refuse other colours, wasting the bag

Birds have been known to develop sensitivities to food colourings

Limited real ingredients

Very high in fats

very limited nutritional value

Guaranteed Analysis

Protein 15%Fat 16%Fibre 3.5%

Kaytee (exact rainbow)

Ingredients: Ground Corn, Ground Wheat, Ground Oat Groats, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Middlings, Ground Flax Seed, Soybean Meal, Dried Whole Egg, Dried Beet Pulp, Soy Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Wheat Germ Meal, Dicalcium Phosphate, L-Lysine, Salt, Algae Meal (source of DHA), Fructooligosaccharide, Corn Sugar, Brewers Dried Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Choline Chloride, Titanium Dioxide, Mixed Tocopherols (a preservative), Yeast Extract, DL-Methionine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Propionic Acid (a preservative), Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Niacin, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), Beta-Carotene, Canthaxanthin, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Artificial Colors, Natural and Artificial Flavors. Allergen information: Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and other tree nuts.

Dehydrated fruits and vegetables

Sugary artificial colours

Coloured pellets can cause birds to choose favourites and refuse other colours, wasting the bag

Fructooligosaccharide - another sweetener, vegetable-based, used in medicines, high doses may cause digestive upsets

Birds have been known to develop sensitivities to food colourings causing illness, behavioural changes, or neurological health conditions

Corn Gluten Meal - little nutritional value, not toxic but just a pointless filler

Added salt, 16th on the list

Menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K), a man-made synthetic vitamin K3 which has caused Liver problems, allergic reactions, and anemia in mammals, not many studies on this with avians though and I haven’t found anything specifically saying it’s caused issues

Corn Sugar - pure sugar, birds may become addicted, may refuse fresh fruits and vegetables, may lead to obesity, heart conditions, high doses of sugar can be toxic

artificial flavours

Natural flavours - These are obtained from plants, meat, fish, fungi and even wood

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein (min.) 14.0% 

Crude Fat (min.)5.0% 

Crude Fiber (max.) 5.0% 

Moisture (max.) 12.0%

Menadione - banned in human foods

BHT

Fructo-oligosaccharides

Corn Gluten Meal

“Natural” flavourings

Soybeans

[flock-talk]

Hi there! Do your birds get pellets? If yes, what kind of pellets do you recommand? I'm now on 'nutribird' i dont know if you know that kind of brand? And what are nutriberries? Are those for every bird? My buddy is a cockatiel btw!

My birds get roudybush pellets along with daily fresh veggies, fruits, and sprouts.  I really recommend roudybush if you can find them, as for nutribird, I’ve never personally worked with them but judging by the ingredients they’re a bit better than Zupreem but not by much which means I’d probably put them on the low end of the top 5 for pellet brands.  If you can find roudybush, harrisons or totally organics I’d probably go for those three over other brands, the ingredients are better and there’s no sugary artificial dyes which makes them much healthier for birds.

Nutriberries are typically a food used to help switch birds on to a pelleted diet or are commonly used as treats, theoretically they can be a healthy choice for the ‘pellet’ portion of an avian diet but many birds will pick and choose favourite parts and not get full nutritional value from them. I personally use them as treats and foraging foods. Those are designed for every hookbill which makes them a fine treat for your bird.