Converting to pellets

[ramunefizz]

So, I have questions again, sorry guys.

I got pellets... three days ago, I think. I ended up going to a small pet store my friend works at(we were doing last-minute food shopping for Thanksgiving, and the supermarket was right next to it anyway) and got some new bowls for my budgies, as well as some pellets.

The bowls are stainless steel 10 oz. One

Comments

[ramunefizz]

I was looking for Harrison's, since I'd heard that was better, but the store is fairly small and only carried the fruity ZuPreem. I'm not going to be picking up more pellets until this is through, so... :(a

[ltdead]

Harrisons can be hard to find.
The 'avian entrees' has lots of stuff my birds personally won't touch... I just get the Zupreem Natural, as I don't trust the dyes in the fruit blend.

[spyderqueen]

My preferred Avian Entrees became harder and harder to find, so now I get the Zupreem Natural and buy freeze-dried fruits and veggies to mix into it based on what I know my birds eat. It's working pretty well.

[mimimanderly]

I can only tell you how I converted my birds to pellets, and it was way easier than I had heard, but somewhat unorthodox. I didn't put any in their dish. Instead, I opened the bag and ate a few pellets in front of them, making yummy sounds and not offering them any. Now, I generally offer them whatever I am eating, so if I am actually hoarding something, it MUST be good! They craned their necks at me, obviously wanting some of whatever I was eating. I acted hesitant, rolled my eyes and gave them each ONE, as if I were doing them an enormous favor. They ate it and liked it. I gave them another. I filled their bowls with pellets from then on, and I never had any trouble about it

[ramunefizz]

They don't really care what I'm eating, they aren't super tame or interested in me much. This would probably be easier if they were, truthfully. :P

[ramunefizz]

It was the only one they had at the time, and so far their poop is normal so I doubt they're eating enough to stain it. I don't have to worry about them pooping on furniture and clothes anyway though, so that's a plus.

[lindabcs]

Do you have a scale? Ideally you just weigh them every day to make sure they're not losing too much weight (>10% for most birds) and then go from there. I use a food scale from walmart for my birds. That said, if you're offering all they seeds they can eat for a half hour or so 2-3 times a day, they should be doing okay. Do they eat any fresh foods? If they do, make sure to keep offering those too so they can eat that too.

[ramunefizz]

I don't, and i have a feeling getting them onto a scale would be a wrestling match, haha. I unfortunately don't have the money for a scale at the moment(or anything, really, I spent it on this stuff) so it'll have to wait. And no, they won't eat fresh foods. I'm giving Nikki some extra seed during the day, especially if I know I won't be home all day/for a long while. It's just irritating since usually by the time I come home all of his seed is on the floor and the seed bowl's half-hanging off the cage bars.

[caligogreywings]

I know that with my parrotlets, which are about the size of a budgie and have so far been about the same personality, you usually have to hang a millet spray just in case. When I first brought the parrotlets home, they wouldn't eat the same food they'd always been eating, but they would destroy the millet. It's fatty, but for the first week, it made me feel confident that they were getting *something*.

Daily monitoring and weighing is always a good idea, and just take a little kitchen scale to do.

[ramunefizz]

I do put some chunks of millet in their pellet bowl every so often, but I can't leave a whole stick in there. It'd be the only thing they eat, and Romeo would tear it apart.