Tropican Pellets

[flossy]

Hi All

Just wondering if anyone has used Tropican Pellets for their birds and if so, what did or do you think of them compared to say Vetafarm?

Have an Ecky hen on the Paradise Pellets - she has been on them with seed as well, since I have had her - however, I am thinking of changing her pellets due to a runny bum? Like more so than my other ecky who doesn't eat a lot of pellets.

Could you guys give me your opinions please?

Thanks

[avinet]

I did try them a while ago, but my birds wer enot keen, and I didn't like their smell, so didn't continue.

However nutritionally they have a good reputation among the American breeders I know.

cheers,

Mike

[flossy]

Thanks Mike. I'm just finding the Paradise are just causing her to have such a messy bum, so might try these if I can source them.......Thanks heaps

Cheers!
Floss

[Robyn]

I use them flossy without any dramas at all. Tell you what i am road testing
Passwell Parrot Soft Food, gave Gypsy & Precious their first try today
& it's a huge hit. Got it from the PSOA. It's got lots of goodies in it.
Especially when breeding. But all parrots can have it 2 or 3 times a week.
Try the PSOA they have Tropican Pellets

[Gerard]

Hi Flossy, have been very busy with work lately. I cannot advise regarding Tropican or Paradise. I switched my birds from Vetafarm Maintenance Pellets over to Harrisons High Potency, which I get from my Avian Vet. Both Hooded Parrots have put on some really good condition and weigh about 10% more than when I got them. The weight gain is all muscle and the birds are also much more active than when I got them. I wouldn't take too much notice of the USDA organic stamp on the packet though. Based on the extensive research I did when I was doing the conversion from seed to pellets, and with a bit of help from Mike pointing me in the right direction, either Harrisons or Roudybush are as good as it gets.

A couple of things that I like about both these brands is that everything that goes into their pellets is listed on the back of the packet...and I mean everything. If you have a look at the back of your Vetafarm pack, it will list a dozen ingredients that "it may contain". Given the droughts and floods we have suffered over recent years, availability of certain ingredients may have been an issue, so there maybe a valid reason for the "May Contain" clause.

I would recommend the Coarse size in Harrison's and the Mini size in Roudybush for your ecky. Mini in Roudybush is a surprising large pellet. So large in fact that my birds didn't bother with it, so I sent it up to Mike and got a small bag of Nible size which they will accept. As far as I know, you can only get Harrison's through a vet, but you can order direct from their web site. Harry, the Australian Distributor, will sell you Roudybush direct if you cannot acquire it locally and is very helpful in this regard. I buy the Harrison's in a 6 pack (6 X 1lb bags) as this makes it a bit cheaper.

I know Mike swears by Roudybush and I am just as happy with Harrison's and therefore I will not recommend one brand above the other. I use Harrison's simply because it is easier for me to obtain locally. The changes I have seen in my own birds since placing them on a high quality pellet diet has been nothing less than wonderful. In some ways, almost magical. Increased weight without being fat, increased muscle, better colour and feather quality, higher activity levels. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen. I know that Mike will validate this from his own extensive experience with his own birds.

Any time that you spend in acquiring either of these two quality products will be time well invested. The results will speak for themselves. You are definitely on the right track by looking for a better quality of pellet if you are not happy with the one you are using currently, so I hope this is of some assistance.

[flossy]

Thanks guys....Robyn, I saw that Passwell food a while back and wondered what it was like? I might get some just as a treat.
I've been able to get a hold of some Tropican pellets, so might give them a go for a while. I've also heard good reports about Harrison's Gerard, so I will check out the website if I can find it....lol. Thanks heaps for all the info, much appreciated!!

Take care, stay warm, Floss

[avinet]

Jun 1, 2012 9:03:35 GMT 10 flossy said:

Thanks Mike. I'm just finding the Paradise are just causing her to have such a messy bum, so might try these if I can source them.......Thanks heaps

Cheers!
Floss

How do you know it is the pellets and not something else?

cheers,

Mike

[flossy]

Hi Mike

I've had her to the vet, and all ok. As I did start to panic at first. My other ecky is fine, and he doesn't eat a lot of the pellets, so I started to narrow it down. I just notice her poops are quite smelly as well, and basically the only thing we can put it down to, that is different from everything else I have here, is the Pellets. So I would like to change them slowly and see if that's the issue. She isn't a big seed eater, and has fresh fruit and vegies everyday - so I guess I'm assuming in a lot of ways........but as I said, it's the only thing different?

[avinet]

Jun 3, 2012 10:25:11 GMT 10 flossy said:

Hi Mike

I've had her to the vet, and all ok. As I did start to panic at first. My other ecky is fine, and he doesn't eat a lot of the pellets, so I started to narrow it down. I just notice her poops are quite smelly as well, and basically the only thing we can put it down to, that is different from everything else I have here, is the Pellets. So I would like to change them slowly and see if that's the issue. She isn't a big seed eater, and has fresh fruit and vegies everyday - so I guess I'm assuming in a lot of ways........but as I said, it's the only thing different?

Smelly and messy poos - sounds like a hen getting ready to lay an egg!!! How long has it been going on for?

With Eclectus, I don't feel that pellets ar eall that important. If they are getting a mix of fruit and vegies and that is forming the majority of their diet, then fresh food and some small parrot seed would be a good diet. Maybe some sprouted seed as well.

I would suggest removing pellets completely and see what happens over a couple of weeks. That will show if the pellets were the cause.

Pellets and Eclectus are a mixed blessing. Some Eclectus do seem to have an adverse reaction to pellets, with symptoms such as toe tapping and wing flicking, and these seem to be more common with coloured pellets - perhaps the colour dye is the cause. However I know of at least one Eclectus that reacted badly to Roudybush, so it isn't restricted to coloured pellets.

Anyway just try her on fruit & vegies (aim for 80% of her diet) as well as seed and see what the poos do.

cheers,

Mike

[flossy]

Thanks everyone. Ok, I tried taking the fruit and vegies away for a few days and just let her have pellets, it stayed the same. She has a very good, varied diet. She gets freshly grown, organic fruit and vegies, sprouted seed and small parrot seed. She was actually on pellets when I got her (from a less than nice situation I must say!! I think I already posted about her when I first got her, but she was for sale due to being naughty, noisey and out of control! I brought her home, fed her some HR food and she never looked back - in fact as soon as I heard her cry, I knew she was hungry - Poor thing was never weaned properly, so it was no wonder she was "naughty"!!!!!!)
Anyway.....so I continued the Paradise Pellets as like I said, she was "used" to them and without wanting to upset her further, I just stayed with them. She doesn't eat much seed at all, and just devours her pellets - so I wasn't sure if to remove them all together or slowly, hence why I thought a change in pellets would be good for her.

She has no toe tapping nor wing flicking that I've seen Rick - other than the "runny bum" She is just perfect!!

I will slowly reduce the amount of pellets she has, and see if I can "wean" her off them and see what happens to her poops.

Thanks again

[avinet]

Jun 3, 2012 16:25:29 GMT 10 flossy said:

She has no toe tapping nor wing flicking that I've seen Rick -

Mike actually

How old is she - I can't recall her early history without a search of the archives

I would expect if you remove the pellets she would just eat more fruit and vegies and seed as well, most birds make do with what is available.

cheers,

Mike

[flossy]

Sorry Mike! lol. I was talking to a reptile guy called Rick just before I responded....So sorry MIKE!

Sophie would be 18 months old now. Last time I tried removing the pellets, she started getting a tad upset, hence why I thought changing them might be a good idea.

I will just slowly reduce the amount I give her I think and increase other things for her to see how she goes. Then I can start washing down the walls!! lol......

Thanks MIKE!

Floss

[avinet]

Jun 4, 2012 8:56:20 GMT 10 flossy said:

Sorry Mike! lol. I was talking to a reptile guy called Rick just before I responded....So sorry MIKE!

Sophie would be 18 months old now. Last time I tried removing the pellets, she started getting a tad upset, hence why I thought changing them might be a good idea.

Floss

Hi Flossy, Mike here

18 months is a bit young to have egg laying ambitions - let us know how she goes with a reduced or replaced pellet diet.

cheers,

Mike

[Robyn]

Flossy any change in Sophie yet. Give her less fruit than you normally do & see if that helps also you didn't mention if you give her sprouts. That may help to. I don't feed me eclectus half as much fruit these days, they get more veg & sprouts. Raw nuts. Pellets & the seed mix.

[flossy]

Hi Robyn, no change yet......yep all the birds get sprouts, vegies & greens, small amount of fruit (apples, orange, strawberries, melons etc......seasonal), nuts, pellets and seed mix. She just seems to favour pellets.

I was wondering about food intolerances>? Any info on them anywhere?

[avinet]

A Google search using "food allergies in parrots" turned up a lot of references, but all I looked at seemed to relate to feather plucking, and not messy poos. It might be worth your while to search through the links a bit.

A paper on the subject of allergies in parrots, again referring to plucking, can be seen at www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/archives/ivcvm/1998/macwhirter/index.php

cheers,

Mike

[Gerard]

Flossy, did you end up getting to the bottom of it (no pun intended)?

[flossy]

He Gerard.....Sorry for delay in replying, I've been unwell again. So over being sick! Grrr......

Well I've got her on a 50/50 mix now, so we still have some issues.......Really not sure whether it's going to help or not, but I'll stick with it and see how we go.

I've cut her fruit back and she is still having her sprouts, vegies etc. Time will tell I guess. Thanks for asking Gerard.

Mike thanks for that link. I'll have a look a little later on, she isn't a plucker, so that's something!