PELLLETS

[indy]

I was wondering if anybody has the word on Kaytee Exact Pellets? Are they still going to be made available in Australia? My stock is getting quite low and i have no idea where i can purchase more.

[jill]

I remember seeing them once at bird world in vic a few months ago..But I use the vetafarm ones, There made in australia..My tiels love them..The other birds won't touch them..

[chickabee]

I use the Vetafarm brand as well, most good pet supplies should have them, but just keep an eye on the use-by date. I have read a few places that you can feed your birds just the pellets on there own, not too sure this is a good idea as I like lots of variety, my tiels get a treat cup of oats, dried natural fruits, sultanas and a sprinkle of the pellets, I have one boy that is picky with his food but he does enjoy a few pellets mixed in with his greens, I think he likes them when they get a bit soggy, god love him.

[jill]

my tiels love them, same thing, I wouldn't give them an all pellet diet.. more bird shops seem to be getting them in..There not cheap though, I've got quite a few young ones in the aviary, I gave them a coffee cup full this morning, there was none left when I got home from work..This is along with there veges and seed..there plowing through the food..what sort of oats do you give them, I haven't tried mine on oat..I do have one tiel that just loves meal worms though..I had two quails in the aviary and i'd give them a few meal worms..One hen would get down there and chew them all...

[AussieBirds]

Hi Jill
I feed my birds hulled oats mixed in with thier other seed, I also sprout them the birds love them. I don't give my birds pellets at all because i dont like them, however that's only my opinion.

John

[jill]

I remeber a documentry on tv a few years ago regarding bird pellets and what they were putting in them, ie cardboard, and othere really bad stuff..and they put some under a microscope and showed the hidden mold..I was very anti pellet until I joined a US chat site, half of them are anti seed...So I bought a little bag of the veta farm, and gave the tiels a little in a bowl, I didn't think they would have anything to do with them..but they love them..Then I checked with an avian vet and he recommended them as the birds don't require added vitamin suppliments....But my parrots won't have a bar of them...

[indy]

since i have started breeding birds i have always included pellets in their diet, i have tried many including vetafarm,kaytee,prettybird and tropican. i have found that with kaytee i have had a lot more success with breeding. there will always be a debate over pellets, i for one are all for them. i think in the long run they are cheaper then seed, they are less messy(no hulls left behind) and they devour the lot. my birds diet is about 70% pellets the rest is seed(sprouted and soaked) and fruit and veg. they seem to be doing great.

[josiedownunda]

I think feeding pellets comes down to personal preference. Personally I am a seed feeder but must admit I have started giving Hi-pro pellets made by Breeders Choice as an extra. The seeds are still the basis for their feed but the pellets are there if they want them. I am always concerned on the quality of the ingredients in pellets and also the actual content. Once everything is all wrapped up in pellet form you have no idea what is in there except for what the manufacturer wants us to know......and he just wants to make money so I am always sceptical.
Jo-Anne

[sal]

I have tried pellets and the 'biscuits' for parrots from tropican. My Gangs love the bickies but they only seem to like crunching them up rather than eating them! Rather expensive chew treat The pellets they don't really touch. Perhaps if i only offered them the pellets they would have to eat them, but i figure they are an expensive way to force feed my birds. Maybe another brand may interest them. Personally i think that variety is the spice of life- so adding pellets which are a different taste and shape etc is enriching their lives as well as providing nutritional benefits. ;D
Cheers,
Sal.

[tonyo]

HI!
I just recently tried paswell parrot pellets and galah loves it. It's also made in australia. I dont know how people feel about it but I can really see tha change i my parrot. I spoke to someone at taronga park zoo they use it aswell. I think its great.

[jill]

Hi Tonyo,
I use the vetafarm, mainly because there more readily available..My triels love the pellets..I was at the vets last week and they had the passwell..I asked him the difference..He said the price..They are cheaper..but vetafarm are in the bird stores...I bought some of the passwell and the tiels devoured them down the same as the vetafarm..But all my baby tiels come out big and they look very healthy...but they also get alot of greens and veges..

[parrotpotential]

We've used Passwells pellets because they are cheaper and made in Australia and can be bought from several sources but at the moment I'm trying out some pellets that are on petlink and they seem to be getting eaten just the same.
It is also cheaper for us to get 5kg of passwells posted to us from South Australia to Melbourne, I could dig out the info if anyone wants it.

Cheers
Kim and Steve

[Suzy]

parrotpotential said:

We've used Passwells pellets because they are cheaper and made in Australia and can be bought from several sources but at the moment I'm trying out some pellets that are on petlink and they seem to be getting eaten just the same.
It is also cheaper for us to get 5kg of passwells posted to us from South Australia to Melbourne, I could dig out the info if anyone wants it.

Cheers
Kim and Steve

Any chance of that info for the pellets?

[Smiley]

Have you tryed vetafarm,I think they where supples of Kaytee products.You can always email them.

www.vetafarm.com.au

[jeremy]

i personally don't feed my birds pellets on a regular basis. Pellets are given to my birds as a treat every now and then. I use Vetafarm Pellets as i think Vetafarm are great.
The only other time i use them is when i am trying to wean babies

[Jacksprat]

My friend has larger parrots and only feeds pellets. Due to running out of the usual brand at the shop, she went back to seed. In the few weeks she noticed a huge change in behaviour in the corella. He started to chew into his chest today and is spending the night at the vets! She says seed makes them more hyper, but if that is the natural diet in the wild, then what is the reason for this?
Jacqui

[AussieBirds]

Just a comment here, perhaps the pellets are habit forming and the bird is going through withdrawal symptoms. How would seed make birds hyper as you say in the wild they eat seed.....sorry I cant accept that explanation. The seed and pellet debate is one of the most emotive issues in the bird world and you will never get people to agree on it. Personally I wont feed my birds pellets, I will never be convinced that a manufactured food is better for my birds that what they eat naturally.....like i said it's only my opinion but something I am very set in my ways about.

John

[Jacksprat]

Oh, I agree with you John. I can't accept that a processed food could be better either. For the same reason I don't feed my dog and cat tinned food, or packaged/processed food to my family. Well, maybe on the rare occasion, but it's not the staple diet. I'm all for raw &/or natural-diets. Though my husband did bring up a good point......it may be their natural diet, but the bird is not in it's natural enviroment whereby it flys around and burns up the energy from the seed. Sitting in a cage does not burn the fuel! (as these birds do)

[beachbird]

yeah I do that same thing Jeremy. I give them the Verafarm ones, mainly to my weaning babies, as a daily suppliment along with the seeds. This is while they're still having a couple of feeds of raising formula as well.

I also add some to seeds as a treat for the grown birds. They like them, but not as much, as they didn't have them when they were young.

[coltfire]

well i feed my birds a parrot mix seed,apple,corn kiwi fruit paw paw,celery,carrot,capsicum(red),zuceeny,broccoli,5 Armand's,sprouts,grapes,and twice a week hard boiled egg,chicken leg cooked,and mango's when in season.