Pellets contain many different types of grains and seeds. Pellets prevent the bird from picking out its favourite seeds and leaving the rest, and provide more nutrition than a seed mix. No diet is a complete diet and this includes pellets. While pellets are very healthy and an important part of your bird's diet, you should also be offering your budgie a variety of fresh foods and a small portion of seeds. All-pellet diets have been linked to renal failure in budgies as well as some other small parrot species. All-seed diets lead to malnutrition. Just remember that these are just a part of a complete diet and variety is key! For more information on ratios read Budgie Food/Diet
Brands of Pellets (availability depending where you live): Harrison's (purchase from vet or directly from retailer only), Roudybush, Lafeber's, Kaytee, ZuPreem, Pretty Bird.
How to convert to a new diet: This will be a gradual process and will take a few days or up to several months to switch over. Don't get discouraged if one brand is not accepted, birds are much like children and have similar likes and dislikes as far as taste and texture. Below are some helpful hints on how to covern your pet over.
- Try crushing pellets to a sand like texture and place over the current diet. Your pet will have to sift through the new diet before finding the old diet and will start developing a "taste for the pellets.
- Mix the crushed pellets into any soft foods/tablefoods that your pet enjoys
- After you see some interest in the new diet actual pellets can be introduced
- Always try to keep trace of weight during diet changes. If you can't do this at home then watch for any major decreases in droppings, which may indicate the bird is not eating well. If you see this you may have to revert back a step for a short-time.
- NEVER TRY TO CONVERT "COLD TURKEY" BY TRYING TO FORCE THE NEW DIET. Most birds don't know that pellets are food and my refuse to eat them and could potentially starve themselves.