I have contacted Beak Appetite and they have expressed interest in expanding into Australia. I would like to offer a good variety of foods to distribute that are organic and/or are great healthy variety for birds.

 

Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

Edited September 9, 200618 yr by Bea

I picked Beak Appetit cause i've been wanting to get some of their products for AGES!! But i would also like to try pellets from the other companies and avicakes and nutriberries from lafeber!

Cranswick Pet Products - Bucktons

I voted for Beak Appetit although my birds eat Harrison's too. I feed them because there are no unnatural additives, and also because they are made from human-grade foods so I could eat it too if I wanted. (And I have eaten both. ) If I wouldn't eat it myself because I think it contains questionable additives or ingredients I can't pronounce, I don't feel comfortable feeding it to the birds either.

I use a premium Crest mix.

 

I have been told by a breeder that Trill is very low in quality.

I'd probably buy something organic occasionally through you Sherrie, but I don't know enough about them to vote.

 

When we bought Bluey, we also bought the PetStock 5kg bag of budgie mix. Then I bought some Trill nutrivit from the supermarket to add variety. I think the shells in it are a waste because Bluey has a lot of cuttelbone.

 

Recently I bought a bag of Bird Munchies Gourmet Budgie Blend from BigW that Bluey likes, except for the dried fruit, because she liked the free sample I sent off for after buying their cuttlebone in the supermarket.

I found out that i can get Harrisons and Zupreem from the aviculture club in Canberra! I would've got some today but they didn't have budgie size.

I use a premium Crest mix.

 

I have been told by a breeder that Trill is very low in quality.

 

 

really? I've never had any problems using trill, and our vet says that it is a really good one to use. To be honest there aren't many options in the UK i don't think.

I found out that i can get Harrisons and Zupreem from the aviculture club in Canberra! I would've got some today but they didn't have budgie size. :ausb:

 

 

Bea, if you can, try to get a small bag of Harrison's SuperFine (not the regular Fine - it's small but my budgies won't eat it unless I crush it because they think it is too big. The SuperFine they eat no probs. :rip: ) and also a small bag of the Mash. Then you can see which size crumble they like best. Don't get the 5 lb. size right away unless you are going to feed it to your aviary birds as well, because it will go bad before your 2 indoor birds will put a dent in it.

 

Riebie, another diet you might look into is Goldenfeast. I bought some of that the other day, and it contains high-quality ingredients as well. Not sure if you can get it there or not though. As far as seeds go, I feed mine Volkman parakeet mix because there are no preservatives in it at all, just seeds you can pronounce. It smells so good when you open the bag.

Edited September 10, 200618 yr by Rainbow

In terms of what I feed my birds, Beak Appetit is what I give them for some variety. It's not something I give them all the time. They love it and they are very healthy, active birds. I also give them Hartz Tropical Fruit Blend: Parakeet Gourmet Diet and the Original Recipe Parakeet Food (I get the big bag and store it in the refrig to last longer and alternate between that and Gourmet diet). To supplement their diet I give them baby spinach leaves, occasional apple, and they LOVE baby carrot chopped to beak-size. I get eggs if I'm going to eat them, and they love egg too. I give them rice, corn, potatoes and broccoli casserole that they love. They will eat that again once the Beak Appetit is gone.

So that's the variety they get with occasional millet and nibbles on the cuttlebone. I have a vitamin supplement I can give in their water or mix with food. I only do the drops if I think they might need it. I did use it a lot when I first got them since I don't know how much nutrition they got living with my brother. It helped boost their energy level and they were not afraid to try new things which they now eat with utter abandon!!! (Laughing out loud)

Bea, if you can, try to get a small bag of Harrison's SuperFine (not the regular Fine - it's small but my budgies won't eat it unless I crush it because they think it is too big. The SuperFine they eat no probs. :hap: ) and also a small bag of the Mash. Then you can see which size crumble they like best. Don't get the 5 lb. size right away unless you are going to feed it to your aviary birds as well, because it will go bad before your 2 indoor birds will put a dent in it.

3 indoor birds, Cookie can eat the same pellets as Blink and Oz can't he? If i can figuire out where to get it i'll definitely get those two types to try. :hap:

Oops, forgot about Cookie...don't tell him okay?

 

He can eat the same size pellets as the budgies, although he might like the larger size of the Fine. Your aviculture club should be able to order any size and variety Harrison's since you can get it there. Maybe you can get samples?

:hap: I sort of do what WoodCloudie does, they get Harrison's mixed in with their enriched mix and I mix budgie gourmet with their crumbles or mix egg mix with their other fruit/veg/treat food in their treat dishes so they get a whole spectrum of dry food. They get millet once a week. Just chopped up some baby bok choi, shredded some carrot and finely chopped broccoli/apple for them tomorrow morning. :hap:

Since Pretty died we are working on better nutrition and I will keep everyone updated on how that goes on the pellet conversion. I wanted to get my e gram scale which I got one from Wal-Mart yesterday so I have to make sure it goes up and down increments of 1g it didn't say on the box. Right now I have Harrison samples for pellets.

Lovey, have your tried Roudybush pellets. For all the years using pellets, i have been using these about a year, and really like them.

I haven't tried anything but the samples they gave me and honestly I can't tell if he is eating them or not (Laughing out loud). They are layered on top of the seed right now so he sifts. I can give them a try, where do you find those?

they have it only at select pet stores, not at petco etc.

 

you can go to www.roudybush.com and order direct.

thanks I believe I remember the vet saying it was hard to find out of all of them :yellowhead:

I like the Kaytee fiesta diets those are good. But expensive now that i have more budgies and am a poor student. Lately i have been feeding more canary seed mix as the budgie seed mix I bought was mainly white millet, which I thought was way too fatty.

I have also heard Passwell's Parrot crumbles are very good and there is also budgie supplements and breeding food from that range and insectivore mix, which is also good as a supplement. )

thanks I believe I remember the vet saying it was hard to find out of all of them :ausb:

 

Your vet can order Roudybush too. You can only get generic types from the website, some of them require a prescription from your vet if you have special issues. I think you can get regular roudybush and the rice-based mix without an Rx from the website.

Very interesting talk today from a prominant Avairian Vet on birds... He said trying to convert to pellets is not good for the birds.. They are granivors and should be given the proper diet of seed, not an artificial mix.

 

The Vet was Dr David N Phalen

Director of Wildlife Health and Conservation Centre

Australia.

 

Links to Budgerigar Society of American

Avian Polyomavirus: My Thoughts

Dr David N Phalen Biological Sketch

Avian Gastric Yeast - David N. Phalen

 

Obviously a noted Avairian Vet.

I use Budgie Breeder from City Farmers, there is no wastage at all.

In the end moderation is best there is so much debate just about human consumation with all the hormones in the foods I know budgie diet is probably even harder. What gets sticky is you see articles for all different avian vets one says this and it makes total sense and then another says this and it makes sense you know. You don't know what is right or best?

 

My grandma's budgie lived to be 18y old in a small cage with seed and lettuce here and there. My Pretty had a huge cage, seed, veggies all the time and died even before he was 2. There is a lot I believe to be said about just pure genetics and the weakest die and the strong survivie no matter what you give them (I know that sounds nuts). I believe that is why breeders have a huge responsibility on their shoudlers for any type of animal dog, cat, bird etc...

 

Great articles Daz and very interesting thank you for sharing.

Oooh! Your grandma's budgie got to be 18?! Baby could still have a few years then!

 

But yeah, genetics have to play a big part. Just like Baby and your grandma's bird who both had less than optimum diets, people can be the same way.

 

I'm finishing up a container of Lafeber's pellets. My birds love them. I sprinkle the dust left from Cupid and Psyche onto Baby's seed. The whole pellets I give her I think she just crumbles rather than eats. *L* C and P eat their pellets like crazy though. I've started putting 2 containers in their cage cuz they almost seem to fight over them. *L*

 

I've found where to get fresh seed and Harrison's pellets in town. My vet feeds their clinic birds a mix of seed and Harrison's. I'm gonna convert to the same thing when my current supply of food is gone. I hope the birds will like Harrison's as much as they like Lafebers!

There is a lot I believe to be said about just pure genetics and the weakest die and the strong survivie no matter what you give them (I know that sounds nuts). I believe that is why breeders have a huge responsibility on their shoudlers for any type of animal dog, cat, bird etc...

 

Not nuts at all, Elly, it is true.

 

The problem with feeding captive parrots is that no matter what you give them it will not be as nutritious as what they would normally find in the wild, generally. Pellets are not found in the wild at all, but they contain a mixture of vitamins and minerals we think are close to optimal using the knowledge we have at this time. Seeds are found in the wild, but the seeds you buy in the store are pretty far removed (nutrition-wise) from anything the bird would find outdoors. Picking a seed off a plant gives much more nutrition than picking a seed from a dish that has been processed and placed in a bag for who knows how long before you open it for your bird. Why do you think these seeds are supplemented with vitamins and minerals artificially? I agree with Daz that a diet that closely resembles what they would eat in the wild is optimal, but the problem is we cannot provide that for a captive parrot. Daz would have better luck than I as he is in their native country, but I think unless he goes out into their habitat and pulls up who knows how many different types of plants (which is probably illegal), digs bugs, etc. and brings them back to his flock on a daily basis, he can't feed them like they eat in the wild either. I'm in a country where budgies are not native. They could find food here in the wild they could thrive on (there are feral flocks here in places). That is where variety and supplements (if necessary) come in. Budgies don't normally eat pellets, veggies, fruits, and cooked foods in the wild - no parrots do - but those items are given to ensure a greater likelihood that our birds are not deficient in vitamins, minerals, macro nutrients, etc.

 

You choose what you think is best after research and trial and error. If no matter what you do your birds will not eat a vegetable, either cooked or raw, you try something else that will hopefully provide the nutrients the veggies were being offered to provide. Pellets, cooked foods, fruits, sprouted seeds, eggfoods, all these things give you the opportunity to try to provide what your bird needs to be healthy.

 

Back to the original question, I would try to import foods that are least processed (seed-wise/cooked food wise) and for pellets, the ones with natural methods of preservation. No questionable preservatives in any of them.

Edited March 25, 200718 yr by Rainbow