Converting to Pellets: My Method

In light of recent information regarding the nutritional needs of pellets, bird owners attempt to convert their feathered children to a pelleted diet. Like human children, birds can be finicky about eating healthy food, with some species having reputations for being more particular than others. There are about as many methods to converting your bird to pellets as there are bird owners; therefore, this article is the first in a series on that very topic.

No matter what comprises the staple of your bird's diet, it is important to feed fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. We all know that no single pellet formula holds all the nutrition our birds need, and parrots can become bored very easily. Bored parrots can find a host of things to do in their "free time," with feather picking or screaming being two of the worst.

The first method of conversion is the method I used on my birds. I will point out that this is not the best method of converting birds; however, due to my birds familiarity with pellets and the fact that they had been converted a few times before (I see-sawed on the issue before I stuck with my decision), this method worked for me. I would not recommend it unless you had a bird that had been converted before, you were very familiar with the weight patters of your bird, and you knew without hesitation that your bird would eat pellets.

For me, converting my birds was simply a matter of making the decision. I selected Zupreem pellets because of their aroma (I love the fruity smell, and it is much more appetizing than the colored cardboard that other pellets seem to be.), and the fact that I could get them for the same price as a good seed mixture at a local pet store that sells it in bulk. My method was to begin feeding strictly pellets. I supplemented my birds' diets with their favorite bird bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, etc., so that while I was home, I knew they had full tummies. While I was at work, they had pellets in their dish.

Each day I checked my birds' keel bones (the bone that runs down the middle of their chest) for prominence, as well as ensured they had heaping dishes of healthy foods to eat. The first day my two stubborn boys and a girl refused to touch their pellets. I heaped on the goodies to ensure they never went hungry, and provided a bit (1/4 their normal ration) of their fortified seed diet.

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