Oct 4, 2023 12:12:45 GMT
Azalea
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7 Budgies, 2 Cockatiels, 1 Sun Conure, 3 dogs
Posts: 270
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Post by Azalea on Oct 17, 2023 13:04:29 GMT
Do you give your birds a certain amount of pellet food once a day (so, when they finish, no more until tomorrow)?
Or do you add more food whenever a bowl is empty/low?
I've read about people doing it both ways, so I am curious. What do you all do?
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Post by Loz on Oct 17, 2023 13:21:30 GMT
I'll be interested to see what people do.
For my gang, every morning, if a bowl is nearly empty, I dispose of what's left and start with a fresh spoonful of pellets. I also empty the bowl after two/three days and start again fresh. I add a spoonful of seeds to each bowl, every morning - the seeds are gone by the next morning! There are always some pellets left over.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Oct 17, 2023 15:10:15 GMT
The birds should always have food available, fresh, seeds, and/or pellets.
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,784
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Oct 17, 2023 15:36:35 GMT
I refresh their seed in the evenings in their inside seed bowls. Their external food bowls (with new seed) are put out in the mornings.
The water is changed in the evening and also during the day if it's a warm day or the water is dirty.
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Oct 4, 2023 12:12:45 GMT
Azalea
Normal Green
7 Budgies, 2 Cockatiels, 1 Sun Conure, 3 dogs
Posts: 270
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Post by Azalea on Oct 17, 2023 18:39:20 GMT
Loz, tweetiepiesmom, and Marianne: Thank you for the comments so far! I am intrigued by what you all said about seeds. I was under the impression that seeds should only be a treat - birds should not have access to it all the time. Same with millet. A common suggestion for taming/bonding is to feed millet and seeds directly, so the birds associate those treats with you. Is this a bad method? Most of our birds have bonded with us now (except for Willow, the newest Budgie). Is it time to start adding seeds to their pellets?
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Oct 17, 2023 18:45:24 GMT
I agree that millet should only be a treat. Avian vets in the US recommend a budgie's regular diet should be about 25% high quality seed (low fat).
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Post by Ira on Oct 17, 2023 20:45:37 GMT
I feed low calorie pellet and fresh food/chop. My routine is shot to pieces right now but I give the chop as breakfast and then put out the pellets when I take the chop away. And usually put out a few chunks of veg for at least potential shredding.
Millet I save for reinforcement.
The only seeds I give are in Avicakes, or nutriberries, but I can only get hold of the cockatiel nutriberries, not the budgie ones, which are higher calorie.
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Post by Hezz on Oct 18, 2023 7:38:41 GMT
I don’t subscribe to the no-seed diet for budgies (or cockatiels for that matter, both being dry-country birds). Mine guys get a mix of seed and maintenance pellets, fresh veg but the bulk of their daily food comes from seeding grasses - their natural wild-bird food.
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Oct 4, 2023 12:12:45 GMT
Azalea
Normal Green
7 Budgies, 2 Cockatiels, 1 Sun Conure, 3 dogs
Posts: 270
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Post by Azalea on Oct 18, 2023 14:42:16 GMT
I feed low calorie pellet and fresh food/chop. My routine is shot to pieces right now but I give the chop as breakfast and then put out the pellets when I take the chop away. And usually put out a few chunks of veg for at least potential shredding. Millet I save for reinforcement. The only seeds I give are in Avicakes, or nutriberries, but I can only get hold of the cockatiel nutriberries, not the budgie ones, which are higher calorie. I put Nutriberries in a Ziploc bag and carefully crush them with a hammer. Then I can easily feed the ingredients to our Budgies and Cockatiels. I leave some chunks intact for our Sun Conure.
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,784
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Oct 18, 2023 15:54:10 GMT
Azalea I feed mine seeds and also vegetables/herbs. I was never able to get mine to eat any pellets but to be honest I am not sure of the benefits of them if the bird has a good diet already anyway. But - there is more than one way to feed your budgies and I agree with whatever works for you and keeps your bird healthy. Mine also have supplements - iodine, calcium, milk thistle and avian avipro added to their water (not all at the same time!)
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Post by Loz on Oct 18, 2023 16:14:48 GMT
I saw some evidence this morning that consumption of pellets by the Flock is up. Good news! Either that or the kicking of pellets out of the bowls is on the increase
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Oct 4, 2023 12:12:45 GMT
Azalea
Normal Green
7 Budgies, 2 Cockatiels, 1 Sun Conure, 3 dogs
Posts: 270
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Post by Azalea on Oct 18, 2023 20:25:57 GMT
Thank you again for the responses. Obviously you all have bonded with your birds, despite letting them have free access to seeds. I guess I shouldn't be so afraid of adding seeds to my birds' pellets!
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Post by Loz on Oct 18, 2023 21:04:02 GMT
I had to reduce the seed content of my Flock's diet as they were putting on too much weight.
They now get a bit of seed in the morning and if they're hungry, they have pellets. Plus the tons of veggies I supply and which they clearly enjoy.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Oct 18, 2023 21:33:57 GMT
A Warning - be careful of nutriberries because some brands have a lot sugar and honey.
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Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,784
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Oct 18, 2023 22:36:45 GMT
I have had vets push pellets and nutriberries. The last one was telling me that they should have sprouted seed.
My budgies are fussy so and so's.
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