Best budgie foods/pellets ?

[sabrinna]

Hey!

I was wondering what the absolute best, healthiest budgie food/pellets are (a link to amazon or just the brand and kind would be great!)

I already feed them vegetables daily and millet/fruit occasionally, but the seeds I feed them mixed with pellets isn’t a great choice since they pick out the seeds and leave the pellets.

What’s the best, healthiest brand I can feed my parakeets?

[birdguhl]

One of my budgies had liver disease and the vet prescribed Harrison’s pellets. I have continued to offer both germinated seed and the pellets, and they have all got used to a combination. I have got them to do it by grinding pellets and mixing with the wet germinated seed. Within a short time they have all moved in to eating dry pellets from a separate dish and these make up probably 25-30% of their diet.

[yellowfacedviolet]

I too am a Harrisons fan. Here's the link you asked for:

www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/

I use Superfine Adult Lifetime but used Superfine High Potency for the transition from seeds (years ago) as recommended on their site.

Harrisons is probably the most often-recommended pellet by avian vets in large part because it's 100% organic. Keeping it in the freezer extends shelf life, given it has no preservatives. Just let it reach room temp before serving.

The trickiest part can be the transition, though it sounds as if your budgies already know that pellets are food. Harrisons has some great tips on their site on how to make the transition progress if you need it. Mine went pretty smoothly and the one stubborn hen was successfully duped by the old mirror-over-the-seed-cup trick. Seeing that 'other hen' go after HER food was the needed trigger.

I've been delighted with the results and am forever grateful to my vet for encouraging me to make the switch.

[birdguhl]

That’s good to hear, yellowfacedviolet

I use superfine high potency. As well as helping bud with liver disease, I also think they helped my budgie with beak and feather disease who lived a good life for 4 years post onset. And the diet may well be part of the reason I have a 14 year old budgie.

Here’s a bit more info re Harrison’s

[sabrinna]

Thank you all!
I’ll try out Harrison’s but which one is better for my 3 year old parakeets? Superfine or fine? And Adult Lifetime or High Potency?

[yellowfacedviolet]

Jul 30, 2020 15:47:23 GMT sabrinna said:

Thank you all!
I’ll try out Harrison’s but which one is better for my 3 year old parakeets? Superfine or fine? And Adult Lifetime or High Potency?

Mine seem to prefer Superfine and I've heard other Budgie folk say the same.

As their website recommends, start with High Potency for the transition and then move on to Adult Lifetime .

[birdguhl]

Yeah, superfine are about the same size as seeds and so are accepted better.

[yellowfacedviolet]

sabrinna do spend some time exploring their website. There's a ton of helpful info there, especially about transitioning.

[sabrinna]

Thank you so much for the great suggestions


I’ll try the superfine High Potency first thank you

[sabrinna]

Jul 30, 2020 16:42:45 GMT yellowfacedviolet said:

Jul 30, 2020 15:47:23 GMT sabrinna said:

Thank you all!
I’ll try out Harrison’s but which one is better for my 3 year old parakeets? Superfine or fine? And Adult Lifetime or High Potency?

Mine seem to prefer Superfine and I've heard other Budgie folk say the same.

As their website recommends, start with High Potency for the transition and then move on to Adult Lifetime .

I heard that the Adult Lifetime is healthier and less fat than the High Potency. Since my budgie needs to lose some weight, do you think it’ll be a better idea to pick Lifetime rather than High Potency, or would that not be necessary?

[yellowfacedviolet]

I'd stick with the High Potency at first. Your budgie will lose weight. One of the many things I love about this diet is that the birds don't get fat.