upatsix.com - Your Source For Pet Bird Information

Hello All,

I work for a bird and small animal food company and was wondering if I can get your help? I am trying to help this company to produce better and healthier diets that consumers are looking for. I would like to find out what you look for in a diet for your birds. Any info you can give me will help such as:

1. What kind of bird do you have?
2. Do you feed pellets, seed, or both and brands
3. What protein and fat levels do you want
4. What influences you to buy your food: brand,color, texture, high or low amount of sunflower seeds, peanuts, oats, millet,etc...
5. Do you look for specific types of nuts, fruit, veggies, etc.

Also if anyone owns small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.. I would love your opinion on what you look for in their foods.

Anything else you can think of would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you to everyone in advance! Thank you UPATSIX!!

Please reply here or PM me!!

I see you have no replies on here, so here are my answers:

1. What kind of bird do you have?

Cockatiels, quaker parakeet, plum headed parakeets, severe macaw


2. Do you feed pellets, seed, or both and brands

both. Pellets, either kaytee original cockatiel/parrot or zupreem avian maintenance. Seed - I buy at the organic food store, so no brand. Also, I feed Bird-e-licious to a lot of my birds. Pellets and seed really don't make up more than 50% of my birds' diets.


3. What protein and fat levels do you want

Uhh the ones that are healthy for them. Generally 12-14% protein. It really depends on the bird species. Obviously a quaker parakeet's fat needs are different from a macaw's.


4. What influences you to buy your food: brand,color, texture, high or low amount of sunflower seeds, peanuts, oats, millet,etc...

Color = no artificial colors. Texture - don't care. I will not buy a food that has sunflower seeds or peanuts in it. They're junk. I prefer organic food made with lots of fruits and veggies, like bird-e-licious.


5. Do you look for specific types of nuts, fruit, veggies, etc.

Lots of unsulphured fruits and veggies, I prefer dried ones compared to ones ground up in the food. Nuts, as I said, NO PEANUTS. Pine nuts, almonds, walnuts...


Anything else you can think of would be greatly appreciated!

I think what the pet market is completely lacking is something similar to bird-e-licious but in pellet form. I don't WANT to feed my birds corn, wheat, and soy (fillers that I pay good money to have removed from my dog food, yet bird food costs more than holistic dog food!). I want them to eat fruits, vegetables, things they would normally eat in the wild but taking into account that they are a caged bird and do not expend the same amount of energy as a wild parrot.

And so here's mine.

1) I have 3 pairs of Cockatiels.
2) I only feed them with seeds, no brand.
3) 12 - 14% or 15% exactly.
4) Some veggies that will make my birds look and feel good is what matters most to me.
5) My birds love cashew nuts (toasted ones) they go crazy about it.

I have used both seed and pellets in the past. I currently use pellets as they provide a better nutritional balance
and I know exactly what my birds eat. I would like to see a pellet that is natural and in a variety of sizes appropriate to
the many size birds.

bspahr@fuse.net wrote:Hello All,

1. What kind of bird do you have?
2. Do you feed pellets, seed, or both and brands
3. What protein and fat levels do you want
4. What influences you to buy your food: brand,color, texture, high or low amount of sunflower seeds, peanuts, oats, millet,etc...
5. Do you look for specific types of nuts, fruit, veggies, etc.

Please reply here or PM me!!

1. I have Cockatiels, a hampster and two gerbils.
2. I feed my tiels Zupreem pellets and a seed mix with minimal sunflower seeds. Usually the seed mix is purchased in bulk. I never take note of the brand, only looking to see what seeds are included in what ratios.
3. 14% ish, my birds get a lot of free fly time.
4. As I said, low sunflower seeds. Pellets I look for smaller sizes, my tiels don't like the larger pellets. They try to eat them and end up flinging them out of the cage. I've found the pellets that have been crushed and reformed work better, since they break apart when the tiels try to eat them. I like the more colorfull pellets with a fruity scent to them, but that may be my preference, not my birds.
5. I avoid nuts, since they are super high in fat. I may give a thinner rescue some nuts upon occasion, but very rarely. Fruits and veggies I give fresh. I've never seen my birds even attempt to eat the dried ones.

I hope the information helps. I generally feed my birds fresh veggies (carrots, peas, brocolli), scrambled eggs, black beans (soaking them is a bit of a pain), I'm working on sprouted seeds, and cooked noodles.

I know that for me, the cockatiel dinner mixes (which combines many of the fresh foods I give my birds) works very well for new tiel owners, since they know what is in the bag is safe and offers a large variety of soft foods for thier tiels to try. It's 'fool proof' in a way. *smiles*