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!!

1. What kind of bird do you have?
I have a cherry headed conure, a mitred conure, 6 cockatiels, 5 budgies, and 1 bourke.

2. Do you feed pellets, seed, or both and brands
The cockatiels, bourke, and budgies all eat seeds from Kaylor of Colorado (Cockatiel no sun seed), and I like to mix in a little canary mix (don't know brand name). All little birds get a choice to eat crushed Zupreem Natural. Noel (cherry head) is getting a small amount of Kaylor of Colorado Parrot mix, with mostly Zupreem Natural pellets. Charlie (mitred) eats Zupreem Natural with safflower seeds as treats.

3. What protein and fat levels do you want
Considering I'm not much well versed in the proper diet for birds being an "average" pet owner, I cannot say.

4. What influences you to buy your food: brand,color, texture, high or low amount of sunflower seeds, peanuts, oats, millet,etc...
Quality of the product, lack of dyes, little to no sunflower/safflower seeds, lack of peanuts (due to fungi), variety within the food, but NO seed/pellet mixtures.

5. Do you look for specific types of nuts, fruit, veggies, etc.
Considering I have small birds I usually do not care to buy seed mixes that have nuts or dried foods inside... although one brand I buy DOES have dried veggies, I don't buy it because of those.... the birds get fresh/cooked greens instead for what I make for them.

Thank you Monica. I appreciate the info!

1. What kind of bird do you have?
Female Moluccan Cockatoo

2. Do you feed pellets, seed, or both and brands
Mostly pellets, but also a nut mix
Pellets- Harrison's High Potancy
Nut Mix- GoldenFeast Cockatoo Supreme

3. What protein and fat levels do you want
Not exactly sure

4. What influences you to buy your food-
Recommendations from other bird owners, breeders and vets.

5. Do you look for specific types of nuts, fruit, veggies, etc.
In my nut mix (Goldenfeast Cockatoo mix supreme), it has a good mix of alot of different kinds. For the pellets, looking for a good coverage of vitamins and made with mostly natural products.

*For Small Animals (I have ferrets) I look for Chicken being the #1 ingredient (not by-products or meal) and a good protein content.

Hi,

My birds are listed at the bottom. I have tried many kinds of pellets and of course, the birds prefer everything else to the pellets. However, I still put pellets in their dishes everyday. They also get Parrot Island fruit, nut and seed mix which is like Dr. Harveys but a few other things added and less peanuts.

As for the fat and protein - I have been advised by vets and very knowledgeable bird store owners to get the lowfat rhoudybush pellets, but the birds did not like them.

These are their favorites and I switch out from time to time to try some variety but this is what they normally get.

* Pretty bird daily select pellets
* Pretty bird natural gold pellets
* Parrot Island special mix (dried fruits, every kind of nut, safflower and sunflower seeds, corn, carrots, coconut,and lots of other good stuff).
*Walnuts are their favorite nuts so I buy extra walnuts (shelled - in the baking section of the store).
* Scrambled eggs, 12 grain bread or toast, fresh fruits, frozen veggies (they always eat the corn but not so good about the other items).
* Cooked cream of wheat - fed from a spoon. (I know - they are spoiled). Sometimes with smashed sweet potatoes or applesauce.

Two of my white belly caiques love fresh carrot sticks that I cut from whole carrots. And they will eat green and red pepper. The others just leave it.
Oh - and I also get them Avicakes for a little treat.

Hope that helps you out a little.

If someone made a pellet that my birds would really like, I would definitely buy them. However, they need to also be healthy. I know some people who only give their birds pellets so they eat them. But I like my birds to have variety.