Nutriberries?

[hypnotoad]

When I got my parrotlets (2 different stores), they were fed on a cockatiel diet.

I've managed to quickly change their diet to nutriberries by grinding them and putting them into their food dish.

Assuming they eat the vegetable bits within, are nutriberries a good staple to replace a seed diet with, though I am putting in bits of broccoli and spinach in at times (which they still ignore, but I think the little green specs in the nutriberries are sometimes eaten)

Thx!

[SweetPeasMom]

I dont much about Nutriberries, I feed Volkmans, Zupreem pellets and loads of fresh veggies and fruits.

[hypnotoad]

I dont much about Nutriberries, I feed Volkmans, Zupreem pellets and loads of fresh veggies and fruits.

I'd heard pellets can damage parrotlets' kidneys. Is that true?

I would rather feed them more fresh vegetables and fruits, but they never are interested in them. I should start putting them back out and maybe they'll finally get curious, but they can be annoyingly habitual. :D

[Pado]

My Vet recommends I not feed Nutriberries - she said they are marketed as a balanced diet but are not - she calls them junk food. Its best to offer a varied diet.
Its suspected that Pellets are not good as an only diet for Parrotlets (most Pellet companies suggest you offer Pellets as the only diet) they cause Parrotlets to drink more water than they should which is suspected to cause Kidney issues with them. The jury is still out on this but in the meantime I tend to be cautious. Also its suspected more so in Parrotlet mutations then the normal green.
Keep offering the vegetables - offer them different ways - mashed - chopped - whole - on the floor of the cage - in cups - stuck in the bars etc etc - one day they WILL try them but they need to be available to them. Don't give up and keep trying. Once they try them they will want them - Mine do :)

[Kumiko]

I put nutriberries and Avi-cakes in my parrotlets birdie bread because Kiwi won't eat pellets, but the birdie bread is in limited amount.

They do get it everyday but about the width and length of two "keyboard" keys.

Mixed with berries and all that jazz. I put things Kiwi doesnt eat in the birdie bread. :)

[catfish]

i give about 4 every 3 days as a treat... most of the time they end up playing with them, but it's all good.

[chapala]

Yes, I agree with Pado's vet - they are parrot junk food. I wouldn't feed them at all. Our birds do best on a diet of real food, vegetables, grains, legumes, fruit, seed, not processed, heat extruded lifeless junk. Pellets are better than Nutriberries, if you choose one that isn't artificially colored and flavored. But if you do feed pellets, they still need a lot of fresh vegetables, some fruit, and other nutritious real food.
Reta

[AndreaFahy]

Assuming they eat the vegetable bits within, are nutriberries a good staple to replace a seed diet with, though I am putting in bits of broccoli and spinach in at times (which they still ignore, but I think the little green specs in the nutriberries are sometimes eaten)

Thx!

The problem with "pet" foods is that there are cases of aspergillous spores being found in them, in the seed foods in particular. I prefer to stick to human grade ingredients, I feel they are cleaner in general and that these foods will promote better health.

I personally do not care for or use Lafeber products, their recommendations in keeping (from their online book) are just too out there and disagreeable for me.

Anyway... I like to keep foods and care as natural and minimally processed as possible, just makes sense to me!

[AndreaFahy]

Pellets and "kibble" pet foods in generally are very processed, nearly all nutrition in the ingredients is cooked out of them, and then they have to have artificial vitamins added. Not only that, but they are terribly dry causing birds to consume too much water, which does strain their organs and I am sure there are cases of medical issues related to this - I just don't know first hand.

Again, fresh foods will offer direct nutrition in their pure form, although you do have to focus on a lot of variety and a balance over time. Plus, parrotlets can be a BLAST with diet variety :)

[hollybean]

The only Nutriberries product I use is the popcorn/seed bites but only as treats during clicker training. I find they really enjoy these and it makes them work harder during the sessions.
________
California Dispensary (http://california.dispensaries.org/)

[raiven]

I had been giving Sadie one nutraberry in her food dish, in her sleep cage at night so she would have a little snack available at night. She rarely needed it though. I buy her fresh organic vegetables and grains and seeds, brown rice pasta etc. from the natural foods store. She also gets the Harrisons pellets, so after reading about the apergillous in the nutraberries, I will give her something else.

Another junk food treat she enjoys but gets sparingly is the KayTee Grande Chipolte Chili Mac. Are there the same issues that they may not be using human quality ingredients with that as well?

Here is the ingredients list:

A long-lasting treat for all parrots, these nutritious snacks may last three to four times longer than a standard parrot treat stick and combine sweet roasted chili, red peppers and macaroni to make a crunchy, south of the border snack. These rich flavors and healthy ingredients attract your parrots attention.

Ingredients: Ground Corn, Ground Wheat, Rolled Oat Groats, Corn, Hulled Sunflower, Sunflower, Rice, Milo, Gelatin, Shelled Peanuts, Dehydrated Peppers, Oat Groats, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Oats, Corn Gluten Meal, Safflower, Split Green Peas, Pre-Cooked Kidney Beans, Pre-Cooked Navy Beans, Dehydrated Carrot, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Corn Sugar, Wheat Middlings, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Soy Oil, Honey, Dried Whole Egg, Dried Beet Pulp, Dehydrated Spinach Leaves, Chipolte Chili Powder, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Brewers Dried Yeast, Wheat Germ Meal, Vitamin A Supplement, Choline Chloride, Glycerin, L-Lysine, Ferrous Carbonate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Oxide, DL-Methionine, Orange Oil, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Mixed Tocopherols (a preservative), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid, Cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), Copper Oxide, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Dried Bacillus coagulans Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus licheniformis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus subtilis Fermentation Product, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Beta-Carotene, Artificial Color.

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min.)...........17.0%
Crude Fat (min.)................. 6.0%
Crude Fiber (max.)............. 8.0%
Moisture (max.).................12.0%

[AndreaFahy]

so after reading about the apergillous in the nutraberries, I will give her something else.

Another junk food treat she enjoys but gets sparingly is the KayTee Chili Mac. Are there the same issues wuth them not using human quality ingredients with that as well?


Oh no, I am sorry I was misleading earlier. I do not know of an asper. case with Nutriberries, just have heard of some cases with bird seed mixes.

Regarding pet foods, I just worry that the ingredients were not approved for human consumption for a reason, and I just feel better feeding them things that I would be comfortable eating.

[raiven]

Ok, I understand. I will probably give her a little piece of birdie bread or something along that line to have in her sleep cage and the wild bird can have the nutraberries. :)