diet critique

[jimpierce]

just seeing what you all think about Cricket's diet.
I have just switched from Mike's manna mash recipe to Shauna's Mash Diet from feeding feathers. Which I know is awesome. I mix in a sprout mix with it as well.
I also like a dry food blend to be available as well and that is what I really want to check out.
I usually get Volkman's p'let blend and mix it with Volkman's Canary or Parakeet blend and add more millet, quinoa, buckwheat, and oat groats to it.
I like to add in Garden flora from Goldenfeast sometimes and Herb Salad from twin beaks.

[chapala]

Sounds like you are doing great for your birds Jim! Congratulations on switching to Shauna's Mash diet - I think it's the best for parrots based on what is known about parrot nutrition today, unfortunately not a great deal.

I'm not sure what's in Volkman's P'let blend, but I would say in general to avoid the high fat seeds - sunflower, safflower, pumpkin. Far too many P'lets come down with liver disease as a result of high fat seed diets. The grains are a much better choice since they're a lot lower in fat. They do have those carbohydrate calories, but Parrotlets, especially flighted ones, burn a lot being very active birds. It's not too hard to come up with your own mix, building on the additions you're already making (the millet, quinoa, buckwheat and oat groats). In fact, you could just feed that, adding in the dried vegetables if you like. If you're feeding the Mash diet, they will get plenty of fresh vegetables at the morning and late afternoon/evening feeding. I would feed a small amount of dry mix after the morning meal, and be sure to remove it from the cage before the later meal. Nothing in the cage at night.

My Cello gets Shauna's Mash diet, and then about mid-day I give him a small amount of Harrison's pellets, less than 20% of the diet. I also occasionally give a millet spray or dry mix.

[skthurley]

Sounds great, Jim! :D

Volkman's Parrotlet blend contains:

safflower seed, white proso millet, oat groats, small cracked corn, buckwheat, Fruit Medley, canary grass seed, small black oil sunflower, sunflower chips, green peas, carrot dices, peanut dices, vitamized oat groats, (orange) fruit blend, peppers, hemp seed, spinach flakes, orange oil and safflower oil.

I also like the Goldenfeast Australian Blend:

Japanese millet, steel-hulled oats, steel-cut sunflower kernels, small golden millet, sesame seed, garden peas, steel-cut dry roasted soybean pieces, bentonite, flax seed, spinach, parsley, freeze dried raspberries, niger seed, poppy seed, whole eggs solids, mung beans, dried molasses flakes, carrots, canola seed, red Siberian millet, canary grass seed, freeze dried honey, paprika, bee pollen, freeze dried chives, lettuce seed, chamomile flowers, anise seed, freeze dried bananas, oil of anise, oil of orange.

Currently I'm finishing up the finch seed mix i have (which is red and white millet) but I plan on switching to the Goldenfeast Australian blend in the future.

My birds are fed the Shauna's Mash diet, and Zupreem Avian Entree Garden Goodness pellets. They get either nutriberries, avicakes, zupreem fruit blend pellets, some seed mix or some millet spray in their foraging toys every day. I alternate for variety

[jimpierce]

lol I did forget to to mention my crazy cookies I make for my fids. They get that in the evening.
Cricket came to me from a breeder who told me that all I needed to feed him was millet spray. No kidding, thats what he told me. He pretty much goes after any and all grains in any food I give him. He is by far my messiest eater!! lol

[skthurley]

That's insane! lol!

Ah yes, these guys sure are messy, eh? The wall behind Jack's cage always is filthy after every meal. lol!

[Bodie]

I knew that cute parrotlet Cricket looked familiar . His diet sounds yummy Jim. I have never tried Shauna's Mash yet. Bodie gets Harrisons pellets, nutrian cakes, fresh organic veggies and fruit and also I make Harrisons bird bread plus I do add Goldenfeast Gardenflora blend. Heck he eats better then I do.

Nice to see you on the p'lets board.:)