Converting your bird to pellets 

That is fantastic Haiden! We are so glad to hear that they are happily eating pellets now! :)

Fantastic! Thank you Khaled!

***** I'm back and happy to report that my budgie has come a long way. I found out he is actually a SHE! I am still feeding her this mix, but I've offered crushed, dry pellets a couple of times already and she will eat them now! Thank you for this video, it has helped so much!

***** Hi, I live in Portugal, so I have limited access to different brands. Anyway, I'm very satisfied with the brand of pellets that I'm using now. Update on Twix: I've had her DNA tested and she's actually female, which probably explains why she didn't care much about the mirror. I've tried your method on her for over two weeks without much success. As I lowered the number of seed in the mashed pellets, she was eating less and less and would scream at me every time she saw me, asking for food. I gave her the mashed pellets with seed mixed in them twice a day, mornings and evenings, and during the day I would switch to the pellets presented normally without any tricks. She would always fish all the seeds from the mashed pellets and leave the mash with the shells in it. Her droppings became more and more watery as the seed intake was gradually lowered. It wasn't working. I eventually gave up on this method and used a more direct approach to coax her into eating her pellets. I've put her and Zazu side to side and fed him the pellets by hand so she could see him eating. Then I took a little feeder half full of pellets, put Twix on my lap and presented her with the feeder in a way that she couldn't escape it. She attacked the pellets, which caused her to break them and pretty much destroy them into dust. It didn't take long until I could perch her on my finger and she would eat out of that feeder without any problems. She went from there to eating the pellets from her regular feeder in her cage in no time. Nowadays they are both happy and healthy eating Harrison's. Everyday when I handle them I feel their crops and they've been consistently full (something that wouldn't happen when they were eating seeds, for some reason). Both their droppings have greatly increased in size since they converted to pellets, and are much more consistent, with much less water to them, they are very healthy looking. Bigger and more consistent droppings means more frequent cage cleanups for me, but I'd rather have it this way :P

The warm water method tends to work really well on even the most stubborn of birds Shay! If there are seeds there as well, they will always choose the seeds over the pellets as they are very high in fat content (kind of like junk food for us!). We would recommend over time adding more pellets and less seeds, until they are only eating the pellets. Then you can feed seeds as a treat in a separate bowl every now and then. We recommend a diet consisting of 80% Pellets, 15% Fruit/Veg and 5% Treats. :)

Hi Mohamed, you can still feed fruits and vegetables with our pellets, I'm sure your birds would love that! Our birds here at Vetafarm are on our pellets but still get fruit and vegetables as well.

Hi, thank you for watching our video and commenting! Our pellets expire 2 years after the date of manufacture! Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions! You can contact us directly by phone on (02)69330400 or by email at sales@vetafarm.com.au :)

Hi, thank you for watching our video! For a Jenday Conure we would recommend the South American Mix!

Hi, thank you for commenting, for your great feedback and well done on converting your Sun Conure so quickly! Generally Cockatiels and Budgerigars take a little longer as they tend to be a little stubborn! Finch and Budgie crumbles contain higher protein and fat than MD Pellets for several reasons. Small birds such as Finches and Budgies have a much higher metabolic rate than the larger parrots who would be consuming the MD pellets, but they also product larger clutches of eggs that tend to hatch and grow quicker, and they also lay larger eggs when compared in ratio to their body size. Therefore, their requirement for protein and fat is much higher :)

Great to hear Charlene! :)

Hi Nancee! Vetafarm's Superior Egg and Biscuit is a complete diet, perfectly suitable to feed in place of a normal pelleted diet.

Hey Wade, you absolutely could give that a go! Hidden treats are the best treats :)

A hand-raised cockatiel will be much easier to transition on to a pellet diet, you can start by introducing a pellet that you have crushed up and made into a paste with warm water, instead of the hand rearing mixture, you can also put dry crumbled pellets into a bowl for the baby to peck at during the day as well.

Absolutely Kenneth!

Vetafarm is the bedt

We recommend changing the mixture every 24 hours. :)

Hi Rin, thank you for your comment! The fruit/vegetables that a bird will eat depends upon the bird's personality alot. They also can learn to like other fruits/vegetables and change their mind on their favourites over time! :)

How exciting! If you follow these steps, they should be eating pellets in no time! :)

@@vetafarm I can't believe it, but our birds are 100% switched over to pellets. Thank you for taking the time to make this video!

@@Dad_Lyon well done, that is fantastic news! :)

Hi there, yes, it does! :)

Hi Sezen, yes Vetafarm food's are good for Budgies. Both myself and another staff member have Budgies on Vetafarm Superior Egg and Biscuit and Finch and Budgie Crumbles. Some Budgies are much more fussy than others and take a very long time to switch over, sometimes months and months! Some of the pellets can be a little too big for Budgies, so I would recommend Vetafarm's Superior Egg and Biscuit, Finch and Budgie Crumbles and Nutriblend Mini.

dried fruit is bad, just saying, fresh is best ...

Hi, that is a great question! For Lories you can follow a similar process by mixing their current diet with one of our formulated diets. :)

Hi Gene, you will need to change the wet pellet mix at least once every 24 hours. :)

Well that was the easy part now for the hard part ..THE CHANGE IN DIET =o

Please don't hesitate to contact us with any future questions you may have Gene! :)

+Ồ lê Ồ la Hi, patience is key when converting. Some birds will take to the food within a day some take a few weeks. What type of bird do you have and what pellets are you feeding?

Hi, thank you for watching our video! We recommend slowly increasing the pellet ratio and decreasing the seed ratio over 2-3 weeks. Remember to observe him closely and make sure that he is eating the pellets. :) We recommend a diet that consists of 80% Pellets, 15% Fruit/Vegetables, and 5% treats such as seeds and nuts. :) If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us at sales@vetafarm.com.au

Vetafarm thank you! Right now he does seem to like his vegetables so that is progress I was just a little worried about the pellets. He will be getting veggies/fruit for breakfast and pellets (a mixture of different kinds) at night. I appreciate the help! :)

@@Fluffaloo not a problem at all! :)

Hi, the pellets Vetafarm produce, and most other bird pellet companies contain whole grains like maize, soybean and wheat, they also contain fortified vitamins and minerals that seeds lack. So unless bird keepers provide a seed diet AND multivitamin in water or other food sources regularly the bird will be lacking in most essential nutrients. Budgerigars are notoriously difficult to convert but that shouldn't deter you! I would start by grabbing a small bag of Vetafarm Finch and Budgie Crumbles or Vetafarm Superior Egg and Biscuit and introducing that to his food bowl, as well as providing an in water multivitamin. If you aren't able to ever convert your budgie, which can happen, especially with older birds who are very set in their ways, you can be assured he will be getting all the nutrients he needs from a in water multivitamin like Multivet Liquid.

Aaron Lewis they contain much healthier stuff than seeds trust me

Vetafarm how would you introduce a pellet from a hand fed baby cockateil

Hi Edgeit, this is normal for the consumption of Nutriblend Pellets :)

Hi Jessica, thank you for watching and commenting! If your budgies are able to grind the MD Pellets down and eat them, they will be okay to have those! Due to their little beaks and high metabolic rate, we generally prefer to recommend Finch and Budgie Crumbles for them though!

Hi, thank you for watching and commenting on our video! For budgies we recommend our Vetafarm Finch and Budgie Crumbles. Some budgies also like our Vetafarm Nutriblend Mini. You can stick with one type or mix it up, it is completely up to you! Regardless, as long as you stick to 80% Vetafarm diet, 15% fresh fruit/vegetables and 5% treats such as seeds/nuts, your bird will have a nutritionally balanced diet! :)

@@vetafarm thank you for the reply! I shall do just that which you recommend. Cheers :)

@@JP-cp1dk not a problem!

Hi, thank you for commenting on our video! That is a great plan, if you follow the conversion process using Nectar Pellets and the diet that she is used to, she should convert over to Nectar Pellets over time :) It may take a little longer if she is used to a diet high in sugar.

Vetafarm should I mix the pellets with the nectar

Hi Rachel, thank you for commenting on our video! For Budgies we would recommend Finch and Budgie Crumbles, however they will also do well on Nutriblend Mini! :)

Vetafarm Hi thanks for the reply! I checked out the finch and budgie crumbles and I just have another question. Will the finch and budgie crumbles be a complete diet for budgies that I don’t intend to breed? Thanks

@@rachellin330 great question! It is absolutely a complete diet! We recommend having the crumbles as 80% of the diet, with the remainder being 15% fresh fruit/veg and 5% seeds/nuts. :)

Hi, thank you for commenting on our video! We do recommend Finch & Budgie Crumbles for Budgerigars, due to the small particle size, however we have seen some that love Maintenance Diet and Nutriblend Mini. Some Budgerigars do find the Maintenance Diet Pellets too large to consume but others grind them down easily. :)

Thank you, crumble is similar to pellets right

@@builder6391 crumbles are similar to the pellets as they deliver the same great nutrition. Crumbles are ground down though. :)

O thank you

Hi Mohammad, unfortunately we do not currently ship to Saudi Arabia. However one of our suppliers called Middle East Vet do! Their phone number is 971 4392 2851.

Hi, some birds can be more difficult to convert than other birds. I have even heard of some birds taking over 12 months to convert to pellets. In the meantime I would recommend using a supplement such as Vetafarm's Multivet Liquid in water to supplement the essential nutrients that your Parakeet would be missing by just eating seed.

can i use this for my cocatiel . she is the same she wont eat pallets ,

Same here, tried 3 times in 6 months including this method without success, I'm mostly gjve up now but still hoping to find more methods to try, they really wish to starve than try the pellets!!

Your bird is smart. And knows the difference in real foods and what the manufactures claim.

Hi Jorge, Lovebirds do really well on our Parrot Essentials and South American Mix pellets, as well as the Nutriblend pellets. The pellets that Vetafarm produce contain whole grains like maize, soybean and wheat, they also contain fortified vitamins and minerals that seeds lack. To ensure your bird has a fully nutritionally balanced diet, we would recommend feeding only the pellets. If seeds are given as well, they are likely to pick the seed over the pellets due to the seeds being very high in fat content. Also, if eating some seed alongside the pellets, their diet will no longer be completely balanced with the correct quantities of vitamins and proteins.

Vetafarm thank you so much!

Hi Jessica, that is fantastic that you are trying to convert her to pellets! They are much better for them. :) We would recommend Paradise Pellets for Eclectus parrots as it is a species specific formula that also caters for their low iron tolerance. If you follow this process she should convert over, Eclectus parrots can be a little harder to convert and may take a little longer.

@@vetafarm thank you so much for replying! I’m still trying because I know they will benefit her so muchh! I usually don’t give her seeds but do you recommend any seeds I can mix it with her? Thank youuu

@@JESSICAMAAS Not a problem! We recommend Paradise Pellets as 50% of the total diet, with the remaining 50% being made up of 45% fresh fruit and vegetables and 5% treat foods such as nuts and Deli Stix. The Deli Stix Best of Both Worlds would be suitable for an Eclectus! :) They also tend to like almonds and sunflower seeds! :)

Of course, which type of pellets were you thinking? Some birds to prefer flavours, or no flavours, or colours or no colours. Try everything and see what they prefer.

Vetafarm I was thinking the zupreem natural pellets and the zupreem fruit pellets.

Well it would be best to ask Zupreem then, I can only speak for the Vetafarm pellets sorry.

@@Hollie36 zupreem is bad

Hi Tristan, if you email your request through to sales@vetafarm.com.au one of our friendly staff will be able to assist you further. :)

It's worked like a charm 😁👍

@@taranguyen591 that is fantastic! Thank you for your feedback and support!

Im not a vet, but you should look up different methods on pellet converting. You need to try many different conversion methods to see what your bird likes best and go at his pace. Never starve them! He might not recognize it as food, and he will not eat it. You should mix a little bit of the pellets into his food. If it doesn't seem to work or he refuses to eat it, smash it up with warm water and see if he likes it. If all else fails, try another brand or ask for samples online (might be harder because of Covid). I recommend roudybush crumble/mini or Harrisons potent super fine. Small pieces are much easier to eat, and you can convert them into larger pieces when they get use to it. Sunflower seeds are very fatty and extremely not healthy as a main diet. Please consider introducing new methods and best of luck on pellet conversion!

@@tammylin8377 Thank you,so much💕

@@lucieguthrie6888 Not a problem! :D

Hi Lucie, thank you for watching our video and commenting! When a bird has been on a seed-based diet (particularly sunflower seeds), it can be quite a task to convert them to pellets - but it is definitely worth it! This can be due to the high fat content in the seeds (it is kind of like trying to convert someone from a cheeseburger diet to a salad diet)! They also sometimes don’t recognize the pellets as a food source (you don’t see anything that looks like that in the wild!) So we recommend following the conversion process with these birds. Whilst pellets are not something that they consume in the wild, we use ingredients that they would encounter in the wild and balance the pellets nutritionally to ensure that the birds receive the vitamins, minerals and nutrition that they need. If you send me an email at kiaira@vetafarm.com.au I can send you some more information sheets on the conversion process. :)

Hi, you can feed safe herbs and vegetables to Lorikeets, however they are a primarily nectivorous birds, feeding of the pollens and fruit juices of plants.

Vetafarm thank you very much for replying to my comments

Hi Amira, thank you for watching and commenting on our video! We do not recommend wetting our pellets down, unless you are only leaving them there for a short period of time (due to moist environment resulting in bacterial growth over time). If you follow the conversion process your bird should be able to consume the pellets. The process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. What species of bird do you have and what pellets are you feeding him/her?

that's interesting, my birds dump everything in the water bowl right away, they sewer it right up. I also hang a water bottle for them. some of the bratty birds will even play with that and empty it out, so I hang them over the water bowls

Hi, thank you for watching and commenting on our video! That is a fantastic decision to switch to a pellet-based diet - this will ensure that your birds receive I balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals! We recommend giving our pellets as 80% of the diet, with the remainder made up of 15% fresh fruit/veg and 5% treats such as seeds/nuts. If you follow the steps outlined in this video, you should have your Parakeets converted to pellets in no time! :)

That's right, seed alone is not good for her health, persistence is key for birds, I have heard of some birds taking over a YEAR to convert to pellets. "Not right now" doesn't mean never :) In the meantime I would recommend using something like Vetafarm's Multivet Liquid and Calcivet Liquid in water to supplement the essential nutrients that your conure would be missing by just eating seed.

***** Ok thank you.. I will have to try and find somewhere online that sells your product?! Will go and hunt some down.

Where abouts are you located Betty?

***** Newborough, Victoria

www.pets-megastore.com.au/ do Vetafarm online.

Hi Cathy, thank you for your message! Unfortunately some birds can be very difficult to convert! If you have tried all the steps and they still wont convert to the pelleted diet, you may have to continue feeding seed but supplementing the vitamins and minerals that the seeds lack. You can do this with a water soluble or feed-coating supplement such as the Vetafarm Multivet, or the Vetafarm Soluvite D. :)

Vetafarm my bird eats it, but he just spits it out

Hi Cathy, that's such a shame! Some birds can be very picky! :)

Hi Rick igloo, thank you for commenting on our video! Is he consuming any of the pellets or did he during the conversion process?

@@vetafarm I have tried every Brand and the only one he seems to like is the yellow coloured zupreen banana shaped, and I heard that there full of sugar

@@rickigloo1561 it sounds like you may have a fussy one on your hands! Which of the Vetafarm pellets have you tried? Did you follow the conversion process shown in this video when introducing them or did you try wetting them down (changing them regularly) at all?

And youre birds gonna die young and over weight 💀

Does BS mean bullshit?

+Brian Gunsel indeed :D

Hi, thank you for watching and commenting on our video. To clarify a few points: - Vetafarm uses only whole Australian ingredients. - Vetafarm pellets do not contain fillers. - Vetafarm pellets do not contain Menadione. - Vetafarm pellets do not contain any added salt. - Vetafarm pellets do not contain any added sugar. - All of our products are designed by a veterinarian and nutritionist with 40+ years of experience in assisting birds suffering from dietary disorders. Thank you again and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions or concerns. You can contact us on (02)69330400 or by email sales@vetafarm.com.au

@@vetafarm Thank for your prompt reply. Can you list your ingredients. So we can see the amounts of each. And clarify where you add supplements, either natural or synthetic.

Hi Charles, thank you for watching and commenting on our video! Most commercial seed mixes generally contain sunflower, millet, canary, sorghum, wheat, corn and oats. The sorghum, wheat, corn and oats provide little to no nutrition to the bird and are passed through the digestive system quickly. The seeds that do provide some nutrition are sunflower, canary and millet. When birds crack the seeds, you lose approximately 30% of the weight in the husk. So by the time you take a 1kg box of seed and remove the husks and the ingredients that don’t provide nutrition, there actually isn’t that much in there that is of use to the bird! Our extruded diets are nutritionally balanced and formulated by an avian veterinarian. Therefore, for maintenance, they do not require any added supplements. Unfortunately, whilst seeds are a fantastic source of fat, fibre and carbohydrates, they lack many necessary vitamins and minerals. A lack of these dietary components can lead to illnesses over time such as metabolic bone disease, fatty liver disease, lipomas, vitamin deficiencies and mineral deficiencies. We generally recommend a diet consisting of 80% Vetafarm Pellets, 15% fresh fruit and vegetables, and 5% treats such as seeds/nuts however this recommended ratio can vary depending on the species of bird. This ensures that they receive some enrichment and variety. Another benefit of feeding pellets is that there is less wastage and mess as they are less likely to flick them everywhere. If the bird is used to a seed-based diet, he/she may not initially recognise the pellets as a source of food. If they don’t begin consuming the pellets straight away, we would recommend following the conversion process shown in this video!

@@vetafarm thanks for the info

Hi, thank you for your comment! We would recommend converting them to a full pellet diet (as well as some fruit/veg for treats!) as our pellets are fully nutritionally balanced so that your bird is in optimum health! You can also give them treats such as the deli-treats :)

you can give a bird 200 gr plus a tsp of their favorite tree nuts for tricks. plus 1 tsp of their fav fruit (mine all like bananas) for tricks. call their name and they should come to you for a treat. that way if your bird gets out, they should come right back to you for a treat and this is the start of free flight training if you want to do that. smaller birds should get less. macaws can have more tree nuts in their diet. good luck