What Should You Feed Your Bird? With Dr Jason Crean | BirdNerdSophie 

Thank goodness talking about leaving out fresh food, I tend to worry, reassuring. Great talk! We tend to be so disconnected with nature while living with animals, this bridges that gap in understanding. Thanks for introducing me to him.

Such a useful video for anyone who is interested in learning more about parrot diets!

Hi Sophie, this was THE BEST VIDEO I have seen on bird nutrition, and specifically for my Cockatiel's diet, that I have come across ANYWHERE to date, period. I didn't want the video to end. And both of you all having such relevant backgrounds in the subject really added to the credibility of the information. Oftentimes, I think we bird owners confuse quantity with quality when it comes to getting good information on caring for our birds. By that I mean we assume just because a person has lots of birds, they know about bird health and nutrition, which is not always the case. I still have questions, so I'm going to go through your other videos to see if I can find the answers. Thank you to both you and Dr. Crean. The information you shared was priceless.

Excellent video. Dr. Crean is full of information that is very useful for caring for our birds Thank you so much!

Great info, thanks for having him on. Glad people are finally waking up to the whole “pellets are a complete diet” myth that some pellet manufacturers spread and that people on social media bully others into. I am so glad that people like you are helping to stop the malnutrition that this is causing in lots of pet birds! Again, great guest, thanks again for having him on and thanks for your channel

I normally comment asking lots of questions and your always so kind to answer as best as you can. For someone who is in the process of getting a cockatiel your channel is a godsend. Today I really just wanted to say thank you. I am sure as I move along in my journey I will have more questions lol but the work you do and information you share really helps. This was a great video!!

Thank you Sophie for mentioning Polly's avian teas🥰. Great video and together we can make a difference in birds' lives as there are still so many who are deprived of fresh and natural foods.

Finally someone who knows what Freeze drying is I've tried researching it in the past to see if it was safe (we own a freeze dryer) and I found a few things where people just didn't know the difference I mean I gave it to my bird anyways bc storage and I would rehydrate just super excited someone recognized that the 2 were different

Incredibly interesting video, Dr. Jason Crean's point of people thinking the wild is paradise is so true haha. Could totally do with more videos like these, maybe set up a podcast someday haha

Fantastic video! Thank you for making available the wealth of information. Having had studied agriculture and biology it all makes sense to me but with all the misinformation in various groups lately I was often doubting myself. Even my vet wanted me to convert them to pellets. I thought, well I would not eat stuff like that why should they so went on a search for better diet. So this video is really reassuring. My gut feeling was right! It definitely is sometimes a battle trying to convince my budgies to eat healthy foods and often it looked like the oldest one would rather be eating wood than a piece of vegetable. Her grumbling stomach made me feel so guilty. I rescued her from neglect and improper diet (they fed her kebabs apparently) The earlier years definitely of poor nutrition are catching up with her, she has a huge lipoma, heart and kidney disease. She is the most reluctant to eat anything healthy. However, got her on sprouted seeds and she loves those. I guess they still look like seeds to her. I will try to get small mealworms now and will remember to sun them before feeding. Vitamin D is important, I may have to eat some as well if those tablets are not as bioavailable because I got deficiency myself. Once again thank you so much for this video 💚🦜💚

I originally found this to learn about cockatiels as much as I can before getting one- But this has a lot of good advice for any pet I own ball pythons and have grown a little stagnant with learning new information, so this has reignited my way of thinking to keep up with new knees on how they work. Even with my dog, with the whole same kibble everyday, how I should offer diversity in her life and diet more often

This video was so informative! I think I give my birds a well rounded diet (TOPs pellets, fresh chop, seeds) but I really felt there was room for improvement on my part. As far as the bird groups on socials, I was really using them as my go to and they all say pellets are what they should be eating and seeds are bad. The fresh food being left out too was too dangerous! I leave their fresh chop with them all day when I’m at work so they have access to them during the day. I went to Grey Manors website and ordered some beak bars, teas and some toppers. As a bird owner, I feel there’s always room for improvement! I love my babies so much and want them to be happy and healthy. Thank you again for this video! I took lots of notes ❤️

We all are so lucky to be able to reach good quality information like this. Thank you so- very much to you Sophie and to Dr Jason Crean for making it possible!

Im so glad you got a video with Dr. Crean, both of you have taught me so much ☺️

My little monstera in the back :D

Thank you for introducing us to Dr. Crean... he was an excellent guest and so knowledgeable! This video is a wealth of information, and I know I will be referencing back to it and re-listening! You two answered a lot of my questions and confirmed some suspicions I've had over pellets, and about seeds! I was very surprised to learn that regular edible mushrooms weren't toxic to birds like I thought... and, I had no idea that mealworms (placed in the sun for a few minutes) could be a good source of vitamin D. Wow! I'm always striving to learn more and do better for my birds, and am excited to implement some of this advice. Dr. Crean also got me thinking that I need to put more research into learning about healthy cat diets! Thanks so much Sophie & Dr. Crean!

So informative! Everyone should watch this video before getting a parrot!

I Love this! Only just started watching and already I’m like thank god someone is saying it! Stop fearing food and the crazy you see in bird communities instilling fear in everything. Drives me crazy. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. I hope people remember the inherent intelligent of these babies too.

I love how you covered so much important important in just one hour! Thank you for all you both do. And thank you Dr Jason Crean for your Facebook page!

Really fantastic video Sophie thank you for making it! I learned so much! I’m relieved about leaving breakfast (chop/fresh food) in the cages. And much other really awesome information, I’ve already rewatched it a couple of times just to try take it all in ❤️

Thank you so much. Really appreciated this. 🙏

Really interesting and informative. I too have 3 conures. And 2 cockateils. Caiques and amazons. I currently feed harrisons coarse and fine. High value seeds daily fruit and veg. Great to hear information about bird nutrition from someone so knowledgeable.

This was amazing! Thank you!!!!

Awesome info.!! Thanks so much Sophie and Dr Crean. Have gotten so much out of this. 👍🏻🇦🇺

Awesome! Thank you. I wish people would just put put their thinking caps on. So much about nutrition is just common sense. Read ingredients. Like who really wants pesticides in their food? So, why choose foods laden with these chemicals? And what doctor would recommend an all-processed food diet today for a human? Why would we think its ok for our birds? So so much garbage information on the internet. It's sad. Thanks for giving me a resource I can share.

Great video. Loads of great information

Thank you so much for this Sophie. Super useful. X

This was amazing and comprehensive, I loved it. Thank you so much ☺️

Thank you Sophie and Dr. Crean.

amazing video!! i watched the whole thing through and learned so much.

Thank you so much for this incredible video, very interesting and informative!

Awesome interview. It was very useful for me. In addition to disproving many myths. Thanks a lot.

This is great 👍🏼

What an interesting and informative hour. Thank you so much ....off to do more research now 🙂

Very interesting video! Really enjoyed it and learned a lot!

Your videos have helped so much with my new pet bird. This video deserves like a billion likes and veiws

Thank you for this talk. I'm just getting a greed cheek conure and the breeder recommended an all pellet diet of Zupreem , yuck. When I seen it had sugar in it I knew I had to change it.

You have NO idea how thankful I am for this video. Since I got my cockatiel I have been flip flopping back and forth with what to feed her. I bought into the pellet diet because it is pushed by avian vets and bird influencers. I started my girl on harrisons and she quickly became bored, then started buying every pellet under the sun to find one she would eat regularly. My tiel as a child ate straight up seed mix because that was back in the 90s when we didn't know any better. I honestly have never been so frustrated when it comes to feeding a pet but this video seriously helped. Especially with leaving chop out all work day, I have heard things like "you'll kill your bird, the bacteria starts growing after 20 minutes!" Is frozen chop still considered ok? I can't prepare fresh daily with a full-time work schedule so I freeze in portions and leave out in the morning. What are your opinions on TOP's Dream Mix? I want to feed soaked as well as dry in the evenings.

Thank you so much for the video!..in our country perfect pellet brands not available!..so my feeding schedule filled with unprocessed things!.. Long period of time i worried about it !..I wondered if I could go on giving the best to my birdsi !. But now satisfied!Thank you so much!.

Good video👍

I do a seed mix. 50/50 of a budgie seed mix (contains no sunflower seeds or safflower seeds) and a cockatiel mix, that does have those 2 missing. Otherwise the cockatiel seed mix had way to much on the sunflower seeds. So I fixed it with an easy solution. The cockatiels eat everything from both seed mixes, my budgies ignore the safflower and sunflower seeds. The sprout mix I make myself has seeds they miss from both mixes. I only sprout enough seeds to last 3-4 days, I have that mold paranoia too lol. After a 24 hour soak, I serve in the morning. Then light rinse the next day, and the next. After 4 days, they start to smell funny, so I stopped using so many seeds. Maybe I need to change from a sprouting jar to a sprouting tray. I still do offer a 50/50 pellet mix around noon (a small stainless steel bowl of them). Some of my birds like them, some do not. They pick out the ones they want to eat. It is TOPs and Harrison's. I know for a fact TOPs is all organic and stuff, but it doesn't have certain vitamins or minerals. Which Harrison's makes up for. A few of my birds eat both each day, other times they only pick out the Harrison's, or only the TOPs. I am guessing birds know what they are lacking, same when I crave certain foods, cause of a need for certain vitamins or minerals I might be lacking? This is a big reason I don't add corn to their diet. I know they are getting that in the Harrison's pellets. That and corn isn't anything but starch and sugars. I try to make sure my chop is at least 10-20 different ingredients. Change it up each season. We have 4 seasons here mind you. I laugh when I hear about veggies spoiling in a fast period of time. Hello, veggies sit outside in the sun all day. Yes once you pick it and cut it up, it will start to spoil, but it isn't as fast as people think it is. I mean if it all turns brown and gets weirdly mushy, yes you let it sit out way to long lol. "I only feed my birds pellets", "I only feed my birds seeds", "I only feed my birds carrots or broccoli". I used to hear this all of the time as an experienced consultant in a very large parrot discord. I had to quit this discord, because I was just talking to the walls. No one seemed to ever listen to anything I said. My heart broke every time someone posted their baby parrot died, because they were never taught how to properly ween a chick. A species dies 15 years before it should. The worst of all, people who are not properly educated telling others what they should be doing. At this point, all I could do is tell them to get a necropsy done by their vet. TO LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES (if there were any, and yes, it is always down to diet, most of the time). We grow rhubarb here. A lot of it. I know most of it is poisonous to people. The stalks are cooked and processed here (into jams and jellies and syrups). I just never thought to try the part people eats to my birds. I mean, people can eat a lot of things, I wouldn't feed all of them to my birds. Avocado, chocolate, dairy, and some other things. If anything I posted is wrong, or could use adjustments. Feel free to let me know Sophie!

This was a great video, very informative. Just the other day I was picking up veggies for chop, and walked right past the mushrooms because I thought all mushrooms are bad

Thank you V informative. My vet tells me to feed them pellets its boring feeding the same pellets I give them fresh chopped vegetables daily morning. Fresh fruits a little and sprouted seeds. But first time hearing of tea. Will try.

Lovely video! Any tips on what to do if my budgie is picking out sprouts and grains from his chop? He eats vegetables from a chopping board is I cut them into teeny tiny cubes or directly from a blender bowl, but as I add soaked grains (in hot water) and sprouts to the chop - he just goes for them... Thank you!

This is such an important information! TYSM 🙏🙏🙏🙌🙌🙌 What resonated most with me was the changing the lifestyle part. I so appreciate being reminded of how processed food and too-much-of-one-thing leads to a disease in birds. And eventually any animal and even humans! I do believe that food can be both poison and medicine. Thank you for putting a BALANCED DIET up front, where it belongs, as a building stone for healthy and thriving life for both parrots and their owners.

I commented on another food video and Im sure I'll get flack for saying it again But if you need to feed pellets because of health, travel, illness, or access to fresh foods, you aren't a monster or killing your parrot. Fresh foods will always hands down for the rest of time be the best thing anyone can eat, everyone should strive to feed the least processed foods. I also understand that lots of people have food insecurity Not everyone had access to a grocery store 😅 especially in an emergency. It could be logistical, or it could be that where you live the store doesn't offer what you need. I keep a variety of pellets (I could give my two pellet and they'll eat it) my own dry mix, a freezer stocked with prepared chop, a pantry full of dry sprouting seeds and beans, I am absolutely loving the fresh food movement! Its not an all or nothing, people can still feed fresh foods and pellets, and I really hope that as people realize that a fresh diet isn't as hard as they thought it was ❤️

My lorikeets refuse to eat "chop". I just made a collection of cups with hooks, so that I can put the whole veggies in, with bases sitting in water to keep them fresh for a few days until eaten & done like that, they'll pig out on all Asian greens & more. They'll also happily eat anything off my plate or try to take it out of my mouth if I try to stop that. My girl was even eating my meat the other day, cause I was eating it, so it must be good right? I agree, presentation is everything & I think the more natural the better too, a bowl of "chop" is pretty unnatural, whereas being able to chew leaves off trees/shrubs/Asian greens IS normal behaviour. Mine certainly won't eat a whole piece of fruit on a skewer though, I have to peel the fruit or they won't touch it lol. I really thought they should be able to & should enjoy peeling their own mandarines etc but nope, has to be peeled for them, or actually, we've now found the ideal presentation, slice in half across it, so that all segments are exposed, then leave in the skin so the skin can hold it all together & give something to swing it around by, just for fun. Cherries are popular unpeeled & with stalks left on for holding though, same with red & black grapes, white grapes get sat on as eggs by my girl, or subjected to the "drop" game (out the cage door onto my floor) by my boy

I’ve watched some of the video and thought it was great. I plan to watch the rest over time but my combined disabilities make it difficult. Is there any chance you can do a list of key points? I would be happy to pay for a summary information leaflet/document if you were to produce one. Thanks for the work you do - your videos are awesome and so useful.

What about the sprinkle on vitamins like Nekon, is it it good?

Do you feel like feeding pellets/dry stuff in a foraging bowl it better than just getting the straight in the bowl? Since foraging is a big part in getting the body prepared for food?

Hi Sophie, I have an organic bag of bird tea from Posh. Can I just use this as a topper on top of chop or with dry seeds

When it comes to seeds and nuts should you give them raw or roasted? I'm looking at various nuts and seeds in bulk on amazon, but I'm not sure which one I should go with.

What about frozen mixed veg? If I stems little bit in microwave abs then offer?

Greywood manor no longer exists are beak bars still available?

On the topic of mushrooms: Are there some types that are more nutritious than others? I can readily get baby bellas, portabellas, but not many other types. Are those nutritious enough or not worth giving them?

Lool. Tell the Egyptians the river Nile was bad for them... water = life. I'm still waiting for my sprouting kit that was OOS. I was just wondering my cockatiel loves hemp seeds, sunflower and millet. How many is ok to give in a training session? I worry I'm giving too many. My budgie only loves millet. ❤

Where can I get these products in Canada? Thanks!

Sometimes I have things going on in my day and with hold the chop because I am afraid they won't get pulled on time! Thank you. Since cooked vs. Raw food came up.... when I give chop with cooked quinoa or beans should I still be vigilant on pulling those ones?

Is there a book I can get about all this dietary information? I have parakeets

My budgie is so picky 4 years in, I have tried every pellet and not happening. My budgie has constant regurgitation with all toys And objects in my house, he isn't sick, help

Can i give my parrots a super minimal amount of beef liver? maybe like a gram or half a gram

I have a 10 week old baby Cockatiel and I'm having problems getting him off his baby formula. In the past two weeks I have been mixing some of the baby formula with sweet potato and tops pellets, and this week with veggie chop. Also offering some banana and strawberry, seeds, and sprouts. But he keeps crying waiting for me to mix more warm baby formula. Makes me worry wondering if he's eating enough. Help?

I have a question about fruit and eggs. I don't give my parakeets fruit everyday. I give to them 3x a week. Is that ok? Eggs 1 to 2 times a week. May I still do this? The Dr. Mentioned fruit everyday and no eggs. Confused

Wow, I'm so completely fact illiterate. I need to reevaluate what I accept as true and find real evidence. Thanks for the wakeup call ')

Can birds taste sour?

Hi ,what kind of rice can I soak besides brown rice.Do I soak all my grains

google says 1-2 tablespoons or 30-40 grams of pellets or seeds everyday (for a cockatiel) but 1 tablespoon is only 10 grams??? do i listen to the grams or the tablespoons? 😅😅😅

Hour long video! Not sure my ADHD can handle it lol.... Going to try though!