GOOD NUTRITION - Pellets offer us an easy way to give our birds a better source of nutrition than seeds are capable of delivering. Pellets can contain several types of proteins from each major protein group (grain, bean, & animal) to allow your birds to benefit from a complex protein food source. Most birds and animals (us included) will have better health and a longer life when consuming a complex protein food source, as long as the digestive system of the animal or bird is equipped to process all the proteins supplied. Pellets, regardless of who makes them, should always be supplemented with fruits, vegetables, soak & cook, pasta, nuts, seeds, etc., to provide interest and variety for creatures far to intelligent for a single item diet.
PROPER VITAMINS AND MINERALS INTAKE - Pellets offer the only sure method of supplying vitamins and minerals in the quantities considered to be proper for caged birds. Vitamins sprinkled on seed mostly end up on the bottom of the cage with the hulls. Birds may ingest vitamins added to soft foods, but judging the proper amount to add would be very difficult and overdoses of some of the vitamins and minerals can be harmful. Vitamins added to the water will lose most of their potency within a few hours; also bacteria will grow quickly in a vitamin-water mixture. Even pellets must be fed according to the manufacturer’s instructions to achieve the optimum vitamin and mineral intake, since they are formulated to be a certain percentage of the bird’s diet. Natural foods that are stored for a month or more tend to lose their vitamin content. Though a good source of variety for your birds, they do not supply the necessary nutritional requirements.
ELIMINATES WASTE AND MESS - Pellets are 100% edible. Hulls and seeds not eaten equal approximately 50% or more by volume of the seed mixture.
A CLEAN SOURCE OF NUTRITION - Pellets that are packaged and stored properly should be relatively free of bacteria, seed moths, etc.. Seed mixtures are very difficult to cleanse of seed moth eggs, bacteria and other foreign material without also damaging the integrity of the seeds.
HEALTHY BIRDS BREED BETTER AND LIVE LONGER - Most breeders will agree the better diet birds are fed, the faster they will go to nest and produce a greater number of fertile eggs from which a larger percentage will grow to maturity. As far as the birds living longer, most avian veterinarians that do necropsies on pet and breeder birds say that malnutrition is the leading cause of death. Many of these birds were fed a seed only diet.
PELLETS CAN EASILY SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY - Trying to give your birds a nutritional diet without pellets can be frustrating and time consuming, giving you less quality time to spend with your birds. Pellets are simple to feed and along with vegetables as well as some fruits, nuts, soak & cook, sweet potatoes, etc. and an occasional treat, you will give your birds the nutritional diet they deserve. A quality pelleted diet will cost about the same as a premium seed mix, but you probably throw away over half of your seed mix as waste. Also you should spend addition money on supplements which are difficult to get the birds to ingest at the desired levels. With pellets you should have low waste, better breeding production, fewer health problem, and longer life spans.
IT’S UP TO YOU - You are the one that decides what food is best for your birds to eat. They are like children and will always choose candy instead of casserole and suckers instead of salad. So, if you want your birds to realize the benefits of a pelleted diet, you must decide that it is worth your efforts to convert them and that you, not the birds, are in charge. You will find that some birds will readily accept pellets and most will accept pellets after a reasonable amount of coaxing and persistence. A few will be very stubborn and will strain your patience and fortitude by the time they are eating pellets. There is one rule you must observe when converting birds to pellets whether you are following the manufacturer’s suggestions or trying an idea of your own. NEVER TRY TO CONVERT MORE BIRDS THAN YOU CAN EASILY MONITOR. You must not let the very stubborn birds become too stressed or thin. As with any "new foods", some stress and weight loss is bound to occur in these birds. But the long-term benefits are well worth it.
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