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​Converting Your Bird to a Pelleted Diet

Converting your bird to a pelleted diet is not always quick or easy.  When given free choice most birds will go for the fattier seed diet, especially if that is what they are familiar with.  However, that doesn’t mean converting cannot or should not be done - pelleted diets are overall a more nutritionally balanced and a healthier option.  So here are a few tips to help make the process less daunting:  

First, while we do recommend a pelleted diet there are a few circumstances in which you should not attempt conversion.  If your bird is sick, or experiencing a stressful change in environment, please wait until the issues are resolved and start converting at your doctor’s recommendation.  Throughout the process monitor your bird’s weight and feces.  Check with your doctor for a range of safe weight loss.

The method of conversion that we at Chicago Exotics recommend is the “Meal Time” method.  Offer your bird only the pelleted diet for the majority of the day.  For 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening (the “Meal Times”) offer the preferred seed diet.  At all other times there should only be pellets available.  Make sure to use the same bowls for both seed and pellets to make the experience as familiar as possible.  As with all conversion methods, regularly clean the cage and monitor stool.  If stool starts to appear dark or tarry this is a sign that they are not eating enough.  In this situation allow longer meal times with seed access.

Another common form of conversion is a gradual change which can be tried if the “Meal Time” method does not work for your bird.  Start by making 25% of your birds diet the desired pellet.  Monitor your bird’s food intake and weight. Gradually increase the proportion of pellets.  Between stages make sure to clean out the cage regularly and monitor the stool.  Small or very dark fecals can be an indication that they are not eating enough.
This method works best for birds that are inquisitive and likely to try a new food.  If it doesn’t seem to be working you can back up a step in the gradual changes for a week and try again.

Now, as I mentioned the “Meal Time” or gradual conversion method should be your first and primary conversion methods, but there are some other methods that can be used along with either method to help encourage your bird.

1)  Change up the environment

As we said earlier you don’t want too much change, and if your bird stresses easily this is not a method you should try.  However; sometimes moving around the furniture, the food dishes, or even the cage can encourage new behaviors including feeding.  Many birds will instinctively eat from the highest location.  You can try moving the food dish up or putting in a few dishes with the higher dish containing more pellets.

2)  Use a mirror or white paper

Birds are naturally social and respond to reflections.  This is why we discourage mirrors as toys because many birds will actually respond to the reflection as another bird or potential mate.  However it also means you can tap into that instinct to encourage pellet eating.  Try offering pellets on a mirrored surface.  This can help to draw the bird’s attention to the food and encourage eating either socially or competitively.  Sometimes a bright white sheet of paper offset against bright pellets can work similarly to draw a bird’s attention.  

3) Eat with your bird

You are the greatest source of social interaction for your bird.  If your bird is a social eater, try pretending to eat pellets with your bird or offering them as treats during social times.

4) Make it more appealing

Try moistening the pellets with a small amount of sugar free fruit juice.  Gradually decrease the amount of fruit juice you add.  Make sure not to leave these pellets in the cage for more than an hour or so to avoid bacterial growth.

​5) Dust the seeds

​Crush pellets and sprinkle them over seeds or other readily eaten food.  This can give the bird a small taste for the pellets and make them a more familiar flavor
 
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Harrison's Bird Bread makes a great conversion tool and treat!
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If you have any NON-EMERGENT questions, please feel free to call us at 847-329-8709
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  • Home
  • Emergency Care
  • Care Sheets
    • General Care >
      • Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
      • Heating Reptile Enclosures
      • Health Veggie Shopping for Reptiles
      • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
      • Metabolic Bone Disease Care
      • Vaccines in Exotic Animals
    • Birds >
      • Amazon Care
      • Avian Influenza Fact Sheet
      • Avian Influenza for Poultry Fact Sheet
      • Avian Bornavirus Testing
      • Budgie Care
      • Canaries
      • Chicken Care
      • Chronic Egg Laying
      • Cleaning and Disinfecting
      • Cockatiels (and other small Psittacines)
      • Cockatoo Care
      • ​Converting Your Bird to a Pelleted Diet
      • Feather Picking
      • General Parrot Care
      • Handfeeding Baby Parrots
      • Healthy Shopping for your Birds
      • Infectious Diseases of Parrots
      • Instructions for Physical Therapy in Birds
      • Lead Poisoning
      • McWatters Diet (Homemade Mash)
      • Macaw Care
      • Parrot Precautions
      • Polyoma Virus
      • Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease
      • Proventricular Dilatation Disease
      • Spiroform Pharangitis (Spirochetes)
      • Baby Starling and Sparrow guidelines
      • Territorial Aggression
      • Unsafe Plants for Birds
      • Weaning Baby Birds
      • What to Feed Your Pet Bird
      • Wing Injury and Rehabilitation
      • Wing Trims
      • Your Overly Reproductive Female Bird
      • Zinc Toxicity
    • Caiman Care
    • Ferret and Fox Care >
      • Your Ferret’s First Visit to the Vet
      • An Overview of Ferret Adrenal Disease
      • Chronic Diarrhea in Ferrets
      • Ferret Dentistry
      • Heart Disease in Ferrets
      • Heartworm Disease in Ferrets
      • Insulinoma in Ferrets
      • Lymphoma In Ferrets
      • Bob’s Chicken Gravy
      • Fennec Foxes
      • Red Foxes
    • Fish >
      • Algae in your Freshwater Aquarium
      • Eel Care
      • Freshwater Tropical Fish Care
      • Beginning a Freshwater Aquarium
      • Cleaning your Freshwater Aquarium
      • How to Feed your Fish
      • Aquarium Corals
      • Koi Care
      • General Goldfish Care
      • Hermit Crab Care
    • Invertebrate Care
    • Frogs, Toads, and Other Amphibians >
      • Argentine Horned Frogs
      • Bullfrog Care
      • Dart Frog Care
      • Feeding Pet Frogs and Toads
      • Fire Bellied Toad Care
      • Pixie Frog Care
      • Red Eyed Tree Frog Care
      • Short Tongue Syndrome
      • Tiger Salamander Care
      • Axolotl Care
      • White Lipped Tree Frog Care
      • White's Tree Frog Care
      • Ranavirus
    • Guinea Pigs and Rodents >
      • Chinchilla Care
      • Cuy Criollo (Giant Guinea Pig)
      • Health Problems with Guinea Pigs
      • Degu Care
      • Gerbil Care
      • Guinea Pig Care
      • Hamster Care
      • Diabetic Hamster Diet
      • Mice Care
      • Rat Care
      • Health Problems with Rats
      • Prairie Dog Care
      • Odontoma
      • Veggies For Guinea Pigs
      • Visible Tumors in Rodents
      • Vitamin C Deficiency In Guinea Pigs
    • Hedgehog Care >
      • Baby Hedgehog (Hoglet) Care
    • Kinkajoos and Armadillos >
      • Kinkajou Care
      • Nine Banded Armadillo Care
    • Lizards >
      • Anole Care
      • Bearded Dragon Care
      • Blue Tongued Skink Care
      • Crested Gecko Care
      • Geckos of New Caledonia
      • Crocodile Monitor Care
      • Frilled Lizard Care
      • Green Iguana Care
      • Jackson's Chameleon Care
      • Leopard Gecko Care
      • Nile Monitor Care
      • Old World Chameleon Care
      • Panther Chameleon Care
      • Red-Eyed Crocodile Skink Care
      • Savannah Monitor Care
      • Tegu Care
      • Thai Water Dragon Care
      • Uromastyx Care
      • Veiled Chameleon Care
    • Potbellied Pigs >
      • Pot Belly Pigs
      • Diamond Skin Disease
    • Rabbits >
      • Bonding Rabbits Bullet Point Checklist
      • Healthy Shopping for Rabbits
      • Complete Rabbit Care
      • Getting To Know Your New Bunny
      • Training Your Bunny
      • What To Feed Your Rabbit
      • Learning to Use the Litter Box
      • What To Expect From Your New Rabbit
      • Dental Disease in Rabbits
      • Heart Disease in Rabbits
      • Healthy Stool in Rabbits
      • Gastrointestinal Stasis in Rabbits
      • RHDV2 Fact Sheet
      • Parasites of Rabbits
      • Sore Hocks in Rabbits
      • Pasteurella in Rabbits
      • Medicating Your Rabbit or Guinea Pig
    • Snakes >
      • Amazon Tree Boa Care
      • Ball Python Care
      • Black Rat Snake Care
      • Boa Constrictor Care
      • Brazilian Rainbow Boa Care
      • Burmese Python Care
      • California Kingsnake Care
      • Cornsnake Care
      • Dumeril's Boa Care
      • Eastern Kingsnake Care
      • Emerald Tree Boa Care
      • Garter Snake Care
      • Green Tree Python Care
      • Western Hognose Care
      • Mexican Black Kingsnake Care
      • Rosy Boa Care
      • Sand Boa Care
      • Western Fox Snake Care
      • Inclusion Body Disease
    • Sugar Gliders and Marsupials
    • Turtles and Tortoises >
      • Alligator Snapping Turtle Care
      • Bell's Hingeback Care
      • Box Turtle Care
      • Chinese Box Turtle Care
      • Common Snapping Turtle Care
      • General Tortoise Husbandry
      • Leopard Tortoise Care
      • Mud Turtle Care
      • Musk Turtle Care
      • Painted Turtle Care
      • Red Eared Slider Care
      • Russian Tortoise Care
      • Soft Shelled Turtle Care
      • Sulcata Care >
        • Diet For Sulcata Tortoises
      • Common Health Problems
      • General Care of Aquatic Turtles
      • Redfoot tortoise Care
  • Contact
    • Referrals
  • Vets, Externs & Shelters
    • Xoran CT
    • Acupuncture and Chiropratic Medicine
    • Erchonia Laser
    • Vet Day Camp >
      • Heart Supplement Formula
      • Avian Hemotology
    • Shelters
    • Externships
    • Jobs
  • Products
  • Links
  • About Us
  • Chicago Exotics Blog
    • About Us April Fools Page
  • Happy Turtle Stories
  • Tour
  • ADV Testing Information
  • Lacy Act Summary