Many questions - seed mixes and pellets

[Chichireeo]

I bought Harrison's pellets because my vet had them, and then my bird did eat some. Now he won't eat it anymore. The vet wants him to switch to pellets.
1. Why is it so important to switch to pellet diet, if the first ingredient is "ground millet"? What if i provide seeds and fresh food, carrots, spinach, calcium supplements?
2. The other ingredients in the pellets: soy, corn, barley, rice, peanuts, are they important for finches, or are these fillers, or are they in there for birds in general?
3. if the formula such as Harrison's is for "small birds", does that mean it may have grit? I don't think I am supposed to give grit.
4. On the finchinfo page, there is a recommended millet mix that i am trying to follow. What are "panicum millet" and "plate millet", and where do I buy these?
5. I have a Green Singer. If I try Lafeber's, should I choose "finch" or "canary"?

Any insight to any of the questions is much appreciated!

[dfcauley]

There are some here that like pellets. Personally I do not. I think the birds love and need seeds. This is more natural for them.
Personally if I wanted to feed pellets I would also give them seeds.

I also do not give my birds grit. I give them charcoal, egg shells and mineral mix. I also ground up some cuttle bone for them. I also give my birds finch seeds, not canary seeds. They are smaller, but I don't know about green singers as I do not have one. Are they the same size as a finch?

[Sally]

At one time, I had switched my birds over to an all-pellet diet. I loved it, no hull mess, much easier to feed. After some time, I noticed that my birds were quieter, less active--looking healthy, but something was off. I went back to a seed diet, and the change was amazing. Right away, they were noisier and more active. I think they needed the 'job' of searching through the seed mix for their favorites, hulling the seed, etc--it gave them something to do!

Don't get too hung up on the perfect diet for your birds, it will vary depending on seasons, molting, breeding, etc. If you provide a good basic mix with veggies on the side, they will be fine. Green Singers are closely related to canaries, so you could even try mixing half and half a canary mix with a finch mix. Or you can just add some plain canary seed along with some niger. Protein can always be provided with eggfood. Grit is fine for your birds, as long as it is grit and not gravel--there is a difference. Look for oystershell grit, that is also a good source of calcium, or most mineral mixes are fine.

[debbie276]

I agree with both posts, a good basic seed mixture with added goodies. Instead of grit I offer oyster shells, charcoal and the egg shells from hard boiled eggs at all times.

Here's a link to a millet seed reference guide:
http://www.egerbil.com/millet.html

[cindy]

I offer a good seed mix along with Zupreem Fruit Flavored pellets. Avian Vet recommended. If you do a search on the topic there are many topic threads from the past regarding your questions. Some birds want nothing but pellets, my owls relish them other will not go near them. I have used pellets for years. It is like giving them a child a vitamin just in case they don't eat what they should or you try to give them.

Pellets, seeds it is a personal choice.

[Chichireeo]

Thank you all for the info. I got the word. So we will stay on seeds, encouraged by the experienced finchers above.
There was much pressure at the vet to switch to pellets, saying my bird got fat on seeds, and will have serious health problems.
I want to give a seed diet that's closer to the pellet formula in percentage of fat, protein, fiber. I already give lots of greens and fruit everyday, along with all that other good stuff.

[cindy]

Cate...I will tell you that my avian vet recommended pellets only for my hookbills (the fat in the seed can cause females to go into a hormonal swing and start producing eggs even if they are not caged or have a male with them/or in the same household...happened to my hookbill and we almost lost her). Hookbills are more sedentary than finches...she told me that finches are more active, high metabolism and can have seed along with pellets. You can serve both, either mixed or separate.

Mine love the Zupreem Fruit Blends for finches. The vet assistant raised javas on seed mixed with the Zupreem Fruit Blends, her javas had two clutches a year and the male lived to be 10 yrs old. She supplemented the birds with birdie breads with veggies in it.

[Dayna]

I give my birds a lot... probably more than what is needed but they seem to be happy so I will continue to do what I do.
I feed my birds a mix of seed along with the zupreem fruit pellets, herb salad, crushed oyster shells, cuttlebone, a multi-vitamin, commercial egg food, fresh fruit and vegetables, and my own home made egg food.
As has already been said some of my finches love the pellets, others dont. So the ones that don't I will mix it in with their seed so they at least get some of the pellets and the ones that love it I will give a dish of just pellets and a dish of just seed so they can pck and choose.

[Dayna]

I should add that I give the vitamins sparingly because of everything else I feed but I do still give it

[ac12]

The green singer is a small bird, use the finch size pellets.
Although the LaFeber's finch pellets is much smaller than the Zupreem finch pellets.

If you supplement the seeds with other stuff (veggies, etc) then they will get a more balanced diet than seed only. A seed only diet is like a kid only eating cake.

I have most of my birds on pellets for 2 reasons.
#1 - less mess. no seed hulls flying all over the place
#2 - less waste. with the seed mix they don't eat half the stuff in the seed mix, making the seeds effectively cost 2x as much. My finches don't eat the dark seeds and the pellets in the seeds. So they are not eating the "fortified" stuff in the seed mix.

The resting gouldians get seeds as a treat.

However, when breeding, the gouldians get seeds, so they can choose what they want to eat; pellets (LaFebers), seeds and egg food+veggies. I do this so they don't feel like they do not have enough/preferred food for the chicks. Breeding zebras don't get seeds as an option, only pellet (Zupreem) and egg food+veggies.

[Chichireeo]

Thanks guys. If there are seeds around, then the pellets are ignored. I don't want to start a battle of wills to force my bird to eat pellets if we don't have to.
I bought zupreem fruit blend. It is being ignored. I will keep trying at least until the bag is used up. Sure smells great to me. So fruity.
Question: how often should I replace pellets that was never touched?
Just bought Lafeber's pellet, finch. Maybe this one works.

[ac12]

If the pellets is mixed in w the seeds, I would dump the remains once a week.

[cindy]

Cate place the pellet dish next to the seed dish, use about a tablespoon at first, if they are eating it you will see colored powder. It may take a week or so, some of my birds that never had pellets either went very quickly to them or it took time...they all now eat the pelllets. I love the Zupreem Canary finch size, just a perfect size for them.

Keep offering it, you can even grind a little and put it ontop of the seeds...either sprinkle it on the seed or put it in the center of the seed. Usually I introduce it in a separate dish and a small amount on top in the center of the seed dish to birds that have not had them before.

Pellets if wet will clump, remove the clumped ones and keep away from were they bathe and drink. Pellets can remain out between a week to two weeks before changing them out.