Pellets vs seed

[lstyles]

It has been suggested to me to put my finches on pelleted food as it causes less mess and is better for them. I am sure this must have been discussed before and I would live to hear some experienced finch people's opinion.
Thanks
Lori

[cindy]

If you go to the green boxes at the top right side and go into search, type in your topic you can pull up the past threads/posts in regards to this topic.

All I can tell you is I use both, my avian vet told me that everything they need nutriton wise is in the pellets. Finches are a bit more energetic and can use both seed and pellets combined. Plain seed as a diet does not give them what they need. I also have used for health reasons just pellets on some hookbills.

What I am finding is if I add a scoop of pellets to the middle of the seed dish the pellets by next feeding time are usually the most eaten item in the dish. When some finches like a few of my zebra pairs are feeding young, the eat the white larger millet along with the pellets and eggfood to feed their young. I can till by the amount of pellet powder and white millet hulls in the dish, this also can be seen in crops of the young.

My owls prefer the pellets over seed. I use Zupreem Fruit Blend for Canaries/Finches.

I also supplement with greens, dried eggfood mix and powdered mineral/calcium mix.

This is a personal choice...some use seed, no pellets but try to provide a balanced diet while others use just pellets, veggies etc or still others mix it. You have to do what works for you and your finches. Take you lead from your finches offer both and see how they do.

[debbie276]

It has been my experience that those that feed pellets swear by them and those that don't swear by seed. I've read some rather heated posts over the years over which is better.

[6finchfriends]

I use both. That way they can choose.

[Mynard]

I agree,i mix (this is gonna sound funny) 3 shot glasses of pellets and 2 shot glasses of seed,toss that into a tupaware shake it all up then i scoop out a shot glass amount into their dish,i think they like the mix variety 2.sometimes i even toss in some Tropi mix eggfood as well but it all goes down
PS
If your wondering about the shot glass was all i had at the time when i started mixing seed/pellets

[cindy]

I think you method is just fine!!! Shot glass is a good size serving. I use the large ice tea scoopers in the powdered tea mix to measure out pellets.

[Mynard]

thanks i was searcing through the cupboard and all i saw was my hubbys shot glass from `Sin City`so since it never gets used and was avialible i thought Meh what the hey,but it seems to measure out just fine
i didnt even think to check the Ice Tea great idea!

[MikeRoger]

It has been suggested to me to put my finches on pelleted food as it causes less mess and is better for them. I am sure this must have been discussed before and I would live to hear some experienced finch people's opinion.
Thanks
Lori

Pellets vs seed can be a heated topic. I for one am not an all or nothing breeder/owner. Personally I believe birds should have some seed in their diet as well as pellets. However, I believe birds should be on a main diet of fresh fruits and veggies with seed and pellet taking a back seat, but still offered.Most of the budgies, cocktail and lovebirds are bird mill bred birds. Water and white millet is their staple food, because that is what is cheapest to feed.

[Summer Bird]

When I first got my Gouldians, they were on a pellets-only diet. I have since switched to a mixture of pellets and seed, and they seem to thrive on it. They do seem to enjoy hulling and eating seeds.

[finchmix22]

My avian vet keeps telling me to get my finches on an all pellet diet because giving them seed only is like us eating chips and fried food all the time. She said if the finches were in the wild, the fat content from seed would be burned off, but in a cage/aviary they do not get enough exercise and develop too much fat and liver problems with all seed. So,...I give them a mix of seed and pellet with fresh fruit, greens, carrotts and plants/leaves that grow naturally in my yard from the millet and seeds I throw for the wild birds, into the grass. They love that stuff and it goes fast!!!!

[cindy]

My vet said the same thing and that seed is empty nutrition...I give both but truthfully the peleets disappear quicker than the seed. I am finding more seed knock into the bottom of the tray everyday, it is whole seeds. I am seriously thinking of offering only pellets with a little seed in a tiny dish three times a week.

[CandoAviary]

Man most always thinks he can do better than mother nature
Pelleted diets are only as good as what man puts into them. So research your pelklleted diet you are using. Not all are created equal.
I offer pellets (roudybush, zupreem, ABBA) mixed with the basic seed mix. Some birds pick the pellets out first, especially the bright colored ones. Other birds go for the groats and sunflower chips first, some go for the seed first, sometimes the oil seed at that. Doesn't seem to be the same birds going for the same items all the time so I figure they know what they need, or possibly they have cravings also. My dog doesn't always eat grass and when she does she is picky about the type and age of the sprouts she nibbles
I figure why not offer seeds, pellets, fruits, vegetables, nuts, mineral stuff and just let your bird do the picking. This is my practice and I can honestly say this has worked well for me. I have parent reared chicks, high survivability, long life in years, and strong stock. If your bird has been reared on only one type of diet then this may be hard to acheive changing their dietary habits quickly. You may have to limit favorites to get them to try new foods.
The birds I breed take to a varied diet because they have access to many type foods so they all seem natural to them. New birds that I acquire sometimes take a good while to convince them that their are other foods other than seeds.