Pellets vs. Seed for Canaries - Need Input, please

[Geoffrey]

Currently all of my birds are on seed diets (supplemented with various other things), but I am about to order more food - and I wondered if switching to pellets would be a better idea? I haven't tried them before because I can't find finch sized pellets, but now that I am ordering online (it's like 3X cheaper, even with shipping :eek: ) I have tons more options.

My complaints about seeds:
--they waste so much of it (covering good seeds with hulls and throwing it everywhere).

--could be more nutritious


Does anyone here have experience feeding pellets to canaries and finches? Do they waste less food? I'm sure they still throw it around, but they can't bury it in hulls and chaff, right? Have you found them willing to eat it? Upsides? Downsides? All the canary people I've spoken to feed seeds - it's traditional...

I am currently leaning towards the "Nibbles" sized Roudybush for Canaries and Finches, thoughts? I know Harrison's gets recommended a lot, but the current number of birds I have (I hold onto all the babies until the first major molt is finished - that molt is a big big big deal for young canaries) - makes it impractical to go that route.

[Shirley]

If you can get your canaries to eat pellets, that that is a very good thing, but don't take seed away all together. They should still get some seeds/grains in their diet, but with pellets, don't need the seed every day. I was never able to switch my canaries to pellets, but I've know a few people who have. It's pretty easy to switch the Bourke's over to pellets, but that method did not work with the canaries for me.

[Lammergeier]

I care for my housemate's canary, Solano, and zebra finches, Choso and Rito, and feed them pellets: just switched from Zupreem to Lafeber's, actually. They have free choice of pellets and mixed seed, and seem to eat about half & half: Solano likes his pellets more than the zeebs do, so his pellet/seed ratio is higher.

I'd be concerned about their calcium/phosphorus ratio if I took their seed away entirely; they get a lot of high-calcium leafy greens, and Solano in particular will stuff himself with kale until he looks like he's wearing black lipstick. It would cut down on a lot of mess, though. SEED HULLS, AAAGH.

[Geoffrey]

If I remember correctly, there should be a carton of pellets at home. This weekend I intend to crush them up (to make them canary sized) and see if the birds like 'em.

I hope they do, it would be so much better!

[Geoffrey]

I put some pellets in the blender/food processor thingy to break them down to canary size and tried feeding them to the birds as a coarse power.

Success! I have pellet canaries now :) Zebra finches too. (They all took to it immediately).

[CocosMomma]

I have some Harrison's 'mash' that Petey refused to eat... wan'me to send it to ya?!:p Better yet - you could come by and pick it up, and maybe see a bear or two while you were here! :D

[Nolan's Mom]

I want to see a bear!! :(

[CocosMomma]

I want to see a bear!! :(

:watched:quiet you....

I'm gonna lure him in with the bears, but naturally tell him he has to bring several birds with him (so they can taste test the Harrison's mash, and make sure they like it...), then voila - while he's looking at the bears - I make off with another addition to Aunt Robin's "summer" camp!:dance:

:watched:

[Nolan's Mom]

Just wondering if you accept humans at summer camp....

BTW, Congrats Geoffrey on converting your fids to pellets so quickly :D

[CocosMomma]

Just wondering if you accept humans at summer camp....

BTW, Congrats Geoffrey on converting your fids to pellets so quickly :D

Pellet eating humans?:scratchch Yes - congratulations are in order for Geoffrey and his fids! Strider is eating the Harrison's 'super fine' pellets, but then again, there's only one of him... Geoffrey's flock is much larger! :D

[Geoffrey]

My flock is.....uhh.....30 times larger than Strider :foot-tap: They've got little weakling beaks though (not hook-bills) so their pellets have to be really miniscule - hence the food processor. They do sell pellets for canaries though, I just happened to have larger pellets from a long time ago that I could use as a "test-run" (the package was still sealed). Pellets are so much cleaner!

Aunt Robin's summer camp might get overwhelmed if my birds showed up. It might resemble a scene from Hitchcock's "The Birds." No....I think it's better if you just send Strider to me. He can spend some time at Geoffrey's Petting Zoo. In fact, he might just want to stay :agree:

[CocosMomma]

My flock is.....uhh.....30 times larger than Strider :foot-tap: They've got little weakling beaks though (not hook-bills) so their pellets have to be really miniscule - hence the food processor. They do sell pellets for canaries though, I just happened to have larger pellets from a long time ago that I could use as a "test-run" (the package was still sealed). Pellets are so much cleaner!

Aunt Robin's summer camp might get overwhelmed if my birds showed up. It might resemble a scene from Hitchcock's "The Birds." No....I think it's better if you just send Strider to me. He can spend some time at Geoffrey's Petting Zoo. In fact, he might just want to stay :agree:

Geoffrey... the bears are over here... on this side of the state... wanna reconsider?:scratchch:nuts: Drat... I'm thinking I'm not gonna convince ya...:foot-tap:

[Geoffrey]

Ahh, you forget - there are bears here too :P

Not quite as many, but the one that was up a tree in a church-yard a while back was interesting. They had to dart him, catch him in a net, and send him elsewhere. He'd been up there several days by then (he was injured, I think he got sent to wildlife rehab and then released).

Got any other bargaining chips?

[Eriisu-chan]

Guys, guys, guys.....

Don't worry about the birds, ok? Misses C's Winter Games Camp in Riverview, NB will take care of ALL your little birdies!! :agree:

[Geoffrey]

Isn't it a bit chilly up there in Canada? I'm not sure if the birdies are into winter games. Perhaps if you knitted them little sweaters (complete with leg warmers and tail/wing-holes)...

[Eriisu-chan]

Isn't it a bit chilly up there in Canada? I'm not sure if the birdies are into winter games. Perhaps if you knitted them little sweaters (complete with leg warmers and tail/wing-holes)...

Oh my goodness, those little sweaters sound adorable!! :wub:

It's chilly outside but we DO have that thingie called... errr.... wait... electricity? :funny: