Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Catherine Tobsing

Karen E. inquires,

If you could suggest the healthiest, most accepted by birds, flavorful, seed/pellet food for Tiels and conures. What would it be?? (Besides veggies and fruits)

 

Hi Karen

 

All packaged bird foods are the result of testing by the various manufacturers to produce what they feel is the best available with the resources available.

 

Perhaps some mixes could be better if certain ingredients were always available, but due to the inability to always be able to source every desired ingredient, a mix may not contain them, so a particular blend may be made without it so a standardized product can be offered.

 

We do the best we can for our birds. We offer a number of brands and food varieties so we and our customers can try them and see the results. See what the birds like, eat and keep them healthy for years to come.

 

When someone asks what are the best pellets, I say “the ones your birds will eat”.

 

Bird food manufacturers do try to make healthy pellets that can provide almost all the nutrition that a captive bird needs for long healthy lives.

 

 

Please consider a line of bird food that offers variety. Seed mixes, treats, pellets, etc.

 

We find Higgins Bird food products to have the widest variety and they cover most of our bird’s needs.

 

They have seed mixes sized by the bird and ranging from economy blends up to gourmet blends. They have pellets in sizes for canaries/finches up to macaw. They have treat mixes, treat sticks, and even easy-to-cook warm meals. We offer about 100 of their products and they can be mixed and matched as desired.

 

Start with a seed mix of your choice, Basic or gourmet, with or without sunflower seeds.  All of the seed mixes have pellets and it is easy to increase them with bags of matching pellets.

 

FYI: Recently Goldenfeast merged with Higgins and Higgins now produces Goldenfeast which offers about 15 blends that are very good mixes.

 

However, currently, due to supply chain problems, Goldenfeast products are in short supply, and we are low-stocked currently. But expect to see them back soon.

 

We like using some Goldenfeast blends as accent mix-ins to some of the Higgins products.

 

What birds do you have? Perhaps we can make suggestions?

 

Karen S. wrote:

I have conures, cockatiels, and 1 very picky Ducorps cockatoo that I struggle with daily now for 3 years just to get to eat ANYTHING!!

 

He’s been vet cleared healthy, a tad underweight tho I worry constantly about him.

 

Also…what water should I be giving to my birds? Spring, filtered?

 

Dear Karen

Regular tap water is fine for your birds if it is good enough for you. If not, then filter it. We installed a house filter and it has worked out well.

 

Otherwise, you can use spring water, and plain drinking water.

 

Do not use Distilled water.

 

We also make a container of water that we have added a bird multivitamin to so they are ensured of getting vitamins regardless of what they eat.

 

We keep it in the fridge and change the birdcage water 2-3 times a day. If you use a water bottle you cannot use vitamin-enriched water unless you also clean the water bottle daily as well.

 

Your cockatoo is likely getting enough to eat if you have had it for 3 years.

 

They are active birds and tend to be lean normally.

 

You can try to give foods that are a little more caloric like Nutri-berries.

 

They are bird food, not treats, but are often used as treats, however, they can be a bit fattening if given too many at one time. But if you are trying to get weight on the cockatoo, it may be helpful.