Northern Pet Blog

60 / 30 / 10 Simple Nutrition Plan

Northern Pet — Weds, 18 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Find out more about the Simple Nutrition Plan for a Parrot.

Find out about the 60 / 30 / 10 simple nutrition plan.

We're sure you're often asked, what is the best diet is for my Parrot? There is no easy answer to this question, but we have devised a simple nutrition plan to make it a little easier for you.and your customers

It’s called the Simple Nutrition Plan and if followed correctly, should give a Parrot most, if not all, the nutrition they need.

So 60% of a bird’s diet should be pellets or complete food that provides them with the nutrients, 30% should be made up of sprouting seeds, vegetables, fruits and nuts and the remaining 10% should consist of other seeds and treats.

Pellets

Pellets or complete food should be the core part of a Parrot’s diet, making up 60%. They’ve been specially formulated to give a bird much of the vitamins, minerals and other goodness they need daily to stay fit and healthy. Avian vets recommend pellets to be foundation of a bird’s diet too.

Browse our selection of complete food and pellets here.

Sprouting Seeds, Vegetables, Nuts and Fruits
To give a bird variety in their diet, 30% of it should consist of other things they enjoy eating, such as sprouted seeds, vegetables, fruits and nuts.

Popular Seed Brands

Parrot Premium Pro is one of the most nutritious seed mixes around.

Peanuts And Sunflower Seeds In Moderation

One word of caution, peanuts and sunflower seed should be thought of as treats, and make up no more than 10% of a bird’s diet, as they are often high in fat.

Include Plenty Of Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables like the coconut cubes and pumpkin mix have essential vitamins Parrots need to support their overall wellbeing.

Nuts

Nuts, like the cedar nuts and pilli nuts, have protein, fibre, carbohydrates and many other minerals to keep a Parrot looking and feeling great.

Seeds

Seed diets should be a smaller proportion of the diet. Whilst they are great for providing environmental enrichment - Parrots can explore the multiple ingredients, when seeds are the majority of the daily diet, it's likely they'll select their favoured few and will miss out on essential nutrition.

Treats

Who doesn’t love a treat? You can use treats as a reward for a bird’s good behaviour, to show them some love or just as a small snack between mealtimes. But remember, no more than 10% of their diet.

Treats include Parrot Cafe, oven baked treats that are a range of flavours.

If you have any questions about feeding a Parrot please email sales@northernpettrade.com or call us on 01706 507803.

Black Friday is Coming - Important Announcement

Northern Pet — Tues, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Order early before Black Friday.

Black Friday is fast approaching.

We know this is a busy trading period for everyone and it adds additional pressure to couriers and our warehouse team.

We’re continuously improving our processes and investing in our warehouse team and capacity, to ensure your order arrives with you as quickly as possible. We always aim to deliver your goods within 5 working days.

However, after the 15^th November through to mid-December, processing and delivering your orders could take longer than usual, so we would still advise you order as soon as you can, ideally prior to the 15^th November.

Thank you for your custom, we look forward to working with you again soon and helping you achieve your goals over the coming months.

Kind Regards,

Mike Taylor

Northern Pet Trade

Kaytee Availability Update August 2023

Northern Pet — Thurs, 31 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Find out the latest information on Kaytee food.

Due to an EU and UK regulatory update, we’re currently unable to import the Kaytee range of foods.

We are in regular contact with Kaytee, who are working hard to make the necessary changes to the colours used in their diets, so they’ll once again be EU and UK approved. We are awaiting a further update and will update this article as soon as possible.

Please be assured any food you may have, and stocks remaining, are safe to feed.

Unfortunately we had no notice of this situation and we’ve been unable to build up any stocks.

Some of the more popular lines have already sold out, and we expect the rest of the range to sell through over the coming weeks and months.

Our recommendation would be to transition your feathered friend(s) on to an alternative pelleted diet such as…

Totally Organic Pellets

Lafeber Gourmet Pellets

We are very sorry for any disappointment and inconvenience caused by this situation, which has been totally out of our control.

As always we are here to help and advise, our knowledgeable team are on hand to assist you.

As soon as we have any further news, we’ll update this page.

ZuPreem Availability Update August 2023

Northern Pet — Thurs, 31 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Find out the latest information on ZuPreem food.

Due to an EU and UK regulatory update, we’re currently unable to import the ZuPreem range of products.

As a result of an EU regulatory change ZuPreem are currently having to re-work the manufacturing of Natural and FruitBlend so it will continue to be approved for sale in the EU and the UK. We’re expecting to have an update from ZuPreem towards the end of 2023 / early 2024 on when we can place a new order

Please be assured any food you may have, and stocks remaining, are safe to feed.

Unfortunately we had no notice of this situation and we’ve been unable to build up any stocks.

Some of the more popular lines have already sold out, and we expect the rest of the range to sell through over the coming weeks and months.

Our recommendation would be to transition your customers on to an alternative pelleted diet such as…

Totally Organic Pellets

Lafeber Gourmet Pellets

We are very sorry for any disappointment and inconvenience caused by this situation, which has been totally out of our control.

As always we are here to help and advise, our knowledgeable team are on hand to assist you.

As soon as we have any further news, we’ll update this page.

Pretty Bird Availability Update August 2023

Northern Pet — Thurs, 31 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Find out the latest information on Pretty Bird food.

Due to an EU and UK regulatory update, we’re currently unable to import the Pretty Bird range of products, including Pretty Pets Tortoise Food.

We are in regular contact with Pretty Bird, who are working hard to make the necessary changes to the colours used in their diets, so they’ll once again be EU and UK approved. We’re expecting a further update towards the end of 2023.

Please be assured any food you may have, and stocks remaining, are safe to feed.

Unfortunately we had no notice of this situation and we’ve been unable to build up any stocks.

Some of the more popular lines have already sold out, and we expect the rest of the range to sell through over the coming weeks and months.

Our recommendation would be to transition your customers on to an alternative pelleted diet such as…

Totally Organic Pellets

Lafeber Gourmet Pellets

We are very sorry for any disappointment and inconvenience caused by this situation, which has been totally out of our control.

As always we are here to help and advise, our knowledgeable team are on hand to assist you.

As soon as we have any further news, we’ll update this page.

Order Early To Avoid Delays Before Black Friday 2021

Northern Pet — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Order early to avoid delays before Black Friday 2021

As this busy trading period fast approaches, we know from past experience that it adds pressure on the delivery networks we rely on and on our own warehouse team.

We’d like to re-assure you that over the last six months we’ve been busy investing in our warehouse capacity and our warehouse team. Plus, improving our processes. Not only to help provide you with a better day to day service, but to improve our service during our busiest times.

Even with this in mind, to avoid any potential disappointment, we would advise orders are placed as early as possible, ideally prior to the 16^th November. We always aim to deliver your goods within 5 working days. However, after the 16^th November through to mid-December, processing and delivering your orders could take longer than usual.

Thank you for your custom, we look forward to working with you again soon and helping you achieve your goals over the coming months.

Kind Regards,

Mike Taylor

Northern Pet Trade

Tough Love Plan

Northern Pet — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Follow the tough love plan in more detail here.

Add two new food dishes

Start by placing a few extra food dishes in the bird’s cage. Put one next to the bird’s highest perch, typically where they sleep. Place the second food dish lower in the cage where you would normally feed the bird. This method involves converting a bird to a new pellet-based diet as part of a feeding routine they anticipate and recognize. It is appropriate for birds of all sizes, breeds, and ages but may work best for more easy-going birds that enjoy eating treats and that are not stressed by change.

Tips:
- Be sure to place the new pelleted food in dishes the bird is familiar with and at locations in the cage they normally sit to eat and perches frequently.
- Always make sure a bird has access to fresh, clean water; some birds will drink more during the conversion process.

Add the new pelleted food

Each of the new dishes should contain the new pelleted food. The idea is to provide a bird with repeated exposure to the new food at multiple locations in the cage so that they have several chances to try the food as they maneuver up and down the cage. Birds don’t always recognize pellets as food, and they may even be afraid of pellets initially; so, the more frequently a bird encounters the new food, the more comfortable they may become with it.

Tips:
- If, after several days, the bird shows no interest in the bowls of pelleted food in the locations you initially place them, try moving them around slightly inside the cage to see if you can stimulate their interest.
- Pellets should remain in the cage at all times; they should be freshened daily, especially if they become wet or soiled.

Keep a small portion of old food

Place a third dish containing a small portion of the old food in the cage. The idea is to continue to offer a bird a very small portion of old food as you try to get them comfortable with the new food to ensure that they are eating something as they transition to pellets.

Tips:
- Be sure to offer only a small portion of old food so that the bird doesn’t fill up on it and is not hungry enough to try the new food.
- Place the small portion of old food in a familiar dish but in a location the bird doesn’t typically spend a great deal of time eating or perching.
- Even when you offer the small portion of old food, do not take out the dishes of new food; the bird should be continuously exposed to the new food even when a small portion of old food is present.

Provide a midday treat

In the middle of the day, give the bird a treat they really enjoy, like a few bites of fresh fruit, fresh veggies or a small portion of cooked food. This treat needs to be something you know the bird will readily eat.

While this method may be “tougher” love than some other methods of pellet conversion, the bird still gets a favorite treat from you, so they know you still love them.

Tips:
- Do not give excessive amounts of the treat so that the bird fills up on it and has no incentive to graze on the pellets located throughout the cage.
- Be sure not to offer the treat at any other time, inside or outside the cage, so that the treat is extra special.
- Pick a treat that you know the bird adores and would never refuse; if you are not sure what that is, try a variety of fruits, vegetables, or cooked pasta, lean meat, or egg. Many birds simply love these special table foods, but just like people, birds have preferences when it comes to treats.
- Never leave moist treats, like fruits and vegetables, in the cage for more than a couple of hours, or they can spoil and grow yeast and bacteria which can infect the bird if they consume the spoiled food.
- To further encourage a bird to try the new pellets, use a hammer to grind up a small amount of the pellets in a plastic bag into a powder. Then roll the bite of treat food, moistened with water, through the powdered pellets, and feed the powder-coated treat to the bird to encourage them to taste the pellets as they eat the treat.

Stop the old food in the morning

Once you have established this routine for a few days, stop giving them the old food in the morning, so the only food they have available in the morning is the new food. Even when you take away the morning serving of old food, the bird still anticipates receiving their favorite treat in the middle of the day.

The idea is to gradually eliminate the old food from the diet as the bird consumes more of the new pellets each day. Without receiving the morning serving of old food, the bird will likely get hungrier through the morning and be more apt to consume the new pellets.

Tips:
- Do not rush to take away the morning serving of old food until you are certain that the bird is consuming a significant number of pellets; this may take some birds days to weeks.
- If you see that the bird is consuming pellets more from one bowl than from another, keep the pellet bowl in the preferred location stocked with fresh pellets all day long.

Continue this routine

Continue this routine for a few days. Don’t rush this step; you want to allow a bird to acclimate to the new, once a day-old food routine before you make another change. Birds adapt better to change when it is made slowly rather than overnight. This step may take days to weeks to reach; all birds are different.

Stop the old food in the evening

Next, take away the old food in the evening. By this point, most birds are readily eating the new food. Reaching this last step in which you eliminate all old food, feeding the bird only pellets and treats, can take weeks; don’t rush, and go at the pace the bird seems to respond to.

Tips:
- Before you take away the evening serving of old food, be sure the bird is consuming an adequate number of pellets each day.
- Ideally, to ensure that a bird is consuming an adequate number of pellets each day, get a scale that weighs in grams, and weigh the bird each morning, before they eat; track the bird’s weight over the course of the conversion.
- Birds converting to pellets, especially if they have been eating high-fat seeds and nuts, initially may lose a few grams – sometimes up to 10% of their body weight. This is because pellets generally have less fat than seeds and nuts.
- If the bird loses more than 10% of their body weight when converting to pellets, or they seem weak or lethargic, contact an avian veterinarian immediately.
- Another way to be sure the bird is eating enough when they convert to pellets is to count their droppings each day by placing a sheet of paper towel on the cage bottom where the droppings fall. The paper towel makes it easier to see each dropping.
- A bird should produce several droppings a day (at least one every few hours, depending on what they are eating) as they transition to pellets; if you are not seeing this many droppings, especially if the bird is thin to begin with, contact an avian veterinarian to see whether he or she wants you to extend the length of the conversion process as the bird gradually makes the transition.
- The consistency of the droppings may change once a bird is consuming mostly pellets; they may be softer and moist. There is no cause for concern if you see these changes, as long as the bird is eating and active. If you see changes in droppings’ consistency, and the bird appears weak or lethargic, contact an avian veterinarian.
- Don’t be surprised if you offer a multi-colored pellet, and the bird selects out certain colors they prefers while leaving over colors they are't interested in; this is a common behavior and not a cause for concern.
- Birds selecting out a certain color of pellets may have droppings of that color; once again, this is not a cause for concern, as long as they are eating.

Slow and Steady Plan

Northern Pet — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Follow the slow and steady plan in more detail here.

Day 1 - Remove the old food

In the evening, take the old food out of the cage. The goal is to take away food at night so that the bird is hungry in the morning and more apt to try new food. Make sure they have access to fresh, clean water; as some birds will drink more during the conversion process.

Tips:
- Conversion takes time and patience; the idea with this method is to allow a bird to gradually transition to a healthier, pellet-based diet over the course of a week.
- Most birds sleep at night and consume little food, so removing food from the cage at night will not harm the bird.
- This method may work better for birds that spend most of their time eating in their cages or that tend to have shyer personalities.
- This method also may work better for slightly larger birds (the size of a Conure or larger) that typically use their feet to hold food while perching, rather than feeding off the ground (as many smaller birds do).
- Since older birds typically don’t need as many calories each day as young, growing or breeding birds, this slow and steady method that involves periods in which a bird may end up eating very little may be more appropriate for mature, fully grown, non-breeding birds.

Day 2 - Put the new food in the cage

First thing in the morning, put the new food in the cage. Leave the new food in the cage for the next 4 hours. Be sure to put the new food into the cup from which a bird normally eats each day.

Tips:
- A bird may not initially recognize the new food in their cup as food; be patient, and try not to worry if they don't eat the new food immediately after you put it in the cage. It may take a few hours to several days.
- Some birds may not touch the new food at all during this first exposure; don’t worry – healthy birds can go several hours without eating and be fine.
- If the bird does start eating the new pelleted food, enthusiastically praise them by saying something like, “Good bird!” and using their name. If they enjoy head scratches, scratch their head through the cage bars as you praise them for tasting the new food.
- Birds work for their owners’ attention, so if the bird sees that you give them attention and praise for eating the new food, they will seek out your attention and come to anticipate it by eating the new pellets.
- If the bird doesn’t show interest in the new food, moisten it with a small amount of warm fruit juice to entice the bird to try it; however, don’t leave moistened food in the cage for more than a couple of hours, or it can spoil with the growth of yeast and bacteria.

Day 2 – Check to see if the bird is eating the new food

If they are eating the new food, that’s great. Continue to praise them both verbally and physically when they are eating it. If the bird isn’t eating the new food by the afternoon of Day 2, don’t be concerned; it takes some birds several days to recognize the new food as food and to try it.

If you do have to offer a bird a small serving of his old food on the afternoon of Day 2, do not remove the cup of new pellets; simply offer their old food in another, different cup. Do not mix the old and new food.

Tips:
- Be sure to offer only a small portion of old food so that the bird doesn’t fill up on it and is not hungry enough to try the new food.
- Place the small portion of old food in a familiar dish but in a location the bird doesn’t typically spend a great deal of time eating or perching.
- Even when you offer the small portion of old food, do not take out the dishes of new food; the bird should be continuously exposed to the new food even when a small portion of old food is present.

Day 2 – Remove old food, replace with new food

Before bedtime, remove any old food that remains in the cage. Put a portion of the new food in the cage overnight.

Tips:
- Once again, the goal of removing the old food overnight is to make the bird hungry so that they are more willing to try new food in the morning.
- Since the bird just ate a serving of old food the previous afternoon, they may not be hungry enough to eat the new food overnight, so don’t be alarmed if the new food still looks untouched the next morning.

Day 3 – Observe the amount of new food eaten

If the bird didn’t eat much overnight, they may be hungry enough by the morning of Day 3 to try the new food. If they are consuming the food, that’s great. If not, be patient and leave the new food in the cage again for 4-6 hours. The idea is to gradually extend the amount of time, from 4 hours to 6 hours, that the bird has access only to the new food to encourage them to try it.

Tips:
- If you see them taste the new food, once again, praise them verbally and physically by using their name and scratching their head to encourage them to try the new food. Healthy birds can go 4-6 hours without eating and be fine, so if the bird consumes little to nothing during this time, don’t be concerned.

Day 3 – Put some new food in the cage overnight In the evening,

If the bird is still not eating, place another serving of the old food in the cage. Remember not to give an excessive amount of the old food, just a small serving to ensure that the bird gets some calories that day. Remove this food before bedtime. Put a portion of the new food in the cage overnight.

Tips:
- Be sure to remove any uneaten portion of old food left in the cage on the evening of Day 3 so that if the bird gets hungry overnight, the only food there for them to try is the new food.
- Remember never to mix old food with new food, as birds will almost always select the old food to eat and ignore the new food.

Day 4 – Day 7 – Gradually extend the length of time with new food

Continue to gradually extend the length of time the new food is in the cage over the next few days. Only feed the old food in the evening if the bird is not consuming the new food. The goal is to begin to completely eliminate the old food and convert over to the new food.

Cut back the amount of old food you offer each day until you don’t have to offer any, since the bird is now consuming an adequate number of pellets. Ideally, to ensure that the bird is consuming an adequate number of pellets each day, get a scale that weighs in grams, and weigh the bird each morning, before the eat; track the bird’s weight over the course of the conversion.

Tips:
- Once again, the idea is to gradually extend the amount of time each day, by a few hours at a time, over a period of a few days, that a bird has access to only the new food to encourage them to try it.
- Healthy birds can go a day eating little to nothing, and they will be fine; eventually, they will get hungry enough to try the new food.
- Try not to give into your concern that the bird isn’t eating over the course of a day by offering them their old food; if you do end up offering it to them, give them only a very small amount of old food so that they don't fill up on it and not be hungry enough to try the new food.
- If they do try the new food, praise them as they do both verbally by using their name and physically with head scratches to encourage them to continue to eat the new food.
- Birds converting to pellets, especially if they have been eating high-fat seeds and nuts, initially may lose a few grams – sometimes up to 10% of their body weight. This is because pellets generally have less fat than seeds and nuts.
- If the bird loses more than 10% of their body weight when converting to pellets, or they seem weak or lethargic, contact an avian veterinarian immediately
- Another way to be sure a bird is eating enough when they convert to pellets is to count their droppings each day by placing a sheet of paper towel on the cage bottom where the droppings fall. The paper towel makes it easier to see each dropping.
- A bird should produce several droppings a day (at least one every few hours, depending on what they are eating) as they transition to pellets; if you are not seeing this many droppings, especially if the bird is thin to begin with, contact an avian veterinarian to see whether he or she wants you to extend the length of the conversion process as the bird gradually makes the transition.
- The consistency of the droppings may change once the bird is consuming mostly pellets; they may be softer and moister. There is no cause for concern if you see these changes, as long as the bird is eating and active. If you see changes in droppings’ consistency, and the bird appears weak or lethargic, contact an avian veterinarian.
- Don’t be surprised if you offer a multi-colored pellet, and the bird selects out certain colors they prefer while leaving over colours they aren't interested in; this is a common behavior and not a cause for concern.
- Birds selecting out a certain color of pellets may have droppings of that color; once again, this is not a cause for concern, as long as they are eating.

Birdie's Choice Step-By-Step Plan

Northern Pet — Weds, 25 Aug 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Follow the Birdie's Choice Plan in more detail here

Choose up to three types of pelleted food

Choose up to three different types of pelleted food for the bird. The goal is to allow a bird to choose among three different pellet types they might like best and transition to that type without having to use other transitioning foods. Always make sure they have access to fresh, clean water; some birds will drink more during the conversion process.

Tips:
- Try pellets of varying colors and shapes to allow the bird to select what they likes best.
- Include pellets of different sizes, as some birds prefer a size up or down from what is generally recommended for their breed.

Place the bird on a safe table top

Place the bird on a safe table top that allows them to move around. When placing the bird on a table top, choose a location the bird is familiar with so that they are comfortable. Place the bird in the center of the table, rather than at the edge, so they don't fall off. Allow them a few minutes to explore and to acclimate before you introduce any pellets. Be sure to supervise the bird at all times on the table so that they don't fall.

Tips:
- This method works best for smaller species, such as Budgies and Cockatiels, that typically feed off the ground in the wild.
- This method also may work better for finger-tamed birds that are comfortable being on or near human hands.

Create small piles of each pelleted food

Create a few small piles of pellets of each type of food on the table. Place the piles of pellets a few inches apart, so that they are clearly separated. Limit the number of pellets in each pile so that the bird can see the distinct pellet types in each of the piles. Do not put the piles too close to the edge, so that the bird is in danger of falling if they go over to a pile to investigate it. If the bird starts heading towards a pile, encourage them by saying something enthusiastically like, “Good bird!” and using their name. If they actually reach out to touch, pick up, or taste a pellet, increase your verbal praise.

Tips:
- Birds often have specific preferences for certain pellet types, which is why you should include distinct pellet types in each pile.
- Be patient – it may take a bird a few minutes to feel comfortable navigating the table top and moving over to a particular pile.
- Follow a bird’s cues; let them pick the pile they want to explore first.

Tap in front of the piles

Use your fingernail to tap the table top so that it makes a clicking sound like a beak tapping on the table; this clicking sound mimics what a bird’s beak would sound like as the bird reaches down to check out a pellet. If the bird is investigating a particular pile of pellets on their own, wait to see what they do before you start tapping.

If they approach a pile but stops short of touching the pellets, then start tapping. A couple of taps may be all it takes for them to explore further on their own by picking up a pellet with their foot or beak. If they do not approach the piles, tap in front of the piles to get their attention. Spread the piles out a little if necessary. If they doesn’t investigate a particular pile of pellets further after the first couple of taps, try again in a minute or two; if they still don't respond, try tapping at a different pile.

Praise the bird as they eat pelleted bird food

Praise the bird and scratch their head as they start to eat the food. Eventually, the bird will come to anticipate touching and eating the pellets with receiving praise from you. If the bird moves from just touching the pellets to actually tasting them, ramp up the verbal and physical praise, so that they really feel rewarded for tasting the pellets. If the bird doesn’t like to be touched, stick to verbal praise, and skip the head scratches.

Tips:
- Remember, birds generally work to gain your approval; praising a bird verbally by using their name and physically by scratching their head (if they enjoy head scratches) when they interacts with a particular brand of pellet positively reinforces their interaction with that type of pellet.
- Be sure to say the same phrase, such as “Good bird!” and use their name, over and over, as they interact with the pellets so that they learn to associate touching the pellets with receiving praise.

Place the bird on a bird safe mirror

You can also place a bird safe mirror flat on the table to stimulate the bird’s interest as they see another bird eating the food. Place the mirror with a few pellets on it on the table top next to the bird, and wait to see how they respond. If they aren't interested, move them on top of the mirror, and try tapping. If they seem uninterested or afraid of the mirror, don’t push it; take the mirror away, and go back to tapping on the table top and praising them for contact with the pellets.

Tips:
- Birds don’t recognize their own reflections; when they look in the mirror, they see another bird. Some birds are intrigued by the “bird in the mirror,” while others may be afraid; see how the bird responds, and use the mirror if they seem interested.

Place selected food in the cage

As soon as the bird expresses an interest in a particular type of pellet, fill up a cup with these pellets, and allow the bird to graze from it all day. Continue to praise the bird verbally and physically, with head scratches if they like, whenever you see them interacting with the pellets in the cup.

Tips:
- While some birds show interest in pellets during their first table top exposure, it may take others a few table top sessions to try them out.
- Be patient; try a tabletop session no more than once a day over a few days.
- Birds may be interested on some days and not on others; take cues from the bird, and go with the flow.
- Most small birds will show interest in eating pellets within a week of daily sessions.
- Make the pellets they prefer available all the time, and limit offering other types of food initially until you see them regularly eating the pellets.
- Dry pellets can remain in the cage day and night; refresh the bowl of pellets daily or any time the pellets get wet or soiled.
- Many birds love to dunk their pellets in water as they eat them. Don’t be surprised if you offer a multi-colored pellet, and the bird selects out certain colors they prefer while leaving over colors they aren't interested in; this is a common behavior and not a cause for concern.
- Birds selecting out a certain color of pellets may have droppings of that colour; once again, this is not a cause for concern, as long as they are eating.

Monitor the bird’s food intake

Monitor the bird’s intake to ensure they are consuming an adequate number of pellets each day. Ideally, before a bird eats each morning, weigh them on a scale that weighs in grams to track their weight over the course of the conversion.

Tips:
- Birds converting to pellets, especially if they have been eating high-fat seeds and nuts, initially may lose a few grams – sometimes up to 10% of their body weight. This is because pellets generally have less fat than seeds and nuts.
- If the bird loses more than 10% of their body weight when converting to pellets, or they seem weak or lethargic, contact an avian veterinarian immediately.
- Another way to be sure a bird is eating enough when they convert to pellets is to count their droppings each day by placing a sheet of paper towel on the cage bottom where the droppings fall. The paper towel makes it easier to see each dropping.
- A bird should produce several droppings a day (at least one every few hours, depending on what they are eating) as he converts to pellets; if you are not seeing this many droppings, especially if the bird is thin to begin with, contact an avian veterinarian to see whether they want you to add back in a small amount of the bird’s old food as the bird makes the transition.
- The consistency of the droppings may change once the bird is consuming mostly pellets; they may be softer and moister. There is no cause for concern if you see these changes, as long as the bird is eating and active. If you see changes in droppings’ consistency, and the bird appears weak or lethargic, contact an avian veterinarian.