If your bird has been eating a mostly seed-based diet, introducing pellets can take time. Some birds accept a new food quite quickly, while others can be very suspicious of anything unfamiliar in their bowl.
The most important thing is to make the change gradually and make sure your bird continues to eat enough throughout the process.
Why Introduce Pellets?
For many pet bird species, a quality formulated pellet can provide a more balanced everyday diet than seed alone. Pellets are made to provide a consistent mix of nutrients in each bite, rather than allowing your bird to pick out their favourite parts of a seed mix.
The right diet will vary between species, so make sure the pellets you choose are suitable for your particular bird.
Introduce Pellets Gradually
Don’t suddenly remove your bird’s usual food and replace it with a bowl of pellets. Birds don’t always recognise an unfamiliar food as something they can eat, even when it’s sitting right in front of them.
Start by offering pellets alongside their usual food and give your bird plenty of time to investigate them. As they begin to eat the pellets, you can gradually adjust the amount of their old food being offered.
There’s no set timeframe that suits every bird. Some will make the change relatively easily, while others may need considerably more time.
Encourage Them to Give Pellets a Try
Birds are naturally curious, so presenting pellets in different ways may help encourage them to investigate. Try offering a few pellets in a separate dish, placing some in a favourite feeding area or using them during normal interaction with your bird. You may need to offer a new food many times before your bird decides to try it. Don’t be discouraged if the first bowl of pellets is completely ignored.
Make Sure They’re Actually Eating
Seeing your bird playing with pellets or finding crushed pieces in the bowl doesn’t necessarily mean they’re eating enough of them. Watch your bird closely during the change and pay attention to how much of both their old and new food is actually being eaten. Seed husks can also make a bowl look full when most of the edible seed has already gone.
Monitoring your bird’s weight during a diet change is useful as well. Unexpected weight loss can be a sign they’re not eating enough.
Don’t Try to Wait Them Out
Never assume that if your bird gets hungry enough, they’ll eventually eat the pellets. A bird that doesn’t recognise pellets as food may simply continue to eat too little.
If your bird isn’t accepting the new diet, is eating noticeably less, loses weight or seems unwell, stop and seek advice from your avian veterinarian.
Take Your Time
Changing a bird’s diet isn’t always something that happens in a few days. Be patient, keep offering the new food and pay close attention to what your bird is actually eating.
If you’re unsure how quickly to make the change or which diet is appropriate for your bird, your avian veterinarian can help you develop a transition plan suited to their species, current diet and health.