Pelleted Diets

Caique Diet

What to feed your caique? On this page we will explore a multitude of options avialable to you, for the health and well-being of your fid. Also input from other caique owners, and articles on feeding and nutrition. Dive right in!

Today there are just as many opionins of the proper way to feed your birds, as there are products! As of now, the most popular diet for companion parrots is a formulated diet that comes in pellet form. There are so many brands to choose from, how do you know which is best for your bird? Lets look at a sampling of the brands and types of pellets available, and those most commonly used amoung pet bird owners.

Harrisons is one of the most popular organic brand of pellets. Vets endorse it, breeders use it, pet owners rave about it. Harrisons is not available in any store- you can locate it either online, or through your local veterinarian. One thing that Harrisons Pellets says on the back of the packaging- is that fresh fruits, vegetables, cooked foods, etc should be limited when feeding your bird a Harrisons diet. No pellet is a complete diet, and while you should not suppliment a pellet diet with extra vitamins, (unless so recommended by your avian vet)- please continue to feed leafy greens, fruits, veggies and cooked foods to your bird.
Roudybush is another popular brand of pellets amoung avian enthusiasts. It is what I personally use for my birds. “The main ingredients in our Maintenance and Breeder diets are corn, wheat, peanut meal, and soy meal. To that we have added vitamin and mineral supplements, and an all natural preservative” The preservative used in their foods is Rosemary Extract, which is non-harmful to our fids. The pellets have no added dyes for color.
Kaytee is one of the most commonly found brands- it is stocked in every Petco and Petsmart in the USA. Kaytee makes a variety of food, including pelleted forumulas for parrots. They have recently come out with an organic version of their pellets- but they are not as easy to find as the Rainbow Exact. The Rainbow Exact Kaytee Pellets contain a large amount of sucrose, additives and preservatives, including ethoxyquin (we will get to that in a bit). I had my birds on Kaytee Organic forumula for a while before switching to Roudybush- I spent more money on Kaytee then Roudybush. How is that possible? The way Kaytee pellets are made, they are extruded- or puffed out when cooked. When Roudybush pellets are made, they are compressed- the ingredients are combined and smashed together in pellet form. Pellets that are cooked the way Kaytee pellets are, is equivalent to eating Cheetos chips. The birds have to eat a lot of pellets before they get full.
Zupreem is another readily available pellet. Zupreem makes pellets in different formulas- they have organic, as well as fruity, and Avian Entree’s for the owners that like to mix things up a little. Zupreem fruity forumula is alot like Fruit Loops for kids- bright colors, fruit flavors, lots of sugar. The pellets even smell fruity! The organic forumula is much better- not as many additives, naturally flavored, but still a high amount of sugar.
Pretty Bird is relatively common, can be bought at local petstores. Some of their formulas are enhanced with dyes, some are natural. I was sent some samples of the food by the company, including their Natural Gold pellet. My birds refused to eat any of the pellets, and I found the quality of the pellet to be on par with that of the Kaytee pellets.

For comparison of different brands of pelleted foods, consult this chart from Artemis Aviaries which deals with the comparison of a majority of the pelleted brands. * cockatiel and lovebird sized formulas
TOP, or Totally Organic Pellets are a newer, all natural bird pellet on the market. My experience with these pellets has been wonderful. The pellets are made of certified organic ingredients, and are produced in such a way that the ingredients do not lose any of their vitamins or nutritional value! The pellets are also a great size, and work from smaller birds all the way up to the big guys. These pellets are also one of the more affordable pellets on the market, and readily available online, and in some bird specialty stores.
Goldenfeast Goldn’ obles are a pellet made by the Goldenfeast bird food company. These pellets are all natural, preservative free pellets that are in a fun cheerios shape. They are baked pellets and are crunchy and crisp. Golden’obles are made with over 35 ingredients, and have no processed sugars. The size of the pellets are great for medium to extra large beaks. I have tested these pellets before and had great results – my birds love them.
Hagen Tropican Pellets are an all natural pellet made by HARI. These pellets are available in stores, and online. The small pellets come in small disc form, while the pellets for medium, large, and extra large birds are like small sticks – think sesame sticks. The pellets use ingredients such as rosemary extract for a preservative, so no harmful additives for your bird. They also contain banana and orange oil, for a light flavor and wonderful smell.
Oven Fresh Bites are a brand new pellet on the market. Made by the Caitec company, people have reported that their birds enjoy these pellets. According to the company website, “Oven Fresh Bites bird food contains scientifically recommended levels of essential natural vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants and a healthy balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.” The site also boasts that “Over 30 natural and nutritious bird food ingredients are used to produce Oven Fresh Bites bird food, more than double the allotment of any other manufacturer.” That statement is untrue, as Goldenfeast has over 35 natural ingredients. I have not fed Oven Fresh Bites to my birds, but in all honesty I am not sure I will, my main beef with the pellets being their large size, which leads to a lot of waste with smaller size birds.