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The combination of eye-catching ingredients and an appealing
flavor make Lafeber's AVI-CAKES an exciting new method of
converting birds to a balanced diet. Seeds and pellets are blended with natural
flavors, then bonded together in a delicious combination. Since the pellets
adhere to the seed, birds eat both seeds and pellets, introducing the bird
to the nutritionally balanced diet of Lafeber's AVI-CAKES. The use of AVI-CAKES
has been particularly effective in enticing small parrots, cockatiels, conures
and stubborn parakeets to eat pelleted food. Once birds are eating AVI-CAKES,
the transition to a completely pelleted diet is very easy.
Gradual change of diet:
By introducing pellets into the diet gradually, your bird has
time to overcome its natural suspicions and inhibitions. Pellets can be mixed
with regular food in gradually increasing amounts until, over a period of time,
pellets are the exclusive diet. By starting with pellets as 10% of the bird's
diet and increasing the percentage regularly, a bird will gradually accept,
and eat, the pellets within a month. Although much patience and diligence is
required of you, the owner, the reward is your bird's opportunity to live in
health and vitality to a ripe old age.
Using large pellets for their appeal:
Many larger parrots and macaws will switch to pellets readily
when presented with Lafeber's Cockatoo & Macaw Pellets. The large size
of these pellets encourages the bird to pick it up with the foot and take a
bite. Once they begin chewing the pellets, they soon start consuming them.
There does exist the possibility of waste with the large pellets as the bird
may take a single bite from the pellet then drop it the floor. Should this
situation arise, the pellet size fed to the bird may be easily reduced to Lafeber's
Parrot Pellets or Parakeet/Cockatiel Pellets.
Covering the pellets with a familiar food:
Excellent results have been obtained by covering the pellets
with a bird's regular food. The bird eats through the top layer of food and
into the pelleted food. This method has been used successfully in quarantine
stations where many birds must be converted to a medicated, pelleted diet for
a period of time.
Aviary, pet store and flock situations:
Experience has shown that pet stores and aviaries enjoy more
success in converting birds to a pelleted diet than individual bird owners.
This is explained by the presence of other birds, a very real force in modifying
a bird's eating habits.
Competition for food, along with group pressure, prompts birds
to eat new foods quickly. If one bird in a group eats pellets, all the birds
will readily follow. Much of a bird's behavior depends, in part, on how other
birds behave. The behavior of the flock "leader" is mimicked by others.
Thus, it is not surprising that groups of birds in a flight cage will convert
to pellets.
Other methods:
- crushing the pellets and sprinkling them over food
- leaving pelleted food in the feeding dish all day while feeding
seed only for short periods of time in the morning and evening
- soaking pellets and mixing them with the seed
Thousands of birds around the world have been converted to nutritionally
balanced pelleted diets and your bird can, too.
The time and effort spent in working with your bird will result
in a happier, healthier pet whose companionship and love will be a joy to you
for many years.
Note: Once a bird begins eating pellets, the droppings will change
from green to a brownish color and may become a little looser due to the extra
water the bird drinks while eating a pelleted diet.
Warning: Starving your bird to convert to pellets is NOT
recommended. The rapid metabolism of birds demands regular intake of food.
A small bird cannot go hungry for more than 36 hours without the risk of
starvation.
More Tips from Doc Lafeber
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