Slow Switchover Method:
This is defined as the process of weaning a bird off of a seed diet to an all pellet diet. It is a gradual and safe process. We recommend Harrison’s Bird Foods because we believe it is simply the best quality and fully nutritious formulas available.
Goal:
The goal is to wean your bird off seed to a full pellet diet. This process should take no more than 3 weeks.
Advantages to this method:
The slow conversion method is very safe. It offers your bird
time to get accustomed to seeing the new foods before it is required to eat it. This method helps the bird get familiar with the size, texture and color of their new food. We need to remember that birds are animals of prey. As such they are very suspicious of unfamiliar things. Parrots may need to observe things like toys and foods before they actually use them.
Let’s Get Started!
To start, the bird’s food bowl should consist of seeds with a sprinkle of mash over the top. This should get the bird use to seeing a new food in their bowl. Over the next 10 days you should be decreasing the amount of seeds and increasing the amount of mash so that by Day 10 the food bowl consists of ½ seed and ½ mash. On day 20 the bowl should be all mash with a sprinkle of seeds on top. By day 21 the bird’s food bowl consists of 100% mash.
The second step in transitioning is to wean the bird off the Harrison’s mash to the total nutritious pellets. This process is the same as the first.
On Day 1 the bowl should consist of mash with a sprinkling of pellets over the top. Slowly increase the amount of pellets while decreasing the amount of mash so that by Day 10 the bowl consists of ½ mash and ½ pellets. On day 20 the bowl should be all pellets with a sprinkle of mash over the top. By day 21 the bowl should be 100% pellets.
Warning:
DO NOT go backwards with the transitioning process. Please see your veterinarian immediately at any time during the process if you notice your bird is not eating. *Remember; malnutrition and possibly death can happen quickly in a small bird.*
With this slow conversion method there is a much reduced risk of rapid weight loss.
For more information call Animal Central at (303) 469-PETS (7387)
or visit this website:
Dr. George Stroberg DVM and Staff at Animal Central
