I know the issue of feeding pellets is a touchy one but it is something that as Lilly's loyal slave I have to think about. I spend so much time trying to give her the best diet that I can. She gets a small, and by small I mean about 3 tablespoons of pellets served to her at night, which is usually all eaten in 2 days time of being offered. She gets a huge variety of fresh veggies, fresh fruits, legumes, soaked seeds, birdie bread and the ever varied mana mash.
What I want to know is it possible to remove pellets from her diet and have her thrive? Is there anyone who owns eckie's that doesn't feed pellets at all? If I knew it was possible to remove them completely from her diet and that she would be better for it I would do it in a heartbeat. I have googled for diets that don't contain pellets at all and so far have found nothing.

I have never went out of my way to feed pellets to any of my past or current Ekkies. I may occassionally toss a few in their mox but rarily. I also use some seed but mainly fresh fruits and veggies etc....

Ya may want to look up Carolyn Swicegood (an Ekkie "expert") as she would be one of the best people to suggest the very best diet.

Thanks! Got a wealth of infomation to read through just by googling her name. I didn't realise she has articles over in LandofVos, silly me lol. Thanks again.

The absolute best diet for any bird is fresh, especially with Ekkies.

I would like to point out one thing, though, and it is something that came to my attention at the store. A couple came in who "inherited" through death a bird (not an eclectus). The bird was fed a fresh only diet all of its life. These folks were having the hardest time, as fresh was all the bird would eat. Their lifestyle (like mine) does not allow for an all fresh diet, as they both worked.

I always recommend to people that they rear their fids (including diet) with the knowledge that a life change is possible, meaning that, should there be illness in one's family or a change in career, or even death, they keep the bird's best interests in mind for the next caretaker, or even themselves.

So, my opinion is that it is great to get your fids used to some type of extruded diet in the event of such a situation. IMHO.

Thats a point to think about Kathie, and I guess I am lucky in the fact that I have the opurtunity to feed fresh soley. Even though Lilly is still just a baby I am glad that she, when offered, eats pellets too.
I will be cooking for about 2 weeks straight before we go overseas next year just to be sure I have enough mana mash, birdie bread and other tasty bird stuff frozen. I guess I just get nervous about my gangs diet, Lilly in particular. Lol when I give her a cuddle, I am always running my fingers over her to see if she has a good covering of meat on her. I think she knows it too, because she gives me one of her "Your strange" looks.

Katie,

I'm like you, I offer pellets tossed in with the girls dry mix. How much actually gets eaten by the Eclectus (not just crumbled to dust or flung at the dog) is another story. At this point, I think adding pellets is more for my peace of mind than for their health. I like knowing there's something in the dish that encompasses more than what I might have offered that day. Again, no idea if they were consumed, lol, but I feel better.

I have taken them completely off pellets for a good length when we had a toetapping incident with my SI. Neither girl showed any ill effect going pellet free.

I do agree with Kathie though, being able to throw some pellets and dry mix in a dish has saved me during some unpredictable family emergencies when I just couldn't be here to serve the hot lunch.

I do both pellets and fresh. It works well for me. Thankfully I have never had any health problems other than toe tapping which was apparently caused by Harrison's (only one of my Ekkies was sensitive). I took out the Harrison's and all was fine. I do agree, though, that it is essential that this species gets tons of fresh stuff. They prefer it that way too!

Sophie, bless her heart likes to rotate what she eats daily. One day she devours the mash and only eats the goody from the dry mix, and the next day she can't get enough dry mix and nibbles at the mash. She loves Roudybush as well as Ultimate blend. She liked Harrison's for a couple days and that was all. She won't eat Zupreem (Zoey's favorite). Being as I can, I just like to keep it mixed up. Goldenfiest is well liked as well, dry and cooked.

I guess I get worried that I am going to harm her or send her off into wing flipping/ toe tapping or feather plucking behavior if I give them to her, to put it plainly I get nervous lol. Out of all my fids Lilly's diet and what she can and can't eat make me worry the most. You guys must have remembered the panic attacks I had BEFORE she came home . I figure if I can nail her diet and eating plan I can feed the same to the ringies and GCCs, so really I am saving time by worrying about one and not the whole gang diet wise . Her breeder says I worry to much lmao, I am just paranoid I suppose
My pretty girl, who has me wrapped around her claws.