Posted by Joe Arbogast on 5/22/2016 to
Store News
One of the most frequent questions I get from customers and prospective customers is can we provide samples of this food or that pellet or this seed mix. My answer is always the same -- it's not a safe idea for your bird. Here are some points to consider when trying to switch birds to new foods.
1. Never give your bird any foods that have not been packaged by a reputable manufacturer. We believe that one of the most dangerous practices out there for birds is to use foods that have been repackaged from bulk or "home-made" blends of foods or from open bins in stores. Firstly, in most cases you can't be sure of how old the food is, what the expiration date is, etc. Secondly in a lot of cases these foods can be contaminated by pest dust or dirt or had humidity/moisture introduced into the packaging because of unfit facilities in packing foods.
2. What's a sample? I have seen some pellet makers hand out small 1oz bags of their pellets. The only thing that does is give you an idea of what it looks like, smells like and perhaps your bird will take to it immediately - -something that is very rare. In most cases it can take a bird weeks to try or switch to a new food -- so a "sample" is many times a 1-pound bag of food (or larger).
3. Choose your foods with some research: -- what does your avian vet say? That is the MOST IMPORTANT piece of information you can get -- what do similar birds like? -- what types of foods does your bird like now? -- how does he/she like to eat, holding food in its foot or straight out of the bowl?
We can make recommendations for you based on our 15-plus year experience in providing only the best foods, so don't hesitate to ask us. Talk to you vet -- talk to you friends -- talk to you bird! Then try different foods and watch your bird's weight and droppings for any changes in health condition.