Yummy fruit!
Diet & Nutrition
  1. DIET! Budgies and tiels can NOT live on a seed only diet. It causes a myriad health problems, and is NOT nutritionally complete.
    Some health problems caused by a seed diet include:
    • Shortened lifespan
    • Fatty liver disease
    • Kidney dysfunction
    • Pancreas problems
    • Diabetes
    • Obesity
    • Liver damage
    • Malnutrition
For more proof, I have a photograph of the necropsy performed on one of my rescue birds.
***WARNING!!*** the image on the following page is very graphic, and may not be appropriate for sensitive viewers or young children. View at your own discretion!
To see the necropsy picture + explanation, click here.
On the flipside, no seed diets aren't good either. In the wild, seeds and grains are a natural part of the diet. Seed should not be cut out 100%, but it should also not make up the bulk of the diet.
The best diet is a varied one.
I use The Foundation Formula. The only other pelleted diets that I would personally recommend are Harrison's & Breeder's Blend ; all of these diets are 100% organic, preservative free, artificial coloring free, and artificial flavoring free. Nearly all the pellets you can buy in a pet store, contain a lot of artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives. Beware of foods containing ethoxyquin; ethoxyquin has has been linked to birth defects, cancer, tumors, and liver problems in dogs, cats, birds, and rats. The FDA won't even allow it in HUMAN foods so...if you absolutely MUST go through a pet store to get your pellets or seed be sure to read the label carefully. Avoid the brightly colored pellets.
In addition to that, many pellets, especially the brightly colored type, add a TON of extra sugar to their food. This can cause your bird to become a picky eater, and only want very sweet foods. It makes it very hard to get your bird to try new foods like greens, fruits, other seed, or healthier pellets because of this.

There is debate on whether a pelleted diet should be the "staple" or main part of the bird's diet. Some vets say it should, other say it shouldn't.
If you choose not to offer pellets, be SURE you offer a variety of other foods such as cooked rice, beans, peas, grated carrots, broccoli, parsley sprigs, etc...but not iceberg lettuce, that can cause digestive problems and really is mostly water anyway.
If you choose to offer pellets as the main diet, be sure you also include variety as well. Pellets aren't a "cure all" and no one pellet is nutritionally complete, your bird needs VARIETY.
If your bird is picky about eating pellets there are two ways to try to get him to eat them:
One way is by mixing pellets in with the seeds, to let him know that the pellets are food too, then gradually lessen the amount of seed and increase the amount of pellets.
Another way is to offer a small amount of seed in the morning and evening, but take it away after 20 minutes and replace the food with pellets only, and don't give any more seed until evening. Don't worry, this won't starve your bird, and eventually he should realize that the pellets are food too.
HOWEVER while trying to convert to pellets, be sure to watch your bird's weight. They aren't like cats or dogs who will eventually eat when they get hungry enough, birds will actually starve themselves to death rather than eat pellets or new foods sometimes. If your bird resists diet changes, keep trying, but DO NOT withold food from him EVER!

I've been lucky, my birds have all converted to pellets easily! They still get seed, millet, rice, broccoli, carrots, etc..but they all seemed to like the pellets as well. Maybe I have feathered pigs instead. :)
Even after you get your bird eating pellets, you should still offer seed as part of the diet.
Fresh vegetables should also be offered. Some birds are picky, and it may take months or YEARS before they'll even take a test nibble of the green stuff; be persistent, eventually he'll give it a try. You could also try eating vegetables in front of him, a lot of birds, like dogs or cats, want to eat whatever the owner is eating. I got my tiel to try veggies after he saw me eating them and was showing interest in it.
Seed treats can also be offered, but be careful your bird doesn't decided to ONLY want seed treats...that happened to my budgies when I first offered them a seed stick!!
Quick note on pellets & some seed mixtures! Most common pellet brands have two varieties of pellets, brightly colored, and "natural"(brown/tan). It's best to go with the natural, or brown/tan pellets, as they usually contain no artificial coloring. Check the label though, artificial coloring and/or preservatives can cause allergic reactions and health problems in some birds, just as it does with some humans. It's best not to take a chance, and avoid it altogether.
REMEMBER, variety is best. All pellet, all seed, or all anything diets aren't complete. My birds get the following: