Question 1

What is the nutritional difference between the fruit blend and the Natural one?

Accepted Answer

I am no expert, but I am currently trying to convert my bird over to Zupreem from another pellet brand. I just so happen to have both types here. I've been offering a little bit of both to my bird. Looking over the ingredients on both there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of difference between the first six ingredients or so. After that the fruity variety has things like oranges, apples, grapes, and bananas. Where as the natural variety has flaxseed, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, cranberries, blueberries. The "guaranteed analysis" on each bag is exactly the same Crude Protein Min 14.00 % Crude Fat Min 4.0% Crude Fiber Max 3.5% and Moisture Max 10.0%  I think the appeal of the Natural is that it doesn't contain artificial food coloring, which some believe causes health issues. At the very least I know people have complained that the food coloring changes the color of their bird's droppings and it's difficult to monitor bird health when the droppings are tinged with food coloring. I think for now I am going to offer both and see which one my bird prefers. So far it seems like he's touched more of the Natural than the Fruity, but that might just be because it more resembles what he was eating before. Good luck! Choosing a parrot pellet can be confusing!

Question 2

Is this food good for budgies?

Accepted Answer

I started using the smaller "Canary" size pellets, in the mix that I fix for my birds. The reason why, was because I had a Parakeet hen that was on the small side, and I thought that she would like the smaller size pellets. I was right, she did eat more of the smaller pellets, and to my surprise regular size and large Parakeets also liked the smaller size better. I asked the Vet about this, and she said that feeding smaller size pellets was okay, and that she also did that with her birds. In the mix that I use for my birds, I mix the following: Zupreem "Canary sized" pellets, Dried Greens with Herbs, and I crush some of the Lafeber's "Senior Bird" Nutra-Berries and mix the 3 items together. The "Senior" Nutra-Berries provide stuff that birds of every age need to promote good health (joints and liver health) Birds need greens and herbs for good health, and my birds love this mix, and my Vet approves.

Question 3

is this good for quaker parrots

Accepted Answer

I haven't tried this blend yet but I usually by the Zupreem parrot and quaker fruit blend for my two quakers. I find that the cockatiel formulations are too small for them. They are ok handling slightly larger pellets.

Question 4

Why has the manufacturer put artificial colors in this food?

Accepted Answer

Whereas dogs and cats do not use their eyes to determine whether a food is worth eating, rendering colorants pointless and for human appeal only, birds and many herbivorous or omnivorous reptiles use sight and the color of the food to determine if it is good to eat. A ripe, juicy, sweet and nutritious berry and an unripe, hard, bitter, and even potentially slightly toxic berry of the same species may be the same size and shape, but the ripe one is bright red and the unripe one is green or brownish red. A bird must be choosy based on color as they generally have poor senses of taste and smell. So while colors are not useful for dog and cat food, they're generally important for many types of bird. The plain uncolored tan formulas will work with most birds that way predominantly seeds but for berry and bug eaters, color is a must

ASIN	B003SLM11Y
ASIN	B003SLM11Y
Additional Features	Unique Fruit Blend and Shapes
Age Range Description	All Life Stages
Allergen Information	Peanuts may contain, Tree nuts may contain
Animal Food Diet Type	Veterinary Diet
Best Sellers Rank	#1,495 in Pet Supplies ( See Top 100 in Pet Supplies ) #17 in Bird Food
Brand Name	ZuPreem
Breed Recommendation	Parakeets, Budgies, Parrotlets and other small birds
Container Type	Bag
Customer Reviews	4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (2,617)
Date First Available	August 6, 2009
Department	Food
Dog Breed Size	Small
Flavor	FruitBlend Pellets
Global Trade Identification Number	00762177810201
Included Components	Bird Food
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer	No
Item Form	Pellet
Item Type Name	Bird Food
Item Weight	2 Pounds
Item model number	1008043
Manufacturer	ZuPreem
Manufacturer	ZuPreem
Manufacturer Part Number	1008043
Manufacturer recommended age	1 month and up
Model Number	1008043
Number of Items	1
Occasion	Birthday
Pet Type	Bird
Product Benefits	Supports overall health and encourages natural eating behaviors.
Product Dimensions	9.5 x 8 x 2.25 inches; 2 Pounds
Recommended Uses For Product	Daily food source for small pet birds, particularly Parakeets, Budgies, and Parrotlets
Special Ingredients	Oranges, Apples, Grapes, Bananas
Specific Uses For Product	Bird Food
Target Species	Bird
UPC	762177810201
Unit Count	32 Ounce
Warranty Description	No Warranty

FruitBlend Bird Pellets, Daily Bird Food for Parakeet, Budgie, Parrotlet, Dove, Core Nutrition for Small Birds, Made in USA, Parakeet & Budgie Food (S, 2 lbs)

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