Pellets

Another controversial subject is pellets. To give or not to give. You will find various opinions on the subject throughout the internet. However, one key thing that is always consistent is NEVER give an eclectus colored pellets.They might look more fun & interesting to eat and some are in cute little shapes; but, colored pellets contain dyes and eclectus are very sensitive to dyes. Color pellets are a leading case of toe tapping and feather discoloration. So colored pellets are right on to of the NO NO list.

Some owners swear by Harrisons while others TOPS. Some owners just feel like there is no need to offer a pellet or that they are bad. Some parrots are more sensitive than others and cannot eat pellets, no matter if its organic or the best pellet out there on the market.

Pellets should not make up a large part of the eclectus diet. I use them as backup. I put a teaspoon in a small bowl in the cage. Sometimes he will eat a few in the day other days I don't thing he touches them. But I offer them non the less incase he runs out of his veggies during the day when I am off at work. When Oscar goes to work with me he does not get pellets that day he eats all fresh foods.

If you want to offer pellets there are only two brands out there that are organic and all natural TOPS and Dr. Macs. I use TOPS for my conure and eclectus. Now my conure will eat more of the pellets than my eclectus on a daily basis.

The reason pellets should not be a large part of an eclectus diet is they get most of their fluids from their fruits and veggies. Eclectus really do not drink much water. Now they will make soup with it (dunking their food in water) they love to do that but drinking of the water is not as frequent as other parrots. My conure drinks more water daily than my eclectus and he eats the same fruits and veggies Oscar does.

Pellets just like anything else is an owners choice some eclectus have no issues while others do. So if you offer pellets just watch your feathered one and make sure they have no bad reactions to them. If they do switch to another pellet or discontinue pellet use.