Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!intercon!news
From: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: INDOOR:  Need advice for the purchase of bird supplies.
Message-ID: <2741C060.5FA1@intercon.com>
Date: 14 Nov 90 22:08:32 GMT
References: <962@babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu> <9003@cognos.UUCP> <273716A3.4683@intercon.com> <9033@cognos.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@intercon.com (USENET The Magnificent)
Reply-To: ooblick@intercon.com (Mikki Barry)
Organization: InterCon Systems Corporation, Herndon, VA
Lines: 19

In article <9033@cognos.UUCP>, stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) writes:
> >The only problem with this is the following.  There have been NO long term
> >studies about the effects of feeding only pellets.
> 
>    No, but the effects of feeding a seed-only diet are well known.
> Not every bird will accept a varied diet ... in these cases pellets
> present the only option.

Unfortunately, the effects of feeding only CERTAIN seed-only diets are known.
There have been no studies on a fortified, no-sunflower mix of FRESH seeds.
Also, birds can be coaxed into accepting a varied diet, just as they can
be weaned onto pellets.  Most birds do not naturally accept pellets.  Getting
them to eat foreign looking brown things is as much a fight as it would be
to get them to eat fresh fruit and vegetables.  ALL of my birds eat fruit
and veggies.  Granted, not all birds will eat all the food I give them (they
have their own personal preferences), but pellets are not the ONLY option.

Mikki Barry
--