Blueberry's Seed & Grain Mix
Only The Best For Your Flock
Origin Story of Blueberry's Seed & Grain Mix
Back in 2020, Jamie and Dave (the owners of BirdTricks) decided, after hundreds of requests, to do a training course specifically for the tiny birds. To try and mimic what the average budgie owner would experience, they opted to go and get a budgie from a pet store (similar to what many people do) and then documented, from the very start, their experience along the way in creating a family friendly budgie. Little did they know at the time that the budgie they purchased that day, Blueberry, would become one of the most popular members of their flock!
However, while Jamie and Dave started out the journey with the intentions of teaching Blueberry, Blueberry ended up teaching THEM a lot about tiny bird ownership. One of the lessons they learned was that, while budgies need a little bit of seed in their diet, the seed mixes available on the market were full of junk and fillers. Sunflower seeds and peanuts took up large percentages of the mixes, and then sugary pellets or dried fruits were added for purposes unknown. Therefore, Jamie and Dave decided they needed to formulate a seed and grain mix of their own that would be packed with the nutrition their budgie needed and none of the junk that they didn't. After consulting with avian nutritionists and vets, they then put this recipe out online FOR FREE (seriously, check it out here!)
With now thousands of people using Blueberry's Seed & Grain recipe worldwide, BirdTricks started receiving emails and messages stating the difficulty in sourcing the ingredients organically and in small amounts (some items could only be found in 5-lb increments). In fact, when we polled our 70,000 email members about what products they wished we offered back in 2022, a seed mix was the 2nd most popular product requested! Therefore, we decided enough was enough, and while we will always have the recipe available for free online (especially since we cannot ship raw seeds internationally), we decided to produce Blueberry's Seed & Grain mix ourselves.
After almost 2 years in development, we are so excited to finally bring Blueberry's Seed & Grain Mix to fruition! With this seed and grain mix, you know that your budgie (or any tiny parrot, including cockatiels!) is getting quality, organic nutrition with no fillers, sugars, or excess fats in sight.
However, while Jamie and Dave started out the journey with the intentions of teaching Blueberry, Blueberry ended up teaching THEM a lot about tiny bird ownership. One of the lessons they learned was that, while budgies need a little bit of seed in their diet, the seed mixes available on the market were full of junk and fillers. Sunflower seeds and peanuts took up large percentages of the mixes, and then sugary pellets or dried fruits were added for purposes unknown. Therefore, Jamie and Dave decided they needed to formulate a seed and grain mix of their own that would be packed with the nutrition their budgie needed and none of the junk that they didn't. After consulting with avian nutritionists and vets, they then put this recipe out online FOR FREE (seriously, check it out here!)
With now thousands of people using Blueberry's Seed & Grain recipe worldwide, BirdTricks started receiving emails and messages stating the difficulty in sourcing the ingredients organically and in small amounts (some items could only be found in 5-lb increments). In fact, when we polled our 70,000 email members about what products they wished we offered back in 2022, a seed mix was the 2nd most popular product requested! Therefore, we decided enough was enough, and while we will always have the recipe available for free online (especially since we cannot ship raw seeds internationally), we decided to produce Blueberry's Seed & Grain mix ourselves.
After almost 2 years in development, we are so excited to finally bring Blueberry's Seed & Grain Mix to fruition! With this seed and grain mix, you know that your budgie (or any tiny parrot, including cockatiels!) is getting quality, organic nutrition with no fillers, sugars, or excess fats in sight.
Why Do Tiny Parrots Need Seed?
When it comes to the reason of why tiny parrots need seed, there's nothing very deep about it - it all has to do with their size and the lifestyles they lead!
The tiny species tend to be particularly active and have a higher metabolism, so they need the extra calories they get from seeds to sustain them. Also, because they are so tiny, they are able to get more exercise on a day to day basis, even within the confines of their cage, than other species. If their cage is big enough (which we always recommend it should be!), some budgies can fly circles in their cage all day long!
When we take them out of their cage and into our homes, our tiny birds can pretty much fly as much as they want without much limitation. Compare that to a macaw flying in our homes - just a few beats of their wings gets them across a large room!
On that note though - if you have a budgie who does not fly or who is not active at all during the day, first we would recommend taking them to an avian vet to make sure they are medically ok. Then, we recommend keeping their seed intake down to a maximum of 10%, not 20%, as they are not going to be burning those calories and fats like a typical parrot of their size.
The tiny species tend to be particularly active and have a higher metabolism, so they need the extra calories they get from seeds to sustain them. Also, because they are so tiny, they are able to get more exercise on a day to day basis, even within the confines of their cage, than other species. If their cage is big enough (which we always recommend it should be!), some budgies can fly circles in their cage all day long!
When we take them out of their cage and into our homes, our tiny birds can pretty much fly as much as they want without much limitation. Compare that to a macaw flying in our homes - just a few beats of their wings gets them across a large room!
On that note though - if you have a budgie who does not fly or who is not active at all during the day, first we would recommend taking them to an avian vet to make sure they are medically ok. Then, we recommend keeping their seed intake down to a maximum of 10%, not 20%, as they are not going to be burning those calories and fats like a typical parrot of their size.
The Perfect Portion (It's Not What You Think!)
One of the questions we get asked daily for all of our food products is "how much should I feed MY bird?". The reason we don't have a straight answer to that anywhere is because there ISN'T a straight answer - every bird is unique and has different nutritional needs, even within the same species. For example, one of our staff here at BirdTricks has 2 blue and gold macaws, roughly the same size and weight, yet one has to eat twice as much as the other to maintain that body condition. We would be doing you and your flock a disservice by giving a "one size fits all" serving recommendation.
Therefore, what we recommend is that you find your bird's "Perfect Portion" (see the video linked below). This takes trial and error (and with seed mix you want to be very careful not to overfeed), and the portion you feed your bird today MAY be different than the portion you need to feed them 3 months from now (hormones can have big effects on how much food a parrot needs in their daily diet).
If you have a bird who will just eat and eat and eat with no end in sight even to their own detriment, then the method shown in the video linked below is likely not for you. Instead, try different amounts and weigh your bird daily, and use their motivation for training or their body score (when you take them to the vet) to get a sense of if they are at the correct range.
Also, this perfect portion video is for birds who are ALREADY diet converted and eating our seed/pellets/seasonal feeding system. If you are in the middle of diet conversion, please see the resources below or, if you need additional help, email us at info@birdtricks.com or set up a consultation.
Please Note: We only recommend that seed be, at MOST, 20% of your tiny bird's daily diet (10% is ideal). The other percentages come from our Organic Pellets (no corn, soy, fillers, dyes or chemical preservatives) and from our Seasonal Feeding System (3 core vegetable based recipes that change with the seasons to ensure year-round nutrition). This will ensure that your tiny bird gets all of the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs and fats that they need in healthy levels that come directly from nature.
Therefore, what we recommend is that you find your bird's "Perfect Portion" (see the video linked below). This takes trial and error (and with seed mix you want to be very careful not to overfeed), and the portion you feed your bird today MAY be different than the portion you need to feed them 3 months from now (hormones can have big effects on how much food a parrot needs in their daily diet).
If you have a bird who will just eat and eat and eat with no end in sight even to their own detriment, then the method shown in the video linked below is likely not for you. Instead, try different amounts and weigh your bird daily, and use their motivation for training or their body score (when you take them to the vet) to get a sense of if they are at the correct range.
Also, this perfect portion video is for birds who are ALREADY diet converted and eating our seed/pellets/seasonal feeding system. If you are in the middle of diet conversion, please see the resources below or, if you need additional help, email us at info@birdtricks.com or set up a consultation.
Please Note: We only recommend that seed be, at MOST, 20% of your tiny bird's daily diet (10% is ideal). The other percentages come from our Organic Pellets (no corn, soy, fillers, dyes or chemical preservatives) and from our Seasonal Feeding System (3 core vegetable based recipes that change with the seasons to ensure year-round nutrition). This will ensure that your tiny bird gets all of the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs and fats that they need in healthy levels that come directly from nature.
Diet Conversion: From Old Seed to New Seed
We'll be honest - we have not heard of many birds having difficulty transitioning to Blueberry's Seed & Grain Mix. Not only is it packed with delicious seeds which birds tend to naturally go for anyway, but the grains help add an extra element and texture that really entices our birds.
However, if you happen to have a pickier eater on your hands, don't fret! First, start out offering our seed & grain mix in conjunction with their current seed mix - it can be as little as 10% new mix, 90% old mix. Then, each day, slowly increase the amount of new mix while decreasing the old. This could take weeks, so take your time - every step towards progress is a success!
Finally, if there are other foods that your bird enjoys (such as hard boiled eggs or mashed sweet potato), sprinkling some of Blueberry's Seed & Grain Mix onto those foods can help with the transitioning. Just always be sure to weigh your birds during any diet conversion process!
However, if you happen to have a pickier eater on your hands, don't fret! First, start out offering our seed & grain mix in conjunction with their current seed mix - it can be as little as 10% new mix, 90% old mix. Then, each day, slowly increase the amount of new mix while decreasing the old. This could take weeks, so take your time - every step towards progress is a success!
Finally, if there are other foods that your bird enjoys (such as hard boiled eggs or mashed sweet potato), sprinkling some of Blueberry's Seed & Grain Mix onto those foods can help with the transitioning. Just always be sure to weigh your birds during any diet conversion process!