Nature's Nest Transition Guide
Your bird has
Your bird has
opinions
about its bowl.
That is completely normal. And it is a starting point, not a problem.
This guide will walk you through the transition to a complete, vet formulated diet at a pace your bird can accept.
Start with your bird
Choose the closest starting point.
The right approach depends on your bird's size. Select the closest match below.
This includes
Lovebirds and cockatiels
Conures and parakeets
Ringnecks and Senegals
African Greys and Amazons
Macaws and Cockatoos
All small to large parrots
Starting diet
Begin the transition with Avian Wholegrain.
The variety of texture and colour in the bowl gives foraging birds something to engage with, which makes the switch far more natural than introducing a plain pellet.
The complete nutrition is in the pellet base regardless of what your bird reaches for first.
The goal for your bird's end diet
Once your bird is comfortably eating Avian Wholegrain, you can transition to Avian Complete or Avian Deluxe, or stay on Wholegrain.
Some birds prefer the variety and foraging interest of Wholegrain long term.
Either is a complete diet.
This includes
- Budgies and budgerigars
- Canaries and finches
- Small birds that need a finer texture
Starting diet
Small birds need a finer texture.
Avian Softgrain is milled to a meal form specifically suited to smaller beaks and more sensitive birds.
The same complete, vet formulated nutritional profile as the rest of the range, in a form that actually works for them.
The goal for your small bird's end diet
For budgies and finches, a healthy seed component remains part of the long term diet alongside the complete pellet.
The 60% Avian Softgrain ensures all nutritional needs are covered.
The 40% seed, fruit, and vegetable portion provides variety and enrichment.
Your transition plan
Choose the method your bird can accept.
Start with the gradual mix.
If your bird is more resistant, move to the Wholegrain method or the softening method.
Follow the selected method
The gradual mix
Suits: most birds. Reliable starting point for any birdWeek 1: Mix 80% current food with 20% Avian Wholegrain.
Serve at the normal time in the normal bowl.
Do not draw attention to the change.
Week 2: Move to 60% current food and 40% Avian Wholegrain.
If your bird is eating well and weight is stable, continue.
Week 3: Move to 40% current food and 60% Avian Wholegrain.
Most birds will begin actively selecting the pellet pieces at this stage.
Week 4 and beyond: Transition fully to Avian Wholegrain.
Keep offering fresh fruit and vegetables alongside as the 40% complement.
Monitor weight throughout.
A small amount of resistance is normal.
Visible weight loss or distress is not.
If either occurs, slow the pace or contact an avian vet.
The Wholegrain method
Suits: small to large parrots with strong variety instinctsIntroduce Avian Wholegrain alongside the current diet in the same bowl.
The variety of texture, colour, and dried ingredients engages the foraging instinct naturally.
Most birds will begin sorting through it immediately.
Do not remove the current food immediately.
Let your bird explore the Wholegrain at its own pace for the first week.
Curiosity is the mechanism here.
Over the second week, gradually reduce the proportion of seeds or existing food while maintaining the Wholegrain quantity.
The bird has already been engaging with it, which removes most of the resistance.
By week 3, most foraging birds will be eating the Wholegrain as their primary food.
Maintain fresh fruit and vegetables at 40% of the daily diet.
The softening method
Suits: resistant birds, birds transitioning from a very long term seed diet, baby birds transitioning off porridgeAdd a small amount of warm water to Avian Wholegrain to create a crumbly, slightly softened texture.
This changes both the mouthfeel and the aroma, which makes it far more approachable for birds that reject dry pellets on first contact.
Serve the softened Wholegrain alongside the current diet.
For baby birds transitioning off porridge, serve it at similar times to the porridge feed so the routine feels familiar.
Gradually reduce the water over 2 to 3 weeks so the texture moves from soft and crumbly toward dry.
This eases the bird toward accepting the dry pellet form.
Once eating dry, continue as per the gradual mix method until the current food is fully replaced.
Important: if serving wet, remove uneaten food within 12 hours.
Sooner in warm weather.
What to expect
What to expect
The transition period can feel uncertain. This is what is normal, and what to watch for.
This is normal
Your bird sorting through the bowl and eating selectively.
Your bird eating less than usual for the first week or two.
Your bird throwing the pellets out.
Increased vocalisation.
Any or all of these are standard resistance behaviours, not signs that something is wrong.
The first week is the hardest
Most birds will show the most resistance in the first 7 to 10 days.
If you can hold the course through that window, the transition usually becomes significantly easier.
Consistency matters more than speed.
Slow and steady is not failure.
Most birds take 2 to 4 weeks
Some birds take longer.
An older bird on a long term seed diet may take 8 weeks or more.
This is not unusual.
The timeline is a guide, not a deadline.
What matters is that the direction is consistent.
Monitor weight throughout
Weigh your bird at the same time each day during the transition, preferably in the morning before the first feed.
A small dip in the first week can be normal as the bird adjusts.
Consistent weight loss over more than a few days, or visible signs of distress, are signals to slow the transition pace and consult an avian vet if needed.
Ready to start
Ready to start the transition?
Choose the food that matches your bird.
Begin with the method that feels most manageable.