(1) My bird has stopped eating altogether and/or seems sluggish and has stopped singing. What should I do?

ANSWER: THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! Your bird is sick. It needs to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Until you get to the clinic keep the bird warm (85F degrees). Add some flat (not fizzy) cola or strong coffee to the bird's water.
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(2) What are the signs of malnutrition in a pet bird?

ANSWER: Often there are no early signs at all. But if malnutrition is allowed to continue you will start seeing the following....

SKIN: dryness, flaking, long nails and overgrown beaks.
RESPIRATORY: sinusitis, sneezing, liths in the nose, air sacculitis, aspergillosis.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: enteritis, hepatitis, pancreatitis (shows up as dark green colored stools, or diarrhea or no eating, no stools)
REPRODUCTIVE: egg binding, infertility, weak chicks.
ENDOCRINE: feather picking, etc.

Malnutrition is the number 1 killer of pet birds.
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(3) Why should birds all birds start out on the High Potency formulas?

ANSWER: Most all birds undergoing diet changes are malnourished from their previous diets. All the body's systems have been somewhat compromised. To heal this as fast as possible we use High Potency. It promotes a healthy molt the quickest. The sooner the bird has recovered from malnourishment, the less likely the chances of other illnesses.
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ANSWER: YES, seeds are inadequate as a diet and the deficiencies cannot be corrected by supplementing with fruits, vegetables, table food, other pet foods or other seedy treats.
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ANSWER: Table food may often be harmful or at the very least will dilute and nullify the proper diet (Harrison's) leading to malnutrition. Carefully review label on the back of your bag of Harrison's Bird Foods for tips on recommended allowable supplements.
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(6) Wouldn't it be better to try to duplicate the diet that parrots would eat in the wild?

ANSWER: No, duplicating that diet would be physically impossible unless you were some how able to travel to their native habitat on a daily basis to retrieve food. The foods you find in grocery stores, fruit stands even whole food markets are simply not the same foods as found in the wild. Recreating these diets has been tried and has failed. The results seen using Harrison's are far superior. Parrot mortality rate in the wild is very high.
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ANSWER: If the bird is wasting the food, you are likely providing too much food all at once. Start with meals, 30 minutes twice a day. Cut back the amounts of food given until the wasting stops. A bit of advice that will go a long way in the relationship with your pet bird: You must take charge of the bird, don't let the bird be your boss.
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ANSWER: The High Potency Formulas are recommended for overweight birds. These obese birds, especially Amazons will constantly over-eat on a low fat diet. The brain's cessation center never gets satisfied. The higher protein, vitamins and minerals of the High Potency heal the damage done to the body by obesity.
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ANSWER: Refrigeration of the food is not necessary but may extend freshness. Use up food in 4 - 6 weeks regardless of whether you refrigerate or not. Always store the food in it's original packaging. Harrison's bags are the very best in preventing oxygen from getting to the food and causing rancidity. Squeeze out the air and zip the top shut. If the zip-top gets damaged or will not close properly, just roll the top down a few times and "chip-clip" the bag closed. This is still better than plastic or Tupperware...
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(10) Why should I be sure to use up my open bag of Harrison's in 4 - 6 weeks?

ANSWER: Since the food is organic, that means there are no preservatives that will artificially extend the shelf life. The food needs to be fed fresh.

Try thinking of the bird food as you would your own food. An open box of cereal would be discarded long before six weeks. A loaf of bread only stays fresh for a few days at best. If you find that you have food left over after 4-6 weeks, you may want to consider purchasing the food in smaller bags and keeping them unopened.

Offer fresh food daily and discard uneaten food from the feeding dish.
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(11) Why is Harrison's more expensive than other bird foods?

ANSWER: Harrison's may be more expensive per bag than most, but if it's nutrition you're after you won't find a better deal. 5 pounds of our food will go quite a bit farther than 5 pounds of any comparable pet bird food and way farther than seeds. Our food requires no supplementing or time consuming preparation.

Harrison's is made up of premium, certified organic ingredients which are more costly than non-organic sources and our premium-freshness packaging is a factor.

Our food prices have been the same price for 12 years now with no price increases. The prices simply reflect our costs, there is no "magic mark-up".
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ANSWER: We have tried a lot of different sizes and owners always want a different one. But we have macaws on fine grind and budgies eating the large nuggets.

To offer the same diet in a different size or shape would also mean one more product to use up valuable shelf space at vet clinics.
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ANSWER: No! NEVER purchase Harrison's Bird Foods from bulk bins or in any other packaging other than the original Harrison's bag. The food will not stay fresh in bulk bins. Please report anyone who sells the food in any other packaging other than the original Harrison's bag. 1-800-745-7329
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