Kaytee Bird Seed – Who And What?

Kaytee is a well-known brand for quality bird seed and is known worldwide. Before we look at any Kaytee bird seed and different options you can choose from, let’s look at how Kaytee Bird Seed started out.

This post does contain affiliate links, which means that if you decide to purchase anything off of this page, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Kaytee is a company based in Chilton, Wisconsin, in the United States. Kaytee Bird Seed is a well-known brand as it is an international supplier of bird seed. 

The Kaytee Brand supports a non-profit foundation dedicated to raising awareness of pet care and environmental conservation.

How Did Kaytee Bird Seed Start?

In 1866, Nicholas W. Knauf and Peter Juckem founded a grain elevator on East Main Street in Chilton.

William N. Knauf at the age of 19 became co-owner with Frank Tesch (K & T) when Nicholas W. Knauf died. They took the company name from their initials.

They then built a general store and a gristmill which sold seed to farmers.

They used the 1872 railroad to ship barley and oats to the markets, and that, in turn, led to selling barley to Milwaukee breweries.

In 1920, the company became a national supplier of peas to be used for pigeon feed. It expanded into making feed for birds and other small animals, becoming the first commercial supplier of wild bird seed in 1955.

William Engler Sr., long-term employee and son-in-law of William N. Knauf, purchased the company in 1964 and renamed it Kaytee Products, Inc.

His son, Bill Engler Jr., took over the company in 1982. Bill Engler Jr. was named the Small Business Person of the Year in 1993 by United States President Bill Clinton.

As of 1993, Kaytee had 365 employees and annual sales of about $70 million. At that time, it also held about 1 300 exotic bird species in an aviary in Chilton.

Engler sold the company to Central Garden & Pet in 1997. They renamed the company Central Avian & Small Animal and continued to market products under the Kaytee brand.

They have also had their fair share of controversy over the years.

In April 2012, Kaytee recalled five lots of parrot hand-feeding formula due to it containing excessive vitamin D.

On May 12, 2012, several types of mouse, rat, and hamster food was also recalled for possible salmonella contamination.

In February 2013, Kaytee recalled a number of treat mixes due to reports from their parsley supplier of salmonella contamination. No salmonella was found in the actual treat mixes, but to comply with FDA regulations, they recalled all mixes containing that parsley.

Kaytee Bird Seed And Other Products You Can Order Online

Overall Rating (based on customer reviews): 4.2 out of 5 stars. You can order any of these products or find out more about them by clicking on the link or on the picture of the product.

Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Cockatiel Food With Safflower, 4 Lb

Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health Food with Safflower for Cockatiels is one of their best sellers and has many benefits:

• Omega 3’S To Support Brain And Heart Health.
• Enhances Skin and Feather Health For Vibrant, Healthy Plumage.
• Naturally Preserved For Ideal Freshness.
• Contains Safflower Instead Of Sunflower Seeds.

Kaytee Fruit Nut Blend Pet Food, 5 lb

• Attracts A Wide Variety Of Native Song Birds To Your Yard.
• Pleasant cherry aroma attracts wild birds.
• This Kaytee bird seed is designed for wild birds, not cage birds.

Kaytee Fiesta Parrot Food 25 pound bag

• Nutritionally fortified gourmet food for parrots.
• Kaytee is a Veterinarian Recommended Brand.
• Omega 3’s to support brain and heart health.
• Antioxidants for general health and immune support.
• Enhances skin & feather health for vibrant, healthy plumage.
• Contains fruits, nuts, veggies, and textures for nutritional variety.
• Prebiotics and probiotics to support digestive health.
• Naturally preserved for ideal freshness.

Kaytee Exact Rainbow Parakeet & Lovebird Food, 2-Pound

• Omega 3’S To Support Brain And Heart Health.
• Enhances Skin & Feather Health For Vibrant, Healthy Plumage.
• Prebiotics And Probiotics To Support Digestive Health.
• 100% Consumable Extruded Nutrition With No Shells Or Seed Hulls.
• Naturally Preserved For Ideal Freshness.

Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Conure and Lovebird Food 4lb

• Omega 3’s to support Brain and Heart health.
• Kaytee is a Veterinarian Recommended Brand.
• Enhances Skin & Feather health for vibrant, healthy plumage.
• Rich in natural antioxidants for general health and immune support.
• Perfect for Conjures and lovebirds.
• Kaytee has over 150 years of nutritional experience to provide the best for your pet.
• Produced in the USA.

Kaytee not only does birdseed but also various other animal products like animal bedding, pet treats and even Hay.

In fact, you name it, Kaytee has it when it comes to pet products.