Pretty Bird International

What Pretty Bird International does

Pretty Bird International, Inc. is a privately held specialty pet food manufacturer founded in 1990 and headquartered in Stacy, Minnesota. The company produces nutritionally complete, species-specific extruded foods for birds (African Grey, Amazon, Cockatoo, Macaw, Cockatiel, Eclectus, Lory, Softbill, and others), reptiles (aquatic turtles, large and small tortoises), and small exotic animals (ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders), organized under the Pretty Bird and Pretty Pets brands. Manufacturing is vertically integrated: Pretty Bird owns and operates twin-screw extruders that produce all extruded pelleted products, runs an in-house laboratory for product testing, and engages an independent laboratory for ongoing Salmonella screening and an in-house toxicology lab for toxin screening.

The company's core technology is twin-screw extrusion, which enables controlled production of multi-shaped, multi-colored pelleted diets and supports the firm's ability to deliver species-specific nutritional profiles (varying protein, fat, and fiber content by species). Formulation is developed in collaboration with independent veterinarians and nutritionists, and products are positioned as complete diets that eliminate the need for supplementation. The portfolio includes breeder formulations (Breeder Select, Natural Breeder Select), everyday diets (Daily Select, Natural Gold, Perle Morbide), species-specific formulas, and handrearing/weaning products for baby birds. A small number of reptile and small animal SKUs round out the catalog; one supplement product has been discontinued.

Pretty Bird operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model: products are sold primarily through the company website (prettybird.com) and a phone order line, with shipments via Spee-Dee Delivery in the Midwest (MN, WI, IL, IA, and parts of ND, SD, NE, MO) and FedEx Ground nationally. A business account program serves wholesale customers purchasing larger volumes. The company does not sell on Amazon, does not ship outside the continental US (though it refers international customers to distributors), and uses per-bag unit pricing with no subscription model. Revenue is generated from one-time product purchases, with the firm operating as a bootstrap, founder-controlled entity under Michael Massie with 11-50 employees.

Name

Pretty Bird International

Legal name

Pretty Bird International, Inc.

Website

https://prettybird.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pretty Bird International is a Minnesota-based, privately held pet food manufacturer founded in 1990 that produces species-specific extruded diets for birds, reptiles, and small animals, selling direct-to-consumer via its website and phone, with in-house twin-screw extrusion manufacturing and lab testing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Pet Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119), Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Bird Feed (Companion & Aviary) (AFADAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bird Food (CRADAFAK), Reptile & Amphibian Feed (AFADAFAK)

Keywords

• Extruded bird food
• Pet food manufacturing
• Exotic pet nutrition
• Avian dietary products
• Specialty animal feed

Headquarters

HQ city

Stacy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pet Food Product Sales: Direct sale of formulated pet foods for birds, reptiles, and small animals. Products sold in various sizes (3lb, 8lb, 20lb, 40lb) with per-unit pricing. One-time purchase model for individual bags of pet food.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Pretty Bird International manufactures and sells species-specific extruded pelleted pet food for companion birds, reptiles, and small exotic animals (ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders), as well as handrearing and weaning formulas for baby birds. The company operates its own twin-screw extrusion manufacturing facility in Stacy, Minnesota, with in-house and independent lab testing for safety and nutritional consistency. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company website and phone, with a wholesale business-account program for bulk buyers.

Product overview

Pretty Bird International is a pet food manufacturer specializing in nutritionally complete foods for birds, reptiles, and small animals. The product portfolio is organized into four main categories: Bird Food (including Breeder Select, Natural Breeder Select, Daily Select, Natural Gold, Perle Morbide, and Species Specific formulas for African Grey, Amazon & Cockatoo, Cockatiel, Eclectus, Lory, Macaw, and Softbill); Baby Bird Food (including 19/8 Handrearing Formula, 22/10 Handrearing Formula, and Weaning Food); Reptile Food (including Aquatic Turtle Food, Large Tortoise Food, and Small Tortoise Food); and Small Animal Food (including Ferret Food, Hedgehog Food, and Sugar Glider Food). The company also offers supplements. Products are formulated for species-specific nutritional needs with varying protein, fat, and fiber content. Founded in 1990, the company operates its own manufacturing facilities including twin-screw extruders for complete quality control.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Breeder Select: Multicolored breeder formulation containing 16% protein and 10% fat plus extra calcium.
• Natural Breeder Select
• Daily Select
• Natural Gold
• Perle Morbide
• Species Specific
• Baby Bird Food
• Reptile Food
• Small Animal Food

Products and services

• Daily Select Pretty Bird's original multicolored, multi-shaped extruded pelleted bird food, offered in mini, small, medium, and large sizes for canaries/finches, budgies/cockatiels, and African greys/amazons/macaws respectively. Contains 14% protein and 5% fat. Sold in 2 lb, 3 lb, 5 lb, 8 lb, and 20 lb sizes.
• Breeder Select Multicolored breeder formulation for breeding birds, containing 16% protein and 10% fat plus extra calcium. Sized in mini (canaries/finches), small (budgies/cockatiels), and medium (African greys/amazons/macaws) variants.
• Natural Breeder Select Natural-colored breeder formulation (no artificial color enhancements) containing 16% protein and 10% fat plus extra calcium, formulated for breeding birds.
• Natural Gold Innovative extruded bird food with nucleotides to support immune function, 15% protein and 8% fat in a small natural-colored morsel with no artificial colors.
• Perle Morbide Yellow/Green Yellow and green mini-morsel extruded bird food with 16% protein and 10% fat, designed to entirely replace germinated seeds for canaries, goldfinches, bullfinches, siskins, and other finches.
• Perle Morbide Blanco (White) Non-colored mini-morsel extruded bird food with 14% protein and 5% fat, formulated to entirely replace germinated seeds for canaries, goldfinches, bullfinches, siskins, and other finches.
• Daily Lite Multicolored, multi-shaped extruded bird food with reduced fat (14% protein, 3% fat), designed for pet birds prone to obesity.
• Species Specific Macaw High-energy balanced extruded diet for macaws, golden conures, and black palm cockatoos, with higher fat content, proper vitamins and minerals, 16% protein and 10% fat.
• Species Specific African Grey Extruded diet designed for African species and medium and large conures, with higher calcium, 14% protein and 8% fat in medium-sized morsels.
• Species Specific Amazon & Cockatoo Extruded diet for cockatoos and amazons with higher protein and lower fat (17% protein, 4% fat) to ensure proper nutrition and minimize weight gain in adult birds.
• Species Specific Cockatiel Extruded diet formulated specifically for cockatiels, with 14% protein and 10% fat in small-sized morsels.
• Species Specific Eclectus Fruit-friendly extruded diet for eclectus parrots with fructose, 16% protein and 6% fat in mini-sized morsels; an easy-to-feed alternative to messy nectar diets.
• Species Specific Lory Fruit-based extruded lory food with fructose, 16% protein and 6% fat in mini-sized morsels; an easy-to-feed alternative to messy nectar diets.
• Species Specific Softbill Extruded softbill diet for mynahs and toucans containing fructose, with iron levels less than 60 ppm, 18% protein and 8% fat.
• 19/8 Handrearing Formula General-purpose handrearing formula for baby birds, the formula of choice for Lories, Cockatoos, and most Amazons, with 19% protein and 8% fat. Available in 5 lb and 20 lb sizes.
• 22/10 Handrearing Formula High-protein handrearing formula ideal for African Greys, Eclectus, and Asian Parakeets, also excellent for Quakers, Conures, smaller Cockatoos, Canaries, Finches, and Budgies. Contains 22% protein and 10% fat. Available in 5 lb and 20 lb sizes.
• Weaning Food Corn-curl shaped extruded weaning food offering the same nutrition as breeder food but in a shape easier for young birds to hold while learning to eat; can be fed dry or moistened. Contains 16% protein and 10% fat. Available in 2 lb, 5 lb, and 20 lb sizes.
• Aquatic Turtle Food Floating extruded aquatic turtle food with fruity flavors, 35% protein and 13% fat, designed to meet the unique nutritional needs of box and aquatic turtles.
• Large Tortoise Food Multicolored extruded nugget food for large tortoises, with 8% protein, 3% fat and 13% fiber, formulated to produce excellent growth rates and remain low in fat.
• Small Tortoise Food Multicolored extruded nugget food for small tortoises, with 8% protein, 3% fat and 13% fiber, formulated to produce excellent growth rates and remain low in fat.
• Natural Gold Ferret Food High-protein, low-carb ferret diet with chicken meal and pork proteins as primary ingredients, 49% protein and 21% fat, supporting healthy immune and digestive systems.
• Hedgehog Food Pretty Pets hedgehog food formula providing proper protein and fat balance (32% protein, 5% fat) formulated for optimal health of hedgehogs kept as pets. Available in 3 lb, 8 lb, and 20 lb sizes.
• Sugar Glider Food Nutritionally complete fruity-flavored pellet diet for sugar gliders that eliminates the need for supplementation, with 24% protein and 5% fat. Available in 12 oz and 20 lb sizes.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Harrison's Bird Foods: Veterinarian-formulated organic extruded bird food brand; competes in the same premium, vet-developed bird nutrition niche that Pretty Bird occupies.
• Higgins Group: Manufactures specialty foods for birds, reptiles, and small animals including extruded pellets and seed mixes; closely overlaps with Pretty Bird's three-category product structure.
• Roudybush: California-based specialty bird food manufacturer focused on scientifically formulated extruded pellets for companion birds; competes head-to-head with Pretty Bird in the species-specific and daily-maintenance extruded category.
• ZuPreem: Premium extruded pelleted bird food brand (owned by Premium Nutritional Products); offers FruitBlend, Natural, and species-specific diets that directly compete with Pretty Bird's Species Specific and Daily Select lines.
• Lafeber Company: Family-owned manufacturer of premium bird food (pellets, Nutri-Berries) plus some small-animal products; comparable mid-sized specialty manufacturer with similar DTC and breeder-channel emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• Versele-Laga: Belgian international specialty pet food brand with a strong extruded bird food range (Prestige, NutriBird) plus reptile and small-mammal lines; comparable portfolio breadth with global distribution Pretty Bird lacks.
• Vitakraft: Established German pet food company with bird, small animal, and reptile food lines; broad incumbent competing across Pretty Bird's full category set.
• Kaytee: Mass-market pet food brand owned by Central Garden & Pet; offers a wide line of bird foods (seed, pellets, treats) with strong retail distribution — a much larger incumbent competing for the same end consumer.

Emerging players

• Volkman Avian Science: Specialty bird food manufacturer focused on seed mixes, pellets, and treats for companion birds; another niche player competing for the same breeder and hobbyist customer segment.
• Dr. Harvey's: Smaller premium natural pet food brand offering bird foods and holistic supplements; competes in the natural/holistic premium segment where Pretty Bird's Natural Gold and Breeder lines play.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pretty Bird International