Our Story
The Hagen Avicultural Research Institute is part of the Hagen Group (www.hagen.com) which was founded in Canada in 1955 by Rolf C. Hagen and has grown to become the world's largest privately-owned, manufacturer and distributor of pet products, foods and accessories in the industry.
We are driven by a common bond of love and compassion for animals. Underlying our entire philosophy is one simple and immutable fact: Pets are not only the heart of our business, they are the reason we are in business.
The Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI) established in 1985 continues to evolve into a world class Psittacine captive breeding, nutrition and research facility. Trusted by veterinarian worldwide, HARI is dedicated to globally supporting the avian community (veterinarians, breeders, rescues, aviculturists, conservation field biologists, pet parents).
To share our experiences HARI constantly publishes research on topics such as disease control, pair bonding, nutrition and the influence of temperature, humidity and light cycles on breeding. In 2014 after seven years of development, HARI launched their Early Parrot Education® program for breeders and companion parrot owners.
HARI is involved throughout the entire production process of all Tropican® and Tropimix® formulas. All formulas are produced in a state-of-the-art food plant in Montreal, Canada and each batch undergoes a rigorous 3-stage testing for nutritional value and quality control and since 1987 each batch has been fed to the HARI flock – 3 generations of parrots.
Tropican is a complete balanced diet in the form of extruded pellets with no artificial preservatives, colours, or flavours. It is available in multi sizes and shapes to satisfy a wide range of species. Tropican’s newest formula, Alternative is formulated without soy or corn, has alternative protein sources such as pea and quinoa, has ingredients such as walnuts, cranberries, sweet potato, pumpkin, marigold and wheat germ and sunflower oil. Alternative is suitable for adult and senior parrots, parrots who may have diet challenges, parrots that may be less active and require lower protein and fat, and parrots with protein sensitivities.
Tropimix is a multi-grain variety with tasty fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and with the added benefit of Tropican. It familiarizes seed eating birds with the nutritionally balanced benefits of an extrude food. It’s shell free, 100% edible. Tropimix provides a stimulating eating experience and is great for foraging opportunities.