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Proper Diet
Variety is the Spice of Life
The most important thing you can do to ensure the long-term health and happiness of your pet bird is to feed a varied balanced diet. Most parrots are opportunistic omnivores in the wild, meaning they eat a wide range of foods depending upon what is available at any given time of year. This may mean that during the rainy seasons they have access to fresh fruits, leaves, buds and possibly even an occasional insect, while during the dry seasons they may eat quantities of nut meats and seeds. In captivity, however, your bird cannot forage and depends on you to provide the nutrients necessary to good health and their emotional well-being. Unlike dogs and cats, we do not know the exact daily nutrient requirements for most parrots. Many manufacturers claim that their parrot foods are "complete" or "total" diets but how can they ethically claim this when exact dietary requirements are not actually known? Most bird nutrition studies have been done on chickens or pigeons. While these studies do afford a wealth of information and insight, parrots are not pigeons or chickens!
Many people have begun to feed their parrots a pellet ration believing that they contain everything a parrot needs to stay healthy. In theory this would seem to hold true, however parrots on pelleted diets must become extremely bored of such a feeding method.. Parrots derive much of their pleasure from the food bowl and will eagerly await your morning arrival when you feed a varied nutritious diet. Also, parrots on all-pellet diets require 2-3 times the amount of water they normally would. Some people believe all pellet diets may actually lead to mineralized kidneys and/or hypovitaminosis in the long run. I do not believe pellets are bad foods, but I do not believe they should be the mainstay of the diet; rather they should be used as one component of a total diet. If we cannot formulate a "complete" diet for captive birds based on scientific studies at this time, the best method for feeding captive psittacines is to feed as natural a diet as possible, incorporating many of the types of foods they would seek out and eat in the wild. This type of regime will accomplish two things, provide a wide variety of vitamin-rich foods alleviating vitamin deficiencies and related diseases and provide psychological stimulation for captive parrots alleviating cage boredom and related disorders (plucking, screaming). At our farm, we feed many types of parrots based on the following food groups:
1. Dark leafy greens- Our favorite is fresh collard greens which are available year round at a reasonable price. They are rich in vitamin A and do not wilt as quickly as other types of greens. Spinach, commercially grown dandelion and kale are other good choices.
2. Sprouts- Sprouted mung beans are a favorite at the farm. We believe so strongly in the power of living whole natural sprouts that we now carry and sell many types of seeds/beans for sprouting. Virtually any type of seed can be sprouted and the nutritional value is greatly increased in the process.
3. Vegetables-Corn on the cob, sweet potatoes and fresh beets are fed almost daily to our birds. Dark yellow or red skinned vegetables contain the highest amounts of vitamin A and anti-oxidants so necessary to the health of all parrots.
4. Fruit and Berries- Good choices are apples, papaya, and various berries. Fruits should comprise about 10-15% of the total diet.
5. Seeds, Grains and Nuts- Sunflower, safflower, dry corn and wheat are part of our daily mix. Seed mixes for parrots are readily available and are an important component of a total diet.
6. Pelleted Foods- Pellets will provide another vitamin source in the total diet and should not be over looked.. Monkey Chow or primate biscuits are another readily available manufactured food suitable for feeding parrots. Pelleted foods should comprise 5-10% of the total diet. A typical feeding at the farm might consist of the following: sunflower, safflower, wheat and processed Pelleted feed mixed with equal parts fresh corn, beets, collards, apples, carrots and sprouted mung beans. All ingredients are mixed together and served immediately. Measured amounts per pair ensure that birds do not pick out and fill up on the items they like best. Ingredients will vary according to availability and price. By combining and mixing at least one item from each food group daily you can be assured that yourbirds are receiving the nutrition they need. return your birds will be happy, contented and will glow with good health.
This bucket of food contains fresh corn, apples, carrots, squash, papaya, collard greens, blackberries, green beans and sprouts. These food are loaded with vitamins and are typical of the foods we feed daily at our farm.