Parrots eat a wide variety of items in the wild, and for optimum health we should try to do the same in captivity. I good rule of thumb is that a parrots diet should consist of a bowl of pelleted food at all times (brand preferences may vary, I personally use Zupreem products), and a small amount of good quality seed, i.e. Goldenfeast (this is especially important in color-mutation birds such as parakeets, cockatiels, lovebirds, and parrotlets). Also offering a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and people foods will round off a complete diet for your parrot.
WHAT NOT TO FEED: Never give your parrot alcohol, avocado or chocolate - these can kill your pet.
Also avoid caffeine (tea and coffee), large amounts of junk food, raw potato, and rhubarb (including the leaves). Please just use your common sense when it comes to feeding your parrot. Many plants and food items are unsafe, so if you have any doubt, do not offer it.
Personally: In my cages at home I have at least one bowl of pellets (two in each of the cockatiel flight cages) one bowl of Goldenfeast blend (specific to whatever bird is in the cage), one bowl of dry treats (cereal, crackers, millet, oatgroats, seeds, nuts, etc) and one bowl of wet treats (fruits, veggies, pasta, rice, etc). Also there should be at least one bowl of fresh water at all times.
Pellets: A good quality pellet mix should be available to your bird at all times. I personally use Zupreem's line of pellets because I trust their quality and my birds prefer their taste and flavors. There are plenty of other great pellet brands out there though, so find one that your bird likes and will eat. You may need to try one with colors or one without, or even try going up or down a size (a lot of conures eat the cockatiel size and many cockatiels will eat the parakeet size, etc.) before you find the right one for your bird.
Seeds: Give your bird a good-quality seed mix appropriate for their size and species. There are readily available mixes at pet suppliers and supermarkets, but be aware that most ready-mixed parrot seed contains far too many sunflower seeds and these are extremely fattening. For this reason I recommend Goldenfeast's line of species specific blends that use more natural ingredients (foods the birds would actually eat in the wild) and less oil rich high fat seeds. Also, do not buy the seed in bulk - most bulk food is not stored correctly and is thus exposed to many harmful bacteria and molds.
Healthy Seed Options: Try mixing in items from the heath food section of your local supermarket such as: flax seed, soybeans, unsalted unshelled sunflower seeds (limited amount), sesame seeds, unsalted nuts, etc. Also try adding sprouted seeds, beans and legumes to your parrot's diet.
Fresh Foods: Fresh foods are an important addition to your parrots overall health and wellness. Some parrots will not take to fruit and vegetables straight away. Keep trying, as it can take up to a year before some parrots will eat them. Fruit and vegetables are an essential part of your parrot's diet so offer them washed and fresh each day - do not give up! Also, be aware that your parrot's droppings may be runnier than usual with an increased intake of fruit and vegetables
All fresh foods should be - thoroughly washed, in bite-sized pieces, at room temperature, unpeeled, free of cores, stones, pits or pits, and fresh (obviously this will be the most nutritious for your parrot but you can use frozen or canned)
FRUITS (this is by no means a complete list)
apple, grape, guava, kiwi fruit, mango, melon, nectarine, orange, peach, pear, pomegranate, plum, strawberry, tangerine, watermelon, lemon, lime, all berries, pumpkin,
VEGETABLES:
bok choy, broccoli, carrot (chopped or grated), celery, swiss chard, lettuce (but small amounts of dark green lettuce and not too often), peas, beets, spinach, corn, watercress, zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, tomato, potato (regular or sweet), parsley, collard greens, green beans, brussel sprouts, peppers,
People Foods: You don't have to cook a special diet for your parrot, the easiest way to introduce them to people food is to simply offer a small portion of whatever you are eating for lunch or dinner every day. This introduces your parrot to a wide variety of foods without straining you back or your budget.
Cereals: In my experience, Cheerios, Chex, Shredded Wheat, Rice Crispies, Wheatbix, & GrapeNuts seem to be birdie favorites. Any cereal is fine to try, just try to limit the amount of sugary kids cereal you offer and never give any with chocolate in them.
Breads & Baked Goods: Parrots in general tend to be carb junkies, they love breads, muffins, crackers, etc. Try to offer whole grain items, and watch the sugar. (see my personal muffin recipe on the bottom of this list if you like to bake at home)
Other Carbs: Try things like whole grain pasta, rice, quinoa, barley, oats, either cooked or raw, popcorn,
Protein: Items like Meat & fish (both cooked) and dairy products (milk, cheese, ice cream) can be given to your parrot, but should be done spariningly. Remember that birds cannot digest dairy products well, so don't be surprised by some loose droppings after a little milk. Eggs are an almost perfect food though, and can be fed freely to your parrots. You can even offer hard boiled eggs with the shell on as an added source of calcium for female parrots.
Pre-Packaged Foods: There are some great pre-packaged bird diets out there that simulate people food. Most come ready to cook in your microwave. I use Crazy Corn brand at my house because that is what my birds tend to like the best. Other brands include Birdie Banquet, Beak Appétit and others. The easiest way I have found is to cook the entire package at one time and then freeze it into small portions (about how much your parrot/s would eat in a week). This way you don't have to cook as often and you'll always have something fresh and nutrious to feed your birds.
Birdie Bread/Muffins:
1 package Jiffy Muffin Mix (I prefer raspberry over corn)
1/4 cup slivered & chopped almonds
1 cup frozen cranberries sliced in half
Make according to the box directions adding in the extra ingredients (feel free to change the extras to whatever nut or fruit you think your bird might like). I use a mini muffin pan to make individual servings that I can also freeze for later use, but you can also make it into one loaf of bread and slice it up for the birds. If you are trying to introduce a bird to pellets for the first time, this is a good way to do it. Use a smaller size pellet and bake them into the bread, this was the bird will experience the taste and texture of the pellet in a fun and tasty way.
No comments:
Post a Comment