Healthy meals for parrots should include both fresh food and premium pellets. Most parrots shouldn’t be fed seed mixes, despite what the general public believes. Small bird species with high metabolisms and energy expenditures, such cockatiels and budgie parakeets, can eat a combination of premium seed and pellets. However, larger species—like cockatoos, Amazons, greys, and macaws—should not eat seed since it does not contain enough nutritious food. Furthermore, poor seed mixes frequently lead to liver disease and other health issues in companion birds, such as excessive weight gain.
Diets of pellets for parrots
Board-certified avian veterinarians who specialize in avian nutrition currently advise that 50–70% of a parrot’s diet should consist of pellets. The finest pellets to give your parrots are ones free of additives, like sugar or colors, as they might act cumulatively in the body, causing ailments over time and possibly reducing the lifespan of the bird. Lafeber, Harrison’s, Roudybush, Zupreem Naturals, Hagen, TOPS (Totally Organic Pellets), and Caitec Oven Fresh Bites are just a few of the suggested pellet brands.
It is possible to teach parrots to eat a nutritious pellet diet through a progressive conversion procedure, even if many of them have never learnt. Talk about the procedure with an avian veterinarian to ensure that your bird is getting the proper nutrition.
Your parrot and pellets
Pellets have been around for thirty years, and the current generation is far superior to the previous generation.
Nowadays, the majority of producers make pellets for several species. Experts in birds have created numerous pellet diets. For those of us who are preoccupied at work, it appears to be a reasonable option.
Here’s a heads up: you get what you pay for. Cheaper products use inferior chemicals, colorings, and an excessive amount of fillers.
Despite my attempts, I have never been able to get my picky birds to accept new brands. It could take some trial and error to locate a pellet that your bird likes to eat. Every bird, like every human, has a distinct set of taste buds.
Young birds that are weaned onto pellets appear to accept them more easily.
Switching from seeds to pellets for your parrot
Birds can be trained to switch from seeds to pellets over a few weeks if you and your veterinarian determine that pellets are the better option.
The most popular natural foods seem to be Lafaber, which are also the most expensive.
Foraged and wild items that your parrot can eat
As more people become aware of what wild birds eat, these are growing in popularity. Certain weeds and fresh green garden food are more closely related to a wild diet.
If you’re thinking of introducing new foods to your parrot’s diet, like the ones listed below, go cautiously and add the new items one at a time.
A rapid change could cause disturbance in your bird’s digestive system. See your veterinarian if you have any questions or need more guidance.
Fresh food that is both secure and beneficial for birds
Fresh foods should make up the remaining 30 to 50 percent of a parrot’s diet. Examples of such meals are:
• Vegetables, cooked or raw (ideally organic)
• Cooked whole grains or pseudo-grains, such teff, oats, barley, buckwheat, amaranth, and brown, wild, or forbidden rice
• Lentils soaked, cooked, or sprouted
• Nuts & seeds, raw, soaking, or sprouted
• Slightly less than half raw fruit
A healthy parrot’s diet should consist of no more than 10–20% fruits, seeds, and nuts. Researchers are finding that, for the majority of parrot species, the common perception of parrots in the wild consuming mostly fruits and nuts is rather inaccurate.
Furthermore, compared to confined birds, wild birds waste a great deal more energy so they need the extra sugars and fats found in nuts and fruits. Plus, the fruits that they eat in the wild contain much less sugar and much more fiber than the fruits cultivated for human consumption.
Serve fruits, seeds, and nuts sparingly, with an emphasis on raw, unsalted nuts and fresh berries. Give no peanuts, as they can be harmful. You can also use other nuts, such walnuts, pecans, and almonds. Before feeding food to a parrot, always make sure it is free of mold or rot.
Parrot chop
Making “chop” is a simple, practical, and economical way to give your bird a variety of fresh foods on a regular basis. Chop sounds precisely like what it is: A large batch of grains and legumes are cooked, a variety of veggies are finely chopped, and everything is combined in a large container. After that, you spoon three to four separate meals each day into sandwich bags or other receptacles and put them in the freezer.
One batch of chop can last anywhere from a week to several months, depending on how much you produce and how many birds you have. You can tailor chop to each bird’s preferences, but you can also experiment with adding novel ingredients to pique their interest. For further details on how to make chop, visit Parrot Nation’s Recipe Posts page.
Poisonous Things Birds Should Never Consume
You should never give your pet birds any toxic foods, such as:
• Booze
• Avocado
• Tapioca, or cassava
• Coffee
• Dairy goods
• Garlic, onions, and scallions
• Meat
• Fungi
• Cocoa or chocolate
• Almonds
• Pits and seeds from fruits
• Raw beans
A balanced avian diet should also exclude foods that are heavy in fat, salt, or sugar, as well as foods that contain dyes or preservatives.
Providing nuts to your parrot
Since parrots frequently adore nuts, they’re an excellent teaching treat.
Given the possibility of Aspergillosis, you might decide not to feed monkey nuts. (A mold-related lung illness with a dismal prognosis). I get human-grade peanuts and make sure that the best before dates and proper storage procedures are followed.
A tiny group of parakeets and rescue parrots that survive the East Anglian winter are kept in my aviary. In cold weather, I uproot sunflower and monkey nuts; I have never lost a bird in below-freezing temps.
Similar to legumes, nuts are rich in protein but also contain a lot of fat. Provide your bird with a variety of unsalted nuts to eat, but limit the amount to a few a days depending on activity.
Recommendations would be one or two nuts a day for most species. More of course for Macaws who have a higher fat requirement?
Can parrots eat any nuts?
Almonds, cashews, macadamias, pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, shelled peanuts, and pistachios are among the foods that parrots can eat.
If you use unsalted peanut butter, you can also feed it to your bird.
Nowadays, a wide range of peanut butters are available that are made entirely of peanuts; we would advise choosing these over products that include stabilisers or other extra additives like palm oil. As a breakfast treat, my Artha Grey loves peanut butter on toast.
What is off-limits to parrots?
Your parrot cannot eat the fruits and vegetables we’ve specified, but there are other things they cannot have. You must keep tea, coffee, alcohol, and human meals that are fried, salty, fatty, or sugary away from them.
You and your parrot’s supplements
Vitamin, probiotic, calcium, and other mineral supplements are taken into account. However, you shouldn’t require them if you feed a healthy amount of pellets.
Opinions on non-pelleted diets are split. Calcium is added by many breeders specifically for laying hens. According to my veterinarian, a balanced diet rich in vegetables eliminates the need for supplements.
We would suggest speaking with your veterinarian, since they can offer guidance based on the foods your parrot consumes.
What is the drink of parrots?
Water is consumed by wild birds from a variety of sources.
We require daily water changes in captivity, sometimes even twice. While some caregivers swear by adding a few drops of cider vinegar, others only use spring water. That is also my decision.