Feeding Your Bird
It’s easy to assume that feeding a pet bird is simply a case of tossing some seeds in a bowl, filling up their water containers and that’s you finished. If you want to keep your bird as healthy as possible then there are a few different diets that you can choose from.
Bird seed has been a staple dietary choice for bird owners for many, many years but is no longer as popular as it once was. There is, however, nothing wrong with a good bird seed as long as it is used in combination with other types of food – after all, if you were fed the same meal day in, day out for the rest of your life you wouldn’t expect it to do you much good, would you?
Millet and safflower seeds are both better than sunflower seeds – which believe it or actually very high in fat and as such can cause obesity in parrots who rely on this for their sole diets. If you do feed seeds to your bird it is wise to make this a maximum of 30% of their total diet.
For something healthier, you could try either beans or brown rice, both of which are a more natural diet for parrots. The downside is that this type of food goes off easily, and as such needs to be changed regularly.
You can also buy specially formulated pellets, which are said to contain every nutrient that your bird will require and consequently are often billed as a complete diet. Unfortunately these tend to be almost identical in both appearance and taste. Some bird lovers feel that this is a boring diet for their pets, particularly if it is used as the sole food – similarly others will argue that processed food simply cannot be healthy compared to fresh food.
The best diet is probably a combination of all. Provide separate cups for the seeds and pellets, which will allow your bird to make his own choice on what he wishes to eat. You should also include fresh foods, such as beans, brown rice, fresh fruit and vegetables and nuts (for bigger birds) – to prevent these going off simply leave them out for only a limited amount of time. Your bird is intelligent enough to learn quickly that he should eat these when they are put out, as they won’t be there all day.
Finally, be aware that not all foods are good for your bird. For example, caffeine and chocolate can be lethal, as can avocado.
