Nutrition

Good nutrition for parrots, like people is vital. Poor diet can cause serious illness that can lead to death. A parrot with a seed only diet can get fatty liver disease or arterial sclerosis. Like with people there is always a debate on what the ideal diet would be. Since we don’t even know all they eat in the wild, we have to go by what we have seen medically over the past 20 years.

 This is what we recommend. If your Avian Vet has your parrot on a different diet, please always check with them before you switch to any of our suggestions.

 First, we provide pellets at all times in their cage. The ones that we have found to be all around the best are Harrisons, Roudybush and Scenic. We try to get the birds to eat at least two kinds, as no one pellet supplies everything.

 They must have fresh filtered water. Wash their bowl daily as bacteria can form. Bacteria in water are one of the big reasons parakeets die. Also some parrots like to dunk their food in their water causing a “soup” that will need to be changed.

 Fresh raw vegetables and fruits are a necessity. They get so many vitamins from them, and need them for the moisture to keep their bowels functioning properly. Try different ways to offer them. Some birds like them chopped up, while others like them large so they can work at them. Make sure you wash them well. We even will leave greens wet and hang them for the bird to play in the water as they eat. If your parrot doesn’t seem to like something, keep trying. Show them how good it is by eating with them. They learn from their flock leader, which had best be you!

 Feed them what you are eating for dinner or breakfast as long it is healthy. It is best to skip feeding them fast foods except for a small taste. Before we salt our meals we pull out what we need to feed the birds. We often make extra to freeze in ice cube trays then store in freezer bags for those days when we don’t have time to cook. We never shy away from spicy as most parrots like it. They eat everything from eggs, pasta & beans to chicken and steak!

 Foods Not To Feed Your Parrot:

Avocado, Rhubarb, Caffeine, Onions, Garlic, Chocolate and Alcohol. Dairy is not easily digestible, so it should be in small quantities.

 Parrots also need fresh unsalted nuts and seeds. Now think of them as a small part of (10%) of their diet. They need the nutrients they give, and the kinds of good fat they give. However too much of a good thing turns bad.

 Nutrition for parrots is a hard subject. We are doing better for them than ever before, but we can always improve. Don’t let this overwhelm you. We all have just gotten our routines that fit into our personal homes. We would be happy to share what we like to do. There are ways to make it easier, but it definitely takes time each day.

For some tasty ideas see our Parrot Recipes!

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Last modified: 05/15/09