What
to feed your Parrot?
Please note the
entire site is still being built and more information and pictures will
be added daily.
When first bringing home a new bird, we don’t
always think about what to feed them. Often people choose to feed
whatever they were told by the person they got the bird from or from a
pet store employee. Or they tell themselves that they know what is best
because they have had birds for years. That is the worst thing you can
do, when it comes to choosing your birds food. When you choose your
birds food your are choosing your birds health and life span. So whether
you are an experienced bird owner or a new bird owner, I ask that you
please read this with an open mind and then research it for yourself and
if possible talk to an Avian Veterinarian. This article is only a
starting point as each species of bird has it’s own nutritional needs
and they can also vary bird to bird depending on there health.
In a time where
research into just about everything is going on, you would think that we
would have a complete understanding of our companion birds nutritional
needs. That is un-fortunately not true, in fact experts on divided on
what diet to feed. This has become one of the most controversial topics
for parrots. There is a number of reports of very healthy Amazons kept
for over fifty years subsisting entirely on the same foods eaten by
there owners. That diet was clearly preferable to the seed based diets
often recommended in the early era of avian culture. However, I do not
recommend a diet of only people food as it can lead to obesity and many
other nutritional related diseases. Now as everyone seems to have a
different philosophy about feeding their bird, it has made things very
difficult for both new and experienced bird owners to know what is the
best for their bird.
Below is some information on 4 most common
types of diets. Please note that although some of what is said in this
article is fact, most of it is my personal Opinion from the years of on
going research that I have done as well as my success with my own
personal birds and some rescue birds.
The 4 types of diets that I will addressing are strait pellet diet, strait seed diet, complex seed and nut, fruit and veggie
diet and the combination diet.
Strait seed Diet
The information below is for a Seed only diet
without fresh fruit and veggies.
Below are pictures of 4 common types of seed
diets.
You can click on the
image to see a larger picture.
Pro's:
1.) Cheap and available almost anywhere
including Grocery stores.
2.) Most like this
type of food.
Con's:
1.) Often contain
mold, fungus and toxins that can make your bird sick or kill him.
2.) High in fat and
contain a lot of fillers.
3.) These types of
mixes often contain low quailty ingredients that are months and
sometimes years old.
4.) Bird will pick
and choose what they eat.
5.) Deficient in high
quality usable minerals, trace elements, vitamins and primary amino
acids.
6.) Can cause
behavioral problems.
7.) Even vitamin
fortified seed mixes lack the nutrients needed for a health bird.
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The
seed diets above are made with a lot of fillers and are full of peanuts,
sunflower seeds and corn. These 3 ingredients are not good for your
bird in high quantities and should not be feed as part of there daily
diet. When picking a seed diet look for 1 without peanuts, sunflower
seeds and corn. You are better off buying them separate and using them
as treats if you choose to feed them to your bird.
Peanuts are high in fat and large amounts of
them can cause obesity. Peanuts also a common source of Aspergillosis
and Aflatoxin. Aspergillosis is the most common infection in birds.
Aspergillosis is a respiratory fungal
infection caused by aspergillus spores that become airborne. The spores
can be ingested and spread throughout the gastrointestinal tract.
Because peanuts grow in the ground they are considered to be a common
source of aspergillus, which can kill or make your bird sick. People can
also get Aspergillosis. Peanuts are also often contaminated with
aflatoxin, a fungal toxin. Aflatoxin is carcinogenic and causes liver
damage in birds and other animals. Caution is advised when feeding
peanuts.. If you choose to feed peanuts a simple way to help in keeping
your bird healthy is to go through your birds food and remove any
peanuts or other nuts that have black on the shell and keep your bird
cage clean and remove wet food and change water daily.
Sunflower seeds are
like candy to your bird and most will eat as many as possible. Eating
high quantities of them can cause kidney and liver failure as well as
make your bird more anxious and aggressive. When used as a treat in
small amounts they are just fine.
Corn is not
necessarily bad for your bird but it is a filler and just like people
birds have a hard time digesting it and using it's nutrients. Fresh
cooked corn is the best corn you can give your bird but do not put
butter or anything else on it.
Notes:
Research has shown that seed diets are inadequate and leads to
nutritional deficiencies and health problems in pet birds. Diet related
problems include malnutrition, lack of energy, a weak immune system,
sinusitis, muscle weakness, nerve damage, seizures, delayed blood
clotting, liver and kidney disease, rickets, goiter, anemia, poor
skin/feather conditions, rough dry skin, dry eyes, thickened eyelids,
overgrown beaks and egg-binding and sudden death.
Pelleted Diet
The information below is for a Pellet only diet
without fresh fruit, veggies, seeds and nuts.
Pro’s:
1.) Fairly inexpensive.
2.) Little to no waste.
3.) Available at most pet stores.
4.) Complete nutritionally balanced diet in
every bite.
5.) Controlled fat in
diet.
Con’s:
1.) Not a natural food for Parrots, so a lot of
birds will not eat it.
2.) Most pelleted
diets contain preservatives, antioxidants, artificial flavors and
artificial or over processed nutrients that a bird can not metabolize
or use and colors. These can do serious internal damage to your bird
when feeding these pellets for long periods of time.
3.) Many pellets are made from ingredients that
pesticides where used on. Pesticides are the number 1 killer of birds
in the wild. Even small amounts of pesticides can do serious damage to
your bird and can kill them over time. Although, there are some pellets
that are certified organic.
4.) Low grade pellets can have the same side
effects of a cheap seed diet. Diet related problems include
malnutrition, lack of energy, a weak immune system, sinusitis, muscle
weakness, nerve damage, seizures, delayed blood clotting, liver and
kidney disease, rickets, goiter, anemia, poor skin/feather conditions,
rough dry skin, dry eyes, thickened eyelids, overgrown beaks and
egg-binding and sudden death.
5.) Pellets are made
to feed all species of parrot and because of this pellets do not contain
all of each species nutritional needs.
6.) Parrot diets are still to this day NOT
completely understood and so no commercially available diet is complete
and needs to supplemented with fresh fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. It
is also wise to keep up on new information about parrots diets.
Here is a list of
some of the most common pellets:
1.) Pretty Bird, Costs $14.99 2.6lbs
2.) Kaytee, $16.99
for 4lbs
3.) Zupreem, Costs $15.99 for 3.5lbs
4.) Hagen, Costs $2.79
per lbs.
5.) Lafebers Costs $21.99 for 5lbs
6.) Roudybush, Costs
$13.99 for 44 oz
7.) Harrison’s (certified organic) Costs $8.99
and up to $14.99 per pound.
8.) Totally Organics (certified organic) Costs
$13.99 for 4 lbs.
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Notes: Choosing a pellet for your bird can be very frustrating chore. Some say that all pellets are the same and any will do. This is not true and in fact there are several pellets that can do harm to your bird over time. These pellets are often colorful and have fun shapes and are on the cheaper side. These types of pellets are designed to get your attention, so that you buy them. Theses types of pellets contain colors, preservatives, antioxidants, artificial flavors and many are made from products that were sprayed with pesticides. So when looking for a pellet, look for one that is Certified Organic and does not contain any chemical or artificial preservatives. These pellets only have a short shelf life of about 6 weeks but they are the best that you can get for your bird. Even though pellets are fortified and nutritionally balanced experts do agree that a strait pelleted diet is NOT enough to sustain a healthy bird and so you still need to feed fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Seeds and nuts can be fed as treats. Very few pellets are organic and often times you can only get them from an Avian Veterinarian or by ordering them through the internet but it is well worth it. You will see the difference in the health of your bird and the condition of there feathers. It is rare to find organic pellets in a pet store. Certified Organic pellets run between $3.50 a pound up to $14.99 a pound depending on where you get them, so it is wise to shop around.
Complex seed,
nut, fruit and veggie diet
Pro's:
1.) Inexpensive
2.) Available at most pet stores
3.) Has fruit and
vegetables already in the food.
Cons:
1.) Large amounts of waste
2.) Birds pick through and only eat some
things.
3.) Birds do not get
the balanced diet needed.
4.) It is common for
birds on this type of diet to be obese and have diseases caused by bad
nutrition.
More still to
come!!!
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