Parrot Nutrition  

 

There is much confusion about what is best to feed your parrot. This information sheet summarizes the important aspects of nutrition as it relates to seed eating types of parrots. Nectar and fruit eating parrots need the same basic nutrients but they are provided in a different way.

 

There are two acceptable ways to maintain good parrot nutrition. One is a seed based diet. The other is a pellet based diet. Any diet that includes seeds, starchy fruit such as bananas, nuts, pasta, bread, etc...  must be considered a seed based diet even if the diet includes a large part pellets.

 

A very large number of birds that are presented for illness to veterinary clinics are presented for diet-induced diseases. This paper deals with only adult birds. Juveniles have other dietary issues. The majority of nutritional diseases in adult parrots are a result of Vitamin A deficiency. Mineral inbalance, protein inbalance, and protein deficiency are also significant issues.

 

 

Seed Based Diets:

 

1.  Energy Source - seeds, nuts, pasta, bread, pellets, starchy fruits and vegetables (bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.)

 

 

2.  Vitamin A foods - green leafy vegetables including broccoli, collards, radish tops, turnip tops, parsley (use sparingly), mulberry leaves, hibiscus leaves, etc... Lettuce, even leafy lettuce, is a weak source. Orange colored fruits and vegetables - the orange color is the source of vitamin A. They include carrots cantaloupe, sweet potato, papaya, etc... Spinach, beet tops, and chard are toxic if fed in large quantities. Very small portions are OK. Vitamin A can be given as a concentrated supplement by giving cod liver oil. Give 1 drop (0.05ml) of cod liver oil per 500 gram (1 pound) of body weight every 7 days. The cod liver oil can be diluted with salad oil for smaller birds. Excess Vitamin A and the Vitamin D in cod liver oil can be toxic in high doses. Do not exceed these amounts.

 

 

3.  Balanced minerals - calcium and phosphorous are required for normal bones and normal muscle activity, etc. Too much or too little of either calcium or phosphorous will cause similar problems. They can include weak or broken bones, seizures, muscle weakness and heart disease. Minerals that are added to foods must be balanced and not exceed safe levels. If the minerals are fed free choice, most birds will eat an appropriate amount. Therefore, free choice minerals is the safest way to provide minerals.

 

The three best sources of balanced minerals are bone (chicken bone, bone meal, soft pork bone, etc), prenatal minerals for dogs (Pet-Cal, etc), powder mineral supplement for Livestock (Osteoform,Cal-Phos powder, etc). We carry tablets and powder at Palo Verde. Bone is good for any bird. The tablets work well for small birds. The powder provided in a separate dish would also be good for any bird. Keep any of the balanced minerals available at all times. Just keep them in the cage. Do not force them to eat them by mixing them in any other food. Cuttlebone, mineral block oyster shell, egg shell, etc. are calcium sources only and are not adequate sources of balanced minerals.

 

 

4.  Protein - protein quantity and quality are issues in a birds diet. Most seed mixes have 1/2 the protein needed for health. Most seed proteins are also deficient in some of the essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and proteins are the building blocks of life. The natural source of animal protein for parrots is the bugs in the seeds and fruit they eat. Like other nutrients, protein excess is also a health problem. Your birds health will best be served by giving a small portion of animal protein on a regular basis. One gram (1/4 teaspoon) of meat, cheese, egg, fish, shellfish, etc. per 500 grams of body weight per week should be sufficient protein.

 

 

A seed based diet is the way birds have survived for millions of years. Wild birds can go from place to place to find what they need. In a home your bird relies on you to provide an appropriate choice of foods.

 

 

 

 

Pelleted Diets:

 

Pelleted diet is truly the preferred way to feed a bird in the face of today's technology. The work has been done for you. Extensive work has been done to determine the ideal variety nutrients for a bird. Most of the manufacturers use all of the science available to make the best, most balanced food possible. You can't add anything without interfering with that balance. Food coloring has been added to some pellets to make them more appealing to the owner. The food coloring presents a modest risk of their own. I suggest, along with most avian veterinarians, that you feed only none colored pellets. Some of the trustworthy brands of pellets include Zupreem, Roudybush, Harrisons, Pretty Bird, Mazuri, etc. There are other 'designer' pellets available. Any pellet that makes special claims and have 'special' ingredients are to be avoided. If you added any calorie containing food you dilute and compromise the balance and quality of the pellet diet. Training treats should be another balanced pellet or be less than 20% of all the calories they consume if you use seeds or nut pieces.

 

 

There is one other thing that does help a bird on a pelleted diet. That is water. To encourage an increase in water consumption, a piece of low calorie fruit or vegetable will help. Don't use starchy or other high calorie fruit. Some of the best fruits are apple, peach, cucumber, pear, citrus, mango, melon, etc. No bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. should be included if you are going to rely on the pellets to balance the diet. Pellets are the best way to assure that the diet is the best possible as long as you don't compromise. If you find yourself compromising, and it is often hard not to, then you must provide all the supplements that are appropriate for a bird on a seed diet.

 

 

There are some vegetables that can be fed anytime to any bird. They include cucumbers, lettuce, all the greens listed under the seed based diet, and melon. Oils seeds such as sunflower and safflower, and nuts are fattening. They should be fed only with great moderation.

 

 

Ask for separate instructions if you want to convert a seed eating bird to pellets.