Simple Tips On Feeding Your Parrot - Hobbies

Feeding your parrots on a balanced diet is a far more important subject than it may appear, and it is useful to have a better understanding of the reasons why captive parrots need different diet treatment than those in the wild.

A poor diet can increase the incidence of stress and thus increase the risk of illness through nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, it is important to know what variety of food is available in feeding your parrot since parrots are highly intelligent birds with highly developed taste buds.

The first step to understanding feeding your parrots is to understand that birds do not live on a diet composed only of seeds. A good balanced diet in feeding your parrots comprises of a wide range of foodstuffs such as seeds, fruits, green food like vegetables, peanuts, oyster shells, beans and nuts, hard-boiled eggs, natural yogurt, powdered and liquid supplements, muesli, grit and stomach gravel and a constant supply of drinking water.

Differing seeds contain varying amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fats minerals and water, with vitamins. The protein provides for bodily growth, carbohydrates for energy, and fats for physiological processes and secondary sources of energy. Parrots seem to prefer white sunflower seed to either striped or black, so it is better to feed the plump grades rather than the long thin ones.

However, protein from seeds is nutritionally inferior to that from sources such as cheese or meat because they may lack certain amino acids that provide sound constitutional processes. It is really important that parrot owners be familiar with the various constituents and uses of seed in a diet since the list of potential seeds is huge.

Feeding your parrots with low quality seeds such as those stored under damp conditions and which have been attacked by mold can be dangerous. As in the case of oil seeds, do not feed them if they are bruised and split and rancid.

Green food is another wide source of fiber which includes vegetables, sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, spinach (vitamin C), turnips, swedes, beet root, celery and carrots (vitamin A). Peas and mung beans can also be included which add luster to their feathers. Wild plants such as chickweed, clover, cow parsley, dandelion and mallow contain high nutrient value.

Supplements such as powdered and liquid high-vitamin concentrates and vitaminized tonic seeds provide additional vitamin content. You can sprinkle the powered form onto fruits and add the liquid form into the drinking water.

Feeding your parrots on minerals is another essential component which includes oyster shell and cuttlefish bone both contains lime that constitutes a good source of mineral. These can be purchased from any local pet store in packets.

Lastly, a constant supply of fresh drinking water should be available together with ample well-balanced diet containing ample fruits such as apples, oranges, pears, bananas, grapes, pineapples, pomegranates, melon and peach. Do not offer them in huge portions but rather cut them into small chunks because parrots tend to be wasteful eaters.

And remember feeding your parrots with natural food provides better health and avoid food such as salty crisp, potato chips, coffee, tea, chocolate and alcohol. Do not feed avocado to your parrot which is extremely dangerous for birds!

I hope you find these simple tips on feeding your parrots useful.

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