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FEEDING YOUR BIRD – SOMES DO’S AND DON’TS


Dr T van Egdom BVSc

Parrots in the wild eat a very varied diet, consisting of young leaves, blossoms, fruit and (some) seed.  Insects are also eaten, especially during certain times of the year.  Sunflower fields do not exist in the rainforest, or any other parrot habitat.  In fact, a diet based on predominantly sunflower seed is deficient in more than twelve nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin K, certain amino acids (lysine and methionine), B vitamins, including vitamin B12, manganese, zinc, iron, iodine and selenium.  It is also very high in fat.  Such a diet can lead to obesity, poor feather quality, seizures and an increased susceptibility to disease.

Unfortunately we cannot feed these birds exactly what they would have eaten in the wild, as in many cases the exact diet is not fully known.  A balanced diet consists of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, water, essential minerals, vitamins and fibre.   Feeding a seed mix with added pelleted nutrients to try and balance the diet is rarely successful, as parrots tend to preferentially eat the seed part, and do not consume enough of the pellets.  Feeding a complete pelleted diet as 50% of the diet, with fruit, vegetables and human food making up the rest, offers a balanced meal.

Nuts and seeds should not make up more than 20% of food items offered.  There are a number of well-balanced maintenance diets available in pelleted and porridge forms.  Examples include Avi-Plus, Tru-Bird and Kaytee.  If you are lucky and your bird will eat these, you can rest assured that your bird is getting a well balanced diet.  Parrots can eat and (and enjoy) a variety of human foods.  However, remember that feeding half a granadilla to a parrot is equivalent to a human eating half a fruit basket of the same.  Food offered should be low in fat, especially animal fats, as parrots also develop thickening of the arteries due to excess cholesterol.  Salt should also be limited.  Pet birds enjoy starches such as pastas, cooked rice, cooked potato, cereals and bread.  Preferably whole grain products should be used.

Protein sources that can be fed (not more than 2x a week) include cooked lean meat, tuna, scrambled/cooked eggs, cheese (a few mouthfuls only) and cultured milk products such as yoghurt.  Don’t give normal milk, as birds cannot digest the lactose in it.  Cooked legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils, can be offered daily.  Vegetables are often overlooked in a bird’s diet.  They are actually much more important than fruit in providing vitamins and minerals.  Fresh and/or frozen vegetables should make up about a third of the diet.  Dark green (such as romaine lettuce, dandelion leaves, green beans, broccoli, green peppers, spinach, carrot tops and beet greens) and orange vegetables (squash, mealies, carrots, red pepper, chillies (one at a time!) are best.  Grating new vegetables makes them easier to eat and also less intimidating.  Always feed a variety of vegetables and other foods as this will help prevent boredom, and keep the diet balanced.  Cooked foods should not be left in the cage for longer than 6 hours, as it can spoil.

Extra calcium can be provided by offering crumbled egg shells (make sure this is from hard boiled eggs, as raw eggs can contain Salmonella).  Cuttlefish bone, mineral blocks and oyster shell are also good sources of this mineral.  Supplementing calcium is especially important during egg laying and growth.  African Grey parrots also seem to need more calcium in their diets than do other parrot species.  Parrots do not need sand grit in their diets, and excess grit actually contribute to intestinal problems, such as gizzard impaction.

Allowing your bird access to direct sunlight (unfiltered through glass) is very important as this allows the bird to activate it’s vitamin D and use the calcium it has consumed.  15 minutes a day is enough.  Ensure that your bird has access to shade, and is safe from predators.


The following foods should NEVER be fed:



Tips for converting your bird to pellets/balanced diets:

The problem is that some birds are picky and will only eat the seeds/food they like or are used to.  To correct a diet we must see seed as a supplement to a bird’s diet and not as the basic part.  A complete pelleted food like Avi-Plus, Kaytee or Tru-Bird can be used as the basic part of the diet.   When changing the diet, slowly introduce the new food, eat some in front of the bird (they often like to try the food their “flock” is eating) and grate large pieces of vegetable.

The most successful way to teach birds to eat a healthy diet is the following method:  Put out seed for approximately one hour in the morning after which it is replaced by pellets or adult feed (mixed with water and a little brown bread).  This is replaced by vegetables or fruit at lunch for the rest of the afternoon.  Smaller parakeets may be allowed seed for twenty minutes before providing the vegetables/fruit.  During supper the vegetables/fruit are replaced with seed for twenty minutes after which the leftovers of supper is offered to the bird till the following morning.  The whole process is repeated daily.  It is very important to limit the choices of all parrots/parakeets, because most will act just like four year olds, rather eating the seeds than the healthier pellets.

Useful hints:  Until the bird eats all its pellets only fill the bottom of its bowl, otherwise it will only waste the pellets.  Birds prefer apples, carrots,cooked butter nut and beans.   If your bird is a “seed junkie”, changing the diet can be a long and traumatic process — persevere for at least six to eight weeks with the routine.  However, the health benefits of converting to a good diet are enormous, and will benefit your bird for the rest of his/her life.  Good luck!