Is There A Parrots Diet Food Pyramid?
Posted: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
by Karla Deacon
http://parrotcarebasics.com
Parrots need a nutritionally well balanced diet just as human beings do. So what should go into parrots diet planning?
They need cereals or bread, vegetables and proteins and the best way to make sure that the birds get a balanced diet is to feed them a combination of pellets and traditional table foods.
If you think of parrots diet in terms of the food pyramid, the base will be commercial pellets as this has to make up 60 to 80 percent of what parrots are fed. Pellets are available in varied size packages to ensure that the right amount is fed for different size birds such as a macaw or a budgie.
Once the foundation of the diet is established, the table foods will help make up the rest of the diet. What constitutes table foods? These are the vegetables or cereals that are part of human diet also.
Vegetables that are good for parrots are zucchini, carrots, peas, broccoli, beets, green beans, leafy greens, tomato, peas and peppers of all hue. When including fresh food in the diet it is important to remember not to leave the food in the cage for too long. These are items that can spoil and that can be harmful for the birds, just as they are to humans.
Many people find it convenient to thaw and serve frozen vegetables as these are convenient to serve in small portions and there is no loss of nutrition in freezing.
The carbohydrate part of the parrots' diet will come from the breads and cereals. This can be incorporated by using various kinds of pasta, rice, whole wheat or rye bread or even from breakfast cereals. The cereal you pick should not be a sugar filled snack but one of the more healthy choices such as oatmeal or bran-based cereals.
Parrots should be fed meat-based proteins only a couple of times a week as too much meat can be tough for the bird's kidney to process. Recommended proteins include cooked eggs, boiled chicken and properly cooked chicken bones.
While seeds and nuts can be a source of protein, experts believe that seeds tend to have more fat and less vitamins and minerals than pellets. While seeds are okay up to about 10 to 12 percent of what a parrot eats, it is not a good idea to give more seeds than that.
A domesticated bird does not have as much activity as a bird in the wild and so the fat content of seeds can be excessive for a pet parrot. Keep this in mind when serving your bird seeds and nuts and exercise moderation.
Also be particular about the quality of the seeds you serve. They should be clean, free of fungus or insects and they should retain their shine and not look covered in dust.
When serving nuts, you can leave the shell on and encourage your bird to open it as this is considered good mental stimulation for the bird. As this is learned behavior, the first time you introduce a nut, you will have to crack the shell partially or choose some other means of introducing the idea.
Dairy products are not considered essential for parrots and there is also some controversy surrounding including this in parrots diet. Many parrots seem to enjoy cheese and other dairy products, but they do not have lactase, which is the enzyme needed for proper digestion of milk sugars. So, it is best to make these a rare and infrequent part of what you feed your bird.
Fruits offer mostly sugar and water to parrots and so it is best to keep this portion also limited. As pellets ensure a more complete source of nutrients, make the small pieces of apples or grapes your parrot enjoys a special treat.
Water is an important element of a parrots diet and it is important to serve fresh water everyday. It is not necessary or beneficial to add supplements unless specifically recommended by your veterinarian as this can make the water less attractive to parrots. There is also the additional concern that supplements may serve as a magnet for bacterial growth in the water.
Among things that it is best to never serve a parrot are alcohol, avocado and chocolates as these can all prove toxic if included in parrots diets.
While this is the big picture of parrots' diet there are variations depending on the size of your particular bird. Macaws, particularly Hyacinth Macaws, need a fattier diet and so they need to be fed more nuts.
Budgies, cockatiels and Amazon parrots have a tendency to liver problems stemming from obesity and it is important to ensure that they do not get to much fat. So, with this guideline in mind people can fine-tune the specifics of their parrots diet.
The author, Karla Deacon, is an expert parrot enthusiast. For more great information on your parrots diet visit ParrotCareBasics.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Interesting information on raising parrots, Karla. Welcome to SearchWarp.Thanks Lorrie! Searchwarp is a neat place to be!Happy Thanksgiving,Karla
Good, I never knew this information before. Thanks for sharing this information.
Thanks for writing this article. It is very helpful for me.Thanks Mark...I'm always looking to learn more...I would be happy as a perpetual student.:-) Karla
Have you ever seen many or any birds who over eat? Just wondering as I get ready to go cook.... very informative article! MarijoI don't know as they over eat but they eat what we feed them...I have a starling that is a bit overweight and it caused him to have a slightly enlarged liver, so now I am very careful about how much of what types of things I feed him!KarlaBy the Way, Welcome to Searchwarp!
Hi Karla. Great article. Very interesting to read and full of information. Thanks for sharing this to us. ~Nenita~Thanks Nenita...Happy Thanksgiving!KarlaWelcome to the Searchwarp Community.
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