Parrots need a nutritionally balanced diet just as humans do. So what should go into parrots diet planning? The need for cereals and bread, vegetables and proteins, and the best way to ensure that your bird will have a balanced diet is to feed them a combination of pellets and traditional table foods.
If you believe in a parrots diet in the form of 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 different size packages to ensure that the correct amount is fed for different size birds such as a macaw or a budgie.
People sometimes tend to think of bird seed as the best line for parrots, but the commercial pellets are made with more nutrients and make them better as the basis for a good parrot diet.
When the foundation of the diet is established, will table foods that make up the rest of the diet. What is table food? These are the vegetables and grains that are a part of a human diet also.
Vegetables that are good for parrots is squash, carrots, peas, broccoli, beets, green beans, green greens, tomato, peas and peppers of all colors.
When including fresh foods in their diet, it is important to remember not to leave food in the cage too long. These are elements that can destroy and that may be harmful to your parrot, just as they are for humans.
Many people find it convenient to thaw and serve frozen vegetables, as these are practical to serve in small portions, and there is no loss of nutrition in freezing.
Carbohydrate part of a parrots diet will come from bread and cereals. This can be integrated using different kinds of pasta, rice, whole wheat or rye bread, or even from breakfast cereals. The grain you choose 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 with meat-protein a few times a week, as too much meat can be difficult for the bird's kidneys to process. Recommended proteins include boiled eggs, boiled chicken and properly cooked chicken bones.
While the seeds and nuts can be a source of protein, experts believe that the seeds tend to have more fat and fewer vitamins and minerals than pellets. While seeds are okay up to around 10 to 12 percent of what a parrot eats, it's not a good idea to give more seeds than that.
A tame bird did not have as much activity as a bird in the wild, and so the fat content of seeds may be excessive for a parrot. Remember this when you receive your bird seed and nuts and show restraint.
Also, be especially on the quality of the seeds, you earn. They must be clean, free from fungus and insects, and they must maintain their luster and not see covered in dust.
After serving nuts, you can let the idea and encourage your parrot to open it, since this is considered good mental stimulation for the bird. Since this is a learned behavior, the first time you introduce a nut you'll have to crack the shell partially or choose other methods to introduce the idea.
Dairy products are not considered essential for parrots and there is also some controversy about including them in parrots diet. Many parrots seem to enjoy cheese and other dairy products, but they do not have lactase, the enzyme needed for proper digestion of milk sugar. So it is best to make this a rare and seldom a part of what you feed your bird.
Fruits offer mostly sugar and water for parrots and so it is best to keep their part also limited. As pellets provide a more complete source of nutrients, they make small pieces of apples or grapes your parrot enjoys special treatment.
Water is an element of a parrots diet, and it is important to provide fresh water every day. 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 added concern that dietary supplements can act as a magnet for bacteria growth in water.
Among the things that it is best to never make a parrot alcohol, avocado and chocolate, as these can all be toxic if included in parrots diet.
Although this is the big picture of the parrots diet there are variations depending on the size of your particular bird. Macaws, Hyacinth Macaws especially, need a fattier diet, and so they must be fed more nuts. Budgies, cockatiels and Amazon parrots have a tendency to liver problems caused by obesity and it is important to ensure that they do not get too much fat. So with this guideline in mind, people can fine-tune the details of their parrots diet.
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