Parrot Diet
Many diverse parrot species and sizes exist, but one thing remains the same for all of them; feeding parrots a hale and hearty diet can help them to live longer and a better class of life To this day, there is not enough research in the scientific community to evaluate the types of diets, which parrots sustain in the wild for a long period of time. Experts cannot agree on the ideal diet to follow for pet parrots. However they do agree that solely seed diet is not healthy for the majority of parrots. A tribute to how well some parrots do on a diet based on seeds is merely to how enduring these birds are rather then the fact that the diet is balanced. Seeds are incomplete in many nutrients like calcium in vitamin A. They are also too high in fat. In the parrot world, seeds should only be about ten percent of their diet. In natural seed eaters like cockatiel and budgies can tolerate about twenty-five percent of seeds in their diets. Pellet foods are made from a variety of foods including vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds plus vitamins and minerals. They offer a balanced and nutritious diet. On the other hand, parrots may get bored eating the same thing all of the time. These are birds that crave stimulation. Pellet food can make up the base of a parrot diet consisting of about fifty to sixty percent. It is recommended for parrot owners to offer their birds fresh fruits and vegetables. For large birds it should be offered in big chunks to hold and chew on and opposite for smaller parrots, chopped. To provide the parrot with some fun owners can hang pieces on the side of the cage. It is best for owners to feed their birds as big of a mixture as possible. This way their parrots can receive a well rounded variety of nutrition. Some good vegetables to offer parrots are, corn, sweet potatoes, green beans, cauliflower, carrots, cucumber, eggplant, sweet peppers, etc. Parrots love fruits but tropical ones like the ones they might have been exposed in the wild should be fed to them.
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Some of those fruits are melons, kiwi, mangos, pineapple, papaya, or pomegranates. These birds also take pleasure in fruits like cherries, grapes, apples, peaches, oranges, or bananas. Owners, when feeding their parrots these fruits must make sure they do not eat the pits of the fruit of the apples seeds because they can be toxic. Other toxic foods to parrots are guacamole, avocado, chocolate or cocoa, caffeine, alcohol, and mushrooms. Foods that contain a great quantity of salt, grease, sugar, preservatives, food coloring, and other additives should be avoided when feeding parrots. Good sources of nutrients for parrots are cooked brown rice, barely, wheat, oats, and pasta. Also, owners should feed their birds whole wheat breads or unsweetened whole wheat cereals. Parrots are very sensitive birds; because of this owners have to take a lot of consideration into the diet that they are giving them. Malnutrition is one of the biggest reasons for parrot troubles. Responsible owners recognize the importance of parrot diets and are willing to undertake all of their bird’s nutritional needs.
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