What To Feed A Parrot When In Captivity
Parrots, by nature, forage for the food that they like and that is good for them so it would seem to be the ideal food to have in their diet
. We need to keep in mind that they need to be given a healthy diet so that we have a healthy parrot. A parrot diet is quite easy to organize and it is just a matter of taking the time to write down all the things that you need to keep on hand so that you can give your pet parrot a range of foods that will keep it healthy.
A seed diet is considered by most not to be the best diet for a parrot. Seeds, although a very popular choice, are deficient in many nutrients needed for good health, such as vitamin A and calcium. Because of this those who have been studying parrots and parrot diets agree that only about 10% of a parrot's diet should be seed. In saying that, the smaller seed eaters like budgies and cockatiels seem to be able to have about 25% of their diet as seed without any undue affect on their health.
Feeding your parrot
Parrots do like and need stimulation so to cut some food like a carrot and hang it in the cage is a good idea. This activates the parrot and he will play with it and eat it at the same time. The parrot will more than likely be happy to try sweet potato, green beans, cucumber, green peas, cauliflowwer and importantly broccoli. Tropical fruits are a great love of the parrot as they are a tropical creature and they will just love fruits like mango, melons, papaya, kiwi fruit and pineapple. Do keep in mind when choosing plants that chemical residue will harm the parrot.
A parrot diet is best kept varied so that they do not get bored with food repetition. As they are happy to eat a wide variety of vegetables and fruits there is a huge range to choose from. Like us, they will have their favorites, but do be careful not to spoil them too much or they will become selective and that will not be good for their overall health.
Pellets that are vitamin coated should make up about 30-40% of the diet as they are made up of fruits, grains, vegetables, seeds and grains. Feeding your pet parrot pellets will ensure that he is getting the required nutrients for good health as pellets have these included.
If at all possible go for organic with your parrot's diet. Organic pellets are available and these are great for the parrot.
Foods toxic to parrots
Some foods are toxic to parrots and they are:
- Chocolate
- Cocoa
- Eggplant
- Avocado
- Guacamole
- Caffeine
- Mushrooms
- Foods with salt, sugar, grease, preservatives, food coloring and other additives
- Bread as this has a large number of unsuitable ingredients and parrots can contract a fungal stomach disease from eating commercial bread
It is also possible to give your parrot dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Parrots enjoy crunching on things so these will make a welcome treat for him and they are great to keep in storage for emergency. You can place dried food in the cage and leave them without them being spoilt and this is an advantage as well.
Water for your bird
Parrots love to flop around in water so leave some water in the cage for a couple of hours to let it have a wash but remove it so that the bird does not drink it all day and end up with diseases. A healthy way to feed the parrot water is with a water bottle.
The range of foods that a parrot can eat is amazing, but do you know what, parrots often suffer from malnutrition because the diet is not varied enough. Write up a list of foods, including the necessary pellets, that are easy to purchase, cover a range of vitamins and you can keep handy to feed your pet parrot.
Copyright (c) 2010 Kaye Dennan
by: Kaye Dennan
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