No, Polly Does NOT Want a Cracker! Or a Seed, Either!

By Theresa Pascarella

Because of our obvious love for these wonderful creatures, our understanding of parrots has changed greatly over the years. Take feeding, for example. It used to be that pet parrots were typically raised on a diet of seeds and nuts.

Owners would simply fill a cup with whatever "parrot mix" seed formula they purchased at their local pet store and watch their beloved pet gorge itself on the fat-heavy, vitamin deficient diet. Don't get me wrong, I sympathize with those bird owners, who, for lack of knowledge, shortened their bird's life because of an imbalance in nutrition. They were misled to believe they were providing food which contained all the vitamins and minerals the bird needed. All the while, the bird owner is thinking: "what a good job I'm doing of feeding my bird, why, he just gobbles up everything I put in front of him."

Well, of course he's gobbling it down like a kid with a bag of potato chips. That's because it is. You see, feeding your parrot a seed/nut diet is not much better than eating junk food. Typically, this diet is notably low in vitamins A & C, and has an unacceptable calcium to phosphorus ratio, which is needed to produce strong bones and healthy feathers. So, a healthy appetite is not necessarily a good indicator for a healthy bird. And, to be perfectly honest, I like junk food, too. I'd eat chocolate chip cookies WAY before I dive eagerly into a big plate of broccoli, but that doesn't mean it's good for me. Let's face it, a high-fat diet isn't good for us, either. In fact, that's a good rule of thumb: if it isn't good for you, it isn't healthy for your birdie friend, either. And while parrots prefer to eat these high fat foods, they cause obesity and believe it or not, eating disorders.

I may be preaching to the choir here, but we all want our birds to live long, healthy lives. With dietary knowledge, a parrot owner can improve his/her bird's well being and expand its life expectancy, too. Yes, life expectancy, but that's another subject for another time, so I won't go into that. However, I will say this: if you want your bird around, living to a ripe old age, you have to feed it right!

In recent years, avian research addressed parrot nutrition and gave us new insight into proper dietary requirements. Wild parrots diets were examined thoroughly. This is what they came up with: inclusion of vegetables, fruits and grains are necessary for good parrot nutrition.

You should feed your bird four to five different fresh items in its daily diet. Fruits, like apples, grapes, bananas and pears are usually accepted and eagerly devoured. Our little conure loves berries of all types (in the winter, I buy frozen ones and just thaw what he'll eat in one day), but be warned. Feeding oddly colored fruit, like berries will cause your bird's droppings to (no polite way to put this) change color. It's nothing to be alarmed about, but it does happen. After our Connie eats a blueberry, he poops purple! Vegetables are also a good source of vitamins and minerals. Foods like carrots, peas, spinach, squash, peppers and corn ar all excellent. And don't be afreaid to try your parrot out on the hot peppers, like jalapenos. Parrots do not have the same sense of taste that we humans do and the "heat" does not seem to bother them at all.

Another change in diet involves the addition of pelleted or extruded parrot formula foods. These diets are specifically designed to meet your bird's requirements and are nutritionally balanced. Most "seed junkies" will be extremely reluctant (having owned one, I know this to be true) to scarf this new food down, but given patience and perserverance by the owner, a parrot can be gradually weaned off a "strictly seed" diet to a healthier lifestyle.

I have to stress one thing before I go further: birds select their food according to habit, visual/tactile stimulation and familiarity, so changing your parrot's diet must be done carefully. Birds sometimes consider new things to be a threat and they resist changes, which adds stress into the situation. And I know it goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway. No bird should EVER go hungry because it refuses to eat strange food. A gradual change is much preferred, taking note of any signs of undue stress or, God forbid, starvation. Sometimes, it can take a long period of time to make such a change...and I know from where I speak.

With all this information, one can assume that we have been feeding our bird the right stuff from the start, right? Wrong. We made the same mistakes everybody else made for years. Till this little bird. After I found out more about bird nutrition, we began to make a drastic change in his lifestyle. We decided to change our little guy over from a seed diet. We've been at it for two months now.

Starting out little by little, we introduced him to a nutritionally balanced brand of seed cakes, along with a pelleted diet. This seed cake stuff looks like granola, in a convenient "berry-like" form, which our conure just loves to carry around and play with while he eats. We began this passive introduction for a month, letting him get used to the stuff, but now we are more serious about it. Connie's on a feeding schedule now: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, he gets the good stuff (granola, etcetera), and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he gets his seeds. I know, I forgot Saturdays, but they are special. On Saturdays he gets the good stuff, plus an extra treat: a chicken bone, warm cereal (like cream of wheat or oatmeal), hard-cooked egg, whatever I decide to give him. And, everyday, he gets fresh veggies and fruit. It's a long process, I know, and eventually (like next month maybe) he'll be off the seed diet completely. We may use seeds for treats or rewards, but he won't be getting a steady diet of high fat foods. Not anymore.

I haven't said anything about water supply yet. I assume everyone knows (maybe I shouldn't) that parrots need a constant supply of clean water. I strongly recommend that you give your birds distilled drinking water (not tap water!). Birds' digestive tracts contain bacteria. This bacteria enables proper digestion, and tap water contains chlorine, which kills this bacteria. So you can see why tap water can eventually cause health problems. Also, some people have water softeners, which add salts to the tap water. The added salt is also a health risk.

And NO GRIT, or at least, limited access to it!!!! Psittacines do not use and pass grit the way that a lot of birds do, and too much of it can cause severe gizzard problems for your parrot. A cuttlefish bone or something similar is OK, and can be left in the cage at all times. But they don't need and should not have and can not use all that grit.

Now, I know this all sounds a little complicated and probably strange, too, but trust me, it's worth it. A bird that eats properly is a healthier bird. And healthy birds enrich our lives with a fountain of joy. Until next time, don't get your feathers ruffled!

About the Author:

I am married with two children, a dog, two cats and a parrot. One would think that living in Clinton, Iowa makes for a rather sheltered life, but my experiences have not always been as quiet and peaceful. And with my "zoo-ish household," my life is anything but peaceful!

I have a bachelor's degree in education, (which I earned after returning to school at age 30)and I teach natural science (K-8) at a local nature center. I have writing and editorial experience as I was heavily involved with our college newspaper. I do not shrink away from a challenge, well hardly ever, anyway. Another field that interests me is environmental education. I don't really have a lot of internet experience or knowledge but I do learn quickly. I believe in a life long learning philosophy!
So, that's it I guess. Unless you really want to get personal...and I really don't think we know one another all THAT well, do you? No, I thought not. In that case, case closed. Just give me a try.

Theresa may be contacted by email at  pascart@yahoo.com.

Article courtesy of Suite101.com.