What do I feed my parrot?

Cockatoo

I parrot will quickly learn to eat seeds and think they are wonderful. Think of a child being fed candy and ice cream. A seed diet is one of the biggest health problems among pet birds.

The problem with seeds is simply that they are missing a long list of nutrients that birds need. Vitamin A is usually at the top of the list, but you get the idea.

My birds get a foundation diet of a pellet specially formulated for birds. I like Zupreem natural, but Harrisons pellets are great, and my birds also get them from time to time. There are other respected brands.

Along with the pellets, they get fresh fruit and vegetables, and a variety of treats. Some people cook for their birds and you can find recipes for rice mix and bird bread. This is wonderful if you are willing to take the time.

My birds won't eat pellets or fruit!

Small birds can be an exception (Budgies and Cockatiels). Their natural diet actually is seeds. Do some homework and learn what these should have. I have a cockatiel and feed it small Harrisons pellets and things are just fine.

Don't expect a bird to expect something new the first time it is offered. Some birds will, but most will look sideways at something new and reject it. So try it again. And again. After they see it in their bowl for several days straight, they may decide that they should investigate.

The bottom line