What do we feed our birds?
Veggies: Broccoli, Spinach, Kale, Chard, Peas, String beans, Corn, Carrots, Sweet potatoes, Squash, Peppers, Radishes, Parsley, Cucumber, Celery, Bok choy, Ginger root, Green beans, Pumpkin, Collard greens, Mustard greens are just some of the many examples.
Veggies are given at least once a day to keep birds healthy- just like us, they need their veggies! Most greens are packed full of calcium, while orange colored veggies provide that vitamin A that so many birds need.
NOTE: NEVER feed your bird avocado, chocolate, caffiene, alcohol, or uncooked beans/uncooked rice.
Fruits: Apples, Pears, Bananas, Grapes, Mangoes, Papayas, Cherries, Apricots, Kiwis, Blueberries, Blackberries, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Pineapple, Cranberries, Peaches, Oranges, Pomegranate, Tangerines, Star fruit, Grapefruit, Plums, and Strawberries are some examples.
While fruit is not nearly as important as veggies, it does provide a good source of potassium, fiber, and other vitamins. I give fruit half as often as veggies, as fruits are much higher in sugars and less beneficial. They make a good treat as well!
Note: It is important that the pits and seeds of fruits are removed before given to your bird. Also, limit the citrus oriented fruits. And for the record, if you decide to use skewers (as pictured above), chop off the pointy end.
While fruit is not nearly as important as veggies, it does provide a good source of potassium, fiber, and other vitamins. I give fruit half as often as veggies, as fruits are much higher in sugars and less beneficial. They make a good treat as well!
Note: It is important that the pits and seeds of fruits are removed before given to your bird. Also, limit the citrus oriented fruits. And for the record, if you decide to use skewers (as pictured above), chop off the pointy end.
Nuts: While not entirely necessary for the smaller birds, nuts do provide excellent sources of EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids). Some examples are Walnuts, Almonds, Brazil nuts, and Pumpkin seeds.
Sprouts: Sprouting is a new sport for me, but the nutrients found in a freshly sprouted seed are much more beneficial than your everyday dry seed. I like to keep a "crop" going at all times and incorporate the sprouted seeds into my birds' daily diets and mashes. Some examples of sproutable seeds are: Millet, Rolled oats, Lentils, Alfalfa, and many more.
Here is a great link for those of you who are considering sprouting.
Sprouts: Sprouting is a new sport for me, but the nutrients found in a freshly sprouted seed are much more beneficial than your everyday dry seed. I like to keep a "crop" going at all times and incorporate the sprouted seeds into my birds' daily diets and mashes. Some examples of sproutable seeds are: Millet, Rolled oats, Lentils, Alfalfa, and many more.
Here is a great link for those of you who are considering sprouting.
Kathie's Bountiful Harvest No Pellet for Small Birds is a staple in our household. We feed it in a 1:1 ratio with pellets. They love it.
Kathie's Bountiful Harvest No Pellet (mix on right)
Seed: There are many myths floating around in regards to seed in a bird's diet. The way I figure it, they search for seed in the wild and eat it. If it is a natural part of their diet, why exclude it? The problem, as with anything, is in giving too much of it. We only give seed outside of the cage and use it in foraging challenges. Sunflower seed is a last resort, as it contains a higher fatty content than is recommended.
Below (click pics to enlarge):
Left: Dorian interested in one of our usual food shipments from Kathie
Middle: Our "smaller bird" mix of the Legumes and Tropical Fruit
Right: Combination of the Legume mix with some slivered almonds, walnuts, and pecans for an added kick.
(Lonnie eating a Nutriberry after foraging)
Nutriberries: Love 'em! Can't get enough of 'em! They are high quality. Some people base their bird's main diet on Nutriberries... And while I do believe they are great additives to a diet, they shouldn't be its base. Nutriberries are fantastic for a morning snack, foraging, and an addition to a meal. Most birds love all the different flavors. I only wish there were more!
Pellets: We offer Roudybush Maintenance pellets (size small) at all times in all of our birds' cages. This is our MAIN staple, and acts as a background of important vitamins and minerals that supplement the rest of their diet. We don't believe that a bird's diet should consist mostly of one specific thing, but pellets do have their importance. The high levels of vitamins/minerals provided by the pellets help us avoid potential diet-related problems, such as egg binding in our females, fatty liver disease, kidney failures, eye/skin problems, and vitamin A reduction as a few examples. Many diseases and malfunctions in parrots are caused by a poor diet and should be avoided by supplying proper nutrition. Note: an annual visit to an Avian certified veterinarian is still encouraged regardless of your bird's current diet trends, and disease can still occur regardless. So, better be safe than sorry!
(Jackson enjoying his morning mash)
Mashes: I have so many mash recipes it's not even funny. They are my new favorite concoction. What I do is I take the basic essentials (sweet potatoes, brown rice, and whole grain pasta) and cook 'em until soft. Then I add chopped veggies (as listed above), nuts, and sprouts, then literally "mash" them all together to create a big vat of squishy parrot salad. I divide the mixture into two-day portions (with all the birds I have, that's roughly one sandwich freezer bag full) and freeze the rest.
The morning I serve the mash, I will throw it in the microwave for about 11 seconds to make it warm, and then I will add a little something extra- be it fruit, peanut butter, scrambled egg, yogurt, cheese, pellets, or a spice of some sort (preferably cinnamon, ginger, cajun, or cayenne). Mix it up, serve it, and remove after 3 hours.
The essential point of a mash is to "sneak" in those veggies that your bird wouldn't normally dare touch. Kale and broccoli are two very important vegetables that are both rich in vitamins, and mincing them into the mash is one of the best ways to get your bird to eat them... Even if they don't know it!
Beans are a another great dietary source, as long as they are sprouted correctly and/or boiled for at least 10 minutes before serving. I really haven't experimented with beans that much yet, so I don't want to give any false advice, but I have served black beans with great success. Almost none of my birds were interested in the garbanzo beans, but every bird is different. Make sure to stay away from lima beans, as I've heard they have tendencies to contain unsafe chemicals.
Cookable Mixes: Once again, thanks to Kathie at My Bird Safe Store, we have been able to delve into the wonderful world of prepared, cookable mixes. Some of our birds' favorites are from Goldenfeast and Bird Street Bistro, which we order from Kathie's site. Instructions for cooking are listed on the web page:
Bean Supreme
Asian Medley
Pasta Enselada
Cinnaspice Delight
Viva La Veggies
Tropical Feast
The morning I serve the mash, I will throw it in the microwave for about 11 seconds to make it warm, and then I will add a little something extra- be it fruit, peanut butter, scrambled egg, yogurt, cheese, pellets, or a spice of some sort (preferably cinnamon, ginger, cajun, or cayenne). Mix it up, serve it, and remove after 3 hours.
The essential point of a mash is to "sneak" in those veggies that your bird wouldn't normally dare touch. Kale and broccoli are two very important vegetables that are both rich in vitamins, and mincing them into the mash is one of the best ways to get your bird to eat them... Even if they don't know it!
Beans are a another great dietary source, as long as they are sprouted correctly and/or boiled for at least 10 minutes before serving. I really haven't experimented with beans that much yet, so I don't want to give any false advice, but I have served black beans with great success. Almost none of my birds were interested in the garbanzo beans, but every bird is different. Make sure to stay away from lima beans, as I've heard they have tendencies to contain unsafe chemicals.
Cookable Mixes: Once again, thanks to Kathie at My Bird Safe Store, we have been able to delve into the wonderful world of prepared, cookable mixes. Some of our birds' favorites are from Goldenfeast and Bird Street Bistro, which we order from Kathie's site. Instructions for cooking are listed on the web page:
Bean Supreme
Asian Medley
Pasta Enselada
Cinnaspice Delight
Viva La Veggies
Tropical Feast
(Jackson enjoying a low-sodium cracker)
A little bit of everything!
The key to a healthy bird is a varied diet. Let's face it, eating pellets in a bowl all day would bore anyone to death.
We like to give our birds a little bit of whatever we're eating (provided that it's bird-safe). Mashed potatoes, cooked chicken, cornbread, low-sugar cereal, dry toast, low-sodium crackers, and plain yogurt are all things we eat on a regular basis that also happen to be good for birds. Just make sure that the food isn't greasy, salty, extra-sugary... You get the idea.
It may even inspire you to eat better as well!
Note: All material is © copyright Eevie Jennings