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Polly wants her grub and crackers won’t cut it. You might think that parrot food consists of nothing more but seeds and your leftover Saltine, but the birds have a more sophisticated diet than that. It is a sad fact that many pet parrots are malnourished because their owners don’t know what and how to feed them. You might think that they look fine, but if they don’t get the right nutrients and proper amounts of it, they could get very ill and die. This would be a true pity since parrots have a life span of 15 up to 75 years.

Feeding a Parrot

When feeding a new pet, try experimenting with the amount of food you give it, reducing or adding until you figure out the right amount. It’s no good giving too much. You really don’t want extra parrot feed in the cage as it could grow bacteria and mold. You don’t want your pet exposed to those, so it’s best to dole out the amount that it can comfortable finish.

It is also advisable to give small servings of different varieties of food and not just a big heap of one kind of food. You want your bird to get the best parrot nourishment possible and the nutrients it needs come from different sources. Of course there are complete, fortified pellets available, but you do want your pet to enjoy eating, right? Variety certainly gives better gastronomic delight.

It’s better to give treats sparingly. Seeds and nuts may seem healthy, but they don’t actually offer a lot of nutrients necessary to parrots. If they gorge on these, they might not have enough room for food that is truly good for them.

A Parrot’s Diet

If you browse through catalogues of food for parrots, you’ll notice that there are special mixes concocted specifically for certain breeds. However, the most common ingredients found in many of these mixtures are vegetables like carrots, red beetroot and French beans; fruits like banana, papaya and apple; seeds like those of pumpkin, sunflower and hemp; as well as grains like wheat, paddy rice and oats.

Pellets are supposed to provide a healthy balanced diet for birds, making them consume all the necessary elements and not pick out favorites while ignoring the rest. They are usually a vitamin and mineral-fortified mixture of grains, seeds, fruits and vegetables. This could be a base diet for your parrots, but make sure to offer other bird food for variety.

You can offer fresh food as well. You can dangle chunks of vegetables or fruits from a string or a clip. When it comes to fruits, try to find the tropical variety such as the ones parrots would feed on in their natural habitat. Sugar cane is also a nice treat for your birds to chew on. If you can’t get it fresh, you can get some frozen and especially packaged as a parrot snack.

Bad Food for Parrots

Chocolate is usually bad for most animals, including parrots, so make sure that you don’t feed your pet anything with chocolate in it. Caffeine and alcohol are also to be avoided no matter how many pictures you see of parrots endorsing rum. Some beans are harmful to parrots, including kidney, lima, fava and navy beans. Avocado, rhubarb and onions are also bad for them. Processed food and junk food should definitely not figure in a parrot’s meal either.

It’s important to keep your pet well fed and properly nourished, so remember to pay attention to your parrot’s food and its feeding habits.