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How To Create A Proper Bird Diet For Your Parrot

28 13:30:22
It is true; the wrong parrot diet can kill your beloved companion parrot. It is also true that the right bird diet can help your parrot live a long, healthy, and happy life. Only in recent years have we learned what foods should and should not be offered to our feather friends.

The main benefit of making sure your parrots diet contains the right foods is longevity. Just as people can live longer when eating a healthy diet, so can your companion parrot. It was only come to light in recent decades that parrots can live long lives if properly fed a wide variety of foods.

Deadly Bird Diet Choices

While there are many parrot diet choices which humans consume that are healthy for the parrot, there are a few which are absolutely deadly! The "seven deadly parrot diet foods" include: spoiled or moldy foods, raw meat, eggs that haven't been cooked thoroughly, seeds or pits from fruits, avocado, alcohol, and chocolate. There are a few other foods over which there is controversy as to whether they are safe for bird diets or not, but most of those foods are not items parrots relish. Examples of those questionable foods include garlic and onions.

Bird Diet Items to Limit

There are also foods which a parrot may consume which should be limited in quantity. Small amounts will not harm the parrot, yet large amounts can cause serious health problems. You may notice that the foods to limit in a bird diet are those foods that people should limit in their own diets.

Any food that is high in fat must be limited in the parrots diet. When living in the wild, parrots consume little fat. Think of your pet bird diet as you would consider feeding a little child of three or four years. Sure, you might allow a young child one cookie or a few chips, but you would limit the quantity. The same goes for your parrots diet. One or two bites of these foods is okay once in a while but do not allow it to become a habit. Foods in this group include: fried foods, any foods with added butter, ice cream, and cake or cookies. Use moderation as your guide.

Salt much also be limited in a parrot's diet. Health-conscious humans also tend to limit their own salt intake. Thinking of the size of a parrot's body compared to your own, you can easily see why a tiny quantity of salt goes a long, long way. When preparing family meals, remove some vegetables prior to adding salt; this way your feathered friend can enjoy these healthy foods safely. Items which are too salty for inclusion in the bird diet include: salted chips, nuts with salt, fruits or vegetables prepared with added salt, and some packaged foods such as entrees for the microwave. Also included are cured or aged meats such as bacon or ham, and popcorn if salt or butter has been added.

Your parrot diet choices should also limit foods which are high in sugar. Parrots can easily become little junk food junkies and want to gorge on sweets if permitted. While it is perfectly safe to permit a bird's diet to include a taste -- meaning one bite or two -- of a sweet treat, you must limit how much your parrot consumes to very small amounts. Foods in this category include: candy, sugar-sweetened juices, sweetened soft drinks, many sugary cereals, cakes, cookies, and ice cream.

Good Foods for Parrots' Diets

You may wonder what foods are good to include in your parrot diet. The answer is, basically, everything not listed above! A bird diet should include lots of different foods in order to ensure that a wide range of vitamins and nutrients are consumed. The more choices your parrot diet includes, the better health your parrot will enjoy and the longer life span your companion parrot can expect.

Some of the good foods for parrots' diets that are really great for parrots are also the foods which are great for health-conscious humans. Vegetables, either raw or lightly cooked are healthy choices. Bits of pasta, cheese, rice, mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes, well-cooked eggs, and bits of well-done meats, poultry, or fish add variety to a bird diet. In fact, many parrots love to chew on a bone from cooked meat and even dig the marrow from the inside of the bone. Let your parrot's diet include lots of healthy foods.