Food
Something a bird should have in his/her cage at all times is food, but what should you feed them?
⚠️Let me just get it out there. You mustn’t feed your bird an all or most seed diet. I repeat, you mustn’t feed your bird an all or most seed diet. Why? Seeds contain a lot of fat and if you’re just going to give them a bowl of fresh seeds every day, they’ll become overweight even if they get a ton of exercise. This excess weight can lead to them having fatty liver disease, which can lead to their death. Seeds can also shorten your bird’s life span.⚠️
So…what should I feed them then?
Instead of seeds, they should be fed pellets and greens. These are essential for their health.
Pellets are made of a balanced diet, full of nutrition. It includes a little fat, vitamins, and minerals, which helps keep your bird healthy. Vegetables are also a crucial part of their diet because they contain carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
You can feed your parrot treats for training them tricks, taming, and going in their cages. Here are some examples…
Millet
Fruits
Seeds
Nuts
⚠️Never ever hand them out even though they crave it because they have too much fat in them and fruits are full of sugar⚠️
Just like other pets, parrots also have a list of foods they cannot eat. This won’t be a complete list, so if you want to give your bird a non listed food item, you’ll have to search that up yourself.
1. Chocolate
It can cause vomiting and diarrhea; because it contains theobromine, it’ll cause seizures (it increases heart rate quickly).
2. Nonstick coatings
This isn’t necessarily a food item, but it’s something nonstick cookware tends to have (other non cooking items may be non stick as well). The most well known brand for nonstick items is teflon, but there are other brands as well. Whenever you’re buying something, make sure it’s free of PTFE and PFOA. The reason that these are dangerous to birds is because they release toxic fumes and once they breathe it in, they can die instantly (they have diminutive and sensitive lungs)
3. Avocado
Sure, avocados are healthy for us humans but are very much deadly to our furry friends. They include an oil-soluble compound called persin, which can lead to heart failure.
4. Onions and garlic
Onions contain sulfur, so it can break the red blood cells, leading to an insufficient amount of them. When chewed on, their mouths, esophagus, and crop may get irritated. Garlic contains allicin, which also leads to a shortage of red blood cells. These are great spices to use for humans, but please, for the sake of your bird’s life, keep them in their cage or in a separate room when handling those.
5. Fruit pits and apple seeds
Fruits are okay for your birds, but make sure to remove the pits/seeds beforehand as they contain a cyanide compound, which can cause death.
6. Mushrooms
They can cause digestive problems and even liver failure.