What to feed your pet bird?
Placing a variety of seeds and other bird foods in a dish and expecting your bird to pick out a balanced diet doesn’t work. Birds do not have the ability to choose a proper diet, so it’s up to the owner to provide balanced nutrition. That's the most important part of caring for your pet bird, so they can live a happy, healthy life. So, what do pet birds eat?
Well, no two birds are exactly alike, so there’s no single perfect diet. And to add to the challenge, birds are actually very picky when it comes to food. Birds will often pick out their favourite ingredients and leave the rest, which can make providing the best nutrition challenging. To keep your pet interested in eating, offer a variety of fruits and vegetables with their meals each day. And remember, if your bird isn’t interested in a specific food on one occasion, that doesn’t mean they won’t devour it on another day. When in doubt, talk to your veterinarian about transitioning to the perfect solution for you and your bird.
Birdseed seems like the obvious choice to feed your feathered companion. But veterinarians say birdseed is too high in fat to be a healthy main course for most birds. In fact, too much of this fattening combination can lead to health issues and inappropriate behaviours. Serving birdseed to your pet bird as a treat or snack occasionally is fine, but it’s in their best interest to keep this to a minimum to preserve their health.
One good option that can help with those picky eaters are avian pellets. Giving your bird pellets can help give you peace of mind that your bird is getting the nutrition they need, since pellets are intended to be nutritionally complete. Every bite is nutrient-packed and doesn’t allow your bird to pick-and-choose only their favourite.
Every bird can appreciate a nice ripe piece of fruit from time to time. This is the tasty stuff that makes your bird get all a-flutter, but don’t overdo it — only a small percentage of your bird’s diet should come from fruit, grains and legumes like plain cooked brown rice, cooked pasta, cooked beans, cooked barley or cooked oats. When it comes to fruit, most birds enjoy papayas, bananas, melons, mangos, oranges, kiwis, and even apples.
You should try to remove the seeds from any fruit you serve your feathered friends. As with vegetables, it’s a good idea to cut fruits into a size that is appropriate for your bird.
Well, no two birds are exactly alike, so there’s no single perfect diet. And to add to the challenge, birds are actually very picky when it comes to food. Birds will often pick out their favourite ingredients and leave the rest, which can make providing the best nutrition challenging. To keep your pet interested in eating, offer a variety of fruits and vegetables with their meals each day. And remember, if your bird isn’t interested in a specific food on one occasion, that doesn’t mean they won’t devour it on another day. When in doubt, talk to your veterinarian about transitioning to the perfect solution for you and your bird.
Nuts and seeds
Birdseed seems like the obvious choice to feed your feathered companion. But veterinarians say birdseed is too high in fat to be a healthy main course for most birds. In fact, too much of this fattening combination can lead to health issues and inappropriate behaviours. Serving birdseed to your pet bird as a treat or snack occasionally is fine, but it’s in their best interest to keep this to a minimum to preserve their health.
Pellets
One good option that can help with those picky eaters are avian pellets. Giving your bird pellets can help give you peace of mind that your bird is getting the nutrition they need, since pellets are intended to be nutritionally complete. Every bite is nutrient-packed and doesn’t allow your bird to pick-and-choose only their favourite.
Vegetables
Most birds love dark, leafy greens, zucchini and broccoli, as well as other vegetables such as squash, shredded carrots, snow peas, parsley, cucumbers and Romaine lettuce. Avoid avocado, onion and garlic, which can be harmful to them.Fruits
Every bird can appreciate a nice ripe piece of fruit from time to time. This is the tasty stuff that makes your bird get all a-flutter, but don’t overdo it — only a small percentage of your bird’s diet should come from fruit, grains and legumes like plain cooked brown rice, cooked pasta, cooked beans, cooked barley or cooked oats. When it comes to fruit, most birds enjoy papayas, bananas, melons, mangos, oranges, kiwis, and even apples.
You should try to remove the seeds from any fruit you serve your feathered friends. As with vegetables, it’s a good idea to cut fruits into a size that is appropriate for your bird.
