Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Parrot Feeding Is A Step That Needs Careful Consideration

Copyright (c) 2010 Kaye Dennan

A parrot diet is quite easy to organize and it is
just a matter of taking the time to write down
all the things that you need to keep on hand so
that you can give your pet parrot a range of
foods that will keep it healthy. Parrots are
forages and they like foods that grow on trees
and in the ground.

There is no hard evidence to show that a seed
diet is the perfect diet for a parrot. Seeds,
although a very popular choice, are deficient in
many nutrients needed for good health, such as
vitamin A and calcium. Because of this those who
have been studying parrots and parrot diets agree
that only about 10% of a parrot's diet should be
seed. In saying that, the smaller seed eaters
like budgies and cockatiels seem to be able to
have about 25% of their diet as seed without any
undue affect on their health.

Feeding your parrot

Parrots do like and need stimulation so to cut
some food like a carrot and hang it in the cage
is a good idea. This activates the parrot and he
will play with it and eat it at the same time.
The parrot will more than likely be happy to try
sweet potato, green beans, cucumber, green peas,
cauliflowwer and importantly broccoli. Tropical
fruits are a great love of the parrot as they are
a tropical creature and they will just love
fruits like mango, melons, papaya, kiwi fruit and
pineapple. Do keep in mind when choosing plants
that chemical residue will harm the parrot.

A parrot diet is best kept varied so that they do
not get bored with food repetition. As they are
happy to eat fruit and vegetables there is a wide
range to choose from. Like us, they will have
their favorites, but do be careful not to spoil
them too much or they will become selective and
that will not be good for their overall health.

Pellets should make up about 30-40% of the parrot
diet as pellets have been constructed in such a
way that they consist of vegetables, fruits,
grains, seeds plus vitamins and minerals. Giving
your pet parrot pellets will ensure that they are
getting all the required nutrients needs in
caring for a pet parrot.

If at all possible go for organic with your
parrot's diet. It is possible to get organic
pellets and it is better for your bird if you can
feed it organic fruit and vegetables as well.

Foods toxic to parrots

Some foods are toxic to parrots and they are:

- Chocolate

- Cocoa

- Eggplant

- Avocado

- Guacamole

- Caffeine

- Mushrooms

- Foods with salt, sugar, grease, preservatives,
food coloring and other additives

- Bread as this has a large number of unsuitable
ingredients and parrots can contract a fungal
stomach disease from eating commercial bread

It is also possible to give your parrot
dehydrated fruits and vegetables. With their
strong beaks a parrot is quite happy to crunch
through these tasty morsels and dried items are
fantastic if you are travelling or to keep on
hand in case of emergency. You can place dried
food in the cage and leave them without them
being spoilt and this is an advantage as well.

Water for your bird

Parrots love to flop around in water so leave
some water in the cage for a couple of hours to
let it have a wash but remove it so that the bird
does not drink it all day and end up with
diseases. A healthy way to feed the parrot water
is with a water bottle.

There is such a huge range of food that parrots
can eat and the amazing thing is that most parrot
problems stem from malnutrition. As suggested,
make a list and keep it somewhere so that you can
quickly find something from the home to feed the
parrot and always make sure you have a supply of
pellets.

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Sign up to my '10 Secrets to Caring for a Pet
Parrot' FREE mini-course at
http://petparrotsecrets.com and you can also get
more information on keeping a happy, healthy pet
parrot.

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