Contact Us

Our Birds….

what on earth to feed them?

                                                                                                Carol Davie

I was really glad that Mike Burton’s views on Pellets were printed in last month’s bulletin.  I’d researched pellets myself for several years, as I’ve never been comfortable with a pellet diet for my birds.  After several successful attempts to wean my Cockatiels off seeds and onto Pellets, because of Veterinarian advice, I finally decided to let them go back to seed and stay on it.  They are just happier on seed than on Pellets.

 Whether you are a breeder or a pet bird owner, we all share the same dietary needs for our birds.  We want ease of preparation without losing the nutrition their systems require.  Pet Stores may sell you a bird with a bag of pellets and/or seed and say that is their only requirement.  Most of us know differently.  Veterinarians seem to be pushing pellets on us but I, for one, don’t agree with a pellet diet.  I think that the birds enjoy hulling seeds and rummaging through them to find the ones they like best.

Whatever staple food you feed your bird; you must add additional ingredients to keep him healthy, happy and maintain a good disposition. We would not want to eat the same thing every day and neither do our birds. Variety also ensures that the birds are getting different nutritional needs met. I find that some of my birds prefer fruits and others vegetables. For the ones that turn up their nose (beak) at fruits, if there are veggies in their dishes, the fruit is substituted on certain days. If the fruit is all that is offered, you would be surprised how fast they dig in. You can also make foods fun for the birds. String fresh fruits and veggies on a skewer and watch them eat their new toy.

What I don’t mind doing for my birds, is preparing a balanced meal in quantities that can be frozen and kept ‘on the ready’ whenever I need them.  Birdie Corn Bread, Rice and Pasta Salads, Mashes, etc., can be made up in large batches and frozen in serving portions.  We all have days where we find we have some extra time and that is when I make up the foods for my birds.

The easier we make preparation, the more likely our birds are to get a balanced diet.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are very good for our birds but don’t feel guilty about using some corn muffin mixes or frozen foods either.  A bag of combined brown and wild rice and a box of yellow cornmeal go a long way in making a nutritious meal for our birds.  We just have to add a few additional ingredients and lots of Love!

Carol Davie

P.S.  I have only one bird that refuses to eat seeds and that is my Moluccan Cockatoo, Peaches.  He is also the only bird I have that has gone through a plucking difficulty.  This could be coincidence of course but I’ve spoken with other parrot owners and also those operating rescues.  These people agree that the birds that pluck and mutilate are more often those on a pellet diet.  Something to think about, isn’t it?

The current Internet Explorer version is 6.0 available here.
The current Netscape version is 7.0 available here