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Parrot Nutrition |
| "You are what you eat" - a saying we often use to
stress the importance of a good, healthy diet. Whilst it is very
true of us, it is even more so with parrots. A healthy, nutritious
diet is essential if you want your bird to live a long, active and happy
life.
Parrot nutrition is a very incomplete science and this
is neither a definitive nor exhaustive article about parrot nutrition,
rather an attempt to explain certain aspects, make recommendations and
point out some potential pitfalls.
OK. So what constitutes a good diet for parrots? It is a good idea to think a little about their natural lifestyles before we come to address this fully. Many of the parrots that are in captivity today, tend to be forest dwelling birds that spend a good deal of the day foraging, playing and sleeping. They have periods of frantic activity where they burn up a great deal of energy and therefore require considerable quantities of food. Parrots have a fast metabolic rate, needing high levels of carbohydrates which are easily converted to energy. They have evolved to require lower levels of protein than many birds and animals and because they have always lived in areas where food was easily accessible, do not need great quantities of oils and fats, since these are the least easily converted foods, being invariably stored rather than used immediately. Parrots have never normally needed to store food as a fatty layer in the same way as some birds and animals. Indeed, fat deposits in parrots indicate that there may be something seriously wrong with the bird. Generally, parrots require similar vitamins to humans although they do not need vitamin C, being able to manufacture this for themselves. Certain minerals and vitamins are essential, vitamin A being necessary to maintain general good health and in particular, a healthy respiratory system. Beta-carotene - a 'proto-vitamin' which can be converted to vitamin A, is present in a lot of orange and red fruits and certain greens. Parrots naturally eat comparatively large quantities of these types of food and their respiratory systems can be severely compromised if they suffer a deficiency in vitamin A. Click here to return to top
So, what do they eat naturally? Mainly vegetable matter - fruit, nuts, some seed, young shoots, leaves and even a few insects. There are some instances where macaws and amazons have been observed to eat carrion, although this should be considered to be a comparative rarity and generally, meat would not be considered to be part of their staple diet. There is one exception - the Kea of New Zealand. This species does appear to be a regular carrion eater and over the past few decades, has been observed to eat the remains of dead sheep and is particularly fond of the fatty tissue lying directly beneath the skin. This adopted trait led early sheep farmers to believe that Keas actually killed and ate sheep. For many years, the New Zealand government paid a 'bounty' for every Kea that was shot and many thousands of birds were killed because of this mis-information. The Kea lives in a rather harsh environment where snow and bitterly cold weather is the norm. It would seem that the Kea is able to metabolise the extra fat, in order to fend off the extreme cold which it often has to endure. Generally, most parrots naturally eat a balanced diet, taking advantage of whatever is freely available at any one particular time. Nuts which are high in oils and fats can comprise a considerable part of the daily regimen when they are available, but at other times of the year, fruits and young shoots will be the main staple. Overall, their diet consists of a moderately low fat intake to about 8% or slightly less, a 12-14% protein intake derived mainly from vegetable sources although, as mentioned before insects are taken, with the remainder being made up from carbohydrate - up to 30%, fibrous, non-digestible material and of course water. If we are to hope to maintain our birds in good condition, it is essential to make at least some attempt to emulate their diet. It has to be remembered that in the wild, parrots burn up their calorific intake almost immediately and therefore certain foods whilst necessary, need to be offered in strict moderation. Fatty seeds and nuts, whilst invaluable for highly active, wild birds with an enhanced sense of awareness, should be offered in small quantities to relatively inactive captive parrots, since an excess can cause fatty lipomas in certain species - especially members of the Cockatoo family, as well as many of the smaller Australian parrots. Other species of parrot develop fatty deposits in and around the liver, a problem which can be ultimately fatal and has caused many pet birds to die prematurely. African Grey Parrots, naturally feed extensively upon the fruits of the oil palm. These fruits contain 90% oil and are available throughout the year. African Greys appear to be able to cope with slightly higher levels of fats in their diet than most parrots and in fact, such levels appear to be beneficial. There are reports that Greys suffering from 'feather-picking', have been cured of the problem when extra fats were included in their diet. Vegetable proteins in the form of beans and pulses can be safely given and indeed should be offered daily, since they are unlikely to cause problems and are rarely converted to fats except in very old, sick and inactive birds. Carbohydrates in the form of plant material - fruit
and greens can be offered with impunity, since they will not only make
up the mainstay of the diet, but also help introduce essential minerals
and vitamins without which, parrots would fall victim to a host of diseases.
So what vegetables should I give them to eat? Assuming that you haven't got a parrot that requires
a specialised diet such as a Lory or Eclectus, an excellent regimen would
consist of cooked, soaked beans, pulses, potatoes and grains together with
vegetables rich in minerals and vitamins - particularly vitamin A such
as Carrots, Sweet Potato, Curled Kale, Broccoli, Turnip Greens, Mustard
Greens, Chard, cooked Pumpkin & Swede (Rutabagas), Sweetcorn, green
Beans (cooked) and Peas. It is better to avoid Asparagus for whilst
it contains many healthy vitamins and minerals, asparagine which gives
the characteristic flavour, can irritate birds digestive systems.
Should all of these be cooked? Dried beans and pulses should always be soaked overnight or for at least 6 hours and then having changed the water, gently boiled until tender - usually for about 40 minutes. You can safely offer any of the following: Lima, Canellini,Garbanzos (Chick Peas), Haricot, Black-Eyed, Kidney, Butter and Broad beans. Also, you can include all types of lentil and dried peas, brown rice, wild rice, barley, oats, rye, wheat and dried sweetcorn. Potatoes should always be offered cooked. If they have been exposed to light for any period of time, they start to turn green and with the development of chlorophyl, an alkaloid - Solanine is formed. This is highly injurious and can be rapidly fatal if ingested in any quantity. Any green portions should be cut away before cooking which helps remove most of any Solanine that may have accumulated within the potato. Potatoes that are starting to sprout should be discarded altogether since they will contain unacceptably high levels of solanine. Whether you cook the other vegetables, largely depends
upon your bird's preferences. The pumpkin and green beans should
be cooked until tender, but the others can be offered raw or in both states.
My African Grey likes her carrots either grated and raw or cooked and mashed,
but my Umbrella Cockatoo won't look at them unless they are raw and offered
in sizeable crunchy chunks.
Almost anything that you eat can be offered however, beware of Avocados/Alligator Pears. These are extremely injurious to all parrot-like birds. The large seed or pit contains substances that have been found to be rapidly fatal and the flesh has been proven to have caused the death of numerous species after a single portion had been consumed. There is no reason to offer this fruit and it should be given a very wide berth. Excellent fruits which may be offered in any quantity are: Apple, Apricot, Banana, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Cranberry, Dates, Figs, Fuchsia berry, Grapes, Guava, Kiwi Fruit, Mango, Melon, Nectarine, Orange, Pomegranate, all forms of Bell and Chili Pepper, Pear, Peach, Plum and Tomato. Many birds can be wasteful, taking a bite out of each piece and discarding the rest. I try to avoid some of this waste by cutting the fruit up into small, bite sized pieces. This works particularly well with my African Grey. The seeds or stones (pits) of Apricot, Peach, Cherry, Plums and Nectarines contain varying levels of cyanogenic glucocides - sugars which when ingested convert to release cyanide. Naturally, these should never be offered. The same is true to a lesser extent, of apple seeds, however the amounts are relatively small, few birds coming to any harm if allowed to eat these occasionally and in very small quantities ie. two or three at a time. Dried fruits may also be offered, but here I make the
distinction between dried and crystalised. The latter are treated in heavy
sugar solutions before being dried and are not suitable for feeding to
parrots. Tinned fruits may be offered however, the light syrup should
be drained and the fruits rinsed in clean water to wash away excess sugar.
...And what about seeds and nuts? One of the most common seeds offered to parrots is sunflower. Of all of the seed that it is possible to give, sunflower is probably one of the least nutritious and should never be offered in large quantities. It is mainly fat, deficient in many vitamins and can encourage parrot-like birds to develop into 'seed-junkies'. Once addicted they are often loathe to try other foods, possibly due to the sense of satisfaction that many parrots appear to derive from hulling the seed. Sunflower should never form the mainstay of any parrot's diet - despite the fact that it is a major constituent in many parrot seed mixes. Ideally, the mix should contain safflower (similar to, but less fatty than sunflower), buckwheat, oats, millet, wheat, maw, pumpkin and melon, linseed, sorghum, rye and barley. Sunflower should not make up more than 25% of the total mixture. Whilst I like to offer seed regularly, I limit this to a level tablespoonful per day for my African Grey and a heaped tablespoon for my Umbrella Cockatoo. My Cockatiel prefers a mainly seed diet for her basic intake, although high fat seeds are kept to a minimum. She does however, eat formulated pellets and greens to make up for any deficiency in the seeds. A wide range of nuts can be safely offered, but be very careful with regard to peanuts. Unless these are of the highest quality for human consumption, they can carry a fungal infection which invades the skin of the nut. Whilst the fungus is not dangerous in itself, it releases a poison - Aflatoxin which is extremely dangerous and will rapidly kill any bird that ingests an infected nut. Some years ago, here in the UK, many birds were found to be dying as a result of being fed infected, low grade peanuts. Ideally, the best grade, shelled nuts should be bought and as an extra precaution, they should be roasted in a medium oven (180C) for about 15 minutes or more. In recent years, there have been many suggestions that peanut allergy can be as prevalent in parrots as in humans. Certainly, there have been several authenticated reports of feather plucking being substantially reduced or completely eradicated when peanuts have been excluded from the diet. Where problems arise which suggest the involvement of an allergic reaction, it may be worth considering the possibility of peanuts being the root cause. Personally, I tend to err on the safe side and prefer to avoid giving peanuts altogether. Other nuts can be highly beneficial. Almonds contain calcium which is essential for healthy growth and bone formation. Certain birds cannot cope well with calcium deficient diets and it is thought that African Greys in particular - whilst not any more prone to calcium deficiencies than other parrots, are less able to re-absorb and make up the shortfall from their bones. The result is that a deficient Grey can develop poor synchronisation, developing neurological problems and become very ill if the condition is allowed to continue. As a precaution, I add a level teaspoon of ground almonds to the breakfast mix that I give my African Grey at least 3 times per week. Generally, it is better to offer nuts as treats rather
than making them part of the normal diet. Half a Brazil nut per day
is more than enough for a bird the size of an African Grey and if peanuts
are offered, one or two at most are sufficient for a similar sized bird.
What about other foods and what are these formulated pellets that were mentioned? Lets look at pellets first. Some years ago, in an attempt to find the best diet for parrots research, mainly carried out in the US led to the development of a pelleted food supposedly providing a complete answer to parrot nutrition. In the very early days, problems with the correct balance of vitamins, minerals and protein levels caused fatalities in birds, however this has now been satisfactorily resolved and there are many brands of pelleted food that are an ideal mainstay for parrot-like birds. Pelleted foods by major manufacturers such as Hagen, Kaytee, Zupreem and if you are lucky enough to be able to get them - Harrisons, are excellent backbones to any diet. They should be available at all times and help to ensure that your bird is getting the correct balance of nutrition. I would suggest that they form an essential part of the daily regimen, but it would be extremely unwise to rely solely upon them as the only source of nutrition, despite manufacturer's recommendations. Parrots become easily bored with the same food every day and if alternatives are not offered, they are likely to refuse pellets altogether. Occasionally, pelleted food can be made more interesting if soaked in fresh orange, apple or passion fruit juice and it is good idea to use these variations to avert rejection through boredom. Breakfast cereals. Odd as it may seem, certain breakfast cereals are exceptionally good if properly prepared. They can be provided as a daily inclusion to the diet and may be offered dry, or soaked in a natural fruit juice. They should never be given with milk which contains lactose - a sugar which parrots cannot digest. The best types to offer are plain cereals containing no additives and definitely no sugar. My favourite is 'Shredded Wheat' which my birds love when mixed to a thin porridge like consistency with hot water and a small quantity of ground almonds added. It is absolutely pure, containing nothing other than plain wheat. Plain 'Cheerios', 'Shreddies' and 'Cornflakes' can also be offered. Many breakfast cereals contain extra vitamins and iron, these can prove harmful since iron is stored in the body - eventually reaching dangerous levels. High levels of iron can lead to toxicity and have been associated with cardiac problems in humans. Whilst there has not been a significant amount of research into the build up of iron in birds, there is every reason to assume that they are at risk from high levels and equally prone to cardiac problems. At all costs, avoid those 'doctored' cereals such as 'Sugar Puffs' and the types containing added milk powder, chocolate or sugar. These are entirely unnecessary and contain substances which may be harmful in the long run. The best types to offer are those often found in health food shops which do not contain any additives whatsoever. Remember, most parrots have similar life spans to those of humans and bad nutritional practices can cause severe, life threatening problems in later years. Offering foods laced with unsuitable additives may not appear to do any harm immediately, but over a 10 - 15 year period, damaging effects can build up causing severe, if not fatal illnesses which develop without warning. Other foods which may be given occasionally are: Yoghurt. Whilst milk is not recommended, yoghurt is an excellent additive in which the lactose has been converted and rendered digestible by birds. It is especially good if it is a natural, live culture. Live yoghurt contains acidophyllus bacteria which are highly beneficial, colonising the gut leaving little room for invasion by harmful bacteria. I prefer to use goat's milk yoghurt, but ordinary sorts are equally as good. Cheese, particularly hard sorts such as Cheddar. It is rich in calcium and a good source of protein, however cheese is also very high in fat and should not be offered as a daily food. I prefer to use it to flavour bean mixes by adding a small amount (quarter of a teaspoonful), which has been very finely diced. If added when the bean mix is still hot, the cheese melts, giving a very thin coating, making the mixture especially appetising. I offer this combination once or twice per week and it is always eaten with great enthusiasm. If you wish to offer cheese more frequently and in slightly greater quantity, it is better to opt for lower fat types, or white cheeses such as mozzarella. Eggs, scrambled with no fat or hard boiled. Finely chopped, cooked eggs are a useful, occasional treat which may be added to the cooked bean and grain mix. A level teaspoonful given once or twice per week will provide proteins which are particularly helpful during a moult. Bear in mind that the yolk of an egg is high in cholesterol and parrots can also suffer from similar problems to those which plague humans. Moderation is the key. It is important to remember that any eggs offered should be very well cooked since in some countries, they may be infected with salmonella. Never leave cooked egg mixtures for more than a few hours since they provide an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and harmful fungi. Toasted Bread can also be offered as an occasional
treat. A two inch square is sufficient for a medium-sized parrot
and is best made from wholemeal bread. Cheap, white 'supermarket'
breads contain too many additives and have high salt levels which are entirely
unsuitable. Very rarely, I will also spread the thinnest layer of
a low-salt peanut butter on the toast - this always goes down very well.
So exactly what and how much do you give your birds? Firstly, my birds never go hungry. Food of one sort or another is constantly available. It is far better to provide too much rather than too little. Unlike humans, parrots rarely overeat, although certain types of Amazon parrot can develop gluttonous habits if exposed to undue stress combined with a poor diet. In many cases, insufficient food will not only compromise the health of the bird, but also create stress which may present itself in self mutilation ie. feather picking. If a pet parrot cannot be certain when it is going to get its next meal, the bird is likely to develop many behavioural problems which may be difficult to eradicate even when the original cause has been eliminated. First meal of the day is given early in the morning and is usually a cereal softened with hot water and mixed to a thin consistency. I sometimes add mashed banana or grated apple and once per week, I mix in a little live, goats milk yoghurt. Every so often I will also sweeten the mix with a tiny drizzle of natural honey - which is about the only acceptable sweetener if used in small quantities apart from fresh fruit juices. Unpasteurised honey can be a fertile breeding ground for fungi and bacteria, should there be any doubt in this respect, it is better to use fresh fruit juices as the sole means of sweetening. My Grey is very fond of the above mixture and despite the fact that she is just over a year old and fully weaned, still enjoys being spoon-fed with this mixture. My Cockatoo has never accepted being spoon-fed and prefers the mix to be rather stiff. There are days when he will refuse to eat the cereal and indicates this by jettisoning the whole lot onto the floor of his cage. I usually offer a mixture of cooked beans and grains every day. The mixture is altered - made easy by selecting from bags of beans etc. that have been cooked in quantity and then frozen. To these I add grated carrot, broccoli, possibly dry-roasted potato, sweet potato or anything else that takes my fancy for that day. I make up a salt-less chicken stock which is frozen into cubes. This is used to flavour the beans as is finely diced cheese, tomato juice or low fat and low salt spaghetti sauce. A tea-cupful of this mixture is made up for both birds and warmed through in the microwave taking care to let it cool sufficiently before offering to the birds. A couple of cupfuls of pellets are also provided plus a small amount of seed. This will usually last until late afternoon by which time the bean mix is removed to avoid spoiling and replaced with a fresh fruit salad comprising of three or four different fruits. I like to use freshly squeezed orange juice which acts as a slight preservative and prevents apples, bananas and pears from spoiling too quickly. The fruit is usually finely diced to avoid excessive wastage and in the case of apples, pears, most berries, cherries and oranges, the rind or skin is left on. All other fruits are peeled. With fruits that are offered intact, I take especial care to wash them thoroughly. Many fruits are cosmetically 'touched-up' by coating with waxes in order to enhance their appearance. Furthermore, they can hold residues of insecticides and other chemicals which may cause problems especially if ingested on a regular basis. Finally, at the end of the day, the pellet dishes are
topped-up, fruit removed and each bird gets a whole spray of millet which
they enjoy immensely. Some people offer scraps from their evening
meal and although I do not do this for fear of encouraging unwanted attention
whenever I sit down to eat, I see no problem with this provided the meal
has not been heavily salted or contains large quantities of animal fats.
The trouble with human food nowadays, is that it is often laced with every
possible additive that you can imagine and consists of little more than
a chemical cocktail which can not be beneficial if offered to parrots.
I always err on the side of safety and invariably use the adage "If in
doubt, don't!"
So what shouldn't I give my birds? There are certain substances and foodstuffs which are regularly consumed by us, but should never be offered to parrot-like birds. The top three absolute poisons are Avocado, Chocolate and alcohol. These are completely alien to good health in parrots and have been proven without doubt to be either immediately or ultimately fatal. Chocolate particularly the high quality variety, contains Theobromine. This has been shown to cause hemorrhaging within the respiratory system and cardiac failure in parrots. Death can be rapid and there is no known treatment since symptoms do not appear until the damage has been done. Cheaper types of chocolate contain comparatively low levels of theobromine which may not appear be immediately harmful. There is however, good reason to suspect that whilst small quantities are not residual and are passed out of the system by birds that survive ingestion, arterial weakening does take place and this can become cumulative over a period of time. Birds that have been regularly 'treated' with low-grade chocolate, can be severely compromised and their long term survival prospects substantially shortened. Research has shown that birds including many species of parrots are killed outright after a single portion of avocado. Both the seed and the flesh of the fruit have caused fatal results although it was found that the seed caused more rapid death. As far as I know, the toxin which causes these fatalities has not yet been identified, but it should be sufficient to know that whatever it is, it is highly dangerous and no-one should ever consider offering avocado to birds. Giving alcohol to birds whether they are parrots or not, is one of the most stupid things anyone can do. Alcohol is a toxin and can cause dramatic increases in blood pressure with rapidly fatal results. A small 'sip' of beer to a parrot, is the equivalent of several, large shots of neat whisky to us and our systems can manage such abuses remarkably well. Not so with parrots. Any bird that has been given little 'treats' of alcohol will develop chronic liver problems, elevated blood pressure and be highly prone to cardiac failure as well as strokes. Alcohol can also depress the immune system in parrots leaving them very susceptible to infection. Other substances to be avoided although admittedly, being less spectacular in the harm that they can cause are caffeine (in the form of tea, coffee or cola drinks), refined sugar, fried foods and as stated before, milk. Potato crisps (chips) are laden with fats and salt as are many savoury snacks. Cakes and biscuits (cookies) often contain excessive amounts of fat and refined sugar and should also be avoided. Before offering any food to a parrot, you should ask yourself two questions: "Is there a good reason for giving this?" and also: "What harm could it do?" If you cannot find a sensible answer to the first question, you do not need to go on to the second, since you will have decided against offering that food. If a foodstuff does not provide beneficial nutrition, do not offer it - its as simple as that. It is essential to remember that parrots are not remotely like people and cannot handle the same range and quantity of potentially harmful substances. Since there are innumerable safe options for food and treats, it is crass stupidity to offer quantities of questionable foodstuffs. Many pet parrots will eat anything that they see us
eating. Effectively we teach them to like certain foods. If we insist
on teaching them to enjoy harmful substances, we are teaching them to poison
themselves and we really should question our suitability for being guardians
of these magnificent creatures.
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