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What do parrots eat?

Parrots need a balanced diet to maintain optimal health. It is important to know what parrots eat so as not to offer them a poor or inadequate diet with which they do not obtain the nutrients they need every day, causing a vitamin deficiency. The parrot’s diet must be complete, balanced and varied, adapted to the species and its energy requirements.
In the past, it was very common for the basis of the parrots’ diet to be sunflower seeds. The usual thing was to fill his bowl with pipes and offer him some other food from time to time. This is a fatal mistake: the pipes cannot provide all the necessary nutrients , they have a lot of fat and they do not have vitamin A, essential for birds.

Foods that parrots eat for a balanced diet

The feeding of the parrots is a very important factor that will determine their quality of life and that will prepare them to defend themselves against possible diseases or climatic changes. In addition, this will be reflected externally in its plumage, its vitality and its character. It is best to imitate the diet that they would follow in their natural habitat , but this is not always possible because we cannot find the same variety. Seeds, fruits and vegetables are some of the foods that parrots eat in the wild.
It is very common to find all kinds of seed assortments in pet stores, which is why they often become the basis of the diet. Although they feed on seeds, they do not do so in the same way that they would in captivity. The biggest problem with these mixtures of birdseed, sesame, sunflower, millet and oat seeds is that the parrot can select the food it likes the most and discard the rest. In general, everyone chooses the pipes and leaves out the other components of the mix. This means that we return to the starting point, sunflower seeds are the only thing that parrots eat and with them they do not get all the nutrients they need.
So, what should the parrot’s diet be to get a balanced and healthy menu every day?

  • 50% feed for parrots
  • 20% fruit
  • 20% vegetable
  • 10% from other foods

I think for parrots

Feed is the basis of the diet of these birds. The first thing that we achieve with them, unlike with the mixture of seeds, is that the option to select the food disappears . That is to say, we will offer you all the ingredients in the same proportion within each granule or extruded croquette; in this way we make sure that they get all their nutrients. The feed that parrots eat is composed of ingredients such as cereals, fruits, seeds, vegetable oils, vegetables and fruits, as well as a multitude of vitamins and minerals selected for optimal health.
You can choose different brands of food for parrots , as well as different shapes and sizes, adapted to each species. They tend to like colored feeds and find them more fun, those that are not colored can be more boring and monotonous. Either of the two options is just as good but, you must bear in mind that with colored feed, as if the croquettes have different shapes, they can select the food because some of them are not to their liking.

Fruits and vegetables that parrots eat

40% of the parrot’s diet should be made up of different fruits and vegetables: the more variety, the better . Ideally, a mix of at least 3 different fruits a day. It must be fresh and washed and you can offer it in small or large pieces, hanging from the cage or in foraging toys. Vegetables can also be cooked.

  • Fruits they can eat each day : apple, pear, orange, tangerine, strawberries, watermelon, apricot, kiwi, pineapple, pomegranate, papaya, grapefruit, persimmon.
  • Fruits that you can eat from time to time (2-3 times a week): banana, melon, grapes, cherries, peach, mango, medlar.
  • Vegetables that parrots can eat daily : Green, red and yellow pepper, carrot, broccoli, beans, spinach, cauliflower, chard, endive, endive, radish, celery.
  • Vegetables that they can eat 2 or 3 days a week : lettuce, cooked potato and cooked sweet potato.

Other foods that you can include in the parrot’s diet

There are some foods that parrots eat to a lesser extent or occasionally that also enrich their diet. These are legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans, soybeans), fresh cheese, yogurt, pasta, rice , eggs, bread, sponge cake …
In this 10% we could also include nuts such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts or pine nuts. These are ideal as prizes, to reward our parrot or simply to pamper him.
The mixture of seeds is also beneficial for our parrot, just not as the basis of its diet. You can offer them occasionally or within that 10% of the daily menu that parrots eat. On our website you can find a multitude of different preparations with all kinds of seeds

Forbidden foods for parrots

The digestive system of parrots does not tolerate the same foods that we do; some are even toxic and can cause death. Two of the most dangerous foods for these animals are avocado and tomato , so they should never be part of the fruits and vegetables that we give to our parrot.
Chocolate, cocoa and any type of sweet is also detrimental to the health of parrots; soft drinks, alcohol, sugar, salty foods , milk, onion, garlic, and any frying. Although milk is not good, you can give it unsalted dairy products such as fresh cheese or yogurt. The potato and any tuber in general is also dangerous without boiling, so it must always be cooked.
Now that you know everything parrots eat and in what proportion you should offer it to them, you no longer have an excuse for them to have a complete and healthy diet.

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