Ask Lafeber

Nutrition

I’ve read that malnutrition is a major problem for parrot health. What are the best diet / food combinations?

Hi Nan,

Avian Vets and nutrition experts generally agree on a diet that is nutritionally balanced based on science, as 80% of the daily diet, with fresh greens, veggies, fruits, nuts and healthy table foods making up the remaining 20%. When I say a diet based on science, this is based on decades-long research of captive flocks to determine the best nutrition. We truly know very little about nutrition when you look at the big picture. Parrot species live all over the world, so they certainly do not all eat the same diet. But their needs are similar enough that research has helped develop the diets that work best. As advances are made, formulas are updated. So the daily diet should be a food that cannot be selectively eaten – meaning it has to provide the same nutrition even if the bird only eats part of the food. Generally this is interpreted as a pelleted diet, but there are a couple of other options which include our foraging diets – Nutri-Berries, Avi-Cakes and Pellet-Berries. These diets are formulated the same as a pellet, but the ingredients are whole instead of being ground and pelleted. The seeds do not have hulls, so the birds consume the binder that is added, and this is where they get the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential nutrients, as well as them being Omega 3 & 6 balanced. With a seed mix, the bird hulls the seeds so any added vitamins are lost. Our foraging diets can be fed alone or combined with pellets as a complete daily diet. Many owners feed a combination of brands. As long as you choose a brand with natural, high quality ingredients, this will keep your parrot healthy. As for the 20%, this can be fresh greens, a variety of veggies, some fruit, raw or dry roasted nuts and human foods like rice, pasta and legumes. There are designer, home made diets out there, such as the CHOP diet, but these fresh food diets should be fed in the 20% amount. This is due to how easily & quickly fresh produce loses nutrients – nutrients can vary greatly depending on where and how food is grown and how it is processed. Parrots are also designed to eat hard foods, and Vets are concerned that a mostly soft diet can have a negative effect on the bird’s digestive system as well as his beak health. We have a playlist of Nutrition-based webinars presented by Vets and nutrition experts, so I’ll give you that link for more information.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda