Ask Lafeber

Wild bird seed

what is the difference between wild bird seed and seed for parrots comparing the package ingredients they appear to be the same
but the price is so much higher for parrots

Hi Cristel,

I do understand trying to save money. And some items are definitely priced higher based on what they are labeled for. But cheap wild bird seed mixes are very different from seed mixes made for pet birds. Wild bird seed mixes legally can and often do contain floor sweepings – seeds that were spilled in the warehouse, and swept back up. They have a lot of dust in them and often random debris like small pebbles or other things that were swept up with the seeds. They are not fresh, and generally contain large amounts of black oil sunflower seeds. They are mostly high in fat and offer little to no nutritional value. The poor quality isn’t even good for the wild birds, and many stores that specialize in bird feeders now sell high quality mixes for wild birds, with specialized ingredients to attract specific bird species.

As to seed mixes for parrots, these are fine as long as it is a high quality brand, however, we now know that loose seed mixes do not provide the nutrition that pet birds need. While the seeds are at least clean, they are generally not fresh enough to retain their natural nutrients. And since parrots remove the hull, any vitamins added to the seeds are lost when the bird eats. Seeds are at best OK to offer in very small amounts as a rare treat. The best diet is a nutritionally balanced diet like pellets or our foraging diets. While these do contain seeds, the seeds are fresh and have been hulled so the added nutrients are not lost when the bird eats.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda