A Healthy Parrot Diet
by Sally Blanchard

This article is reprinted from Issue #13 of the Pet Bird Report and may not be reprinted without the written permission of Sally Blanchard or the PBIC, Inc. Contact us for permission.

 

healthy dietExamples of Foods In Each Group

Feed your parrot a variety of shapes, colors, textures, and sizes of natural foods from the following food groups. Percentages are approximate and there is some overlap in the food groups. Giving parrots too much of a ‘Smorgasbird’ of all different foods is usually not a good way to get a nutritious diet into them. Some days I feed nothing but high vitamin A veggies in the food bowl so my parrots have to eat something with this nutrient in it.

I also make mashes which contain foods with balanced nutrients. This way everything is mixed together in such a way that the parrot can not reject part of its diet. My ‘glop’ recipe is at the end of this article.

QUALITY PROTEINS - Up to 20%

Proteins are made up of amino acids which are the building blocks of life. Many protein sources are of poor nutritional value because they have an incomplete balance of important amino acids. Incomplete sources of protein may be combined with others to form more complete proteins - for example rice and beans.

Examples include: Nonfat plain yogurt, nonfat or lowfat cheese in moderation, tofu, nonfat cottage cheese, and very hard boiled eggs. Well-cooked chicken, white fish, turkey, or very lean meats. Water packed tuna. Combinations of various grains, brown rice, enriched pasta, corn, nuts and/or various cooked beans. Commercially produced meal worms or insect larvae can also be a protein source for some birds but should be limited for parrots because of their fat content. Extruded or pelleted diets manufactured for parrots are a good source of protein but should not be considered a total diet.

I do not recommend monkey chow, dog food, or cat food since them have been manufactured for mammals - not birds. The protein/fat ratios are not formulated properly for parrots. Most mammal food contains a higher percentage of some minerals, particularly iron, which may not be healthy for parrots. The gut flora of mammals is different than parrots. Consequently, there does not need to be a greater control of gram negative bacteria in mammal food as there needs in parrot foods.

VITAMIN A VEGGIES - About 30%

High vitamin A vegetables are one of the most important foods you can get your parrot to eat. Although there are fruits that are higher in vitamin A than others, fruits are not generally as good a source as vegetables for this essential nutrient. Vitamin A is essential for skin and feather condition, eyesight, and helps the body fight infection by keeping the mucous membranes healthy.

A general rule of thumb is ‘the darker the flesh (not the skin) of the vegetable or fruit, the higher the carotene content.’ It is carotene that converts into vitamin A when metabolized by the digestive system. Veggies can be fed raw but are probably more digestible if they are steamed or baked. However, overcooking can destroy vitamin content.

The following are good sources of vitamin A.

Green Vegetables
Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, spinach, broccoli, dandelion greens, water cress, beet greens, chicory, chard, parsley, green peppers, alfalfa, hot peppers.

Yellow-orange Vegetables
Sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, butternut squash, hubbard squash, acorn squash, hot peppers, red peppers, pumpkin.

Fruits With Decent Vitamin A
Peaches, nectarines, apricots, Japanese persimmon, cantaloupe, raw plantain, papaya, sour red cherry.

Vitamin A is also available from eggs, meat, and many kinds of cheeses in the form of retinol but these should be considered in the other categories.

OTHER VEGGIES & FRUITS - About 15 to 20%

While these foods many not be high in vitamin A, they still have other nutritional value or psychological benefit as part of a varied diet.

Corn on the cob, peas in the pod, bean sprouts, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, leeks, artichokes, zucchini, green beans, okra, asparagus, beets, tomato, potato, apples, grapes, banana, guava, berries, pomegranates, tangerines, oranges, figs, blueberries, plums, kiwi fruit, cranberries, prickly pear, pineapple, etc.

WHOLE GRAINS - About 15 to 20%

Whole grain bread or toast, low sugar or unsweetened cereals, whole grain pastas, whole grain ‘energy bars,’ brown rice, low fat granola, wheat germ, wild rice, oat bran, amaranth, quinoa, triticale, plus whole grain unsalted chips, pretzels, and crackers.

CARBOHYDRATES - About 10%

Fruits, pasta, grains, bread, corn, beans, potatoes, peas, dairy, nuts, seeds. The last three items can provide your parrot with a small amount of fat needed in the diet.

SALLY BLANCHARD’S FAMOUS ‘GLOP’ RECIPE

The following recipe feeds my 4 parrots of various sizes and appetites for their morning meal. ‘Glop’ also makes a great hand-weaning food to finger feed your bappy.

  • 1 small jar of baby food carrots, sweet potatoes, or winter squash (I use Earth’s Best because it is organic - they also have high vitamin A vegetable varieties with chicken and turkey. I occasionally use apricot, peach, or papaya baby food.) You can also use baked yams, winter squash or cooked, mashed carrots.
  • 3 slices of coarse whole-grain crumbled toast. (I vary the bread but use the healthiest bread I can find without sugar. I particularly like a jalapeno cornbread loaf I buy at Trader Joe’s.) You can also use high quality cooked grains such as quinoa, amaranth, etc. and/or oatmeal.
  • 2-4 Tablespoons of nonfat plain yogurt.
  • I highly recommend adding a a few drops to a 1/2 teaspoon of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). There are several varieties available including Flax Seed Oil. Adding EFAs to the diet has helped quite a few parrots with feather destructive behaviors.
  • Optional: 1/8 cup high quality handfeeding formula or a sprinkle of a spirulina or wheat grass type supplement.

Put in a large bowl and mash together until toast is saturated with baby food and yogurt and everything is evenly mixed. Consistency can be changed according to your parrot’s preference. Mine like the toast chunky and the mixture thick - about the consistency of turkey dressing. ‘Glop’ is ready to feed - it does not have to be cooked.

Anything that is nutritious can be added to the glop for a variety in texture, color, and shapes. I will feed it plain or mix one or more of the following: finely chopped collard (mustard or turnip) greens, kale or broccoli flowers, grated carrots, wheat germ, oat bran, no sugar breakfast cereal, low salt V-8 juice, grated tofu-cheese, nonfat cottage cheese, chopped nuts or raisons, chopped very hard boiled egg, pasta, brown rice, well, cooked chopped chicken, powdered pellets.

Remember that any soft food will develop bacteria if left too long in the cage. I serve each batch fresh & never use leftovers as ingredients. I never have to worry about this mushy mixture going bad because all of my birds eat it as soon as I put it in their food bowls. My grey, Bongo Marie, loved her ‘glop’; and my double-yellows, Paco and Rascal, have relished this food—barely coming up for air when I feed it. The nutritious mixture as a part of their diet has kept them healthy for over 25 years. Their feather condition is superb. If you only have one bird and want to make the whole batch, the ‘glop’ can be rolled into balls or placed in an ice cube tray and frozen. Thaw as needed but don’t overcook. Add any supplement after heating since heating can destroy the vitamin A. If at first your bird doesn’t like this nutritious mixture—keep trying and trying.

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