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Nutritional Requirements
Nutritional requirements for parrots are crucial. It is the most important insurance of a healthy and long life for your parrot by feeding it a nutritionally sound diet. Several pet parrots generally die at a young age due to either malnutrition or diseases that are subordinate to malnutrition.
The parrot birds are hunters of the wild. They eat whatever comes to their availability in season or as per availability. Their diet is comprised of fruits, insects, seeds, and whatever else they can get.
Birds on a good and balanced diet should receive a proper and balanced amount of protein, amino acids, carbohydrates, fats and essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are especially more important for the parrot to maintain good health in the long term. If there is a lack of certain vitamins and minerals, it can lead to deficiencies.
Remember, foods that are healthy for you are also healthy for your parrot. A balanced diet for parrots offers some of each of the four main food groups. You can offer seeds to your parrot, but they should not make up any more than 50 percent of your parrot's total diet. You can offer whole grains diet, such as wheat and grain products, such as overall wheat bread, pretzels and pasta.
Feeding your parrot an all seed diet is not so natural or nutritious. Seeds, especially sunflower, safflower and peanuts are extremely high in fat, low in protein, low in calcium and highly lacking of vitamins. Along with the seed diet, the parrots need a balanced diet of table foods also.
Feed your parrot dairy and poultry products, which are excellent sources of protein and calcium. Most of parrots relish cheese, eggs, chicken and yogurt. Meat is good for them as it is a good source of protein. You can also give beans and legumes apart from meat as they are good protein sources.
All sorts of fruits and vegetables are a necessary part of balanced diet as they can offer many important vitamins. Do not feed your bird with any foods that are high in fat. Do not give your parrot avocados as they are toxic to them.
The final ingredient that should be included in the diet for your parrot is fresh water. If your parrot is not getting enough vitamins from fruits and vegetables, you can add a multi-vitamin to the water if your bird is not having enough vitamin supplements or dextrose or sugar base. Change water once or twice in a day and keep the water bowl clean.
You should be aware of the fact that many parrots throw various food left outs into their water bowls. Some parrots do defecate in their water bowls if it is placed low down to them. This can cause many health problems to parrots if ingested. Therefore, you have to change any water near your parrot that has been soiled.
Feeding parrots twice a day is always recommended. The main benefit is that it makes a healthy appetite for your parrot that may stimulate your bird to attempt new nutritious foods.