Food for parrots: types and features of selection

Any caring owner knows that a balanced diet is the key to the health and vigor of a parrot. The main diet of a bird is a grain mixture, so special attention should be paid to its composition. If you constantly offer your pet insufficiently high-quality cereals, then this will inevitably lead to a lack of vitamins, dull plumage, the development of diseases and even the death of the bird.

Each owner should be well aware of what to feed his parrot and what foods should be avoided. Cereals should make up about 2/3 of the total daily diet of birds. For the most part, the dry mixture consists of peeled millet - it accounts for about 70% of the total volume, and the remaining 30% includes:

• canary seed;
• flax-seed;
• hemp seed;
• oats or oatmeal;
• crushed corn;
• sunflower seeds.

In the wild, birds adhere to proper nutrition instinctively, but pets depend solely on the knowledge of their owners about a competent diet and feeding habits, as well as on the availability of products necessary to maintain normal life. Therefore, we will dwell in more detail on what feeds are, what to look for when choosing a product and give a small rating of the best feeds according to experts.

In the segment of pet supplies, a wide variety of ready-made food for pet parrots is widely represented. They can be both standard and specialized, consisting, for example, of a mixture of dried fruits and nuts. They are usually used as a feed additive or treat. They release mixtures that need to be germinated, as well as formulations with mineral components, vitamin complexes and additives necessary during the moulting and breeding period of birds, there are feed for chicks.

Please be aware that for some liver pathologies, fat-soluble vitamins are categorically contraindicated, therefore, if there is even the slightest suspicion of pet liver malaise, then you should definitely consult with a specialist before introducing stabilized feed into the parrot's menu.

Depending on the size of the birds, different types of mixtures are used.

• To small parrots include wavy, as a rule, feed for them include oats and millet. A slight admixture of sunflower seeds and hemp seeds is allowed - their content usually does not exceed 10-15%, since they are quite high in calories, and an excess of ingredients can cause obesity.
• Medium parrots - these are cockatiels, as well as lovebirds and necklaces. They need a high-energy diet, the diet should include at least 3 varieties of grain. Shop mixes usually include 6-8 types.
• Large parrots - these are birds weighing more than 300 g, such birds include macaw, cockatoo, gray, as well as Amazons. These birds need in the increased consumption of vitamins, useful micro- and macroelements, their need for vitamins B is especially great, therefore vegetables, nuts, juicy berries and fruits are added to grain feed.

During molting, birds need a special grain feed, enriched with Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats. It is noted that the condition of the feathers after taking them is significantly improved.

Breeders of parrots are well aware that a large selection of Russian and imported feeds is presented on the market these days. Unfortunately, domestic feeds in most cases are of low quality and are rather monotonous low-component mixtures. So that the bird is strong, healthy, fully grown and developed, it is better to give preference to the products of one of the following manufacturers.

These cereal mixes are considered to be some of the healthiest - they contain a large amount of nutrients and additives, therefore, they are both satisfying and healthy. In the manufacture of the grain mixture, high-quality natural raw materials are mainly used, which includes several types of millet (red, white and yellow), as well as safflower, canary seed, and oil nougat. All seeds are thoroughly pre-processed, so the grain mixture does not contain any debris - such food can be safely offered to your birds.

It is noteworthy that the package contains a transparent window, thanks to which you can clearly see the contents of the box and its volume.

Thanks to the inclusion of vitamin and mineral components, the health of the birds improves, the parrot remains vigorous and energetic.

The advantages of the grain composition include:

• the inclusion of vegetables and green eucalyptus leaves, which makes the feed more nutritious and healthy;
• balance;
• exceptional usefulness of the mixture for the health of birds;
• affordable price.

However, there were some drawbacks. The packaging is rather thin and single-layer, in the form of a bag - after opening it, after some time, the grain loses its useful properties. Finding such food in retail outlets is quite problematic: it is quite rare in retail stores.

Very high quality balanced food for parrots, which for many years has been considered one of the most successful products of Russian production. The main components of the grain mixture are steel millet and sorghumas well as highly nutritious canary seed. Line of feed for molting birds optional enriched with sesame seeds and protein components, and mixes for birds during the breeding season contain an assorted egg. Special germination mixes are also available.

The advantages of Rio feed include:

• increased balance;
• a wide assortment line, including, in addition to the basic composition, medicinal mixtures;
• practical, high-strength packaging;
• enrichment with nutrients.

Belgian feed, the quality of which meets all European requirements, standards and regulations. The mixture has many advantages:

• consists of extremely high quality cereals, does not contain any debris or additives of unspecified origin;
• the packaging is made of a sealed material that protects the cereal mixture from the penetration of water, insects, and other harmful components;
• the package contains a special lock, so that you can tightly close the opened pack;
• the feed contains only natural and nutritious ingredients that are necessary to maintain the health of the bird;
• low price.

At the same time, do not forget that Prestige is a dry food, therefore, the diet of a bird must certainly contain ordinary water, as well as fruits, ripe vegetables and berries.

This is one of the most common cereal mixes that can be found in any store for a fairly reasonable price.

With the latter type of feed, you should be as careful as possible - if given to healthy parrots, in most cases this leads to the development of hyperthyroidism with the transition to oncology.

One of the most demanded food among parrot breeders. This composition includes millet, as well as oats, canary seed and other useful components, it does not contain debris and other foreign inclusions, there is no unpleasant smell... The mixture is different high nutritional value, therefore, the consumption of such feed is quite economical. The package is cardboard, dense, inside it the food is sealed in a plastic bag.

When choosing a feed, you should pay special attention to the following points.

• There is no need to buy a grain mixture if it is sold by weight or simply poured into an ordinary cardboard box - it is not known how long and in what conditions the product was stored. The grains could have become damp and moldy for a long time, insects could appear in them, so feed should be purchased exclusively in an airtight form.
• The grains must definitely look shiny, and the aroma should be pleasant, any extraneous odors directly indicate the presence of chemical additives, it is better to refuse to buy such feed.
• You should not purchase mixtures containing balls or granules: your birds only need grains. Feeds containing fruit are also not the best choice for birds. Fruits can spoil a grain mixture very quickly, and dried fruits lack all the nutrients that are present in juicy fresh ones.
• Be sure to check the composition of the food indicated on the box., and compare it with the content. It is good if the package has a small transparent window.If, when opening a box with food, you find sand, grass and any other foreign matter, it is better to immediately throw such a product away.
• Of course, keep an eye on your pet's condition. when introducing a new product into the diet. If the bird becomes lethargic, silent and apathetic, then it is better to change the feed mixture as soon as possible.

After purchasing the feed, a small test should be carried out - a few grains should be placed in water and left for a couple of days. If the soaked grains begin to swell and germinate, you can safely dry them, mix with the rest of the grains from the package and give to your bird. If the grain is "dead", then it is strictly forbidden to give this food to pets., in this case, cereals lose their nutrients, and sometimes even contain fungal spores, mold and other pathogenic microflora.

After purchase, be sure to pour the food into a glass jar with a tightly screwed lid. - the product must be stored in an airtight environment. The feed mixture must be poured into the birds' feeders 2 times a day, after having cleaned the containers from the husks left over from the last feeding. The dosage depends only on the size of the birds - budgies eat up to 2 tbsp. l. feed per day, large, respectively, more.

And, of course, it is important to understand that grain food cannot be the only product in the diet of parrots. In addition to cereals, the daily menu should include:

• porridge - they must be boiled in water without adding salt, sugar and oil;
• vegetables and fruits - with the exception of overripe and too sweet;
• sprouted grains - these products contain a large amount of trace elements necessary for the full growth and development of birds;
• eggs - about 4-5 grams per day (a pea-sized portion), and shortly before fertilization and during gestation and incubation of eggs, this amount is doubled;
• twigs and young shoots of fruit trees - contain essential vitamins and help to grind down the beak.

The recipe for delicious parrot porridge will diversify the menu of your pets.