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Why The Wrong Parrot Diet Can Kill Your Bird

By: Nora Caterino
 

Giving your parrot the wrong bird diet can result in the death of your feathered friend. Yes, this is a fact. Feeding your parrot the right bird diet, however, can help ensure health and longevity for your beloved bird. Only in the last few decades has research revealed which foods are deadly to parrots and which are the best choices for them.

The main benefit of making sure your parrots diet contains the right foods is longevity. Just as people can live longer when eating a healthy diet, so can your companion parrot. It was only come to light in recent decades that parrots can live long lives if properly fed a wide variety of foods.

Seven Deadly Parrots Diet Foods

There are many bird diet selections which humans consume that are great for your parrot. However, there are seven foods that can provide deadly to your pet. These are: chocolate, alcohol, avocado, fruits seeds of any type, uncooked eggs, raw meat, or spoiled or moldy foods. There are some other foods over which there is some debate such as onions or garlic cloves. A parrot is extremely unlikely to eat enough of those items to cause a problem.

Limits These Foods in Your Parrots Diet

There are some foods which people eat that a parrot can safely consume a tiny bit of without any problem, but which should be limited in the parrot diet. In large quantities, these foods can harm your bird's health. You may note these are also foods that a human should not eat in large amounts for their own health, too.

Any food which is high in fat must be limited. Wild parrots diets include very little fat. Think of your parrot diet much as you would the diet of a three year old child. A child could have a few potato chips even though they are high in fact, but you would limit the quantity. In a parrot's diet, you could allow a bite or even two from the edge of one single potato chip once in a while. Just do not let it become a habit so that every single day the parrot expects and gets potato chips. The golden adage "everything in moderation" is a good guideline to follow about parrot diet items to limit. Examples of foods in this group include: potato chips, fried foods, buttered vegetables or bread, ice cream, and cake or cookies.

It is also important to limit the amount of salty foods in your parrot's diet. A very small amount of salt goes a long way when consumed by a parrot with such a small body. When you are cooking food for the family that you plan to salt, remove some of the veggies before you add seasoning. Many common foods can be found in unsalted versions which are better for people with certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure and are also better for your parrot's diet. Foods in this category include salted potato chips, corn chips, nuts, vegetables with added salt, many prepared foods such as microwave entrees, bacon, ham, and other cured meats, and salted popcorn.

Sugary foods are poor choices for a bird diet. Just like children, birds can learn to crave sweets if allowed. It is safe to permit a parrot to taste a bite or perhaps two of sugary foods, it is crucial to restrict quantities. Sugary foods include: sweetened soft drinks, some cereals, candy, sweetened fruit juice, ice cream, and cookies.

Good Choices for your Bird Diet

You may wonder what foods are good to include in your parrot diet. The answer is, basically, everything not listed above! A bird diet should include lots of different foods in order to ensure that a wide range of vitamins and nutrients are consumed. The more choices your parrot diet includes, the better health your parrot will enjoy and the longer life span your companion parrot can expect.

Fruits and vegetables are great parrot diet choices, either raw or gently cooked. Cooked eggs, cheese, pasta, rice, potatoes (except potato chips or fried potatoes), noodles, bits of meat or fish, and other human foods are good for you bird. Parrots only need a very small amount of meat, so offer just a bite or two; some parrots do love a bone with a few bits of meat left on it to chew and to dig out the marrow which is quite nutritious.

Article Source: Main Articles

About the author: Mississippi 'Bird Lady' finally exposes her proven bird diet, screaming and feather plucking techniques to easily get a happy, sociable and healthy parrot in your home.
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