Pet Habitat South Africa

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02 Oct 2016

Are Pellets Or Seeds Better For Parrots?

Posted By : Guest

When it comes to food, your pet needs a balanced diet as well as lots of clean water to stay in tip top shape. Feeding your bird correctly for maximum health has never been easier than it is now. For a long time, the standard way to feed pet birds was to buy a seed mix, and possibly supplement the seeds with some fresh greens and a piece of fruit. Most kinds of pet birds see seed mixes as tasty, but the mixes are fattening and lack many essential nutrients. As a result, many pet birds died young from preventable diseases.

In the past couple of decades, research into avian nutrition has made huge strides. This research has resulted in excellent pellet foods and ready-to-serve mixes for many species of bird, which will help ensure a long healthy life for your pet. But while it may be convenient to know exactly what nutrients our pets are consuming, many parrots look upon commercial pellets with disdain. And because pellets can be consumed far more quickly that seeds, parrots that do accept them are left with extra “free time” to fill; boredom becomes a problem unless additional enrichment opportunities are provided.

Pellets Vs Seeds & Fruit/Veggies

A parrot nutrition study published in the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery (V. 26, N. 3) examined diets containing different proportions of commercial pellets, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Amazon Parrots consuming the various diets were then evaluated as to their nutritional status. Levels of fat, calcium, sodium, iron and other nutrients, and calcium: phosphorus ratio’s, were analyzed.

Feeding Trials

The first diet contained less seed – 25% by weight – than most parrot owners use, along with 50% fruit/veggies and 25% pellets. Yet even with this limited amount of seed, parrots consuming this diet were deficient in calcium, sodium and iron, and their fat intake was at an unhealthy level. The researchers also noted that the birds chose foods that exacerbated their nutritional deficiencies.

When seeds were reduced to 18% of the diet (60% pellets, 22% fruit/veggies), the parrots still consumed too much fat, but levels of other nutrients, and their calcium: phosphorus ratio’s, were satisfactory.

A diet comprised of 75% pellets and 25% fruit/veggies provided parrots with recommended levels of all nutrients. Based on these findings, it was recommended that fruit/veggies, rather than seeds, be used to provide variety and foraging opportunities.

Convincing Parrots to Accept Pellets

Providing a complete diet based on seeds, nuts, fruits, nectar, insects and other natural foods is difficult and time consuming. Diets comprised of whole food items allow birds to pick and choose – indeed, nutritional deficiencies caused by this problem spurred the development of pelleted diets. As parrots must eat the whole pellet, choice is removed from the equation.

There are a few downfalls to consider with pellets as well. Firstly it is a fortified food, so it is easy to overdose your birds on some vitamins if you are using a nutritional supplement at the same time. The other issue is that sometimes birds will get used to the one pellet and if there comes a time where your brand of pellets is out, the bird may refuse to eat. You can combat all these problems by providing your bird with a mix of brands of pellets.

Not all pellet mixes are created equal; we recommend Roudybush pellet diets. Choosing what pellet you should feed is based on the species. The only species of parrot where we do not recommend feeding a large portion of pellets is the Eclectus Parrot. The Eclectus Parrot has a longer digestive tract which makes it easy for them to overdose on vitamins such as vitamin A. Eclectus also need a much larger amount of fibre in their diet so fresh vegetables and fruit should make up 60% of their diet. In conclusion, the diet for your pet bird should really be catered to the species in question and formulated by a professional if you want to get the best out of your birds.

Behavioral Enrichment

Providing parrots with opportunities to explore, search for food, manipulate objects, interact with others and otherwise remain active and interested in their environments is critical to good health; indeed, one study has even established that enrichment opportunities can speed wound healing. Zoos now require behavioral enrichment for nearly all animals, including reptiles and amphibians.

Parrots fed largely upon pellets engage in less foraging behavior and food manipulation than do those on seed-based diets, increasing the likelihood that they will become bored. Providing commercial and homemade parrot toys is perhaps the simplest way to improve your pet's quality of life. In recent years, a number of parrot toys have been specifically designed to foster exploratory and other beneficial behaviors. Often sold as “foraging toys," they are well-worth considering.