Come fly with us.....

Nutrition Requirements, Hazards, and Recipes

Resources are provided by both pet owners and breeders. Each selection will open a separate window for viewing and printing without the navigation bar. Additional can be found below the articles.

	Recipes, Resource provided by Jill Milan, Parrot-lets and More
	Sprouting Recipes, Resource provided by Dennie Saul, Cele Birds
	Tasty Edible Flowers for You & Your Pets, Resource provided by Dennie Saul, Cele Birds
	Toxins in Food, Source: Petra M. Burgmann, DVM

Be prepared to offer your parrotlet many types of foods on a daily basis.

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Grains & Breads (includes cereal without sugar)
• Animal protein
• Dairy: including eggs (mixes can be purchased for use during molts: Protein 24, Petamine)
• Seed (staple that can stay in the cage all day without spoiling)
• Treats
  

Size, color, and presentation mean a lot to these tiny parrots. If you attempt to give your bird a whole carrot, don't be surprised if they are afraid of it solely on its size. The same goes for a strawberry, although this may be due to the color red --- which some parrotlets intensely dislike. Take the time to cook or finely chop/cut daily offerings. You can prepare a week or more worth of food at one time if stored properly.

Just as would make sure you or your child receives food from all the pyramid groups, so should your thinking be for your parrotlet.

Examples include:

• fresh broccoli, cauliflower, squash, zucchini, green peppers
• toast, dry or slightly moistened cereal, ProGrow Cajun bread
• cooked rice, pasta, cous cous
• cooked (well done) chicken or turkey
• eggs: hard boiled or scrambled (no salt)
• orange slices or pieces of rind, apples, berries, bananas or banana peels
• cornbread: with or without added fruits or vegetables
• prepackaged cook or soak mixes: Crazy Corn, Beak Appetit

Note: when cooking food you can add lots of spices, but do not add salt or sugar. If you purchase grocery store brand bean, rice, or pasta packages with separate seasoning mixes included, discard the packet and add your own spices without the salt. Vegetables added to rice or pasta, with some seed included, will be a favorite of your bird. Experiment with the foods your bird will eat, but never give up on trying new food. Persistence pays off eventually.

Specific bird seed/food and treats that are favorites:

• Cockatiel (pacific) or parakeet-sized (green-rumped) bird seed mixes
• gourmet blend seed mixes (small hookbill)
• ProGrow Cajun bread mix
• Protein 25 (before and during molts, before and during breeding especially when the parents are feeding their young)
• pine cone treats (small)
• Beak Appetit (6 flavors, some are instant mixes, fruit and vegetable varieties)
• Crazy Corn
• Kitchen Creations
• Goldenfeast products (dried fruit and vegetables, can be served as is or added into cooked foods)
• Pellets - plain and fruit flavored (Roudybush, Zupreem, Kaytee)
• millet

Be observant of pet store block treats. Some stores may have older treats that have turned hard. Try to squeeze the product through the plastic to test for freshness if it does not have an expiration date. Always check the expiration date of bags of seeds and look for bugs. Spider webs or clumping in the bags also indicate the presence of bugs. Ask the store about their return policy on bags of seeds in case you find bugs once you are home or moths appear within the first two weeks of use.

Do not purchase seed or any mix from an open bin. Always buy fresh food for your bird.

Dee Hayston of Simply Parrots suggests freezing bags of seed for two weeks before use. Be sure to let the bag come to room temperature before opening and using. Turn the bag during the thawing process. If you open and reseal a bag before it has come to room temperature, you risk the formation of fungus on the seed which could kill your bird.

Always take proper precautions in storing fresh or frozen food items. Never serve old food --- only keep a few days supply of precooked food in the refrigerator. Avoid salts and sugars as much as possible. See above article.