(Source: Birds USA July 1993)

While our knowledge of keeping birds continues to expand at a rapid race, nutritional deficiencies still rank as the most common underlying cause of disease, especially in those birds living on a seed-only diet. While many birds in this category will look good for many years, subtle changes will occur: feather changes, attitude variations, and the predisposition to bacterial infections. In breeder birds, the changes may be even subtler: fewer (if any) eggs that year, more infertile eggs, weaker chicks and an increase in dead-in-shell eggs.

Grains:
The grain group supplies many vitamins, minerals and proteins. Grains supply energy from simple and complex carbohydrates. Seeds fall within this group, but since many pet birds prefer dry seeds to almost all other foods, seeds must be limited. Millet seeds come in a variety of sizes and colors. Canary seed is high in protein, while oat groats and sunflower are high in fat. Other good grain sources include wheat (red winter wheat), rice (brown or paddy), oats, barley and sorghum. Other types of food in this group include whole-wheat or stone-ground bread and pasta. The grain group is always appreciated by our pet birds, but also lacks many of the other nutrients found in the other food groups.

Fruits & Vegetables:
This food group is certainly important for our birds' health. It supplies many important vitamins including vitamin A, many B vitamins, Vitamin E, and also K. Vitamin A is important for growth, prevention of infection, development of good skin lining, and for the absorption of calcium and vitamin D. Many vegetables contain vitamin A, but those with an especially high content include: carrots, yams, winter squash, broccoli, chard, or New Zealand spinach. Fruits with vitamin A include papayas, cantaloupe, and apricots. The B vitamins can be found in alfalfa, soybeans, beets, and also in the dark leafy vegetables. Vitamin C is needed especially in times of stress or illness. Slices of citrus can be given occasionally.

Protein Group:
This food group always includes meat, but plant proteins are better suited for their needs. The most often used animal proteins used for our birds are eggs (boiled over 20 minutes to eliminate any possible salmonella). Plant proteins are found in legumes, the most common being in the bean group. Commonly fed beans include navy, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, and soybeans. Most are soaked overnight and cooked to a boil in the morning. Other protein sources include split green peas and lentils. This food group supplies many of the amino acids not found in the grains.

Products that supply calcium:
This group includes many products not fed to birds. For humans this group provides amino acids, vitamins and calcium. For birds, these nutrients can be found in the other food groups or can be offered in the form of vitamin supplements. For us, the main dairy food item is milk, but since birds have great difficulty in digesting the sugars in milk, it should not be fed to them. Cheese, however, can be offered every once in a while as a treat.

Supplements:
Water-soluble vitamins loose their potency after three to four hours; they can also be the media for bacterial growth in the water dish. Powdered vitamins sprinkled on soft foods are more effective. A multivitamin high in vitamin A made especially for birds is excellent. Dicalcium phosphate and trace minerals can also be placed on the food. Small amounts placed consistently on the food are better than large amounts because birds will often avoid foods that have a gritty substance.

Pelleted diets:
The pelleted and extruded diets now available were formulated to overcome the nutritional deficiencies found in seed-only diets. The difference between pelleted and extruded diets is this: The ground or mashed food ingredients in pellets are heated under great pressure to form a hard pellet. Extruded diets also put the ingredients through heated pressure, but air is forced through tiny holes to create a fluffy pellet not unlike our human-prepared cereals. Minute air pockets have been trapped within the extruded formula-type pellet, creating a lighter product. They both have a great nutritional base with vitamins and other supplements already added.

The Perfect Diet:
As of yet, no long-term study on the nutrition of exotic birds in their natural habitat has been revealed. Obviously, though, exotic birds in the wild do not have the same dietary habits, let alone the same food items, as exotic birds in captivity. The truth is, pet birds will not eat a nutritionally balanced diet even if we place a variety of food items in front of them. They will eat the food they like best, and if that item is strictly sunflower seed, they certainly will not have a balanced diet. Because of the great diversity of birds and their habits, there really is no "perfect" diet. The best thing for any bird is a wide variety of foods, and seed offered in moderate amounts.


Foods to avoid:
Pits of fruits, chocolate, milk (in excess), avocados, tomatoes, parsley, salty foods, high sugar foods, high fat foods, alcohol, and tobacco products.