Dietary management is perhaps the most important thing an owner may do to enhance a birds normally long life span. Large parrots can live to about 60 years and small parrots about 20 years.

It is now known that psittacine birds (parrot-like birds including Budgies, Parakeets, Cockatiels, Cockatoos, Amazons, Conures, African Greys, Macaws and others) have very similar nutritional requirements to those of humans. Healthy human diets include a large portion of deeply colored vegetables such as carrots, squash, red and green peppers, yams, etc.  It is actually these deep colors that provide the building blocks of vitamins.  It is also important to use a variety of vegetables instead of one type; the more variation the better.  One thing to note, however, is that it is thought that avocado is toxic to birds.

Carbohydrates are important energy sources but should be less in volume than the vegetables listed above. These would include cooked rice, corn, and pasta that has been cooled down. Birds cannot sense temperature well and hot foods can burn them.

Fruits, especially colored fruits, should be fed in limited amounts. (e.g. bananas, grapes, cantaloupe, oranges, tomatoes.) If fed too much, fruits can cause diarrhea.  Remember, fruits and vegetables with high water and/or sugar content spoil easily so they should not be left out at room temperature more than a few hours.

Proteins are also important but, again, should be in limited quantities. Cottage cheese, yogurt, beans, bread, and legumes are good protein sources. On occasion, small amounts of lean, cooked and cooled meat may be enjoyed by birds.

You will notice that fats and seeds have not been mentioned. Although many birds are fed seeds before their owners acquire them as pets, they really are one of the poorer foods for birds. It is strongly recommended that seeds be used as treats only. Fats, such as those found in peanuts would be in the same treat status.

Two commonly asked questions frequently arise. How do I get my bird to eat these things when he/she will only eat seed? The second would be is there some formulated diet that can be used in case I don't get all the right combinations of veggies, etc? Let's take the second question first. There are many formulated pelleted diets available. The pellets that have a dried bread-crust or crouton like consistency seem to be enjoyed the most. It is important to use small pellets for small birds and large pellets for large birds. Some birds really prefer hot pepper flavored pellets. Please ask us for our recommendations of brands and also continue with the vegetables, etc. even if your bird is on a pelleted diet.

Now for recommendations on converting birds from seeds to other better foods. Two methods seem to work the best. The first is mimicry. If a bird sees its family eating then they think its time to eat also. This doesn't mean that you have to eat bird pellets or vegetables, but you can act like you are. The other method uses a natural tendency birds have. Most birds in their native habitat feed most vigorously first thing in the morning and just before evening. The idea here is that birds gobble food down quickly to fill their crop, a sack-like organ found near the base of their neck. They then fly to a more protected area to digest that food. To take advantage of this trait of birds, simply remove all food (seeds, etc) that should not be fed and replace it with the good food for the first 1-2 hours your bird is awake and for the last 1-2 hours before he/she goes to bed. Because birds may actually starve themselves if they don't recognize the good food as a food source, provide the inferior food (seed, etc.) in between the above times in addition to the good food. Over time the inferior food may be slowly decreased until it is at a treat level.  It is very important to understand how to check your birds' weight and monitor it closely while switching to a different diet.

There are also some diets that incorporate seeds and pellets in a firm brownie-like cake. These diets, combined with more formulated pellets, can be quite helpful in the conversion process.

With all of these methods, remember the process of getting your bird on a healthier diet may take as long as a few months. Be patient and remember that it is very important to monitor your bird's weight. Since birds don't have obvious ribs like a dog or cat, understanding how to check your birds' weight is vital.  If your bird is losing a substantial amount of weight please call us for further assistance.

Some other things you can do to help your bird stay healthy are:

Be sure they ALWAYS have fresh water.

Keep the room temperature between 68 - 75 degrees. (Parrot-like birds do better in warmer temperatures than cold ones.)

Allow night/daylight times to be similar to that of your particular birds original habitat. (Usually 12-14 hours of light in the summer and 12-14 hours of darkness in the winter.

Have a thorough physical exam every year.  A bird's instinct is to hide their illnesses. By the time they are showing symptoms of being sick they are usually very ill.

CBC and serum chemistry (blood work) is also recommended yearly.  About 40% of healthy appearing birds screened in this way show abnormalities, most of which can be corrected if detected early.

An annual fecal gram stain is also recommended which can help determine if your bird is eating all the appropriate foods needed. It can also tell us if he/she is harboring bacterial infections. Some of these infections can even be contagious to people.

If your bird is not sexually dimorphic (has very distinct differences in color/markings between males and females) we can run a simple blood test to determine their sex. Many abnormalities affect only one sex (e.g. egg binding, uterine infections), therefore it is important to know if your bird is a Paul or a Pauline for medical reasons.

There are a number of special tests that may be of benefit for your particular pet. Some of these tests are required for boarding your bird in our facility. Please ask us about these and we would be happy to assist you in these areas.