What to Feed Pet Birds: Beyond the Seed Mix
An all-seed diet is the most common cause of illness in pet birds. Here is the balance to aim for.
Seed is the bird equivalent of crisps: birds love it, and left to themselves they will eat little else. An all-seed diet is high in fat and short on vitamin A and calcium, which is why it shortens so many pet bird lives.
What a balanced plate looks like
- Pellets — about 60–70%. Formulated pellets prevent selective feeding.
- Fresh vegetables — about 20–30%. Dark leafy greens, carrot, broccoli, sweetcorn, sweet potato.
- Fruit — around 5–10%. Berries, apple (no pips), melon.
- Seed — a treat and a training reward, not the meal.
Converting a seed addict
Do it slowly. Mix a small amount of pellets into the usual seed and increase the ratio over several weeks. Birds will not eat what they do not recognise as food, so eat in front of them, offer new items in the morning when they are hungriest, and never starve a bird onto a new diet — they can decline dangerously fast.
Never offer
Avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, onion, garlic, apple seeds and anything salty. Non-stick cookware fumes are also fatal.
Grit and cuttlebone
Most parrots do not need grit. A cuttlebone or mineral block is worth offering for calcium, especially for laying hens.
