Nutrition

Core knowledge of avian nutrition has increased exponentially in the last two decades.

As late as the 1970s most of us that kept or raised parrots fed them an almost exclusively seed diet. It was not uncommon to see a large parrot in a small wrought-iron cage eating a diet of sunflower seed and drinking water from a crock that was infrequently cleaned and replenished.

When we purchased our first parrot in 1978 we were extremely naive, as were many other bird owners. We did not think it strange that our hand-fed baby Amazon, BoBo, wasn't wearing a band and had been raised on a diet of seed and tortillas.

That missing band and the stack of tortillas should have clued us that BoBo had been smuggled into the U.S.—as many Amazons were in those day—and that he was not a domestic baby parrot. (If he had been hand-fed, the smuggler and/or accomplices chewed the seeds and tortillas, then spit the mash into the mouth of the baby.) Those were indeed the Dark Ages of aviculture!

Thanks to more than twenty years of studies into parrots' eating habits in the wild, along with extensive research (in such fields as biochemistry, nutrition, anatomy, and physiology), we now know that our birds require a varied diet that does not necessarily reflect what they eat in the wild—they need plenty of healthy vegetables and fruits, sprouted seeds and legumes, pellets, and only a little bit of seed.

Over the years we have acquired a flock of more than 100 parrot pets and breeding birds that were paired up with mates as they came of breeding age. They still delight us with words, phrases and songs, even while raising healthy chicks for us. And, yes, we still have BoBo, who is now happily paired with Alfie, another Yellow-naped Amazon (she recently retired from a career in entertaining). They frequently entertain us with choruses from "Old MacDonald" and "God Bless America."

It took us years to convert BoBo to a healthy diet and to reduce his weight—a problem shared by many Amazons raised on a fatty diet and too little exercise. Because of our large flock we have the unique ability to test-market all of our products before we offer them to the public. We know the health benefits of the foods and supplements that we have used ourselves and now sell to customers. The proof of our success in avian nutrition is our nursery full of healthy baby parrots that you can visit at Parrots Naturally.

If you have a parrot living on a diet of seed, its life expectancy is less than half of the normal parrot lifespan, and will undoubtedly be cut short by conditions such as fatty liver disease, vitamin A deficiency, and other debilitating illnesses related to improper diet.

But do not despair—we can help you guide your bird to a healthier lifestyle. At Parrots Naturally, our primary goal is education for bird owners. Whether you purchased your bird from us or somewhere else, we want to share important nutritional information that we have acquired over the years.

Every Sunday is Sample Day at Parrots Naturally—we'll send you home to your bird with tasty samples of our unique New Millennium sprouts, delicious and healthy birdie breads, several fruit and vegetable mixes, and natural pellets. Join us for our lively discussions of diet and bird behavior, and get acquainted with some of our growing family of bird-lovers.

Today there are so many endangered parrots—even those considered abundant in the wild just a few years ago. As responsible breeders and pet owners we have an obligation to maintain our birds in a healthy, natural, and clean environment—and to feed the best diet that our current knowledge prescribes.

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