Just like other pets, feeding your bird the right type of foods helps keep them healthy and strong. In their natural habitat, birds have a wide variety of foods to choose from, giving them a complete and varied source of nutrition. However, in captivity, you need to provide all their nutritional needs as their owner to maintain their good health.
Here is a simple guide about feeding pet birds and some feeding tips that could help you out.
Differences in Diet
Not all birds eat the same types of foods. Some birds prefer fruits and flowers; others may prefer grains, and so on. Each type of bird differs in their food preference. Most commonly, they eat seeds but that food alone can’t provide all the nutrients that they need. Know the type of food your pet bird prefers so you’ll have an idea on what variety of foods to buy. If you have a picky eater bird that only eats its favorite food, you can provide its nutritional needs by feeding it formulated foods instead.
Feeding Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamins and minerals. You should feed your bird with these foods regularly to complete the nutrition that they need. There are plenty of good options to choose from such as turnips, kale, tomato, red beets, apples, and many more. Be sure to wash it properly and remove the pits and seeds. Remove the unfinished portions to avoid spoilage.
Be Creative in Feeding
Birds consider a lot of factors in choosing the food they want to eat – from the scent up to how the food looks like. Some birds may even get bored when they are eating the same food or feeding on the same container for a long time. When feeding birds, be creative and explore different ways to do this.
Feed a variety of foods so they would feel like eating a new kind of food from time to time. Also, use different ways in feeding your pet. You could hang the food from the top of the cage, or hide it under a pile of torn paper pieces so they’ll need to find it before they could eat. You could also serve bird snacks from time to time to add novelty in their feeding times.
Foods to Avoid
Although birds could eat a variety of foods, there are certain food that should never be fed to your pet. These are junk foods, guacamole, chocolate, salt, caffeine, alcohol, fruit pits, mushrooms, and onions. You could do some research to know more foods that shouldn’t be given to your bird.
Grit
Grit is not really food but it is said to aid in a bird’s digestion although some birds don’t actually need it. Ask a vet to know if your pet bird is a type that needs grit or not.
Those are just some basic tips to remember in feeding pet birds. Learn and explore more about birds to take care of your precious pet a lot better.
