Feeding Your Bird

Making the decision to adopt or purchase a bird can be an overwhelming and exciting decision. And one of the first things you should consider is what to feed your bird.

As a veterinary practice, we witness many health problems in birds that could be avoided if they only had a proper diet. In fact, malnutrition is one of the most common problems we witness in birds. We educate our clients on a daily basis about the importance of a proper diet. Your bird may enjoy table food, and you may get satisfaction from this, but in the long run you are creating future health issues for your feathered friend.

Birds in the wild eat a high caloric diet that includes food such as fruit, nuts and seeds, but they also burn thousands of calories a day flying. On the other hand, birds in captivity spend a majority of their time in their cages and rarely fly. They require a diet that is lower in fat and gives the proper amount of calories.  Additionally, it is nearly impossible to mimic the native diet using the foods available to us.

Birds don't instinctively know what to eat in order to have good nutrition. Most birds, given the choice will not pick a good diet. They usually eat what tastes best, which typically ends up being something high in fat and bad for their health. They're similar to humans; we often will choose a donut over carrots to get immediate satisfaction. You must train your bird to eat a healthful diet.

We witness many clients with new birds that are on a strictly seed diet. This is something we discourage. We highly recommend feeding birds a diet that consists of mainly pellets, and then a smaller percentage of grains, fruits, and veggies.

Here is a breakdown:

Smaller birds--cockatiels, love birds, parrotlets, parakeets, budgies, etc.
50% of diet should be pellets
30-40% of diet should be grains
10% of diet should be fruits and veggies

Larger birds--macaws, cockatoos, amazons, etc.
50-75% of diet should be pellets
10-20% of diet should be grains
20-30% of diet should be fruits and veggies

Dr. Folland's Double yellow-headed Amazon eats a diet of Lafeber Nutri-Berries and Harrison's bird pellets.

Good foods for birds:

Grains--spelt, oat groats, barley, steel cut oats, wheatberry, buckwheat, millet, flax seed, chia seed, hemp seed

Veggies--jalepeno peppers, bell peppers, banana peppers, Serrano peppers, yams, sweet potatoes, broccoli, squash, zucchini, cucumber, pumpkin, bean sprouts, snow peas, snap peas, kale, collard or mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, endive, dill parsley, basil, chives, cilantro.

Fruits--blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, figs, kiwi, pomegranate, persimmons, mango, lychee, cactus fruit, passion fruit

Foods NOT recommended for birds:

• Flour based foods (bread, tortillas, cookies, crackers, etc.)
• Fried foods, animal meats, chicken bones, dairy products
• Foods sweetened with natural or artificial sweeteners
• Dried fruits, fruit juice, grapes, bananas, citrus fruits
• Nuts, raw beans, and any type of spinach

Foraging is very important for a bird's behavioral and physical health. Whenever possible, find creative ways to help your bird forage. There are foraging kits available to aid in hiding food from your bird.

Tips for switching from seeds to pellets (and other healthful foods)

*We recommend when changing your bird's diet that you consult with one of our avian veterinarians prior to making the change. An abrupt change in diet can lead to emaciation in death in some birds. Be sure to monitor droppings and weigh your bird frequently.*

• Eat healthful foods in front of your bird and then offer the food as you eat. Start adding new foods to the old diet
• Diminish old diet by giving 50% old diet and 50% new diet; then reduce
• Use hunt and peck method by placing new food on a hard surface and picking it up and dropping it, so that your bird will start investigating
• Use bounce, hunt, and peck method by placing food on a hard surface and tap the surface so that food bounces up and down. The "peck drive" helps them try out the new food. 

We want both you and your bird to be happy and healthy! And a good diet is the perfect place to start. Feeding your bird the best diet possible is what we strive for!

For more extensive information about your bird's well-being and diet, schedule a visit with one of our avian veterinarians.
   

Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic is the Place to Bring Your Pet

What do you expect to find when you and your pet walk through the doors of Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic? First, you’ll notice a clean smell throughout the lobby—not the scent of a thousand hounds rolling around in dirt. Then you’ll notice Bob the snake, a green tree python in his habitat (cage), sleeping. And trust me, every time you’ll see Bob, he is asleep—not dead. You may hear some squawking and mumbling from a cage in the corner of the lobby. That is Buckwheat, our Double Yellow-headed Amazon. She is our pride and joy!

Here is Bob, sleeping

Upon entering the clinic lobby, you’ll always be greeted with a smile by one of our awesome receptionists. Courtney is our lead receptionist and has been with our clinic for over four years. She is also a certified dog trainer, so if you have a new puppy, she is your lady.

If your pet happens to need care in our treatment area, feel free to come back with our doctors and technicians. We have an open-door policy, so if you’re ever concerned about your loved one while they are receiving treatment, you have the option to be there with them. Our doctors and staff are highly skilled and sympathetic.

About our doctors:

Dr. Folland is the founder and medical director of Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic. He is Avian Board Certified, with a passion for exotic animals. In the past he has worked for Hogle Zoo, and currently cares for the birds at Tracy Aviary. He has saved countless eagles that have been rescued, and even helped save a family of beavers that had been affected by an oil spill.

Dr. Echols is another one of our veterinarians at PCVC and Avian Board Certified as well. We are very lucky to have two of the very few Avian Certified vets in the U.S. In addition to working at PCVC, Dr. Echols performs research and lectures at various veterinary conferences throughout the world. He’s spent time in the Amazon rain forest (like Tarzan), studying various species of animals and living in a tree house.

The newest addition to our team is Dr. Stearns. She recently graduated from Cornell and moved all the way out to Utah to train under Dr. Folland and Dr. Echols. Everyone at PCVC are excited to have her as one of our veterinarians.

Dr. Love works for us part-time and is also a Cornell alumna. She has a “LOVE” for animals and brings positive energy to our clinic.

Welcome to Parrish Creek Veterinary Clinic!

This is Buckwheat, our cute Double Yellow-headed Amazon

*Stay tuned for our next blog when we introduce our fantastic technicians*