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It is true; the wrong parrot diet can kill your beloved companion parrot. It is also true that the right bird diet can help your parrot live a long, healthy, and happy life. Only in recent years have we learned what foods should and should not be offered to our feather friends. When a pet bird's diet consists of healthy choices and good foods, the parrot is certain to live longer than if feed a poor diet. Large parrots such as cockatoos can live for a century or even longer. Small parrot species, such as budgies and cockatiels, will live longer than expected if their bird diet is made up of healthy foods. Seven Deadly Parrots Diet Foods There are many bird diet selections which humans consume that are great for your parrot. However, there are seven foods that can provide deadly to your pet. These are: chocolate, alcohol, avocado, fruits seeds of any type, uncooked eggs, raw meat, or spoiled or moldy foods. There are some other foods over which there is some debate such as onions or garlic cloves. A parrot is extremely unlikely to eat enough of those items to cause a problem. Bird Diet Items to Limit There are also foods which a parrot may consume which should be limited in quantity. Small amounts will not harm the parrot, yet large amounts can cause serious health problems. You may notice that the foods to limit in a bird diet are those foods that people should limit in their own diets. Foods that are high in fat must be strictly limited in bird diets. Parrots diets of parrots living in their natural environment contain little fat. Consider these foods in your bird's diet much as you would think of feeding a small child. While you might allow a child to have a high-fat cookie or oily potato chip, no parent concerned for their child's health would allow their offspring to eat unlimited amounts of these foods. While you might allow your bird to taste one bite or two from the edge of a cookie or chip on rare occasions, you do not want the bird diet to involve large amounts. Remember, all things in moderation is always good advice. Some foods which are high in fat include: foods with added butter, ice cream, fried foods, and cake with icing. Salt much also be limited in a parrot's diet. Health-conscious humans also tend to limit their own salt intake. Thinking of the size of a parrot's body compared to your own, you can easily see why a tiny quantity of salt goes a long, long way. When preparing family meals, remove some vegetables prior to adding salt; this way your feathered friend can enjoy these healthy foods safely. Items which are too salty for inclusion in the bird diet include: salted chips, nuts with salt, fruits or vegetables prepared with added salt, and some packaged foods such as entrees for the microwave. Also included are cured or aged meats such as bacon or ham, and popcorn if salt or butter has been added. Your parrot diet choices should also limit foods which are high in sugar. Parrots can easily become little junk food junkies and want to gorge on sweets if permitted. While it is perfectly safe to permit a bird's diet to include a taste -- meaning one bite or two -- of a sweet treat, you must limit how much your parrot consumes to very small amounts. Foods in this category include: candy, sugar-sweetened juices, sweetened soft drinks, many sugary cereals, cakes, cookies, and ice cream. Good Parrot Diet Choices If you want to make a quick list of what is good to feed parrots, diet items would include everything not listed on the restrictions above. The wider the variety included in a bird's diet, the more nutrients, minerals, and vitamins the parrot will consume. A healthy bird is a happy companion, and you certainly want to enjoy many, many years with your pet. Vegetables and fruits not listed in the deadly foods list are great for bird diet choices. You can serve them cooked or raw, depending on which your parrot prefers. Most parrots also like bits of cheese, pasta, cooked eggs, rice, mashed or boiled potatoes, bits of fish or meat, noodles, and most even enjoy a bone from meat or poultry to chew and eat the marrow.
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About the author: Mississippi 'Bird Lady' finally exposes her proven bird diet, screaming and feather plucking techniques to easily get an amazing sociable and healthy parrot in your home. You can get a unique content version of this article.
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