I wanted to post diet info in a separate space here - mainly because it's so important for ekkies. This site -
diets
is very comprehensive and I think very good. Go through the links on the left and take time to read it all. You will hear opinions from both ends of the spectrum and everywhere in between about what is right and good. As I mentioned before, do your homework
More great info here -
Psittacine Cuisine
My boys get all fresh and homemade food with the exception of some "store-bought" mixes. Those mixes are offered in small amounts - think side dishes or treats, not main course:
- Higgins Worldly Cuisines
- Dr. Harvey's Veg to Bowl
- Dr. Harvey's What's Cookin'
- Phoenix Foraging Unpellet Mix (excellent stuff!)
- Volkman Eclectus Seed Mix (on occasion, not daily)
- Nutriberries as special treats
Stuff I make:
- Bird Bread (lots of recipes out there!)
- Sweet Potato Puffs (Cook sweet potato mixed with chopped veggies and made into little balls, rolled in coconut. Freeze and defrost as needed)
- Chop... details below.
- They are always offered fresh greens (kale, spinach, etc. whatever I bought that week) and veggies (usually what I find in season and organic when possible). They're not really crazy about fruit unless I'M eating it. LOL Then they want some - they'll usually try banana, apple, cantaloupe, berries. I don't typically put fruit in their bowls because they always toss it out.
Ok, about the CHOP. Chop day is a big production at my house - and it's just what it sounds like - a bunch of chopped stuff.
But I make it by the sink-full then freeze it in smaller portions for defrosting as needed. They get this for dinner daily. I mix it with rehydrated Goldenfeast Bean Supreme but you can serve chop all by itself, too. Basically it contains the following:
- Variety of cooked beans - Volkman Soak & Simmer is a good blend or sometimes I just use a variety from the grocery store (black, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, etc.). They should be fully cooked!
- Variety of cooked grains - brown rice, millet, barley, quinoa, buckwheat.
- Chopped/diced/shredded Seasonal veggies, organic when possible - you can go crazy here. Staples in my chop are carrots, bell peppers, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash. Sometimes I add hot peppers, cabbage, broccoli, whatever looks good at the market!
Hope that helps you on the diet stuff! As for pellets, if they ate them in their previous home, you can still offer them a good pellet. Choose one that is NOT colored or artificially fortified. TOPs is a good one. Goldenfeast Golden'obles is also good.
If you have trouble getting them to try fresh/homemade food, eat some yourself, make a big deal about how yummy it is, etc. They'll watch you! You can also check out my blog that is all about parrot-safe human dishes to share with your fiddies!
It's at
Beak Bites!
Please ask if you have more questions! This is all a lot to absorb!