Interesting article. As far as my African Ringneck, he gets a variety of foods, including TOPS pellets, seeds, nuts, veggies, fruits, grains, & herbs. I would say that pellets don't constitute much more than 30% of his diet.
I also raise chickens and turkeys which interestingly enough eat pellets, although even though they say the pellets are a complete feed I also feed them grass, greens, fruits, scrap veggies, a scratch grains etc. You would think that they are fairly similar birds but their pellets are quite different. The chickens require 14-18% protein and laying hens extra calcium which they get in the form of layer pellets & oyster shell. The turkeys on the other hand require 18-30% protein depending on their age. They are seasonal layers so the need for extra calcium isn't daily like the chickens. The reason I mention this is because I can imagine that even though a African Ringneck and an Amazon Parrot may look similar I am certain they have very different dietary requirements.
I also raise sheep which also have you guessed it "sheep pellets" the mainstay of their diet is pasture and hay, and they get the pellets and a loose mineral in small amounts to make up for the missing minerals in the local soil. The University does extensive research on the soils, natural grasses, and livestock diets here and I appreciate the information it gives me so I can adequately feed my animals. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had the same information for all our birds.
I also raise chickens and turkeys which interestingly enough eat pellets, although even though they say the pellets are a complete feed I also feed them grass, greens, fruits, scrap veggies, a scratch grains etc. You would think that they are fairly similar birds but their pellets are quite different. The chickens require 14-18% protein and laying hens extra calcium which they get in the form of layer pellets & oyster shell. The turkeys on the other hand require 18-30% protein depending on their age. They are seasonal layers so the need for extra calcium isn't daily like the chickens. The reason I mention this is because I can imagine that even though a African Ringneck and an Amazon Parrot may look similar I am certain they have very different dietary requirements.
I also raise sheep which also have you guessed it "sheep pellets" the mainstay of their diet is pasture and hay, and they get the pellets and a loose mineral in small amounts to make up for the missing minerals in the local soil. The University does extensive research on the soils, natural grasses, and livestock diets here and I appreciate the information it gives me so I can adequately feed my animals. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had the same information for all our birds.