Carolyn, the feeding of parrots is a big, hotly debated subject. Our parrots are usually from countries with tropical weather and therefore we cannot really make up a diet in fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, etc. they would see in the wild. What most people do is what I do; take all the best information from scientists working in the wild with the types of parrots I have and try to match what I have to what the birds eat in the wild. I use a really good pellet to give the birds their basic complete and balanced food with vitamins, minerals and amino acids inside the food; each bite of pellet is supposed to give a complete and balanced mix for them. Then I give them the seeds that almost all birds subsist on for the less abundant times of the years (seeds, nuts, dried fruit), add in grains (wheat, rice, quinona, barley, corn) and top it off with fresh fruits and veggies for really fresh vitamins and minerals. In this way, I am trying to provide my birds with good nutrition to take them into their old age and maximize the amount of time they spend with me in the future. You well know there is nothing as painful as losing someone or some pet you love.
That is the way I do it. But other people do something quite different. One type of bird parront goes as natural and fresh as one can go, importing some of the food stuff, giving only the best organic and fresh fruits and veggies and nuts according to the species of bird they keep, etc. Some people make up a chop of fresh stuff, some a glop of fresh stuff and frozen or canned. It all depends on who you believe when it comes to recommendations for feeding pet parrots. As you get more experience in keeping your parrots, you will begin to make decisions about what you read and learn and will eventually decide on your own what to use for your birds. There are so basic rules and one of them is to never be drastic in changing your bird's diet; always do small changes at a time so they adjust: some birds will starve themselves into malnutrition due to food changes. Another is to consider how birds eat in the wild; small amounts foraged at two or three times a day and rest period in between foraging. There is no full bowl in the wild; they have to go find it: and if it is plentiful at one time of the year it is probably scarce in another time of the year.
I give my birds a fresh veggie and fruit diet when I can afford the fruit; usually four days a week. Other days they get a cooked meal of grains, nuts, seeds and fruits from a commercial supplier. They get their ration of one day's worth of Harrisons and Roudybush pellets then as well and a little dried fruit, nuts and seeds. For supper they get a cooked food, pasta, rice, wheat, quinona, a shred or two of chicken twice a week for protein, and Sunny and Trixie usually eat supper with me and steal off my plate. At bedtime I check to see they have clean leftover pellets and give them another small amount of seeds, nuts and dried fruit in case they get hungry and go to commune with the cats until my bedtime. Filling a bowl full like you do just encourages your Taz Senegal to play with the pellets and seeds; or to throw out the pellets to get to the seeds. I give pellets in their own bowl, seeds/nuts/dried fruit in their own, and their breakfast and supper in other bowls. Yes, I wash a lot of bowls, but the servings are small to allow me to see how much they eat and what they eat and if they happen to poop on it or whatever, I don't feel upset throwing it out. You always want to make sure your food dishes and water dishes are as clean as possible. I use water bottles/BirdieButlers for water so I know it is clean; and I change it every day at least. Think about offering food in smaller portions and I think you will see a difference in your waste.
That is the way I do it. But other people do something quite different. One type of bird parront goes as natural and fresh as one can go, importing some of the food stuff, giving only the best organic and fresh fruits and veggies and nuts according to the species of bird they keep, etc. Some people make up a chop of fresh stuff, some a glop of fresh stuff and frozen or canned. It all depends on who you believe when it comes to recommendations for feeding pet parrots. As you get more experience in keeping your parrots, you will begin to make decisions about what you read and learn and will eventually decide on your own what to use for your birds. There are so basic rules and one of them is to never be drastic in changing your bird's diet; always do small changes at a time so they adjust: some birds will starve themselves into malnutrition due to food changes. Another is to consider how birds eat in the wild; small amounts foraged at two or three times a day and rest period in between foraging. There is no full bowl in the wild; they have to go find it: and if it is plentiful at one time of the year it is probably scarce in another time of the year.
I give my birds a fresh veggie and fruit diet when I can afford the fruit; usually four days a week. Other days they get a cooked meal of grains, nuts, seeds and fruits from a commercial supplier. They get their ration of one day's worth of Harrisons and Roudybush pellets then as well and a little dried fruit, nuts and seeds. For supper they get a cooked food, pasta, rice, wheat, quinona, a shred or two of chicken twice a week for protein, and Sunny and Trixie usually eat supper with me and steal off my plate. At bedtime I check to see they have clean leftover pellets and give them another small amount of seeds, nuts and dried fruit in case they get hungry and go to commune with the cats until my bedtime. Filling a bowl full like you do just encourages your Taz Senegal to play with the pellets and seeds; or to throw out the pellets to get to the seeds. I give pellets in their own bowl, seeds/nuts/dried fruit in their own, and their breakfast and supper in other bowls. Yes, I wash a lot of bowls, but the servings are small to allow me to see how much they eat and what they eat and if they happen to poop on it or whatever, I don't feel upset throwing it out. You always want to make sure your food dishes and water dishes are as clean as possible. I use water bottles/BirdieButlers for water so I know it is clean; and I change it every day at least. Think about offering food in smaller portions and I think you will see a difference in your waste.
