Page Title

Ultimate Parrot
Guide
by
Linda S. Rubin

Multiple Bird
Households
by
Linda S. Rubin

Check list
for vegetables
high in Vitamin A

carrots with tops
yams
hot & chili peppers
dandelion greens
collard greens
sprouts
kale
spinach
pumpkin
squash
sweet potato
turnip greens
Swiss chard
mustard greens
broccoli
escarole/chicory
beet greens
bok choy

Parsley contains
essential amino
acids, the building
blocks of proteins.
~
Comfrey is the
only plant with
Vitamin B12
~
Corn is relished
by all birds

Check list
for fruits
high in
Vitamin A
mangos
cantaloupe
persimmons
apricots
nectarines
papayas
tomatoes
peaches

DANGER!

Never feed
birds avocado
or fruit pits
such as
cherry pits,
nectarine pits,
etc., which
are TOXIC!
~
THOROUGHLY
WASH all fruits &
vegetables
before serving to
remove any
possibility of
pesticides!

"Usually, the
younger the bird,
the easier it is to
train to accept new
foods. If you have
another bird
already trained to
eat fresh produce,
then use this bird
as your 'teacher
bird.' Once the
untrained bird
watches the
experienced bird
enjoy his fruits and
vegetables, it
doesn't take long
before it samples
the same items."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although this article was written with cockatiels in mind, the following
fresh produce should also be fed to all PARROTS. Offer a variety of several fruits and
different vegetables daily. Although cockatiels may prefer to ingest a variety of green foods
and fresh vegetables, they can be trained to accept some fruit. Most other parrots,
however, rely heavily on a number of fruits, as well as fresh vegetables as part of their
daily fare. Read on to learn how they all benefit ...

Feeding Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
COPYRIGHT © 1999 LINDA S. RUBIN
First published in the August 1999 issue of BIRD TIMES Magazine

People ask: "If I feed a well-balanced diet to my cockatiel, is it really necessary to provide
fresh fruits and vegetables?"

The answer depends on what is contained in your "well-balanced diet." There are advantages
in feeding pellets or extruded diets, in part, to cockatiels. While pelleted diets, in theory, are
thought to meet the nutritional needs of our birds as best understood at this time, many
manufacturers still recommend providing fresh produce to supplement the diet to all birds.
(Also, cockatiels cannot be kept solely on a pelleted diet as many veterinarians explain,
because they can experience kidney damage. Therefore, seed and other nutritious dietary
items must be included).

Fruits and vegetables add tremendous nutritional power to your bird's menu, and they act as
challenging psychological devices to keep curious, busy beaks active and content.
Unfortunately, we sometimes hear of neurotic behaviors and ingrained habits such as
feather-picking activities being prompted by sheer boredom. Often times, the underlying
cause to such behavior can be traced back to illness, an inadequate environment, or to
malnutrition. A medical exam performed by an avian veterinarian will reveal if an illness is
present. Adding produce to the diet can have a profound effect on stimulating a bird's playing
environment, and on boosting a bird's nutritional intake.

                                  Vitamin A and Carotene
Fresh food provides additional nourishment, and some produce are especially high in
carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Beta-carotene and other antioxidants
are essential in guarding good health. Most seed diets are lacking in vitamins (with the
exception of some of the B complex group), thus vitamin supplements and fresh produce can
be critical in providing the level of vitamin A crucial to good health. Avian veterinarians
frequently cite malnutrition, and especially vitamin A deficiencies as a common culprit among
their patients. The best defense then, is to provide a wide variety of fresh fruits and
vegetables to gain as many nutrients as possible, while frequently offering those foods known
to be high in carotene or vitamin A.

                                Red-Yellow-Orange Vegetables
In general, the red-orange-yellow fruits and vegetables, and some of the green leafy
vegetables, are the best sources of vitamin A. Carrots (with the tops), yams, hot or chili
peppers, pumpkin, most of the squash family, and sweet potato are all high in vitamin A. It is
best to serve carrots, peppers and sweet potato raw, since the process of cooking destroys
vitamins; however, usually yams, pumpkin, and squash are better accepted when cooked.

Carrot greens, especially, are very tempting to cockatiels, and I have known few birds to
refuse a long bundle of freshly washed carrot tops once they become a familiar item in the
diet. Owners may also grow their own shoots by placing carrot tops in a shallow dish of water,
rinsing and refilling daily, then present the tops once the new shoots have grown one to two
inches. Carrots are inexpensive, readily available, and one of the best vegetables to feed for
vitamin A. Many breeders feed carrots to their birds by the pound several times a week.

                                      Green Leafy Vegetables
Dark green, leafy, raw vegetables which cockatiels can be trained to enjoy include: dandelion
(including the flower), collard greens, kale, sprouts, spinach, turnip greens, Swiss chard,
mustard greens, broccoli, escarole or chicory, beet greens, and bok choy. The first five items
provide the richest sources of vitamin A; however the remaining items contain moderate levels
of vitamin A along with other excellent nutrients. While some greens such as parsley are quite
low in vitamin A, parsley does have the distinction of containing most of the amino acids which
are the "building blocks" of proteins. Similarly, comfrey is the only land plant known to contain
vitamin B12. Feeding a variety of green foods offers a number of nutrients.

One of my favorite vegetables to feed is broccoli, a rich source of fiber, with moderate
amounts of vitamins A, C, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and calcium. After a thorough washing, I cut
up the stalks and florets, and place them in stainless steel bowls containing pellets. The bowls
are hung high near the upper branches of each flight. The birds eat the floret and enjoy
chewing the stalks. Another high fiber food I serve in this manner is corn on the cob, which
also offers other beneficial nutrients.

                                                       Fruit
Fruits that are a rich source of vitamin A include: mangos, cantaloupe, persimmons, and to a
lesser extent, apricots, nectarines, papayas, tomatoes and peaches. These fruits can be cut
up and presented in a variety of styles until you hit upon the shape and size your birds prefer.
Always be certain to remove fruit pits. Cherry pits are known to be deadly, and other fruit pits
may contain trace amounts of cyanide and are dangerous to your birds. However, over the
years, I have fed small amounts of pomegranate and seen birds eat apple seeds with no ill
effect.

Cockatiels can be taught to eat a little fruit. Some of my own pet and breeding cockatiels enjoy
apple, orange, banana, grapes, mango, papaya, pomegranate, cranberries and blueberries,
although other fruits are occasionally offered, depending on what the larger parrots receive
that day.

Berries are especially enjoyed by many parrots, my Psittaculas devour them: blueberries,
cranberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and others. They especially relish dried
fig for the seeds they extract from the fruit.

                                       Wash Before Serving
Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before cutting, dicing, slicing, and presenting them
to your cockatiels. Make certain to wash all traces of pesticides or other sprays away by first
soaking the produce in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes, while rinsing in between. Be
careful however, not to oversoak, which over time (e.g., more than five minutes) can destroy
vitamins.


                               Training Birds to Eat Fresh Produce
Training, however, should begin while the birds are young. Offer small pieces of fruit along
with their vegetables on a daily basis, until you witness your birds ingesting these food items
and not merely playing with them. I offer my cockatiels green food every other day, and fruit
twice a week, once they are trained to eat these items.

Cockatiels won't learn to eat fruit or green food if they are unavailable to them. It often takes a
number of trials before your bird may even sample such items. The trick is not to give up after
a few days, or a few weeks. Be creative when offering fresh produce. Some cockatiels enjoy
their greens served dripping wet in bunches, so they can waddle through them before eating,
just as do their wild counterparts of Australia enjoying the wet grasses after a rainfall. Others
relish their greens when hung creatively over branches and perches so they may work at
nibbling the tasty offering.

One method to entice companion cockatiels to sample fresh produce is to fasten the greens
into, or next to, the main feed cup. By placing produce near their favorite food source, the
birds are more likely to sample, or at worst, move them out of the way with their beaks, thus
end up tasting them. However, never make it difficult for your birds to reach their normal food
source since starvation could have fatal consequences.

Usually, the younger the bird, the easier it is to train to accept new foods. If you have another
bird already trained to eat fresh produce, then use this bird as your "teacher bird." Once the
untrained bird watches the experienced bird enjoy his fruits and vegetables, it usually doesn't
take long before he samples the same items. It may take several trials, but the work is worth
the wait, knowing you are providing the best your bird deserves.

Provide fresh produce on a daily basis, until all your birds are regularly sampling these
healthy items. It may take some time to train your birds to eat fresh produce, but once you do,
you'll experience the bird owner's joy of watching your birds at their best.