Parrots

Parrots are a popular pet among many people, but not considered "main stream". Their nutrition can be harder to keep up with, and they require a lot of time and care. 

Parrots are best known for their intelligence, and talking ability. They can mimic humans with such a likeness, you think it is a person talking to you! Most parrot owners obsess over their feathered babies. They spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on cages, toys, perches, enclosures, and of course, food. 

I am happy to be a part of a flock of 4. Included in my flock is an Amazon, Pionus, Mini-Macaw and African Grey. I am not exempt from spending thousands of dollars on them (although the Grey is the only one that is actually mine...the other 3 are my parents'). 

The one thing that has been driving me crazy about parrots, though, is their nutrition. I definitely did not do enough research as far as parrot nutrition went, neither when they came home, or more currently. I paid more attention when I got my savannah cat, and researched cat nutrition. Basically, I read the ingredients on my bag of bird pellets and I didn't like what I saw. I knew, however, that parrot food from the store all basically consist of the same ingredients. 

Today I decided to make a change. I knew there had to be a better way to care for my parrots, so I took to the Internet, as every one does when they need answers. My research started with basic nutrition that I have known for years...don't feed an all seed diet, supplement fresh fruits and vegetables, and you can make some parrot specific dishes for variety. I was happy to learn about sprouts, which is just growing some seeds in water and giving it to the parrots just after sprouting. There are lots of natural vitamins and minerals found in them, so it is fantastic to add to their fresh foods. 

I wasn't satisfied with the content of my pellets, but everything I was reading was listing the brand I use as a good source. I finally stumbled onto a page that promoted a type of organic pellets simply called Totally Organic Parrot pellets. I looked at their web page, and I was thrilled with what I found.

Ingredients include:  Rice, barley, sunflower seed hulled, alfalfa leaf, sesame seeds unhulled, quinoa whole, buckwheat hulled, millet hulled, dandelion leaf powder, carrot powder, spinach leaf powder, purple dulse, rose hips powder, rose hips crushed, orange peel powder, lemon peel powder, rosemary whole leaf, cayenne ground, crushed red chili peppers, and nettle leaves.

This in comparison to the ingredients right off the bag of food my parrots eat now: Ground Corn, Ground wheat, Ground Oat Groats, Corn Gluten Meal, Potato Protein, Coconut Oil, Soya Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcum Phosphate, L- Lysine, Choline Chloride, Natural and Artificial flavors, DL Methionine Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Yucca Schidigera.....and that is about halfway through the list of ingredients.

The only downside thus far to Totally Organics is I have to have it shipped to me as there are no stores nearby that supply it. I haven't given it to my parrots yet, but I am committed to finding ways to convince them to try the new food if they snub it.

For more information about sprouts click here

For more information on Totally Organics click here