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Not so long ago, seed mixes were the only
commercially available diet option for pet birds. We now know that
providing a seed only diet results in malnourishment and dramatically
shortened life spans for our birds.
Many captive
parrots suffer from malnutrition in captivity because they exist solely
on commercial seed diets.
The good news is that today we have a
wide variety of healthy and interesting choices available to us
commercially including:
The vast majority of avian experts
recommend a formulated diet over a seed diet. Pelleted & extruded diets
have been formulated to include a balanced selection of vitamins,
minerals, carbohydrates and proteins all compacted into one easy form.
The primary advantages of formulated
diets are:
-
Consistent and balanced
nutritional content in every bite.
-
Less mess to clean up (no seed
hulls)
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No need to add supplements such as
vitamins and minerals.
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Less waste
The major downfall of a pellet-only diet is that it is B-O-R-I-N-G.
Seed diets
are relatively inexpensive and easy to obtain at the local grocery.
However, many
bird owners have unfortunately made seed the only choice for their birds
diet. The major problem with seed diets is the relatively high fat
content of the components typically contained within those mixes.
Sunflower seeds, safflower seeds and peanuts all have fat content levels
approaching 50%. Since domestic birds get a fraction of
exercise that their wild counterparts do, they can not burn off the fat. A high fat diet leads to obesity as well as
other health problems such as; heart disease, fatty liver disease, fatty
tumors and skin and feather problems. Seed diets also lack many of
the necessary nutrients (vitamins and minerals) required by your bird.
Within the seed category, there are
certainly healthier choices that can be made such as supplemented mixes and mixes
with lower fat content seeds. Supplemented seed mixes are those
that contain some fortification via the addition of pellets or sprayed on,
baked on or
powdered vitamins, minerals or amino acids.
Even though popular consensus is that
pellets are nutritionally advantageous over seed diets, this doesn't
mean that seeds should be entirely eliminated from your bird's diet.
When used as a component of your bird's overall nutritional plan, seed
can be beneficial and add to your birds enjoyment. Birds
enjoy cracking open seeds and foraging through the mix, searching for
their favorites. We recommend that seeds be used as only a minor (i.e.,
<10%) component of your bird's diet. If you do choose to supplement
your bird's diet with a sprinkling of seeds, be sure to choose a healthy
seed mix such as those offered on our site.  Print
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