In their natural habitat (Parakeets originate from the Australian grasslands) they eat a staple diet of fresh greens, berries, and fruits – i.e. the foods that are readily available. Therefore, these foods should form a large part of your Parakeet’s diet. A good combination is as follows:

• 50% cooked beans, cooked rice, cooked pasta, and seed.
• 45% fresh fruit (pips removed) and vegetable (e.g. apple, banana, grape, broccoli, carrots, yams, spinach, dandelion greens etc…).
• 5% eggs, fish (no bones), and well cooked meat.

DO NOT give your Parakeet any kind of dairy products, because they are lactose-intolerant.

DO NOT give your Parakeet chocolate or avocados – it could kill him!

Only leave fresh Parakeet food (i.e. fruit, veg, meat etc…) in the cage for a few hours, because it quickly deteriorates, and it can attract pests such as flies. Empty and refill the seed cup daily – it is easy to think it is full, when in fact all it contains is the hulls of eaten seeds. Parakeets aren’t greedy parrots, so you don’t need to worry about over-feeding them with seeds. Make sure your pet’s water supply is regularly refreshed.

photo credit: MinivanNinja

Post from the Parrot Care Made Easy blog. The resource for all things parrot - e.g. parrot training, parrot food etc...

Parakeet Food

Like their larger parrot cousins, Canaries should regularly be given fresh fruit and vegetables (except avocado, which is poisonous to parrots). Ideally, you should feed them this every day, but you don’t need to go overboard with the amount – one small piece of fruit or vegetable is ample. Simply serve the fruit or vegetable raw and washed, with all pips/seeds removed.

Canaries also need some protein in their diet, and a perfect source of protein is a hard-boiled egg. Half an egg is more than enough, and you can leave the shell on as well, because parrots often like eating it. You should feed your Canary protein about once or twice a week. Note: Be careful not to leave the egg in the cage for more than an hour or two, because harmful bacteria can develop very quickly on eggs.

A key Canary food that is often overlooked is cuttlebone. It’s a vital source of calcium for your pet, and, as such, should be left in your pet’s cage permanently.

Post from the Parrot Care Made Easy blog. The resource for all things parrot - e.g. parrot training, parrot food etc...

Canary Food

You must ensure that you feed your pet fresh fruit and vegetables every day. These foods should be raw, washed, cut into small pieces, all pips/seeds removed, peel/skin left on, and served at room temperature.

Note 1: Do not leave fruit and vegetables in the cage for more than a few hours, because they will probably attract flies, and just become generally unpleasant.

Note 2: Do not give your bird avocado, because it is poisonous to birds.

In the wild cockatiels eat protein in the form of insects, so it’s a good idea to occasionally include some protein in their diet. You don’t have to feed them live insects, but things such as beans, cooked meats, and eggs are good alternatives.

So, there you have it, there isn’t just one type of cockatiel food that is best – your bird needs a variety of foods to remain healthy. However, because a lot of baby parrots are fed only seed by breeders, they might be reluctant to try new things such as fruit and vegetables. This means you need to be persistent and patient, and only introduce one type of new food at a time, and resist the temptation to introduce anything else until your parrot has started eating this new food.

photo credit: Frazzled Jen

Post from the Parrot Care Made Easy blog. The resource for all things parrot - e.g. parrot training, parrot food etc...

Cockatiel Food

There are lots of differing opinions amongst parrot experts regarding what is the perfect parrot diet, but all of the experts agree that variety is key. The general consensus is that a good parrot diet should consist of about 10% parrot seeds, 50% parrot pellets, and 40% fresh fruit and vegetables.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are a particularly important element, because, as well as being tasty and nutritious, they also add a certain amount of stimulation at feeding time, due to the fact that your parrot will often have to use his claws to hold the pieces of food.

Carrots, cucumber, sweet peppers, green beans, corn, cauliflower and eggplant are all great vegetables to give your pet.

Kiwi, papaya, banana, pineapple, mangos, apples, oranges, cherries, peaches and grapes are all great fruits to feed your parrot. Just be careful to remove any seeds or pips, because they could be toxic for him.

If you feed your parrot the types of parrot food listed above, you will have a very healthy bird. Be warned – please resist the temptation to feed him ‘human treats’, such as crackers and chocolate, because he will very probably eat them, even though they could kill him!

If you want some great ideas for healthy parrot recipes, the Healthy Bird Cookbook by Robin Deutsch is well worth a read. It’s received tons of rave reviews on Amazon, so lots of other parrot owners like it too!

photo credit: Adam Tinworth

Post from the Parrot Care Made Easy blog. The resource for all things parrot - e.g. parrot training, parrot food etc...

Parrot Food – What Should You Feed Your Pet To Ensure He Stays Healthy?