Tips For Raising A Healthy Bird

By Nicholas Lancaster

If what you want is for your bird to live a long life, then feeding it in a nutritionally sound way is very important. Because they are malnourished or they pick up a disease because they were not being fed correctly, birds often die too young.

Birds should not be fed a variety of foods if they are not part of the parrot family. Most would use seeds as the only part of the bird’s diet and this is a mistake. Seeds have too much fat, not enough protein and almost no vitamins. Be sure that seeds do not make up more than 50 percent of your bird’s diet.

Try healthy table foods like items that contain whole grains and pretzels, pasta and whole wheat bread. Many birds can be persuaded to eat dairy and poultry products if they are given time and encouragement. Try serving your bird low-fat cheese, yogurt and chicken. Avoid any food that is high in fat and stay away from avocados, they are toxic to birds!

Beans and legumes as well as fruits and vegetables are good sources of nutrition for the pet bird. It may take quite awhile to get your fine-feathered friend to except these changes, (up to a year) but it will be the best thing for your bird.

When you get ready to make these changes do it slowly. Offer the fresh foods twice a day for about an hour at each feeding. You should not leave the fresh food in the cage longer than that. It becomes unappealing and can develop bacteria.

Feed your bird twice a day. Between feedings, your bird will become hungry and this practice will produce a more active bird. If your bird has a healthy appetite, then they are more likely to try new foods. You will also be able to keep a closer watch on how much your bird is eating. (If your bird is sick,laying eggs, caring for young, or nesting they should always have food available.) When there is a decrease in food consumption, then most of the time the bird is not feeling well.

Try warming the food or cooking the vegetables if your bird is having a hard time getting used to the new diet. But remember that it will take some time to discover what works for your bird. What you need to do is offer seeds only at meal time and along other foods until you are able to see that your bird is eating enough to stay healthy. When they are fed outside the cage, birds would often do better with new diets.

The final key to your bird’s nutritional success would be water. It is essential for the water to be fresh and all bowls should be thoroughly cleaned each day with hot water and soap. Every week, disinfect bowls. Also, make sure that all the bleach is totally rinsed away from the bowls. Until you know the bird is getting enough vitamins from the fruit and vegetables, it is a good idea to add a multivitamin to the bird’s water daily. Because birds are delightful pets, feeding them properly allows them to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and this practice can extend their life expectancy.

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Topics: Birds | Comments Off

Tags: animals, bird care, Bird Owners, Birds, Birds Pets, family, home, pet care, pet owners, Pets, pets and animals

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