Dinner Time:
The most important statement we can make here is �Parrots do not live by seed alone!� This is the biggest mistake novice parrot owners make. Most parrot species eat a wide variety of foods. Most avian vets agree that pellets PLUS fruits, veggies & grains make a well-balanced diet. Try to stick to 1/3 seed, 1/3 pellets, 1/3 fresh fruits & vegetables & grain (rice, barley, etc). Any parrot fed on a strictly seed diet will at the least be very unhealthy and could possible expire in a few years from manutrition. It would be like putting a human on bread alone. We wouldn't last long.
Unless your parrot eats only pellets (which would be kind of boring for so intelligent an animal), please discuss vitamin & calcium supplementation with your avian veterinarian. Calcium supplementation is definitely necessary for breeding birds.
Note: Birds from Australia (parakeets, cockatiels, cockatoos, and some finch species) also need iodine supplementation (LiquiKelp) in their water. A good source for bird vitamins, Saniclens, LiquiKelp, etc., is www.birds2grow.com.
Parrots in the wild eat together. It is considered the height of social interaction, so you should really let your parrot eat with you or at least eat when you eat, otherwise you will have a screaming, highly offended and very angry bird on your hands. As flock animals parrots always need to feel like a part of the flock, which in the case of your pet parrot is you and your family. This seems to be hard-wired into their makeup. My tiny little parrolet, Kiwi almost blows a gasket every time I feed the dogs because he thinks he is supposed to eat with them. If I ate without him I think his temper would kill him.
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