Nutrition
I have some very strong opinions when it comes to diets for pet birds....and one of them is that there are many good diets out there. There is still little that we know about
the diets of wild parrots. We do know that in the wild african greys eat on palm fruit, amung other things. But even if we could simulate the exact diet of a wild african grey, we would have to wonder if our greys, who live in nice posh houses compared to the jungle, would really need everything that their wild cousins do. Our greys have no need to fly great distances to watering holes, or search all day for food.
I am an avid lover of the pelleted diet. I really LOVE Harrison's Bird Diet and have seen so many improvements in Chico ever since we switched over. Harrison's uses all organic and human grade ingredience.
Zupreem pellets are great too, I tend toward the natural, uncolored pellets, for more than one reason, on the fruit blend, poop stained everything in its path and not eneough research has been done on artificial coloring, some believe it can have long term effects. I also like Lafeber, and Roudybush, but if there is any way one can afford it, I still recomend the Harrison's foremost.
I also cook for the birds.....there are many ready to cook mixes you can purchase, or even make your own. Beak Appetite is the brand that I use most, Crazy Corn is another good product. You can make your own mix of noodles ( made from veggies are great!!) beans (don't forget to soak first) grains, veggies, fruit, some spices, (I use garlic for flavoring sometimes). Just get creative...variety is key, and as a general rule if it is good for you......it is most likely good for them. (But please research before you begin to toss in ingredients)
Birdie bread is pretty popular, most people use a basic corn bread mix and add veggies, seed, pellets, and grains amung other things. It's often a good way to get your bird to try new things.
I'm not a big fan of seed, it's okay when used propperly in a diet, but far too often it is way overused. I have heard the argument that "Well, it's what they would eat in the wild", you already know my point on that, plus the fact that I bet you won't find THOSE seeds anywhere in the diet of your birds cousins. Seed is good when sprouted, and when fed with many other ingredience in moderation. My birds enjoy it as a treat.
Veggies should be fed daily, and a wide variety of them. Some great veggies are Greens, sweet potatos, carrots, broccoli, squash, just to name a few. (if you choose to feed hot peppers, do not scratch your eyes or kiss your bird after you handle them....trust me I learned the hard way)
Fruits are wonderful as well, as with anything else just keep all things in moderation, berries (please no pits of cherries, no apple cores or seeds, no citrus seeds) apple, some citrus, mellon, kiwi, just remember no avacado.
Grit is not necessary (though in many outdated books it is still recomnded) in ill birds it can, in fact compact in the crop and even lead to death. Supplements, I DO NOT recomend unless suggested by an avain vet. Vitamins in the water can cause it to spiol, and vitamins on food can cause an overdose if your bird gets any at all. Greys, as well, do not need excess calcium unless your avain vet finds that he/she does thru yearly blood work.
There are so many opinions when it comes to the propper diet for pet birds, just read all that you can find and draw your own conclusions. You will know what is best for you and Your Parrot. I will provide some links on this page for more information on nutrition.