One of the most important choices that people must make when taking care of companion animals, is what diet to feed. There is much information, and indeed, misinformation, on exactly what the “best diet” is for any given species, or type of pet. Even vet to vet, there is much disparity on what exactly is “best”, so in reading the following, we must state that we are neither veterinarians nor trained in avian medicine and nutrition; all guardians of any animal should consult a professional.

 

At Isis Sky, we believe strongly that animals are intuitive eaters, and given ample opportunity to select from foods that are safe, healthy and species appropriate, that birds will help balance their own diet in order to achieve optimum health. As such, we feed all our birds a diet that is varied in vegetables, fruits, and grains, and supplement with Mazuri pellets of appropriate size for the species in question.

 

Intuitive eating is based on the idea that animals “know” what they need nutritionally. I learned about the concept while reading a book on human diet, and the premise, I believe, makes great sense. The biggest barrier to this kind of eating in the human world is the provision of processed high-sugar, high-fat diets that satisfy other areas of the brain, and don't allow for the natural ability for the body to judge areas of nutritional need.

 

Providing fresh, abundant foods for your avian companion is simple, especially if you eat a well rounded diet anyway. Your bird can enjoy the same fresh foods and vegetables that you do, with a few exceptions.

 

Birds should never be fed the following: chocolate, coffee, alcohol, onions, avocado. Care should also be taken to avoid added fat (especially animal fats), salt, and excess sugar. Mouldy or spoiled food should definately be avoided at all costs.

 

Peanuts are also of question, as the shells can carry a fungus that can be transmitted to your bird. Many people feed peanut butter as a safe and tasty alternative.

 

Many people make complicated mashes for their birds, and this is something that you may be interested in doing. In the coming months, we will post some recipes in our blog. Mashes provide a wide range of ingredients, and can easily be made and stored safely for the week, or a large batch can be made and the desired portion sizes frozen.

 

Convenience is always key when offering your bird a fresh component to their diet. With busy schedules and time constraints, eating for ourselves in a healthy manner often gets overlooked; the same is often true of our companion animals. In our home, we often find it easier to offer a small portion of what we're eating as opposed to making specialized bird meals. This works well for us, due to the nature of our diet, but this may not work for everyone. Find a method that works for you, be that cooking specifically for your bird, or share some of your bird-appropriate foods.

 

Foods that we eat, that are healthy options for our birds:

• Grains like quinoa, brown rice, cooked millet, couscous, and whole wheat pasta
• Low-sugar, low-fat cereals like plain Cheerios, Shredded Wheat, Mesa Sunrise, cooked Oatmeal, and Red River
• Cooked portions of vegetables (no added salt or sauce) broccoli, carrots, green beans, spinach, sweet potato.. this list is endless!
• Beans and legumes like lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, etc. If using canned beans, make sure you drain well and rinse all beans in order to reduce the sodium content that is used in packaging.

 

We also have a small chopper and chop species appropiate sizes of fresh vegetables to offer with the above foods. The mix changes week to week, depending on what is seasonally available, and also in order to provide greater variety. This mixture generally includes dark leafy greans like kale or spinach, carrots, coloured peppers, zucchini, apples. We also offer unchopped leafs of greens like dill, cilantro, arugula, watercress and parsley.

 

Fresh veggies should also be offered in novel forms in order to provide stimulation and to promote natural foraging instinct. Leafy greens are excellent for hanging from clips in the cage, or sticking through cage bars. Shredded greens can provide a foraging medium.

 

By offering a wide variety, your bird will readily accept new foods and balance any nutritional needs by eating these foods instinctively. Feeding in this abundant manner also provides stimulation through foraging. It also provides us human guardians the opportunity to explore new foods!