Mary Allen
Birds have very different requirements, which you as a bird owner should of course urgently observe. This includes not only the daily free flight or keeping several birds at the same time or choosing a cage that offers enough space for the birds to fly and hop there.
Food also plays a very important role and should not be underestimated. The typical dry food for birds, which you can order online or buy in pet shops, is fed a lot.
But what should you as a bird owner pay attention to and what do your pets need to keep them healthy and alert? You will find out in this article.
Types of dry food according to bird breeds
In stores and online shops, bird owners will find a huge selection of different types of feed from different manufacturer brands, so it is not that easy to find the right dry bird feed for your own bird. However, it does not matter which manufacturer brand produced it or how much it costs.
The different ingredients are important. It is therefore necessary that you select the food based on your bird and make sure that the ingredients are suitable for the bird’s breed. A canary has different food requirements than a parrot and needs different vitamins and minerals.
Furthermore, many birds cannot tolerate certain things, while other birds are very happy to eat them. For this reason, it is important to really only give food that has been specially mixed for the bird species.
We introduce you to some bird species with special needs for their dry food.
Food for canaries
In canaries, the main food consists of different seeds. These should be of high quality and are available in a variety of mixes or, if available from pet stores, you can mix them yourself. This gives you the opportunity to take into account the individual tastes of your animals. It can contain hemp seed, grass seed, negro seed, linseed, and many other seeds. Poppies and wild seeds are also well accepted by birds and are rich in vitamins and other important nutrients.
Furthermore, everyone can spoil their canaries with fresh products, which is also essential, since these products contain many vitamins, which play an important role in the vitality of the animals. Here it is possible, for example, to sow some seeds from the feed, which the animals particularly like. So you can be happy when the seeds are just germinating.
Proper dry food for budgies
Budgerigars also need the right birdseed for them and this should not only be of high quality, but also varied. The different grain mixtures should therefore contain different types of millet and canary seed is also welcome here. Oilseeds, which should not make up more than five percent of the feed mixture, are also included in the normal ready-made feed products and are well received by the individual animals.
Budgies particularly like to eat freshly germinated seeds or swollen seeds. On closer inspection, this comes very close to the natural food of the animals and is particularly suitable for animals that tend to get fat quickly. This is because budgies can eat less of the food than the seeds themselves.
In addition to the dry fodder, you should also make sure that your animals get enough green fodder so that there are no symptoms of deficiency. You can collect this in nature and hang it directly in the cage or put it through the bars from the outside.
Even small delicacies, such as the well-known and very popular millet can be fed. Other feed rods are not only used for feeding, but also for keeping the animals busy, in order to avoid boredom and arguments among the animals.
However, it is important not to feed them too often, as the animals can get fat faster from the sugar they contain. For this reason, it is advisable not to give the budgerigars any more food or only to provide them with green fodder when they get a feeding rod, as the animals are allowed to eat large quantities of it.
The right dry food for parrots
It is not easy to find the right food for your own parrot. This is mainly due to the fact that natural food cannot be found here in our nature. There are many different types of parrots, which of course have different nutritional requirements.
For example, cockatoos and amazons need less sunflower seeds, since these two species are parrots that tend to get overweight quickly. With macaws, on the other hand, you can also feed nuts, depending on how much they can move.
When looking for the right ready-made food, a good ready-made feed mixture is usually suitable, but it must not contain any peanuts. Peanuts are often affected by mold and are generally not well tolerated. Fresh berries, on the other hand, should be present in the feed.
What these vary from product to product. Rowan berries, hawthorn, firethorn, and rose hips are used the most.
These are rich in vitamins and will taste particularly good to your loved ones. Sprout feed should also be given as a source of vitamins and can also be found under the name pigeon feed. This dry food should now be placed in water for six to eight hours and then left to swell in a small sieve for about 24 hours.
In addition to the dry food, parrots should also be provided with fresh food in the form of green fodder and fresh twigs, as these also contain many vitamins. Green fodder is found in nature and can be given in large quantities.
Conclusion
When choosing the right food, you should always first find out about the individual requirements of the birds breed and then adjust the food accordingly. Thanks to the many different varieties, however, there is always something suitable for different tastes, so that the taste can be combined with vitamins and nutrients.
Never only feed pure dry food, but also give green fodder or a small snack. Make sure the kibble is good quality and mix it up as many birds eventually tend to reject food that is given too often. If you take the time to find the right dry food for your birds, your darling will thank you with a lot of chirping and great moments.