Formulated Diets versus Seed Mixtures for Psittacines

Abstract

Psittacines are often classified as seed eaters despite studies that have established great diversity in food habits in the wild. While seeds are consumed, so are flowers, buds, leaves, fruits and cambium. Some psittacines consume part of greater than 80 species of grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees. In addition, insects may be important. Although there are few controlled studies of the requirements of psittacines, it is probable that most nutrient needs are comparable to those of domesticated precocial birds that have been thoroughly studied. Commercial seed mixes for psittacines commonly contain corn, sunflower, safflower, pumpkin and squash seeds, wheat, peanuts, millet, oat groats and buckwheat, although other seeds may be present. Because hulls/shells comprise 18-69% of these seeds and they are removed before swallowing, a significant proportion of typical seed mixtures is waste. Some of the seeds also are very high in fat and promote obesity. Common nutrient deficiencies of decorticated seeds include lysine, calcium, available phosphorus, sodium, manganese, zinc, iron, iodine, selenium, vitamins A, D, E and K, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, available niacin, vitamin B-12 and choline. Attempts to correct these deficiencies by incorporating pellets into seed mixes are usually thwarted by rejection of the pellets and disproportionate consumption of items that are more highly favored. An extruded diet formulated to meet the projected nutrient needs of psittacines was fed with fruits and vegetables to eight species of psittacines for 1 y. Fledging percentage was increased to 90% from the 66% observed during the previous 2 y when these psittacines were fed seeds, fruits and vegetables. Although this extruded diet was well accepted in a mixture of fruits and vegetables and met nutrient needs, analyses have shown that not all commercial formulated diets are of equal merit.

Breeding performance of Ring-necked ParakeetsPsittacula krameriin small introduced populations in southeast England

“…The diet of introduced birds is often inferior to that of native counterparts that have co-evolved with their food supply. 26 British parakeets seem to rely on peanut feeders in gardens for food. 25 It has been shown with captive Ring-necked Parakeets, that fledging success is lower if adults are fed a fat-rich peanut diet, than if they are provided with an artificial nutrient-rich extrusion, although since hatching success was not similarly affected, 26 this is unlikely to be the main reason for the low reproductive output.…”

Nutritional Levels of Diets Fed to Captive Amazon Parrots: Does Mixing Seed, Produce, and Pellets Provide a Healthy Diet?

“…1,2 The poor nutritional state of psittacine birds presenting to veterinary clinics is likely the result of several factors: a general lack of research on the nutritional requirements of captive parrots; insufficient knowledge, on the parts of both owners and veterinarians, of psittacine nutrition; a reluctance by owners to convert their birds to nutritionally superior diets; and the nutritional imbalances of many ''mixed'' diets. [3][4][5][6] Most recommendations for psittacine nutrition can be traced back to studies of domestic poultry supplemented by work on captive budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) and cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus). [7][8][9] However, poultry and parrots are not closely related and differ both developmentally and ecologically.…”

Atherosclerosis in parrots. A review

“…Description of atherosclerosis 51 Atherosclerosis in parrots 52 Atherosclerotic lesions in parrots 54 Clinical signs of atherosclerosis in parrots 54 Diagnosis of atherosclerosis in parrots 55 Risk factors of atherosclerosis in parrots 56 …”