🥣 What I Feed My Parrots — LC Birds & Pets Feeding Guidelines

Feeding your parrot correctly is one of the most important responsibilities as a bird owner. A poor diet is often the root cause of many health issues in parrots, from feather plucking and self-mutilation to early death due to fatty liver disease or malnutrition.

At LC Birds & Pets, I don’t just sell food — I feed it too. I raise and hand-rear parrots myself, so I understand what they truly need to live long, healthy lives. Here’s an inside look at how I feed my birds every day, including quantities, nutritional value, and tips for beginners.

🕗 Feeding Schedule: Morning is Main Meal Time

As the saying goes, “The early bird catches the worm.” That’s why I serve my birds’ main meal in the morning, when they are alert and hungry. In nature, wild parrots spend the day flying from place to place in search of food — but caged parrots don’t get that kind of exercise. That means we have to be careful not to overfeed, especially with fatty foods.

I focus on small to medium-sized parrots, so the quantities I feed are based on their size:

• Medium parrots (like African Greys, Ringnecks, etc.):
  🐦 1/3 cup of Riverfood’s Parrot Cook Mix per bird

• Small parrots (like Lovebirds, Cockatiels, etc.):
  🐦 1/6 to 1/5 cup of Cook Mix per bird

Note: Larger birds, like Macaws, need bigger portions and higher-fat diets. But Eclectus parrots and other medium birds are prone to fatty liver disease, so it’s important to limit fatty seeds like sunflower.

If your birds are housed in large aviaries with plenty of flying space, you can also add sprouted seeds in the evening as a second meal — in the same quantity as the morning cook mix.

🫘 What’s in the Parrot Cook Mix?

I use Riverfood’s Parrot Cook Mix, a pre-mixed blend of healthy grains and legumes. It includes:

• Corn – High in carbs, fiber, and antioxidants (lutein & zeaxanthin), plus vitamins A, B & C

• Peas – Rich in vitamins A, C, K, and B-complex, and minerals like iron & magnesium

• Chickpeas – Full of protein, fiber, iron, folate, and bone-supporting calcium & phosphorus

• Lentils – High in protein and prebiotics; also contains iron, folate, and potassium

• Wheat – Provides energy (carbs), B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and zinc

• Buckwheat – A powerhouse of flavonoids, complex carbs, and protein

Each ingredient contributes important vitamins, minerals, and natural fiber to support healthy digestion, feather condition, and energy levels.

❌ Dry Food and Why I Avoid It

I don’t feed dry food (like pellets) as a regular part of my birds’ diet. However, when I go on holiday and need someone else to feed them, I prepare an emergency mix:

• AVI Plus Parrot Maintenance Pellets

• Mixed 50/50 with AVI Plus Delight Mynah Pellets
  This mix can be fed ad-lib (free access) for a short period and ensures basic nutrition in my absence.

Always, fresh clean water must be available, regardless of what food is given.

🧬 Supplements – What and When

Because my cook mix already includes many natural vitamins and minerals, I don’t use supplements regularly. However, I do recommend adding:

➡️ 1/4 teaspoon of Avizon Nature’s Green
To each 1/3 cup of Cook Mix during moulting season or times of stress.

Nature’s Green is a superfood blend that includes Spirulina and seaweed, rich in:

• Protein

• Vitamins A, D, and E

• Essential fatty acids
  It helps promote healthy feather regrowth and boosts the immune system.

🐣 Beginner’s Advice: Getting Started with Proper Feeding

• Start feeding a balanced diet immediately. Don’t delay — a good diet means a healthy bird.

• Cook in bulk: You can prepare a week’s worth of Riverfood’s Cook Mix and freeze it in portions. Just take out what you need the night before to defrost.

• Sprouted seeds for evening: Make sure your seed mix sprouts within 24–48 hours. If it doesn’t sprout, it has no nutritional value.

• Transitioning from a seed diet?

  • Start with 50% Cook Mix + 50% sprouted sunflower seeds for one week

  • Gradually reduce sunflower until your parrot eats only the Cook Mix