How to Feed a Quaker Parrot

Quaker Parrots are not difficult to feed if you offer a balanced pellet diet. However you need to know how to supplement their diet with fresh foods, what dangerous foods to avoid, and how to keep them from getting hooked on unhealthy foods. By considering a few simple steps, you can make sure that your Quaker Parrot is being fed a healthy diet.

Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a complete pellet diet rather than a seed-based diet for your Quaker Parrot. Although some seeds mixed into a pellet diet are okay, your Quaker Parrot's food should never be entirely seed-based. Quaker Parrots are prone to fatty liver disease, and seeds are a fatty food that can contribute to their getting this condition. There are many good-quality pellet blends available at pet stores with an avian section, and they often include dried fruits or vegetables or other items to make them more palatable to your quaker parrot.

    • 2

      Encourage your Quaker Parrot to supplement its diet with human food. In order to get a complete diet, Quaker Parrots should eat a variety of foods. Most human food is also suitable for your Quaker Parrot. To encourage it to try new food items, move it close by when you are eating dinner so it can see you. Eating is a flock activity for many birds, including Quaker Parrots, so it will probably want to join in, especially if you act like the food you are eating is delicious.

    • 3

      Limit snacks and treats. Like humans, Quaker Parrots can become addicted to goodies with little or no nutritional value. If you give your Quaker Parrot too many treats, it may refuse to eat its nutritionally complete diet. Only give treats occasionally, and link them to being a reward for good behavior rather than handing them out for no reason. Try to find healthy items that your bird likes and use those as its treats.

    • 4

      Clean out your Quaker Parrot's food dish and replace its food every day. With a little experimentation you will learn how much your Quaker Parrot eats in one day. At feeding time, throw away any leftover food, clean out the dish, and replace it with fresh pellets.

    • 5

      Monitor your Quaker Parrot's eating habits. You'll soon learn its normal routine and how much it regularly eats. When this varies, it can be an early tip-off to a health problem.