Looking for Macaw feeding recommendations

[leschornmom]

Hi, I'm new to all this... I recently adopted two malnourished Macaws. I immediately began switching from their previous diet of cockatiel food and nothing fresh but I'm am still wanting to improve their nutrition.

I am currently using a standard "parrot feed". I'm not happy with what I see as the "filler" seeds that go to waste, as they only pick out their favorites anyway. Nor am I interested in pellet feed because I know those can be full of sugar. However, I cannot find any information on what KIND of seeds/nuts they eat naturally. All the websites seem to either be pushing one specific feed or just recommend "Mixed seed blends". What does that mean? I would be happy to mix my own feed, if I knew what to give them and how much of each seed/nut. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Birdman666]

I feed mine a Pelleted diet, plus fresh fruits and veggies, plus lots of nuts, plus people food.

Cashews, walnuts, hazel nuts, pistacios and peanuts are the favorites.

Bananas, grapes, oranges, apples being favorite fruits.

Brocolli and baby carrots and ANYTHING potato, baked, yams, sweet potatoes... etc.

Oatmeal, pasta, rice, a little bit of chicken or fish if we are eating it.

The only seeds I really mix in are safflower seeds. I sprinkle in a few (as in a half dozen or so a day) sunflower seeds. It's very small.

And the macaws get half a dozen nutriberries a day.

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

Nuts and seeds might be natural, but they are very high in fat. There are pellets with less sugar in them though

 

[Birdman666]

Nuts and seeds might be natural, but they are very high in fat. There are pellets with less sugar in them though

Macaws and cockatoos get a higher fat diet. It's zons, CAGS and Eckies that you really, really have to watch that stuff with or you end up with a little round perch potato...

 

[nyspy]

Duke's a perch potato, but then again, he's still getting used to his new digs.. He is starting to walk around / explore though.. ~5 days!

 

[Jumpingtadpoles]

So with zons, should the pellet be more limited, and be given more fresh stuff?

 

[Birdman666]

So with zons, should the pellet be more limited, and be given more fresh stuff?

Well zons are especially prone to fatty liver disease, more especially because they tend to be seed junkies... (Mine are potato-heads.)

With a zon, (and a CAG) they still get some nuts, and some seed... just much less than a big mac or a too.

Eckies are subject to toe tap disease, so they get more fresh foods.

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Don't shoot down pellets, there's a difference between a sugar/dyed filled pellet and a pellet designed fully for the birds health.

I strongly recommend Harrison's pellets, when Rosie came to me she was also malnurished, had organ failure, and was emaciated. I got her on Lafeaber's pellets, later changed her to totally organic pellets(excellent ingredients!). But when I eventual got her on Harrison's her health vastly improved. Rosie's vet was so impressed by the way Rosie improved, from terrible health to a happy healthy bird.

The best diet for a captive parrot is pellets, with fresh and prepared foods.

 

[Birdman666]

All my birds are on Zupreme...

My CAG was on Harrison's for the first year or two of his life, for his developing stage, but after that I switched him over as well, just because of the prohibitive cost of Harrisons... I spend a small fortune on Birdie's as it is.