Red Fronted Macaw - my new flocker

Nutrition Tips Video

Macaws Nutrition Tips - Seeds vs. Pellets-

There are many parrot owners and Vets alike who question  the health content of seeds and  prefer pellets as the recent alternative. I on many occasions have disagreed with those owners and Vets  as no manufactured pellet in any way should ever replace seeds but only be added as a dietary supplement and should  not exceed thirty percent of a birds diet.Why? Well first there is no such thing as a pellet tree, therefore as pellets, its contents are pressed processed, cooked, preservatives and additives added for shelf-life, and dyes are included for the  enticement of  him or her. Pellet companies are industries with money on their minds like everyone else and want to sell their products well. However pellets although look satisfying enough to provide a staple diet, have in fact  caused deficiency  problems in many species.  As their  ingredients are almost gauranteed to enhance a birds life, they actually lose over 60 percent of their vitamins and nutrients during their manufacturing processes. I will agree that the larger the food variety the better. I would use only one type of organic pellet for my bird. And agree to one other world wide seed mix developed by Vets in Australia . Although you and many others may believe that veteranarians hold the key to avian nutrition,  the truth is that they still have the slightest clue and can only give whats best on a very low scale. The real key to nutrition involves us going into their wild worlds and  not just  having them come into ours. What i mean  is watching their wild counterparts enjoying their natural varieties,Question why is mineral rich clay is a an adopted food source on Manu riverbanks, I have done so as I've traveled to parts of Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica and witnessed Amazons eating insects, or Macaws devouring palm nuts loaded with Vitamin K which is also not available in pellets or pet foods, or even  caiques and conures feeding on buds,flowers,bark and pollen of certain trees and finally, eating tons of different types of tree seeds. These foods are not  available in our pets world. Unfortunately our avian society is ignorant as we feel we know it all and must teach everyone else, but please remember, because they eat what we give them doesn't mean that its good for them.As a Birdwatcher I have been to many parts of the world and viewed parrot species foraging as a nerdy hobby of mine. This helped me include over 75 types of seeds in my Illiger Macaws diets each having different vitamins and nutrients. They were either purchased at import food stores or harvested / pesticide free and washed.  The only seeds I would not give my Illiger Macaws are sunflower seeds as they not only aren't native to their ranges but are very oily base and can lead to problems over time, such as irritant skin plucking, fatty liver disease, etc.