Suggested foods for your cockatoo

[Jean]

Here is a list of suggested foods for your cockatoo

http://www.pethealthcare.net/html/body_feeding_a_cockatoo.html

[Islandzoo]

super, thanks Jean

[harleybaby]

:thanx: Jean :)

[Jean]

You are welcome!

[Joe]

Thanks for the list. This is another contreversial issue. What is the best food? I do not offer seed. Per my vet's request, I do not offer most items on that list because of the sugar/carb content. Suger/carbs can lead to problems. My vet suggest that I limit my offerings to organic pellets, green veggies, and other healthy items. Some people swear by seeds and many of the items on that list. Some people do not like pellets because they are not avaliable in nature (do you see pellet trees?). The most sugar that my crew gets is from the lemon juice and the aloe juice that I add to their water.

[harleybaby]

Joe to each his own:beerchug: I know you go to Dr. Harrisons and at my last bird club meeting an avian vet that just opened her practice was there. She worked with Dr. Harrison for some time. The whole thing was pellets and she said to offer very little fresh foods, and just a little if you HAD to. Then she went on to say that pellets cause kidney disease in cockatiels, so it was your choice seeds and liver disease or pellets and kidney disease. I wonder why they affect cockatiels like that, it kinda made me wonder.

[Joe]

This topic is "everyone's opinion", this is why it is contreversial. I have seen this topic become heated on other boards. I stay away from seed, sugar, and carbs and have noticed a difference in the flock's Bx and eating patterns. The average bird that consumes mostly pellets will eat less because they are eating a well balanced diet; however, there are some birds that will actually incease there food intake when pellets are the main food source.

Dr. Harrison is semi-retired and works one day a week. His new vet does want a bird to be consuming mostly pellets and no seed. I am not sure which vet was at your club because a few vets worked with him over the years and most of them are females.

[harleybaby]

Yeah, it definitely is a difference of opinion. We all do what we think is the best for our birds and that's how we all learn.:)

[Jean]

I feed a well balanced diet of fresh & cooked foods along with making pellets available during the day. At bed time I feed 1/8 cup of a good seed mix that is mixed with 1/8 cup of pellets. Elvie does not eat many seeds but does enjoy a small amount of them in his diet. He also gets a couple nutriberries in his treat holder.