HOW AND WHAT TO FEED YOUR PARROTS | Chop, Food, Recipe, Diet

This is our video on how to feed your parrots. In this video, we address chop recipes, parrot diet, parrot food, food temperature, food preparation, and other topics related to parrot care and nutrition.
This is how we like to feed our parrots, and it doesn't mean that these are RULES. As long as your parrot is getting appropriate nutrition, maintaining a healthy weight and your vet is making sure that they are healthy and happy, it is all good! We hope that you find this video helpful. We generally add Kale to our chop recipe, mostly for the iron, however, it was not in stock in the grocery store when we made the video.
Generally you want to feed your parrots a mixed diet of pellets (non-coloured) and veggies, supplemented with oils. Each parrot species is different and each parrot within a species is different. You have to customize what you feed each pet and experimentation will help you.If you are a new bird owner, please be aware that many foods that are entirely healthy for humans may be extremely toxic for you parrot, so do your research before feeding your parrot. Additionally, some parrots, such as the eclectus, have specific diets and need to eat specific foods that are not applicable to other parrots.
Generally, you want to serve your veggies at room temperature as birds do not like cold veggies or cold food in general.
We recommend that you feed chop (veggie mix) away from a bird's cage as parrots fling their food far and wide. If you are not careful to clean every bit of it, the little piece you miss can mold much more easily than pellets and kill your bird. Parrots are particularly vulnerable to this. In particular, summer is a humid period where mold growth is very likely to occur. If you live in a very humid place, such as Hawaii, you may need to take particular care to control the humidity.
Please subscribe to our channel for more parrot tip, how to, and what to do videos! Please comment below if you have any questions, comments, about this video or about parrot food, parrot feeding, parrot food recipes, parrot diet, or if you want to tell our birds how much you enjoy their videos!

[@art7734]

Hi. Thank you for everything but the background music is very loud I can't heard you

[@kerribell3466]

Music too loud very hard to hear you

[@FlockofFive]

Thank you for the feedback Kerri. We've since released newer videos that either have no music or better volume control through our video editing software. Also, an upgraded camera/mic.

[@vanessagregory8835]

This is important information and the music overshadows it.

[@deannabridges6068]

My Congo African Grey will only eat veggies that she can hold. I think African greys in general throw away ALOT of food. Mine does and it dont matter what food she has.

[@middleschooldrama8343]

I am getting a bird soon so watching all your vids. Dont mind me just stocking all the bird youtubers

[@THEE.apples]

Your should really change the romaine hearts with kale, dandelion greens, or other dark leafy greens because lettuces really don't have any nutritional value.

[@FlockofFive]

Romaine hearts are good sources of vitamine A! I would have loved to add kale but the store was out of them that day, but yes they are usually in our chop :). For some reason my fids decided they hate anything associated with dandelion :( .. I will keep trying though, one day! haha

[@cathydemuth8241]

Romaine hearts are good. Kale is a little bit better however Romaine is a healthy type of lettuce for a pet parrot.

[@mithra9900]

Hiii hows your birds!? :)

[@DoitLiveit]

This video was very helpful thanks for sharing.

[@FlockofFive]

We're glad you found the video helpful. :)

[@amberbobk8390]

Love this. so much important info. plus a sweet little glimps into you daily life together. sweet and funny

[@shahidmiah6715]

How often are you meant to feed a African grey. Can't find a info on this anywhere

[@ninja36inc]

I leave a full bowl of seed mix in one dish put some fresh fruits in a separate bowl in the cage for foraging and tend to give snacks by hand when I have mine out like grapes or palm fruit extract on a dry banana she loves that stuff

[@FlockofFive]

We keep a constant supply of pellets in the cage (no wet veggies or fruits due to risk of mold and the food spoiling). With respect to the wet food, many people do once a day.

[@Danijones4571]

Why is your african grey green?? :')

[@FlockofFive]

Those are red palm oil stains.

[@Danijones4571]

Flock of Five Awww! That's so cute!

[@Ivan76]

Rio Hemmings u mean yellow...

[@gregmeissner9960]

music is super distracting, I gave up on watching

[@rakaorion]

Music is very distracting. No music would be better.

[@failika1]

Very hard to watch this video, the camera is very jumpy, unfocused, music loud, and hard to hear you. Helpful video otherwise.

[@edj2745]

Provide smaller pieces if you want your grey to eat everything and not through it to the ground. Those pellets look big. Try cockatiel size for african grey parrots. It may look small, but all of it will get eaten.

[@vishalpatel-pv6kf]

parrots loves parakeet -amzn.to/2OnzoGK

[@Gingy50]

Why is there music in the background when you are speaking ? it’s hard to hear you clearly !

[@mannoahmed1900]

Thannnks alot ....but the muuuusic is very annoying

[@sharonkbutz3754]

Thank you for the Info

[@ninahedgecoth9119]

Is it ok to feed an African Grey BLACKBERRIES ?

[@cjjohnson4278]

Yes they love them

[@THEE.apples]

First

[@carolortiz9235]

Is it okay if birds eat vegetables that are not organic? I was thinking of using a homemade vinegar or baking soda spray to use on the fruits and vegetables and leave it on for some minutes before rinsing them. Someone has insight on this? Im talking about the produce from the grocery store. Theres the EWG dozen list of what to buy organic. But for non-organic items would it be enough to rinse them with water?

[@charlinehand6857]

Can African grays eat figs⁸

[@africangreydailylife]

Very nice beautiful video👍🌹

[@THEE.apples]

First to like

[@FlockofFive]

Thank you Marquise and hope you enjoyed the video! I hope you find it helpful :)

[@allrounders9969]

OkY stop kissing me!!!!

[@FlockofFive]

They put on a front, but they love it deep down.

[@hunnythebee467]

Is lemon a lovebird????

[@FlockofFive]

He is actually a Meyer's parrot.

[@hunnythebee467]

Flock of Five thank you! He's very cute though

[@windinternationalfilmfesti5333]

our African grey likes meshed pallets to be very warm in the microwave.Do you suggest she eats like that way? She has started plucking her feather and around her neck still is empty.She is free in-house and never wanted to be alone.During working times she is still up with us till 5 Am .If we put her in ed room she flies and tries getting out to be with us.Please suggest best ideas to help her to e healthier and not to pluck.Another question is do you think we should get an opposite sex African parrot for her or she will stop talking after?

[@FlockofFive]

Hi! It seems like you have quite the sticky situation there. Ideally you would have your adult parrot eat non-mashed foods, but if she is already a plucker, I will leave the mashed food as it is to not add enough stress for now. 12h sleep is essential for parrots and disturbing that cycle could definitely lead to behavioral issues, such as plucking. It would be ideal if you could keep her in her own room/ cage that is dark - this means the room lights should be completely off, or the cage should be covered with a dark breathable cover. Ideally this 12h cycle should be in sync with natural sunrise and sunset. If you live in an area where she doesn't get a lot of natural sun, purchase UVB light for your bird and keep it on for that natural "daylight time" when the sun is the strongest. It should be 4-6h at a minimum. Getting your parrot a mate is a very personal decision, yes - it is possible to lose that human-bird bond afterwards. Personally, that would not be my first choice. If she started plucking recently, it may be a sign of a health issue and I would take her to an avian vet to make sure everything is alright. The avian vet should be able to give you advice on behavioral issues as well. Best of luck to you!

[@donnamilligan1763]

Can you freeze the vegetables that you chop up

[@cjjohnson4278]

You can but some don't like the texture after it's been frozen. My Grey doesn't like it after it's been frozen either

[@sanamtaufique9109]

why are your african greys head a bit yellow???

[@FlockofFive]

It's staining from red palm oil.

[@Brembelia]

You talk too fast, and the music is drowning you out. Can't understand you; so much of it is garbled. Sorry. Try recording this again. Nice birds.

[@FlockofFive]

Thank you so much for the feedback West Winds. We have purchased video editoring software that allows us better control over the audio and are exploring mic options to allow us to improve the quality of our audio. :)

[@belindaransby2357]

Yes I agree that American constant drawl gets too much. Ditch the music also.

[@Bee-puppycat]

Can you feed chop to budgies daily?

[@FlockofFive]

Hi Bread! Yes you can, just make sure that it doesn't exceed 30% of their daily food intake. So for a budgie, it should be about two teaspoons.

[@leonorsoproni2309]

I Did not unterstand the part,..why they should not eat in the cage pls!

[@FlockofFive]

Hello Leonor, that's a great question. It's harder to clean inside the cage than outside of the it . If you leave any chop inside the case, mold can grow and the birds can develop a fungal infection. Pellets generally grow mold less quickly than chop and they also are easier to see inside a cage, so they can be fed inside the cage with a greater degree of safety. But you will still want to throw out and replace their pellets daily. Aspergillosis is one of the biggest killers of parrots.

[@gagiibaaji2774]

Do they have to eat chopped every day? Edit: the one I want to adopt is already all grown and I’m gone a good amount of time and my mom would probably take care of it, I don’t want to trouble her with having to feed chopped every day

[@makkinini3996]

Don't get a bird. They need a lot of one on one time DAILY. They're really intelligent animals and if you're unable to fully take care of them it is neglect

[@gagiibaaji2774]

@@makkinini3996 yeah I’m not

[@windinternationalfilmfesti5333]

how do you take parrots to drive with you in the car?Any special things they can sit and be safe and enjoy riding?

[@FlockofFive]

Hi! We actually have a video on taking our birds out for a drive - please check our youtube channel for this video. This is quite the controversial issue, some people say you should only travel with your bird with the cage seat-belted in. Others say it is okay to travel with your bird roaming free in the car. We are somewhat in the inbetween. If you have a driver and another person sitting beside you to watch the birds and have them on a short leash - I think it is okay to have your birds out while driving as long as you are not on a highway and on familiar roads. There are things you can purchase, like window perches to make the trip more enjoyable for your birds. Otherwise, we think they should be in a cage with a seat belt. Please check out the video on our channel for more details!

[@AM-xf8mu]

What time in the morning do u feed chop

[@FlockofFive]

It's really whenever we can. We don't have consistent routines at the moment due to work.

[@FLUBBY1013]

Where did you get that table stand perch for the conure,

[@FlockofFive]

It was actually a larger stand that we broke down and fashioned tightly at the base with rope to make it stand upright and balanced. So it was in part a DIY job.

[@BLane-xr1ic]

I love how one bird has a dainty piece, eating with her foot, the other has her head first in the bowl ♥️

[@mithra9900]

Hows your bird?

[@BLane-xr1ic]

@@mithra9900 My birds are all doing well, Thank you! How is your bird? And how are you? Have a good day today!

[@grfamily4903]

How much of fruit like berries and apple can it be giving during the week and how much per day???

[@jadtoum9586]

My parrot its african Gray & he didn't like to eating fruits & vigtabels .I tray many Times with him without any achievements. Could help me

[@dlrnrngml]

Hi Jad! We had the same problem with our african grey. The trick is to try again and again and again, there is no other solution! You can try different vegetables though. Our AG LOVES hot peppers, and will eat anything with hot peppers mixed in. Try different combinations of vegetables - for our 3 birds, the favorites are microwaved yam, carrots (juilenne) and hot peppers. Hope this helps!

[@ivanwesteurope]

giving boiled ( cooked ) beans and giving it to mixer, etc... is a big nonsence.

[@lou-annnaidoo3616]

Would be great if you could explain what is chop

[@frankboateng1903]

Please what was in the silver on the fire and after mixing them do you have to put on fire

[@nbfarmandpets]

Are tomatoes good for parrots also? I want to try feeding our parrots too

[@jessiefranklin9318]

Is it required to feed it in the morning? Or could I give them pellets in the morning then when getting back from school fees them their chop? (I don't have a bird but I plan to get one next year or the year after)

[@aboldy]

you have some good content but I can't see past the music. I had to stop after 5 minutes as I couldn't hear you over it

[@FlockofFive]

Thank you so much for the feedback, Mash. Our newer videos have either no music or better control over the volume through the video editing software. They should be more to your liking. :)

[@ninja36inc]

how many grams should a single portion of chop be?

[@negaless1144]

a-some always a-gree with fellow feather friend.)

[@MISHELLR]

Thank you for the great idea about the chops in the morning

[@FlockofFive]

You're welcome MISHELLR! We're glad you found it helpful :)

[@AM-xf8mu]

My birds poop is green most the time but sometimes is red/brown. He is eating zupreem coloured fruitblend. He doesnt eat the natural non coloured ones, he refuses to eat it.

[@FlockofFive]

The coloured pellets make it challenging to read their poop. We do have a newer video on feeding our parrots that may be helpful in your circumstances. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpLbqGWigMqfg6M

[@lol-qi6tj]

Aaaaaah

[@kerribell3466]

P;z lower the music in back ground ty

[@FlockofFive]

Flock of Five 3 weeks ago Hello! Thank you so much for your reply and watching our videos. Yes, we do get requests to remove the music a lot. Sadly this was done because our video equipment is a simple camera - unfortunately it picked up the sound of our air purifiers such that the audio was barely usable. Then, we thought it would be a good idea to use a sound editing software to try to remove the background noise - that was a mistake. It morphed the audio which was partially fixed by adding background music. That is why all of our videos have the music in the background and unfortunately, it is not something that can be simply removed. The series of videos you see here was a small project for us that we made to help other parronts who are newer - a sort of quick introduction guide, if you will. We are hoping to remake these using better video equipment when funds and time become available. In the meanwhile, we appreciate your patience and for your interest, it means the world to us

[@lol-qi6tj]

What's chop

[@lol-qi6tj]

What is chop

[@sorin5862]

What is chopped what is it made of

[@juliaaajames1259]

vodka

[@rbear4574]

I love the way you care for your Parrots, I have a 40 year old Red Lored Amazon who hates cooked veggies. Loves brown rice and oat meal at once a week.

[@FlockofFive]

yum! That sounds amazing, so happy you enjoyed this video!

[@MISHELLR]

FYI my Conure's name is Happy lol

[@FlockofFive]

It's a great name!

[@vice3274]

What is the type of normal food ?

[@FlockofFive]

The base food we give them is Zupreme Naturals pellets (the noncoloured ones).

[@cosmicquetzal220]

Your African Grey has a yellow face!?

[@FlockofFive]

She had just had a "party" with red palm oil hahaha!

[@cosmicquetzal220]

Ah ok XD. Thought maybe it was a super rare color mutation I didn't know about or something Haha!

[@michelleackerson4524]

Please leave the music out of your videos....very distracting :-(

[@FlockofFive]

Thank you for the feedback, Michelle. Would you prefer no music or much quieter music? We are planning on making some new videos over the summer months.

[@rcoibion]

I would prefer no music so we could concentrate on what you are saying.

[@FlockofFive]

Hello! Thank you so much for your reply and watching our videos. Yes, we do get requests to remove the music a lot. Sadly this was done because our video equipment is a simple camera - unfortunately it picked up the sound of our air purifiers such that the audio was barely usable. Then, we thought it would be a good idea to use a sound editing software to try to remove the background noise - that was a mistake. It morphed the audio which was partially fixed by adding background music. That is why all of our videos have the music in the background and unfortunately, it is not something that can be simply removed. The series of videos you see here was a small project for us that we made to help other parronts who are newer - a sort of quick introduction guide, if you will. We are hoping to remake these using better video equipment when funds and time become available. In the meanwhile, we appreciate your patience and for your interest, it means the world to us

[@evimarioli3039]

I am confused.....do you feed your parrots only that or seeds also????

[@FlockofFive]

Hi Evi! The current guideline is to feed your parrots a 70-80% pellet diet, with the remainder consisting mostly of vegetables, and very little treats. We do not feed our parrots any seeds as they are fatty and have little nutritional value. I do know some parrot owners who feed a bit of seed as treat during training.

[@evimarioli3039]

Flock of Five thank you😊😊😊😊

[@jedagirl4798]

Like the video, but can do without the music. Thanks!

[@FlockofFive]

We have released new videos with either no music or with better volume control through the video editing software. Thank you for the feedback. :)

[@cragodenice]

FYI most baby carrots have been dipped in wax to retain color, if you are going to use them you need to plunge into boiling water for a minute to melt wax and then rinse, just rinsing doesn't remove the wax.

[@harryhathaway1086]

No way will my parrots eat this. They live off of Pistachios,Walnuts, Nutriberries,Cherrio's, Apples, grapes, pasta and sometimes yams but I'm lucky If they eat the good stuff.They love scrambled eggs and instant oatmeal mixed with quinoa,chia seed,brown rice, egg noodles.They are picky. However my Cockatoo now loves Bush baked beans.

[@amandakay789]

Are they still alive 😮

[@cjjohnson4278]

That's definitely not good.

[@roboman34]

great information thank you

[@rozan9]

Best way to convert your birds from seed to fruits and vegetables keep put bowel of mix small size fruits and vegetables daily at the morning time and remove any seed keeping daily with patients will be covert and very good health the results including leave you bird flying out the cage at least one hour daily .

[@birdbrain9625]

Hi I have been feeding my cheek quinoa twice a day about a tsp full is that safe?

[@rosy8330]

I loved it tysm!

[@jamesward6503]

My DYH Amazon likes fried eggs with a little cheddar cheese melted onto it. Then a fresh slice of apple. Sunflower seeds and almonds in the shell for lunch.For dinner anything with pasta, chicken noodle soup, chicken with veggies with blue cheese or ranch. A few black olives, or green olives , a long piece of celery with the leaves on the end smeared with peanut butter. He likes beef but I can't eat beef anymore so he eats whatever we eat for dinner as long as it is warm.. During summer, peas and carrots out of the garden,fresh broccoli, blue berries ect...Once a month a spoon full of oat meal, pancakes, or french toast. He also gets a lot of treats like cashews, almonds ,chips and crackers. He likes a variety and gets burned out if you feed him the same thing over again...