Many of the foods we eat every day can be very nutritious for your parrot. But be careful. If you're going to feed your parrot table food, here are some things you need to be aware of. He can eat just about anything you can - but not everything. What he can't eat is very important to know. Some of the foods we like to eat are in fact toxic for your bird. Salty and sugary foods are unhealthy for them so avoid all junk food.
There are other foods that also must be avoided. They include avocado, rhubarb, chocolate (no candy bars!), raw onion, any salty or sugary foods (it may be fun to watch him eat that pretzel but it is definitely a no no) and alcohol. These foods are toxic or even deadly and must be avoided.
Just like us, our parrots will tend to start to bulge if they eat too many fatty calories and don't get any exercise. Stick to the healthier stuff. It can be a amazon parrot for sale lot a fun as well. Having to go on a diet is no fun for your bird either.
Protein is essential for your parrot to be able to process other nutrients. A good source of protein is meat. Parrots are known to enjoy chicken, beef and eggs. The best of course is to feed them only organic and hormone-free animal meats and eggs. When feeding them any kind of meat or eggs make sure you overcook it. Those boiled eggs should boil for a half hour.
Parrots have trouble digesting dairy products. Remember dairy products are not part of the wild parrot's natural diet and they're not built to handle it very well. Some low fat or nonfat organic yogurt is alright but don't overdo it. Most importantly, don't give them milk.
Despite what you might have heard parrots do not need "grit" in their diet. Feeding them grit can cause "crop impaction" resulting in their inability to digest their food properly. Excess grit can very harmful.
Breeding African Grey Parrots - A Guide For African Grey Breeders
There are 2 species of African Grey parrot of interest to breeders. The Timneh Parrot which is small and somewhat dark in colour and the Congo African Parrot, which is bigger than the Timneh and lighter in colour.
Breeding African grey parrots can prove to be a daunting task, especially if you are not familiar with the entire procedure. You will need to gradually introduce your African grey parrot in a cage with another of the opposite sex, so as to give them enough time to get to know each other. African grey parrots need to become companions slowly, so do not try to force things as it will only lead to frustration. In the wild, the African greys choose a small area on a tree so as to breed; this means that you do not need provide them with a large and open space in order to breed them successfully. They do however some privacy in order to breed, so a well hidden next box is essential.
You should buy a nestbox which is large enough. They might not require an open space so as to breed, but they definitely need to be comfortable enough. A nestbox which is at least twenty five inches high and wide is ideal. Boxes shaped as a capital L can work really well for them and is highly recommended for breeding. A bedding of wood shavings should be provided in the box, so as to keep both the bird and the eggs as safe as possible.
While breeding African grey parrots is not difficult with the right breeding stock and good husbandry, the Congo parrots are generally considered the easiest. The Timneh on the other hand are a little more difficult to breed and since they are less popular and less common as pets are best left to experienced breeders.
If you decide to buy an African parrot for breeding, parrot breeder uk it is strongly recommended that you check accredited African grey breeders first. The birds should be medically tested by a vet - even a DNA test can be done - so as to determine the reproductive ability and maturity of the particular bird. Potential African grey breeders are also advised to use some scientifically proven methods so as to determine the sex of the bird, rather than base their assumption on morphological characteristics, such as the size of beaks.
While breeding African grey parrots you will see that the eggs need hatching for a month; in most cases the birds lay a clutch of two to five eggs. African grey breeders should be very careful when removing the chicks, because the African grey can become very aggressive and attacking so as to protect the newborns, and can give a nasty bite with their sharp and powerful beaks.
