Edit: I forgot to hit save as draft so sorry if you read & it's not complete lol.
This article covers a wide range of safe foods most of which are a necessary addition to the diet of most parrot species. We'll also cover how to offer them, how often, as well as going over some unsafe foods as well.
What is Chop?
Chop is a term used by parrot owners referring to a mix of minced or diced vegetables, greens, or herbs fed to parrots. Fresh food should make up the bulk of the diet for most common species while pellets are a small addition to supplement certain vitamins not found in the fresh foods. It's really easy to make at home despite being just a little bit time consuming but if you're making slightly larger batches, it can be frozen until use, saving you a lot of time & effort in the long run (chop stays good for 4-6 months when frozen!). I personally make quite large batches as I'm using it not only for 6+ parrots but also Finches & Quail. I spend 4-5 hours making it but don't have to make it for another 5 months after that. When making smaller batches you can chop by hand however a food processor is a very welcome addition to speed up the process.
Chop should be offered daily when possible, some owners offer it frozen allowing the birds a longer period to eat it as it gradually thaws however not all birds prefer this. It can generally be thawed in a portion size overnight in the fridge then fed to the birds in the morning or afternoon/evening depending on your preferred feeding schedule. Chop is often best to feed in the morning and be removed after 2-3 hours then offer the birds their usual dry food for the rest of the day.
Safe Vegetables/Greens:
Artichoke
Broccoli
Beets
Bell pepper
Bok Choy
Brussel sprouts
Cauliflower
Cabbage (in moderation)
Corn
Cucumber (in moderation)
Carrots
Green Beans
Parsnip
Pumpkin
Peas
Radish
Rutabagas
Squash (Yellow, Butternut, Acorn, Zucchini)
Sweet potato (cooked or steamed)
Turnips
Greens:
Collard greens
Kale (in moderation)
Mustard greens
Spinach (careful moderation, consider avoiding)
Swiss Chard
Turnip greens
Safe Herbs:
Anise/Star anise
Basil
Bay leaves
Chamomile
Clover
Cilantro/Coriander
Dill
Dandelion
Fennel
Ginger root
Lemongrass
Lavender
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano
Peppermint
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Turmeric root
Safe Fruits:
No seeds/pits means they are toxic!
Apple (no seeds)
Bananas
Cranberries
Cherries (no pits)
Currants
Dragonfruit
Dates (unsweetened/dried)
Elderberries
Figs
Grapes
Gooseberries
Guava
Strawberry
Blackberry
Pears (no seeds)
Peaches (no pits)
Plums (no pits)
Note: fruit should be fed in moderation due to its sugar content. it is not a necessary diet addition for most common species so should be restricted to a rare treat only.
How do I get my Parrot to eat vegetables?
There are multiple methods to encourage birds to try vegetables however it is important to remember that patience is extremely key. While fresh foods ARE a natural & vital part of their diet many birds have never even seen a vegetable and will not recognize it as a food source. This is largely due to the fact that they can SURVIVE on only seed/pellets and that these diets is most commonly promoted by pet stores or poorly educated breeders. A varied diet is extremely vital to the health of parrots, feeding only seed mixes/pellets long-term without supplementation of fresh foods results in deficiencies, fatty liver disease, malnutrition, & overall poor health despite the fact that they often still live long lives on this diet without necessarily succumbing to these health issues. Seed mixes especially the common ones sold in stores do not contain enough variety or the right types to provide near adequate nutrition for any parrot on their own & pellets are meant to be a supplement for a similar reason- they do provide additional nutrients & vitamins not found in seeds or vegetables but still not in enough forms necessary to make up a bulk percentage of the diet. Pellets also tend to contain too many proteins resulting in over-energized birds depending on the species which can result in a stressed bird without an outlet. Pellets also tend to cause neurological issues in species such as Eclectus parrots due to certain proteins/overly large quantities of vitamins that this species doesn't tolerate, so they should receive little to no pellets at all.
The first method of diet conversion is a gradual mix. Give the bird a spoonful of chop in their regular feeding bowl and mix in their normal food so it's about 50/50. The bird will have to dig through the chop for the food it wants and will end up accidentally eating chop as well. Over the course of a few weeks continue gradually increasing the chop ratio, if the bird stops eating it, go back to the ratio that worked.
Another similar method that tends to be successful is adding other foods that they are likely to be very interested in, such as soaked/sprouted seed, cooked grains such as quinoa, or their usual treat food into the chop. Adding sprouted seed/quinoa seems to be particularly efficient for Budgies.
Method 2 is to just give the bird the bowl of chop before they get any of their other food and just give it about 2 hours. The bird will get hungry enough that it may decide to try the chop, realize it's tasty, and you don't have to do much else. This is considered a cold turkey switch, and some birds also just like to try everything which makes it more successful for these individuals (one of my cockatiels switched this way and started eating it the second it was placed in her bowl).
-This article is a work in progress-
This article covers a wide range of safe foods most of which are a necessary addition to the diet of most parrot species. We'll also cover how to offer them, how often, as well as going over some unsafe foods as well.
What is Chop?
Chop is a term used by parrot owners referring to a mix of minced or diced vegetables, greens, or herbs fed to parrots. Fresh food should make up the bulk of the diet for most common species while pellets are a small addition to supplement certain vitamins not found in the fresh foods. It's really easy to make at home despite being just a little bit time consuming but if you're making slightly larger batches, it can be frozen until use, saving you a lot of time & effort in the long run (chop stays good for 4-6 months when frozen!). I personally make quite large batches as I'm using it not only for 6+ parrots but also Finches & Quail. I spend 4-5 hours making it but don't have to make it for another 5 months after that. When making smaller batches you can chop by hand however a food processor is a very welcome addition to speed up the process.
Chop should be offered daily when possible, some owners offer it frozen allowing the birds a longer period to eat it as it gradually thaws however not all birds prefer this. It can generally be thawed in a portion size overnight in the fridge then fed to the birds in the morning or afternoon/evening depending on your preferred feeding schedule. Chop is often best to feed in the morning and be removed after 2-3 hours then offer the birds their usual dry food for the rest of the day.
Safe Vegetables/Greens:
Artichoke
Broccoli
Beets
Bell pepper
Bok Choy
Brussel sprouts
Cauliflower
Cabbage (in moderation)
Corn
Cucumber (in moderation)
Carrots
Green Beans
Parsnip
Pumpkin
Peas
Radish
Rutabagas
Squash (Yellow, Butternut, Acorn, Zucchini)
Sweet potato (cooked or steamed)
Turnips
Greens:
Collard greens
Kale (in moderation)
Mustard greens
Spinach (careful moderation, consider avoiding)
Swiss Chard
Turnip greens
Safe Herbs:
Anise/Star anise
Basil
Bay leaves
Chamomile
Clover
Cilantro/Coriander
Dill
Dandelion
Fennel
Ginger root
Lemongrass
Lavender
Marjoram
Mint
Oregano
Peppermint
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Turmeric root
Safe Fruits:
No seeds/pits means they are toxic!
Apple (no seeds)
Bananas
Cranberries
Cherries (no pits)
Currants
Dragonfruit
Dates (unsweetened/dried)
Elderberries
Figs
Grapes
Gooseberries
Guava
Strawberry
Blackberry
Pears (no seeds)
Peaches (no pits)
Plums (no pits)
Note: fruit should be fed in moderation due to its sugar content. it is not a necessary diet addition for most common species so should be restricted to a rare treat only.
How do I get my Parrot to eat vegetables?
There are multiple methods to encourage birds to try vegetables however it is important to remember that patience is extremely key. While fresh foods ARE a natural & vital part of their diet many birds have never even seen a vegetable and will not recognize it as a food source. This is largely due to the fact that they can SURVIVE on only seed/pellets and that these diets is most commonly promoted by pet stores or poorly educated breeders. A varied diet is extremely vital to the health of parrots, feeding only seed mixes/pellets long-term without supplementation of fresh foods results in deficiencies, fatty liver disease, malnutrition, & overall poor health despite the fact that they often still live long lives on this diet without necessarily succumbing to these health issues. Seed mixes especially the common ones sold in stores do not contain enough variety or the right types to provide near adequate nutrition for any parrot on their own & pellets are meant to be a supplement for a similar reason- they do provide additional nutrients & vitamins not found in seeds or vegetables but still not in enough forms necessary to make up a bulk percentage of the diet. Pellets also tend to contain too many proteins resulting in over-energized birds depending on the species which can result in a stressed bird without an outlet. Pellets also tend to cause neurological issues in species such as Eclectus parrots due to certain proteins/overly large quantities of vitamins that this species doesn't tolerate, so they should receive little to no pellets at all.
The first method of diet conversion is a gradual mix. Give the bird a spoonful of chop in their regular feeding bowl and mix in their normal food so it's about 50/50. The bird will have to dig through the chop for the food it wants and will end up accidentally eating chop as well. Over the course of a few weeks continue gradually increasing the chop ratio, if the bird stops eating it, go back to the ratio that worked.
Another similar method that tends to be successful is adding other foods that they are likely to be very interested in, such as soaked/sprouted seed, cooked grains such as quinoa, or their usual treat food into the chop. Adding sprouted seed/quinoa seems to be particularly efficient for Budgies.
Method 2 is to just give the bird the bowl of chop before they get any of their other food and just give it about 2 hours. The bird will get hungry enough that it may decide to try the chop, realize it's tasty, and you don't have to do much else. This is considered a cold turkey switch, and some birds also just like to try everything which makes it more successful for these individuals (one of my cockatiels switched this way and started eating it the second it was placed in her bowl).
-This article is a work in progress-
