My parrot only eats human food from my mouth. Is this safe or healthy?

Hi, There are 2 main reasons not to mouth-feed Chip. The first is bacteria and yeast that can be transferred from us to them. The second is that in nature mouth feeding only occurs between adult birds and their young, or between a pair of birds as part of their breeding behavior. Chip is no longer a baby. You also don't want him to see as his mate as this may cause behavioral/hormonal problems in the future.

The best thing to offer your parrot is a diet that consists mainly of pellets (80%) and then fruits and veggies (15-20%). Less than 5% of his diet should be from “people food” because it will not give him the proper vitamins and minerals he needs. The good news is that Rangu is still very young and you should be able to adjust his dietary habits fairly easily. Try to refrain from feeding him any people food for the time being except for very small amount when training/working with him. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

You don't mention what type of bird you have, I am going to assume a parrot? In birds it is best to avoid chocolate, caffeine, avocado, onion and garlic, comfrey, apple seeds, pits/stones from fruits, sugar free foods containing xylitol (this can cause issue in dogs and we don't know for sure about birds), foods high in fat or salt, mushrooms, dairy, grit, peanuts that have become moldy, and the plant portion of members of the nightshade family (i.e. tomato, potato, peppers, eggplant- the fruits aren't toxic but the leaves/plant parts are). More information can be found here http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/10-everyday-items-that-are-toxic-to-birds

Thanks for reaching out about Cheeku. If she is not eating, she needs to see a veterinarian. Crop/esophageal infections or obstruction (ingested foreign material) can cause serious problems. Maintaining proper husbandry (i.e. environmental temperature) is important for sick birds, to conserve their own energy to fight illness. Veterinarians attempt to place ill birds in incubators fo 80-85 degrees, 24/7. Attempt to syringe water, as dehydrate is a more immediate concern than starvation. Good luck.

Hello! I am so happy to hear you are looking to improve your birds nutrition! Nutrition is the foundation of good health in birds and is so important! I recommend ZuPreem, Roudybush, Lafeber, or Harrison pellets. You can buy all of these except Harrison’s at your local PetCo or other pet store. It’s important to feed about 75% of the diet as a complete, high quality pelleted food. The brand you chose is less important and will often be dictated by what Charlie prefers (for example, my bird hates Harrison’s, but loves ZuPreem, so that’s what I buy). The remaining 25% of the diet should be mostly fresh vegetables (10-20%) with a small portion of seeds and other treats like fruit and nuts. I usually recommend that owners save the really tasty but not nutritionally sound treats like sunflower seeds, nuts, dried fruit for training. If Charlie only gets treats when he’s interacting with you, this will help improve and solidify your bond. If your bird is really attached to eating seeds, this transition can be quite difficult. The process of transitioning from seeds to pellets can be involved, and I’d be happy to provide a consultation on this topic if you would like. As for the bad breath, that can mean many things. It could be nothing at all and just a side effect of the food you’re feeding, as you suggested. It’s also possible it could be an infection. However, since you say Charlie is otherwise acting normally, I’d be inclined to believe it’s just from the food. I hope this was helpful! Please let me know if I can help in any other way. Good luck to you and Charlie!

Peanuts are great treats, but they are fatty and can lead to obesity. Try to limit them, if possible. Boomer can eat pretty much anything that you eat with a few exceptions. Do not feed chocolate, avocado, caffeine or anything with alcohol. She can eat grapes, blueberries, strawberries, pitted cherries, banana, pineapple and apple (no seeds). Limit fruit to no more than 10% of the diet. Too much may cause loose droppings. Acceptable vegetable include corn, peas, green beans, other cooked beans, potatoes (cooked), broccoli, zucchini, kale and sweet potato. She can have cooked grains and cooked plain pastas. Scrambled egg makes a great weekend treat. This list is by no means all inclusive. Other lists can be found online using the search engine of your choosing.

Often they regurgitate (not vomit) their food when they are in the presence of a friend or mate. It's a way for them to show off. If you have a particularly close relationship with your parrot, then this could explain the behavior; especially if it's something he does regularly. They can also do it more often during breeding seasons. There are a couple of different diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that can also cause frequent regurgitation, so it's best to have him checked out by an avian vet if this suddenly started occurring. If you are suspicious that it's more behavioral, then you may consider altering how you interact with your parrot. This is especially important when it comes to touching your parrot. In the wild, friends will only touch around the head and neck, while mates will touch areas below the neck, like under the wings and belly. Essentially, you'll want to give a little distance between you and the parrot. If that stops the regurgitating, then you'll know that's the problem. I hope that helps and all goes well with your Ringneck.