World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

If you wish to keep your bird in favorable conditions you are to pay serious attention to its nourishment. Pets that dwell in people's houses in ornamental cages commonly belong to granivorous birds. And as a result many people used to think that such birds should eat only seeds. But in fact this sort of birds vary their food every season in natural conditions. The ration can include animal forage, different greens, fruits and tree barks. That's why the diversity of feeds will bring your bird healthy.

Today you can buy bulk bird seed almost anywhere, even on the web. As you see you shouldn't feed your bird a whole year with corns because it wouldn't harmonize with their natural nourishment.

Lots of birds may have the same forage for a long time and don't show any signs of an illness. But as a rule, the effects of such nutrition can be revealed in the abnormality of moult, overweight, kidney disease and disorder of the reproductive function. Also there may be a lot of cases of infectious illnesses because birds need vitamins and proteins in their nourishment.

So the main part of a bird's meal contains grain mixtures. But the composition of the mixture must be of different grains (wheat, oats, millet, maize and so on) and seeds (canary seed, herbage seeds, seeds of lettuce) because it is highly significant to keep your bird healthy. Oil-yielding seeds may be also included. They are sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, hemp seeds, diverse nuts and others. But these sorts of crops must be attached in a small amount because overuse of oil-yielding seeds is the reason of obesity.

Each bird has its own normal daily quantity of meal so you are to follow that doses must not increase the norm. For example canary's standard is one teaspoon, budgerigar will have 2 teaspoon a day etc.

Fresh forage contains various greeneries, wild herbage, fruits, vegetables, also fresh leaves and branches of trees. And, of course you have to add animal feed to the bird's ration. Hen's eggs in a boiled condition, fatless cottage cheese or small amount of fatless minced meat may be included in a bird's meal. These forages are given to a cage bird once a week, in molt period - twice a week and only in the period of nestling - each day. In the bird's cage should be also situated a feeder with chalk or small stones, they are necessary for a good digestion.

We have to mention that birds need a spacious cage. If you incline to bird houses you may purchase them at any online pet shop nowadays.

And if you are an adherent of savage birds feeding you may buy various window bird feeders in our online store.