Parrot Plucking Series: About the Parrot Feather Plucking Diet

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One of the most upsetting things that many parrot lovers experience is parrot feather plucking. While there are many contributing causes to parrot plucking, one important contributing factor is the parrots diet. First rate nutrition is required not just for effective organ functioning but also for beautiful plumage. However, malnutrition is common captive parrots.

Malnutrition can affect any organ structure in the body, and once damage is done, it becomes progressive. As one organ breaks down, other organs are affected which results in a cascading decline of overall health. Poor skin and feather health may be an early sign that your pet needs a parrot feather plucking diet

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Rubinstein and Lightfoot (2012) report that the metabolic cost of growing, maintaining, and replacing feathers is high. With an ordinary molt, the bird has to replace up to 30% of the lean, dry body mass. Healthy feather growth requires an increased need for energy, amino nitrogen, and amino acids. Plucking parrots are replacing feathers at a more frequent rate, quickly depleting their body of essential nutrients.

Poor nutrition effects skin health, too. According to Cooper and Harrison (1994), “The ability of avian skin to resist infections and to heal properly is related to many factors, the most important of which is the nutritional status of the bird” (p. 625). Itchy skin causes a parrot to scratch and dig at its skin.

Species Specific Diets

Current avian nutrition research is now revealing that different species of parrots have slightly different nutritional needs. While most parrot species are Florivores, with their primary diet being plant based, we are now finding out that among Florivores, there also exists Granivores, or birds that eat mostly grains and seeds.  Frugivores eat mostly flowers and fruits, Omnivores eat a combination of foods and Nectavores, birds that thrive on nectar, pollen and insects.

Pet Bird Dietary Classification	Primary Diet	Parrot Species
Florivore	Seeds, fruits, nuts, bark, roots, berries	Military macaw, Blue and gold macaw, Red- faced parrot
Granivore	Grains, seeds	Budgerigar, cockatiel, Hyacinth macaw
Frugivore	Mostly fruit and flowers; some nuts and seeds	Blue-throated macaw, Green-winged macaw
Omnivore	Seeds, fruits, insects, invertebrates	Sulpher-crested cockatoo, Red-tailed Amazon
Nectarivore	Nectar, pollen; some insects and seeds	Lorikeet, lory

Adapted from PetEducation

 The Case for Pellets

Avian veterinarians often recommend that the bulk of a parrots diet should come from a formulated pelleted diet. Most species will do well with a 65-80% pelleted diet supplemented with vegetables, grains and fruits.  There are several pellet choices available including Harrison’s Bird Food, Roudybush and Zupreem.

Reputable bird food manufacturers use research to guide the manufacturing process of their diets. They use a variety of ingredients from grains, vegetables, fruits, seeds, various protein sources and vitamins and minerals. The ingredients blended together and baked in to a crunchy pellet. Some manufacturers make different blends for species-specific diets.

 Supplement Your Parrot Feather Plucking Diet with Fresh Foods

It is recommended that pellets be supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. The chart below shows you recommended fresh supplements that your bird may love.

Nutritious Supplements to the Parrot Feather Plucking Diet
Vegetables	Fruits
Radishes Turnips Carrots (root and tops) Cooked sweet potatoes Radicchio Endive Mustard & dandelion greens Swiss Chard Kale Parsley Cooked red potatoes Green beans Tomato Sweet red & green peppers Cauliflower Broccoli (head and leaves) Beet & turnip greens Eggplant Kohlrabi Sugar snap or snow peas Squash (peeled & steamed) Red beets (peeled) Romaine or green/red leaf lettuce Collard greens Corn Cucumber	Apples Berries Kiwi Mango Cantaloupe Honeydew Pineapple Cherries Cranberries Banana Pears Peaches Oranges Pomegranate Tangerines Star fruit Grapefruit Papaya Plums Grapes Apricots

 Adapted from PetEducation

How to Clean Fruits and Vegetables to Remove Residue

1. Fill a large bowl with 4 parts water: 1 part plain white vinegar.

2. Soak the fruit or vegetables you’d like cleaned in the mixture for 20 minutes.

3. Rinse the fruit or vegetables well with water.

 Infographic by Diane Burroughs, LCSW, BirdSupplies.com

Eclectus parrots are a species that is prone to parrot plucking. One reason for this is because Eclectus parrots have very long digestive tracts which absorb preservatives, additives, dyes and synthetic vitamins at a higher rate. Thus, they need a specialized diet free from preservatives, additives, food dyes and synthetic vitamins. If you have an Eclectus that is pre-occupied with parrot feather plucking, consider feeding it an organic based mash.

Photo from Currumbin Valley Birds, Reptiles & Exotics Vet

This is an image of a cockatiel with tissue complications of vitamin A deficiency that required surgery.

These are just a few examples of how malnutrition contributes parrot feather plucking. In each of these examples, skin and / or feather health are. Anytime that a parrot is under stress, whether it is from nutritional deficits that result in discomfort or pain, or other parrot husbandry practices than the bird may try to relieve itself with scratching or parrot feather plucking.  Reduce your parrots physical stress with a parrot feather plucking diet.

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