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Best Diet for Parrotlets: A Comprehensive Guide + Product Recommendations
The best diet for parrotlets includes a blend of pellets, seeds, fresh & dried fruits and vegetables, grains, and treats (sparingly).
Offering a balanced diet is crucial for your parrotlet’s overall health, providing them with the necessary nutrients for optimal feather quality, strong bones, and a robust immune system. Keep in mind that while a variety of fruits and veggies are always on the menu, steering clear of avian no-nos is essential.
Additionally, offering a diverse range of food textures and shapes encourages mental stimulation and satisfies their natural foraging instincts. This turns mealtime into a delightful and enriching experience for your feathered friend.
What Should a Parrotlet’s Diet Consist Of?
Parrotlets are omnivores and ground feeders. In the wild, their diet consists mainly of leaf buds, flower blossoms, berries, cacti, insects, small fruits, and a variety of seeds. Trying to mimic wild food sources and the nutritional needs of pet parrotlets requires a special diet.
The ideal ratio of food categories:
There are hundreds of parrotlet food brands/options on the market so determining the best diet for parrotlets can be a challenge. Keep reading to find out what’s best.
Organic vs. Non-Organic Parrotlet Diet
Before we get into the different types of food options and the best diet for parrotlets, it’s worth discussing the pros and cons of organic vs. non-organic food choices. Keep in mind that just because something is labeled as organic, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy. That goes for you or your bird!
Pros of Organic Food for Parrotlets
The main benefit of feeding your parrotlet an organic diet is that they won’t be exposed to toxic chemicals (including pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides) commonly used on the crops that ultimately make up conventional parrotlet food. According to the American Bird Conservancy, close to 100 percent of corn on the market is treated with potentially harmful insecticides and herbicides (including Roundup’s glyphosate). If any of the ingredients in your non-organic/conventional bird food include corn, oats, grains, almonds, beetroot or quinoa, you’ll want to consider switching brands.
Many brands of parrotlet food have added preservatives, processed sugar, and food dyes, which you’ll want to steer clear of. Bottom line…parrotlets don’t care what color their main food source is and never eat processed sugar in the wild. They’ll have enough color choices if you’re properly supplementing with fresh fruits and vegetables!
At Arlobird, we believe the best diet for parrotlets is 100% organic.
Cons of Organic Food for Parrotlets
The two main disadvantages of buying organic food for your pet bird are cost and availability. If you realize at the last minute that you are running low on seeds or pellets, you might not be able to run out to the pet store and find a suitable organic option. Buying organic (just like with organic human food) is also simply more expensive than non-organic. This is due to the extra care it takes to grow, tend to, and process crops without chemicals.
Pellets
Pellets are made by crushing, mixing, and pressing several ingredients together in specific amounts to form a balanced and nutritional food source. It is considered the ideal and best diet for parrotlets among many veterinarians, breeders, and parrot experts. Pellets can be found in all shapes and sizes, and some are better for a parrotlet’s diet than others. You can allow your parrotlet to eat as many pellets as they want throughout the day. They should be readily available in your bird’s food bowl at all times.
Pros of a Pellet Based Diet for Parrotlets
Like humans, pet parrotlets will quickly learn their favorite food type and stick with it. If they are only offered a daily mixture of seeds, they will ultimately eat what they like best and leave the rest alone. When feeding your parrotlet pellets, they cannot become selective and eat only what they want. This can potentially avoid nutritional imbalances, deficiencies, and diseases.
Cons of a Pellet Based Diet for Parrotlets
When living in the wild, parrotlets have to search and forage for food. They must crack open seed shells with their beaks and chew through fruit skins. If parrotlets are only fed pellets, they lose their ability to behave and forage like wild birds.
Recommended Pellet Brands:
1. TOP’s Organic Pellets for Small Hookbills
TOP’s Small Pellets are USDA Certified Organic and perfect for parrotlets. They do not contain soy, corn, BHA, BHT or ethoxyquin. TOP’s pellets are all natural and cold-pressed to keep the natural nutrition intact.
Ingredients include: Organic alfalfa, organic hulled millet, organic barley, organic rice, organic sunflower seed hulled, organic sesame seeds unhulled, organic quinoa whole, organic pumpkin, organic buckwheat hulled, organic dandelion leaf powder, organic carrot powder, organic spinach leaf powder, organic purple dulse, kelp, organic rose hips powder, organic rose hips crushed, organic orange peel powder, organic lemon peel powder, organic rosemary whole leaf, organic cayenne ground, organic crushed red chili peppers, organic nettle leaf, cinnamon
2. Bird Tricks Organic Life Enhancing Pellets
Bird Tricks Pellets are USDA Certified Organic, preserved using natural ingredients, and are suitable for any sized parrot. They are processed using a cold-pressed method which retains all the nutrition naturally occurring in each ingredient.
Ingredients include: Alfalfa leaf, millet, barley, rice [The following ingredients comprise no more than 5% total volume each] sunflower seeds, sesame seeds unhulled, quinoa whole, pumpkin, buckwheat, dandelion leaf powder, carrot powder, spinach leaf powder, purple dulse, kelp, rose hips powder, rose hips crushed, orange peel powder, lemon peel powder, rosemary whole leaf, cayenne ground, crushed red chili peppers, nettle leaf, cinnamon
(Did you notice these are the exact same ingredients as TOP’s brand? It’s a white-label parrot pellet, but makes up part of the best diet for parrotlets.)
3. Harrison’s Adult Lifetime Pellets (Fine or Superfine)
Harrison’s pellets offer different ingredients than the Bird Tricks and TOP’s brands listed above. While a lot of them are the same, the main ingredient in the adult lifetime pellets is corn. If you choose a corn-based pellet, you need to make sure it’s organic. As stated above, According to the American Bird Conservancy, almost 100% of corn on the market is treated with potentially harmful insecticides and herbicides.
Harrison’s pellets are USDA Certified Organic and can be fed to parrotlets that are 6 months or older. It’s a year-round maintenance formula that meets the nutritional requirements for healthy, non-breeding, non-molting birds.
Ingredients include: *Corn, *Hull-less Barley, *Hulled Gray Millet, *Toasted Soybean Meal, *Peas, *Lentils, *Peanut Kernels, *Sunflower Kernels, *Toasted Oat Groats, *Alfalfa, *Brown Rice, *Chia, Calcium Carbonate, Bentonite, Mixed Tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), Sea Kelp, Salt *Algae Meal, Vitamin/Mineral Supplement (Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate and *Sunflower Oil) *CERTIFIED ORGANIC INGREDIENTS
Fresh Fruits & Vegetables
Fresh fruits and vegetables offer a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers that are crucial for a parrotlet’s overall health and well-being. Leafy greens such as kale and spinach are excellent sources of vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining healthy feathers and eyesight in parrotlets. Fruits like apples, berries, and oranges are high in vitamins and minerals, which support their immune system, ensuring they can fend off illnesses effectively.
The high water content in fresh fruits and vegetables helps parrotlets stay well-hydrated. This is important for their metabolism and digestion. Fresh foods also supply antioxidants, which play a role in protecting their cells from oxidative damage and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. In addition to promoting physical health, fresh produce can stimulate a parrotlet’s mental and emotional state by providing enrichment opportunities, as they enjoy exploring different textures and flavors.
As stated before, there are some foods that are toxic to parrotlets, so educating yourself on the topic is imperative.
Seeds
Parrotlets are commonly fed seeds as their main diet and there is much debate as to whether a purely seed-based diet is the best diet for parrotlets. Seeds have many nutritional benefits and are available in a wide variety of mixtures. Most of the conventional seed mixes available also contain dried fruits and vegetables among other ingredients.
Pros of Seed Based Diet for Parrotlets
In their natural habitat, parrotlets engage in hunting and foraging activities to find food. This entails consuming seasonal and readily available food sources. As ground feeders, a large portion of their daily dietary intake comprises various seed varieties. It’s worth restating that the necessity to crack and chew through seed shells serves to maintain sharp instincts and promotes physical activity.
Cons of Seed Based Diet for Parrotlets
Seeds are abundant in the tropical climates that wild parrotlets inhabit so it was natural for the first people who kept parrotlets as pets to think they should only need seeds. Upon further observation, it was found that parrotlets eat a variety of leaf buds, flower blossoms, berries, cacti, insects, and small fruits along with seeds. Pet parrotlets learn quickly and eat only what they enjoy best. For a pet, an all-seed diet makes for unbalanced nutrition.
Seeds are also high in fat. When a captive parrotlet consumes a diet high in fat, it ultimately can end up with liver disease. This is mainly due to them spending a lot of time in their cages rather than flying regularly like in the wild.
Recommended Seed Mixes
The options in this list are great for parrotlets. Both companies say right on their website to feed their seed mixture as a treat rather than as the main food source.
1. BirD-elicious! Origins Wild Diet for Tiny Beaks or Small Beaks
All BirD-elicious seed mixes on the site are made by gently dehydrating (under 110° F), which is considered ‘raw’ by industry standards. Most seed mixes are also sprouted for maximum nutritional benefit.
Ingredients include: Organic Milk Thistle, Organic Red Bell Pepper, Organic Quinoa, Organic Millet, Organic Carrots, Organic Coconut Shred, *Organic Flax, Organic Radish, Organic Yellow Mustard, Organic Brown Mustard, Organic Amaranth, Organic Canary Seed, Organic Sesame, *Organic Hemp, Organic Tomatoes, Organic Mango, *Organic Red Clover, Organic Sunflower, Organic Mulberries, Organic Calendula Petals, Organic Chamomile Flowers, *Organic Chia, Organic Hibiscus, Organic Basmati Brown Rice, Origins Wild Omega 3s™ (proprietary omega 3 & astaxanthin blend from Calamari, Menhaden & Krill; organic high-oleic sunflower seed oil for Omega 9)
3. TOP’s Napoleon’s Seed Mix for All Small Hookbills
This seed mix is a little more basic with just a few different seed types. It is all-natural, human-grade, USDA Certified Organic, non-GMO and an overall healthy bird seed mix for parrotlets. You can feed it to your bird dry or soak it according to the instructions to make the seeds/grains softer.
Ingredients include: Organic Oat Groats, Organic Hulled Millet, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Sesame Seeds and Organic Buckwheat.
Additional Grains & Treats
You can offer your parrotlet additional grains as part of their daily food intake, although they should not make up more than 5% of your bird’s overall diet. Small pieces of the following are okay to feed your parrotlet (this is not an exhaustive list):
- Whole wheat bread
- Rolled oats
- Plain unsalted rice cakes
- Plain popped popcorn
- Uncooked or plain cooked rice
- Plain cooked pasta
- Organic sugar-free cereal
- Unsalted crackers
- Parrotlets typically like the crunchy texture of these items. Alternatively, you can make homemade birdie bread.
Treats can definitely be part of the best diet for parrotlets as well. Your bird should be rewarded for good behavior, and training sessions, and can have treats occasionally which should make up no more than 5% of their diet. Treats can include high-fat nuts including walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, and pine nuts. Good seed treats include sunflower seeds, millet, hemp seeds, and chia seeds. Notice that most seed mixes already include some of these so don’t go overboard if you choose to offer your parrotlet a seed mix.
Summary of the Best Diet for Parrotlets
Parrotlets are small creatures with delicate digestive systems and might not be able to maintain their health with a consistent diet of just seeds or only pellets. Daily ingestion of toxic chemicals, sugars, and food dyes is also not good. If cost isn’t an issue and you are an Amazon Prime member, organic is a wise choice.
Opt for a mixture of seeds, pellets, fruits, and vegetables to help your parrotlet maintain good health and provide them with the overall best diet for parrotlets.
Tell us about your parrotlet’s diet. What works for you and your parrotlet? What’s your parrotlet’s favorite treat?