Do I want to feed my parrot pellets?
What’s the difference between extruded and pressed pellets?
Which formulated diet is best for my parrot?

Do I want to feed my parrot pellets?

Many people feel uncertain about putting their parrot on a pelleted diet because it’s not ‘natural’. Whilst this is true, it’s important for people to realise that the more popular seed diet is not ‘natural’ for a parrot either.

For most wild parrots (rather than finches) seeds are only a small portion of the many food items consumed during the course of a normal day, and given the opportunity most will choose to eat seeds in their milk seed or sprouting form over any other, which is quite different nutritionally speaking.

It is also important to recognise that the majority of seed and grain species found in your mainstream parrot mixes do not occur in a parrot’s natural habitat (especially in regards to Australian native parrots) and in fact many of the ingredients are inedible fillers or are simply left untouched by your bird.

Reputable seed mix providers are usually the first to say that whilst their seed mixes are a gazillion times better than the ones generally found on the shelf at the supermarket, nutritionally they do not constitute a complete diet. Rather, they are better provided as part of your parrot’s diet.

The truth is - to provide a completely natural diet for your bird would require the kind of work that the majority of companion parrot owners do not have the time or resources for and would find very difficult to get right.

Pellets have come a long way since their first conception and will continue to get better and more species specific as further research into avian nutrition is completed. Currently they provide all the vitamins and minerals (in the correct proportions) your parrot is known to need.

Despite all that - whilst your parrot can live on a 100% pelleted diet with all their nutritional needs met it is unfair and terribly boring not to provide a variety of fruit, vegetables, sprouts and fresh flowering foliage as well. Foraging for a wide range of food occupies a large part of a wild bird’s day and is known to have many psychological benefits when encouraged in captive pets.

What’s the difference between extruded and pressed pellets?

There are two main ways of manufacturing pellets and the main difference between them is the temperature the ingredients are mixed at.

The hotter way, producing pellets they call ‘extruded pellets’, partially cooks the mixture. This has the advantage of breaking down the cellulose structures of certain ingredients to release the energy contained. This is helpful because birds lack the digestive enzyme necessary to take full advantage of this stored energy.

The cooler way is often referred to as ‘cold pressed’. This is a misnomer as the ingredients are mixed at over 90 degrees Celsius and pressed into pellets whilst still hot. However, the temperature is not high enough to break down the previously mentioned cellulose structures. The appropriate enzyme must be added to the mixture if those ingredients are not to be redundant, which is not difficult to do.