Love Bird diets should consist of pellets, fruits, vegetables, greens, pastas, beans, rices, and
seeds. If you use pellets as a base (meaning they eat 80% pellets) then they don't need
supplemental vitamins. If seeds are used as a base then they need the vitamins. Fortified
seeds are not adequate. Usually the vitamins are on the shells and the bird will remove these
and drop them, so they don't get any of the vitamins. Cereals are good for your birds. I feed
oatmeal, grits, cream of wheat both cooked and uncooked. Cheerios, Rice Krispies, corn
flakes, bran flakes and which ever one my son has open that is not high in sugar or salt.
Spinach and chard are very high in oxalic acid which will block the absorption of calcium. In
very moderated amounts it is ok to feed it.

Love Birds, which are hookbills, do *not* need gravel. Oyster grit is ok because this is a
mineral but rock gravel (sometimes called grit) does them no good and can kill them by
causing crop impaction. My birds have pellets in their cages 24 hours a day and get greens,
vegetables, fruits, breads, pastas, beans and seeds. Something different each morning. Thing
to remember is lots of variety and the darker the color of vegetables the better nutritionally.
Example: Peach is better than pear, yam is better than potato, kale is better than celery
leaves.

The average Love Bird will eat about 1/4 cup (75 ml) of food per day. Just like people they
all have their own rates of consumption. I always have a dry food in the cage 24 hours a
day. Birds do eat at night and they do feed their babies during the night. While Love Birds can eat most human foods, you should avoid foods with excess sugar and salt. The following foods are toxic and should NEVER be offered: avacado, eggplant, rhubarb, coffee, tea, chocolate, hot chocolate, or fruit seeds or pits.

 

Kathy Greaser
http://members.tripod.com/~KGKAT/Aviary.html