{"id":138715,"date":"2023-06-22T17:43:11","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T22:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/windycityparrot.com\/?p=138715"},"modified":"2023-06-22T17:43:11","modified_gmt":"2023-06-22T22:43:11","slug":"how-often-should-i-feed-and-water-my-pet-birds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/?p=138715","title":{"rendered":"How Often Should I Feed and Water My Pet Birds?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">As a pet bird companion, one of the most important things you should know is how often to feed and water your feathered friend. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Proper nutrition and hydration not only ensure your bird&#8217;s health and happiness but also help them to live longer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">It&#8217;s important to note that different species of birds have varying dietary requirements and preferences, so it&#8217;s essential to research the specific needs of your pet bird.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>How often should I feed my bird?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Generally speaking, most pet birds need to eat every day. The amount they need to eat each day depends on their species and size. For example, small birds like finches or canaries may only need a tablespoon or two of food per day, while larger birds like parrots may require several cups of food daily.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">It&#8217;s recommended that you offer your bird fresh food in the morning before you leave for work or start your day. This ensures that your bird has access to food throughout the day. Additionally, many bird owners offer their pets a small snack in the evening before bedtime.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8220;Recommendations&#8221; are always welcome but I&#8217;ll walk you through how we feed our flock of 11 (4 species) daily.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Keto the ringneck and Chili the Quaker get <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product\/higgins-safflower-gold-parrot-size-no-sunflower-3-lb-1-361-kg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Higgins Safflower Gold Parrot<\/a> in the Prevue ceramic crocks, while Barney the cockatiel receives <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product\/higgins-safflower-gold-conure-cockatiel-no-sunflower-3-lb-1-361-kg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Higgins Versele-Laga Safflower Gold Conure Cockatiel No Sunflower<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/what-is-the-perfect-recipe-for-your-parakeet-blend-seed-mix\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is The Recipe for Your Perfect Parakeet Blend Seed Mix?<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>What should I feed my bird?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">In general, the specific dietary needs of your pet bird will depend on its species and size. However, as a rule, most pet birds require a balanced diet that includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; High-quality <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product-category\/nutrition\/food-by-type\/all-seed\/\">commercial bird seed mix<\/a>: This should make up about 50% of your bird&#8217;s diet. Unless you use a <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product-category\/nutrition\/food-by-type\/pellet\/\">pellet only diet<\/a>, then they should have a dish of pellets, fresh daily. Yes, they do get stale in the cup.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; Fresh fruits and vegetables: These should make up about 25% of your bird&#8217;s diet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">&#8211; Protein-rich foods: These can include eggs, cooked chicken or turkey breast (without any seasoning), cooked beans or lentils, or commercial protein sources like pellets or crickets. These should make up about 25% of your bird&#8217;s diet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product\/lock-crock-durable-food-water-dish-by-hagen-hari-plum-6-oz\/<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">It&#8217;s essential to avoid feeding your pet bird anything that&#8217;s toxic to them. Some common foods that are toxic for birds include avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and anything with high amounts of salt or sugar.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/feeding-your-feathered-friend-a-terrific-guide-to-pet-bird-food\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Feeding Your Feathered Friend: A Terrific Guide to Pet Bird Food from Windy City Parrot<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">The two parrots leave their home cages every morning between 9 and 10 and migrate downstairs to their work cages where a mixture of chopped kale, mixed veggies, and fruits await them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">I return upstairs with a tray with two budgie dishes of finely chopped veggies and a similar cup of veggies for Barney, but with a couple of big chunks of apple as the budgies enjoy tossing them on the floor when they visit Barney&#8217;s birdcage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"138720\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/?attachment_id=138720\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/veggie-dish-2-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C1000&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1000,1000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"How often should i feed and water my pet birds?\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;How often should i feed and water my pet birds?&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;How often should i feed and water my pet birds?&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/veggie-dish-2-1.jpg?fit=1000%2C1000&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-138720\" title=\"How often should i feed and water my pet birds?\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/veggie-dish-2-600x600.jpg?resize=600%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Chopped veggies and kale in plastic dish\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">I top off the 3 larger parrot&#8217;s bird seed dishes when they come up for the day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">The 3 Budgie <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product\/tweeky-clean-mess-less-pet-bird-feeder-small\/\">Tweeky Clean Feeders<\/a> get emptied into a blue glass pie plate on the bottom of the big cage for more foraging.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">When the plate and any of the crocks get picked through, they get emptied into a designated container for serving to the wild birds outside.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"138718\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/?attachment_id=138718\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/PXL-20230622-222427236-scaled-e1687472730794-1.jpg?fit=1593%2C1200&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1593,1200\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/PXL-20230622-222427236-scaled-e1687472730794-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C771&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-138718\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL-20230622-222427236-scaled-e1687472730794-600x452.jpg?resize=600%2C452&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"4 birdcages with 9 full spectrum light overhead\" width=\"600\" height=\"452\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Thirty minutes before the 9 full spectrum lights automatically turn off over all 4 birdcages Keto and Chili get <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product\/lafebers-classic-avi-cakes-cockatiel-8-oz-227-g\/\">Avi-Cakes<\/a>, then Barney and the budgies share a few <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product\/higgins-naturally-grown-spray-millet-for-birds-in-sealed-bag-12-sprays\/\">sprigs of millet<\/a> in their respective cages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>How often should I change my bird&#8217;s water?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Just like with food, providing fresh water is crucial for your bird&#8217;s health and happiness. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">All our birds get <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product\/avi-vera-bird-vitamins-by-lafebers-1-25-oz-36-g\/\">Lafebers Avi-Era Bird Vitamins<\/a> dissolved in their daily driving water which gets replaced approximately every 12 hours. More often if Chili gets to dunking his pellets.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">It&#8217;s also essential to keep your bird&#8217;s water dish clean. Clean it thoroughly with hot, soapy water daily to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">It makes it easier to change out food and water dishes when you have extras.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/product-category\/all-dishes-available\/\">Find bird food dishes here.<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Final thoughts\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Feeding and watering your pet bird may seem like a simple task, but it&#8217;s important to understand their specific dietary needs to ensure their health and happiness. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;\">Providing fresh food and clean water is just as important as spending time with your feathered friend and keeping them entertained. If you&#8217;re ever unsure about your bird&#8217;s dietary needs, don&#8217;t hesitate to reach out to us right here at <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/support-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Windy City Parrot<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a pet bird companion, one of the most important things you should know is how often to feed and water your feathered friend. Proper nutrition and hydration not only ensure your bird&#8217;s health and happiness but also help them to live longer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":138721,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","_mo_disable_npp":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[201,228,248,249],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-138715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feeding-pet-birds","category-parakeets","category-quaker-parrot","category-ringnecks"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":{"landsacpe":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ringneck-friut-wild-1.jpg?resize=1140%2C445&ssl=1",1140,445,true],"list":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ringneck-friut-wild-1.jpg?resize=463%2C348&ssl=1",463,348,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ringneck-friut-wild-1.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ringneck-friut-wild-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1",1200,1200,false]},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ringneck-friut-wild-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/phcfkq-A5l","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=138715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138715\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/138721"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=138715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=138715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.windycityparrot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=138715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}