Kady and Kita are doing very well eating nutritious foods these days. We still need improvement, but we're getting there. Kita is still not keen on the veggies but she's eating them in the bread I make. They're eating Harrison's, veggies, fruits, nuts and a Birdie Bread that I am making with Harrison's Mash, healthy flours, greens & veggies.

I am still giving them a little seed mix at dinner time and I was wondering if I really need to do this. I realize seeds do have some nutrition, but I would rather they fill up on pellets & veggies. Sunflower is in the Harrison's and they do get a few Nutriberries and those do have a little safflower in them. Is this enough seed or should I still give them a seed mix also?

Im wondering about this myself. My guys only get safflower an pumpkin seeds. When you watch nature shows, it seems they eat a lot of seeds. I dont think sunflower seeds, but Im sure even the big birds eat millets. So Im still a little confused on the topic. Theres gotta be some nutrient in there we arent picking up on.

I'm always a fan of "if they eat it in the wild then it should be included in the diet we feed." Of course that needs to take into account several factors like what kind of seed and portion and the other things in their diet.

I have not seen much reference about Macaws as to what seeds they specifically eat in the wild other than they eat fruit seeds which are poisonous and then they eat from the clay licks to detoxify the poison.

I give Bailey Safflower Gold here and there in his dry mix and he enjoys it.

I remember seeing a PBS special. Not specific to birds, but they showed macaws in crops. It struck a cord with me as far as seed eating but I cant remember the show. I think it was more based on crops and the intrusion of wild animals causing farmers to find methods to keep them out.

Easy...Bake safflower (or other) seed in with the bread. I do that all the time and they love it.

The biggest thing to realize is that the wild seeds that parrots eat in the wild are live seeds, not dried. Live seeds are packed with nutrition, and therefor very good for birds! Dried commercial seeds are the opposite providing very little nutrition. Sprouted seeds however offer the most nutrition. Once a seed sprouts ALL of it's nutritional value is activated and can than be absorbed in the birds body. So if the question is to feed or not feed seeds to parrots I say, go with sprouted seeds.

Can you specify what type of sprouted seed and where to get it? Im out of the loop with that stuff.

You can go to many places. I'm lazy so I use the grocery store. In the section where the cut carrots, and packaged greens are you should find them. I can get a variety in my store. Or you can go to a health food store and get the seeds by the pound and sprout them your self. Farmers markets typicaly have them as well. You can get sprouting seeds on line as well. I use broccoli, pea, radish, bean, mustard sprouts, lentil sprouts. Or you can try to spout commercial parrot seeds. If they do sprout than you know your brand is fresh, if not than they are nothing more than empty calories for your bird. Basically if it is a seed you can sprout it. So you can sprout sunflower seeds. Which by the way if sprouted are great in terms of nutrition.