A Bird's-Eye View of Nutrition

[Texasmujer]

Make Food Fun
Birds love variety, so eating the same thing every day can get boring. To supplement your bird's diet in a fun and satisfying manner---as well as to reward good behavior---offer your pet treats. The following are good guidelines:

*Treats come in numerous varieties---from, store-bought to fresh fruits and veggies. Look for snacks with nutritious, wholesome ingredients and interesting shapes and textures to stimulate your bird's interest.

*Treats in the shape of sticks or bars may encourage activity and relieve boredom. They may help your bird to reduce stress and be less destructive to herslef or the environment.

*If you are using a treat stick in your cage, do not leave it there full-time. The bird will overeat from it, and may begin to refuse her real food. It's better to place treat sticks (or any other treat food) into the cage after the bird has eaten its regular diet, and to remove the treat food a few hours later and well before another serving of regular food. Just like kids: no dessert unless they finish their dinner.

*Treats are also good for your bird for one totally different reason: because you're providing them. Offering treat foods involves important human-bird interaction. Of the treat fppd requires hand-feeding, it helps strengthen the human-bird bondd, which is also crucial to the bird's health and well-being. As a bonus, it probably makes you feel good too.