Dear Parrots magazine,
Great seeds!
Why do we hear so much about seed not being nutritious for our birds. I am not a biologist nor a healthcare expert, but if seeds are so bad and lacking good nutritious, why is it that when planted, they germinate and grow into strong and healthy plants.
I feed my Orange-wings a wide selection of food stuffs including a good quality seed mix. I have natural earth at the bottom of my aviary and if I don’t clean thoroughly enough, I soon seen some interesting plants growing from some of the seeds the birds drop. Also, I think cracking them open provides a good source of stimulation, as they seem to be happy, spending a lot of time splitting open the shells, and with amazing dexterity. The youngest of my Orange-wings is just over 27 and doing fine. Please don’t tell me seeds are not good to add to a diet.
Alison Blackman, by email