Healthy Parrot

Is Millet Beneficial Or Is It ‘Junk Food’ For Your Parrot?

March 8, 2021 · 2 min read · By Kalyn Bastion

Millet: A Natural Food
And it is eaten the world-over, but should your parrot have it?

Researching today is interesting because the internet makes it easy and fast. Only problem is that it also makes it easy and fast to find contradictory information.

Is millet good for your parrot or is it ‘junk food?’ Because online, I’ve read that it is both. Could that be possible? Yes, depending on your parrot’s health.

You can check to see if your parrot is over or underweight in this video:

If your parrot is overweight, or if you have a parrot that should have a diet that is low in fat, like an Amazon, a Quaker or a Cockatoo, then millet can be a healthy part of your parrot’s diet — though not the core of their diet. It can be a great treat for a parrot like this, in moderation.

On the other hand, if you have a parrot that requires nut fat in their diet, like an African Grey, a Golden Conure or a Macaw, then millet is too low in fat and may not be a healthy addition to their diet.

Contact your avian veterinarian so that they can help you determine if millet can be used to help your parrot reduce the fat in their diet, or lose weight, if it is appropriate; they can tell you if it should only be used as an occasional treat or how much millet should be given, based on your parrot’s species and weight.

Kalyn Bastion
About the author

Kalyn Bastion

Kalyn Bastion (writing as KB Raphael) is the founder of Parrot Bliss in West Palm Beach, FL: breeder, educator, and author of The Parrot Bliss Bond and four other parrot care books. Mentee of Tony Silva.

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