The parrot mix should contain sunflower, whole corn, whole peanuts, buckwheat, safflower, cracked corn, chili peppers, and protein kibble. The mix for the cockatiel and lovebirds consists of canary seed, white millet, whole sunflower, Japanese millet, golden German millet, oat groats, safflower, steel cut oats, cracked corn, flaked corn, buckwheat, thistle, flax, hemp, sunflower hearts, kibbled corn, protein supplements and wheat. The small hookbill mix is made up of canary seed, white millet, Japanese millet, golden German millet, oat groats, steel cut oats, cracked corn, safflower, flax, thistle, sunflower hearts, hemp,protein supplements and buckwheat. The seed mixes for all birds should be vitamin fortified. Aviculturists should take vitamins seriously.
Vitamins are essential for the metabolic functions of all living things.
When seed is not vitamin fortified, birds are not able to reap the full benefit from the nutrition present in the feed. Vitamin enriched feed is a must for optimum growth, maintenance, reproduction, and health. The vitamin content of even the best seed is neither consistent or adequate enough to assure optimal nutrition. Natural factors, such as drought, insects, excessive moisture, disease, and molds, make the vitamin levels of seed uncertain. Man made variables, the storage, transportation, and processing of feed, conspire to rob the seed of the vitamins needed by birds.