Lineolated Parakeet (Linnie) Information

We Asked:
“What Does Your Linnie’s Daily Diet Consist Of?”

Written by Shandi (skthurley)

According to Andrea, Bernard’s daily diet consists of a few fresh foods and Parakeet seed. He refuses pellets. The fresh foods he loves best are peas, corn, lettuce, parsley, and apples. He doesn’t eat these all together, but separately. Every day he gets a different vegetable or fruit to eat.

Nugget and Monster pigging out on a healthy meal

Donna’s four little boys: Merlin, Wizard, Monster and Nugget eat a variety of foods. Every day they are given Zupreem Natural pellets and Hagen Cockatiel Mix. They are also given a heaping serving of Donna’s homemade recipe. She cooks some brown rice then adds canned corn, canned carrots, canned green and yellow beans, peas, lentils and an assortment of beans. She makes a large batch and puts small amounts in baggies and freezes it. Every day she puts a bag in the fridge to thaw out for the next day. Then when it’s time to feed the boys, she warms it up in the microwave for a few seconds. Eager and excited, her linnies scream for their food. When their food is finally placed in front of them, they jump right into the bowl and dig in. Donna also gives them apple slices, cinnamon sticks, dark greens, whole wheat bread, some cheerios, and as a treat on a Friday night, pizza crust. Her little guys also enjoy millet as a treat as well.
Whatever healthy food she has, Donna serves it to them. She chooses to feed this way, after talking with her vet and doing her own research on the internet.

The nutritious, delicious salad that Gail’s fids enjoy 3 days a week

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Gail feeds Teeka, Slater, Chilli Bop and Nim their soft food. When Teeka and Slater are nesting they enjoy soft food every day. Gail’s soft food recipe consists of : romaine lettuce, any colour of bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, grated carrots, grated raw sweet potato, chunked or fine cucumber, cut up sweet peas, raw oatmeal, some pellets, a few cheerios, oat groats, crushed nutriberries, hard-boiled egg and shell, celery leaves, and any fruit that she has on hand. Fruit she has offered in the past are: strawberries, grapes, apples, tangerines, blueberries, and cantaloupe. Sometimes she will also toss in a little bit of loose millet spray, coconut, and a touch of cinnamon or cayenne pepper. Gail makes enough for the 3 every other day feedings, and stores it in a large plastic container in her fridge. She adds some Apple Cider Vinegar to combat any bacteria that may form, and also places a dampened paper towel on top of the mixture to keep help keep it fresh. On feeding day, cuttlebone is scraped on the soft food of the non-breeding birds. Teeka and Slater get Bio Plus, Pro Boost Super Max (a high protein supplement for improved breeding results) and a dash of Prime Vitamins added to their soft food. Calci-boost is also added to their water. All birds also get a dash of Herb Salad, a nutritious herb mix that can be ordered online. In addition to this, Gail also makes delicious corn meal muffins for her birds. She adds various different foods to them, including cranberries, raisins, egg and shell, cinnamon, peanut butter and apple. Sometimes she even tops them off with “birdie sprinkles”: seeds or millet. She often crumbles these birdie muffins in the soft food as well.
Millet spray is a favourite treat of her linnies on soft food days.
Her birdies eat like kings and queens! Her linnies are given pellets every day. She currently is in the process of trying a bunch of free samples that she got in the mail. Her birds do eat the Zupreem Fruit Blend Cockatiel size. Oddly they eat them all but the banana shaped ones. Currently her linnies seem to be eating the Zupreem Natural pellets as well.

Melinda’s hubby says she cooks more for the birds then for her own family! Every morning and evening, her linnie family: Jade, Jesse, Pixie, Lindy and Bella are given Melinda’s homemade “birdie mash”. The ingredients will vary depending on what she has, but typically it consists of: quinoa, pasta, cooked wild/brown rice, cooked beans (adzuki, mung, navy and garbano), frozen corn, and frozen mixed veggies. She makes a big pot, and like Donna, freezes it into smaller portions. She thaws out what she needs every day, then adds some fresh veggies: sweet peppers, broccoli, snap peas, carrots, cucumber, greens, apples, grapes and anything else she may have on hand. On occasion she gives them scrambled eggs, and just recently she started growing sprouts for them too. In addition to this, her linnies always have Roudybush pellets. They are also given seed a couple times a week.

Bella, Lindy and Pixie enjoying a delicious meal

Thank you to everyone who submitted their answers. Your birdies all eat so healthy!

Remember everyone, variety is the key! Keep offering different foods in a variety of ways, and your little birdies will thank you for it! Patience is the key. Don’t give up on offering fresh foods and pellets. Eventually they will try it, and come to like. With your help in providing a nutritious diet, your linnie will live long, happy, healthy life!

Category: Food and Nutrition, We Asked