Softfoods prepared by the breeder must be offered to birds with young, those which are newly imported (es­pecially young birds which have yet to learn to eat hard seed) or sick birds which suddenly refuse to eat hard seed. The most widely used food is bread and milk. Milk contains amino acids and calcium and is therefore important for feather and bone growth of young birds. It is important to persevere with bread and milk for there are few par­rots which will not eventually come to accept some form of softfood. Its value can be enhanced, especially as a rear­ing food, with the addition of bone meal which has a very high calcium content and is invaluable for growing chicks. Its use will prevent rickets.

All kinds of items can be used but the emphasis should be on protein, without which no chick can develop. It has been found that, where parrots of the same species are reared in the same collection, those pairs which are of­fered bread and milk or some other nutritious softfood, produce larger young than those which feed their chicks mainly on seed.

Some birds prefer sweet foods, while others show a positive dislike of them. Finding an acceptable food is therefore a question of trial and error, especially for those species which are not regu­larly bred in captivity.

Among foods which can be offered are brown or white bread or trifle sponge soaked in honey and water or in nectar as made up for lories, sweet­ened baby cereal, many kinds of break­fast cereals, tinned strained meals pre­pared for human babies, soaked bread mixed with hard-boiled egg, boiled rice sweetened with honey, and bread and butter pudding made with eggs and milk. Proprietary canary rearing food will be eaten by many parrots.

Foods prepared for livestock, such as lucerne nuts, which have a high protein content, are also suitable. These should be soaked for two or three hours and added to a rearing food. In the USA, the various chows for livestock, such as trout chow and dog chow, are widely used by breeders of parrots and other birds.

A condition which, regrettably, is common in the larger aviary-bred par­rots is rickets, caused by calcium defici­ency. Milk and cheese are the best sources of calcium. Many of the larger parrots are extremely fond of cheese, but because of the expense it will be possible to offer it only to some breed­ing birds; a single pet bird can be given a small cube daily.

If birds rearing young refuse to take bread and milk or cheese, calcium should be introduced into the diet by means of the liquid preparation Collo­Cal D, which also contains Vitamin D.

Calcium, in the form of cuttlefish bone, must always be available for laying hens as calcium is required to form eggshells. If it is not provided, the bird has to draw on the resources of its own body and calcium will be taken in excess from the bones, sometimes re­sulting in paralysis. Every breeder is aware of the hugely increased intake of cuttlefish bone by a hen which is laying, and by those which are rearing young.

Protein can also be offered in the form of meat and livefood. Contrary to the popular opinion of some years ago, meat is not harmful to parrots. The greatest treat which one can offer most Amazon Parrots and macaws is a chop bone or part of a chicken carcase with some meat remaining.

Maggots have proved to be of high value in the rearing of young cocka­toos, Hanging Parrots, Australian parrakeets and some lories. However, the maggots must be thoroughly cleaned before used and should not be fed until the black line visible down the centre of the body has disappeared. Failure to do this may well result in the death of parents and young from botulism. Some cockatoos will take immense quantities of maggots while rearing chicks, almost to the exclusion of other foods, and in some cases this has been responsible for breeding successes. But, if the birds will take it, meat or bread and milk is a better source of protein.

Relatively few parrots will eat meal­worms, which are in any case an un­economical method of supplying pro­tein. Many are required to make a significant contribution to the diet and they are extremely expensive to purchase.

Mention must also be made of nuts, which have a high protein content. For parrots other than macaws, brazils and walnuts must be cracked. Incidentally, the larger nuts make excellent and safe playthings for pet parrots.