Dietary – Dietary enrichment does not refer to increasing the amount of food you offer or adding a huge variety of food that may or may not be appropriate. Dietary enrichment refers to the way you offer whatever food you are already providing. Foraging is in my opinion the best way to offer dietary enrichment. Any toy can be used as a foraging toy by simply hiding food items in or on the toy. Just be sure you don’t leave the food enrichment out too long or you will find you’re dealing with food borne pathogens. You can try offering fresh foods in a variety of ways; skewered, hanging in a basket, in larger chunks in with other food items. There are many ways to get creative with your birds’ dietary enrichment. You can also offer novel food items as a way to introduce them into your bird’s diet. All animals will work for their food and foraging is a great way to get your bird started with this.
Robin Shewokis
President
Robin Shewokis is the owner of The Leather Elves. Since 2000, Robin has consulted at zoos in the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Holland, and has distributed enrichments products worldwide. Robin regularly speaks at parrot clubs, providing workshops teaching ways to create a stimulating environment. She also develops new products for parrots that will stimulate naturalistic behavior. Robin has published articles on enrichment in national and international publications. She has also created two DVD's, "Enriching Your Parrot's Life", and "Get Your Bird Back". Robin is a state coordinator for the American Federation of Aviculture. She is a past president of the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators.