​I recommend a mostly pelleted diet.  Pellets are more nutritious than seed, providing a completely balanced diet in every bite.  What type of pellets you use it up to you, but realize if you fed colored pellets you will get colored poop!  I usually recommend the next size smaller than the type of bird you have, its all the same food after all, just different sizes.  I feed Roudybush Maintenance, size crumble/mini.  I have used Zupreem colored pellets in the past, I found the birds would pick out their favorite colors and waste the rest.​



You just cannot provide a completely balanced diet with seeds no matter how many kinds you blend together.  Not only are they unbalanced for a diet, but seeds can lead to obesity issues.  Yes, it is possible to have an overweight bird.  If you wish to offer seed, only offer it as less than 1% of the total diet.  Use it as a treat.



Also as treats, you may offer fruits and vegetables.  Have fun offering different ones and see which your bird likes best!  You don’t need to cut them up, the scarlet has a strong enough beak to chew up a whole baby carrot unassisted.  You can offer thawed frozen veggies as well.  Avoid canned ones as there is a lot of salt in them for a little bird.  Again, only offer as 5% of the total diet to prevent unbalancing the nutrients offered by the rest of the diet.  Also only introduce 1 new thing at a time, in case you get diarrhea you will know what caused it.  Avoid carbs, like crackers, cereals and chips.  Avoid fatty foods like meats and dairy.  Again they are very unbalanced and can lead to obesity.  It doesn't take much in a small bird to make it overweight.  Also NO chocolate, the caffeine is toxic.



Clean water dishes daily with a mild detergent to prevent buildup of bacteria and molds.  If you are cleaning daily that means you are providing fresh water daily.  Any uneaten fresh food should be removed within 6 hours to prevent spoiling.  Uneaten pellets and seed should be replaced every other day for the same reason.  Birds are messy animals and their cages and the areas around their cages should be cleaned at least weekly to keep them happy and healthy. To prevent issues, they should not have access to dirty cage papers, but feel free to offer them clean strips of paper to tear up in their cage (avoiding pages with heavy ink/dyes) –even hanging it safely on the sides for them to play with is a cheap and easy way to entertain them and you.  Avoid corn cob or litter type substances.  They waste money and encourage mold growth when they get moist.  I use a mild detergent to clean my cages and newspaper to line the bottoms.  Avoid harsh soaps, bleach or chemicals.  You do not need mite repellents if your birds are kept indoors.



You should not have to supplement vitamins or minerals if you are feeding a well balanced diet.  It is impossible to supplement completely or correctly for an imbalanced diet.   You also do NOT need grit. However you should always provide a cuttlebone or other source for calcium supplement.  They will chew on it when they need it, so it may go unused for a while but it should always be available, especially to egg laying hens.  See my Supplements and Sunshine pages for more information.



Watching your bird closely you will learn what is normal behavior for your bird.  Anything out of the ordinary such as a quiet bird during a normally active time, less food eaten, more (or less) or unusual color to droppings can be a sign of something wrong.  A bird sitting fluffed up on a perch or especially the bottom of the cage is a cause for emergency.  Birds are very good at hiding trouble, a bird showing signs of sickness is a VERY sick bird.  Have on hand the number to your local avian veterinarian.  When your bird is sick is not the time to learn which vet sees birds!  Ideally your bird should go yearly for an annual exam.