What’s a Good Diet for a Moluccan Cockatoo?

Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Mitch Rezman

Charles P. has a feeding question:

I feed my Moluccan cockatoo a daily feeding of frozen mixed veg, fresh carrot, snow peas, green beans, grapes, apples and pasta, chickpeas, and sometimes hard-boiled eggs, plus Kaytee rainbow large parrot feed.

Is that a good mix of food and veggies?

Hi Charles,

My concern is that Moluccan is not getting enough nutrition, especially protein.

Not all pellets are created equal.

Kaytee is a “value” brand with a high percentage of corn which is the first ingredient in your bird’s pellet blend:

Ground Corn, Ground Wheat, Ground Oat Groats, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Middlings, Ground Flax Seed, Soy Oil, Dried Whole Egg, Dried Beet Pulp, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Wheat Germ Meal, Corn Sugar, L-Lysine, Salt, Algae Meal (Source of DHA), Fructooligosaccharide, Brewers Dried Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Choline Chloride, Dried Cane Molasses, Titanium Dioxide, Mixed Tocopherols (a Preservative), Yeast Extract, Dl-Methionine, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin K Activity), Niacin, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Copper Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cholecalciferol (Source of Vitamin D3), Beta-Carotene, Canthaxanthin, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate, Biotin, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Licheniformis Fermentation Product, Artificial Colors, Natural and Artificial Flavors.

We understand the value of a pelleted diet but it can get boring for the bird overtime.

I’m going to advocate for Higgins Sunburst Macaw Size Gourmet Bird Food 3 lb