Parrot treats
A parrot treat should be exactly that — occasional, rather than a regular part of the diet — and the best options, such as a millet spray or a fruity stick, are given as a small extra alongside a balanced diet of pellets, fresh food and a controlled amount of seed. Treats are also a genuinely useful training tool, not just a snack.
What makes a good parrot treat
Millet spray, such as Vitakraft's Millet Spray Prepacked, is one of the most popular parrot treats because most birds find it genuinely enticing and it can be offered whole for a bird to work at, which also gives some useful mental stimulation. A fruity stick, like Johnson's Cockatiel/Parrot Fruity Stick, is another common option built as an occasional extra rather than a daily staple.
As with any treat, checking what it actually contains matters — some treat products are closer to a seed mix with add-ins than a genuinely different food, so they should be counted as part of the bird's overall seed allowance rather than as something separate.
Using treats sensibly
Treats work well as a training reward, since parrots respond to consistent, immediate reward the same way many animals do, and a small piece of a favourite treat is an effective way to reinforce wanted behaviour. Keeping treats to a small proportion of the overall diet avoids them crowding out the more balanced foods a parrot needs day to day.
Fresh fruit and vegetables, offered directly rather than through a processed treat product, are another way to add variety without leaning on packaged treats for everything extra you offer.
What we stock
Our bird-treats range includes millet spray and fruity sticks suited to parrot species, alongside the wider cage-bird-food range for everyday feeding. Rotating between a couple of treat types keeps things interesting for the bird without any single one becoming an overused staple, and it gives you an easy way to notice if a favourite treat ever stops being eaten.
If your parrot is overweight or on a vet-recommended diet, check with them about how treats should fit into that plan rather than continuing as normal.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Budgie Treat & Care Pack
Vitakraft budgie menu, a trio of seed sticks, a millet spray and two cuttlefish bones for beak and calcium.
£11.99
Vitakraft Kracker Feather Care for Cockatiels & Parrots
A cage-clipped seed treat for cockatiels and parrots, aimed at moulting birds
£6.20
Johnson's Cockatiel/Parrot Nut & Honey Bell
A 50G bell-shaped seed, nut and honey treat for cockatiels, parrots and similar birds
£1.89
Vitakraft Parrot Cocktail Fruity
A fruit, seed and nut mix for parrots, meant to be mixed into their daily food
£4.30
Johnson's Parrot Bumper Bar
An extra-large seed, nut and honey treat bar for parrots and other cage birds
£3.49
Vitakraft African Parrot Honey Stick 180g
A honey and vitamin treat stick for parrots, clips straight to the cage
£6.20
Johnson's Cockatiel/Parrot Fruity Stick
A 45G fruit and honey seed stick treat for cockatiels, parrots and similar birds
£1.89
Beaphar XtraVital Parrot Complete Bird Food
A complete seed and fruit food for parrots, with echinacea and a real egg component
£10.99
Vitakraft Australian Parrot Food
A seed-based feed for Australian parakeets, with grit and trace elements
£7.05
Johnston Jeff No 1 Parrot Food
A traditional seed, nut and grain mix for parrots, with a dozen named ingredients
From£5.59
Johnston Jeff Premium Parrot Fruit
A broad seed, fruit and nut mix for parrots, with no fixed percentage breakdown
From£9.99
Common questions
- How often can I give my parrot treats?
- Treats should stay an occasional addition rather than a daily habit, kept to a small proportion of the overall diet. Using them mainly for training, rather than as a routine snack, is a sensible way to keep the amount in check.
- Is millet spray bad for parrots?
- Not in moderation — it is popular precisely because most birds enjoy working at it, but like any treat it should not replace pellets, fresh food and a balanced amount of seed as the core of the diet.
- Can I give my parrot fresh fruit as a treat instead of packaged treats?
- Yes, and many owners do, since fresh fruit and vegetables offer variety without relying on processed treat products. Check which fresh foods are safe for your specific species before offering something new, since not everything safe for one bird is safe for another.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.