Collection: Supplementary feed

Supplementary Bird Food: Variety, Foraging & Targeted Supplementation

A balanced seed mix or high-quality pellets form the daily foundation, but a fulfilling bird life consists of more than just the basic ration. This is precisely where supplementary food comes into play: it brings variety to the menu, provides valuable mental stimulation, and can be used to support your bird during special phases such as molting or breeding season.

It is important to understand that supplementary food does not replace staple food, but complements it sensibly. It offers those little extras that your feathered companion will thoroughly enjoy, helping you as an owner to build trust, facilitate training, and provide species-appropriate foraging activities.

An Overview of Our Supplementary Food Range

Nuts for Parrots & Co.

Nuts are highly coveted by many large parrots such as macaws, African greys, and cockatoos, making them an excellent tool for enrichment. Cracking open a walnut, macadamia, or almond in its shell keeps your bird occupied for a longer period of time while exercising their beak. In our shop, you will find macadamia nuts, pine nuts, black walnuts, almonds in the shell, as well as a premium nut mix. Since nuts are very rich in fat and energy, they are ideal as high-quality treats or training rewards—when rationed in moderation.

Dried Fruit

Dried fruits like papaya, pineapple, and mango cubes, banana chips, or coconut pieces bring color and a variety of flavors to the food bowl. They are a popular snack and can easily be integrated into foraging toys or food-seeking games. Always make sure that dried fruit is unsulfured and unsweetened, which is exactly what our product range stands for.

Millet Sprays & White Millet

Millet sprays are the classic bird treat and are loved by almost all parakeets and small parrots. Millet sprays are not only a moment of pure enjoyment, but also a valuable tool: when taming shy birds, rearing young animals, or caring for sick birds with a loss of appetite, a spray of millet is often the first choice because it is readily and reliably accepted. White millet as a single seed is also excellent as a supplementary component.

Egg Food

Egg food provides high-quality, easily digestible protein and is particularly in demand during the breeding season, during molting, and when rearing chicks. It offers targeted support for your birds during phases of increased nutrient requirements, making it an important building block for breeders and ambitious keepers alike.

In addition, you will find functional products in this category, such as amino acid and vitamin preparations (e.g., Bt-Amin Forte), which can provide your birds with extra strength during demanding life stages.

How Much Supplementary Food is Sensible?

The most common question bird owners ask is: how much can I give? The honest answer: supplementary food should always remain the exception, not the rule. Nuts and dried fruits in particular are energy-dense, and a permanent oversupply can quickly lead to obesity.

A few practical rules of thumb:

• Use as a reward: Use treats selectively during training or for bonding, instead of offering them freely at all times.
• Consider specific needs: Egg food and energy-rich snacks primarily make sense during the breeding, molting, and rearing phases, when nutrient requirements increase.
• Variety over quantity: It is better to offer small amounts of different components rather than a large portion of a single one.
• Observe your bird: Every bird is different. Monitor weight, activity levels, and droppings to adjust the amount individually.

Enrichment & Foraging – More Than Just Feeding

In the wild, birds spend a large part of the day searching for food. In captivity, this stimulus is often lacking, resulting in boredom and behavioral issues. This is where supplementary food is a real asset: by hiding nuts, dried fruit, or millet sprays inside foraging toys, cardboard tubes, or DIY food-seeking stations, you encourage natural exploratory behavior and provide mental stimulation. This turns simple feeding into species-appropriate enrichment.

Proven Quality from Dr. Bürkle

Behind Dr. Bürkle stands 45 years of experience in bird keeping and breeding. Every product in our range is tested by us and our own birds before it makes it into the shop; this applies to basic rations as well as every single treat. When it comes to supplementary food, we pay strict attention to purity and freshness: no unnecessary additives, no sweetened or sulfured low-quality compromises.

We are based in Achern on the edge of the Black Forest (Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg). From here, we supply bird keepers throughout Germany, the entire German-speaking region, and the EU. Your order arrives well-packaged and quickly right to your home.

Buy Supplementary Bird Food Online

Browse through our selection of nuts, dried fruit, millet sprays, and egg food to find the perfect extras for your favorite companion. Are you unsure what suits your bird species and situation? Contact us—with our long-standing experience, we are happy to advise you personally, ensuring that supplementary food does exactly what it is supposed to do: bring joy to your bird and keep them healthy.

• You can find our veterinary clinic here: Dr. Bürkle, Eisenbahnstraße 32, 77855 Achern, Germany
• The contact form can be found here: To the contact form