Find out exactly how much seed your friend needs each day so as to avoid gluttony, waste or malnutrition.

Vitamin-enriched mixes are usually higher-quality, not only because of the added vitamins, but also due to the greater variety of seeds in the mix. Basic mixes should contain at least five different kinds of seed.

Most of the time, fresh fruits and vegetables are recommended, as they are an excellent source of vitamins. As an alternative, you can offer your bird dried fruits. Always serve fruits and veggies at room temperature, and make sure to wash them first.

The best vegetables to give your bird are dark green veggies, spinach, celery leaves, broccoli, peppers, cabbage, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, watercress and leafy greens (always avoid iceberg lettuce).

The best fruits: apples, oranges, pears, grapes, bananas and tropical fruits.

The following are toxic to birds: avocados, parsley, beet greens and raw potatoes.

Table scraps: You should know that what's good for you is also good for birds, and the same applies to the bad stuff. You should avoid sweets, alcohol, chocolate and fat. Place all food other than seeds in a different trough or on a special clip, and always remove uneaten food after a few hours.

Most vitamin supplements available today can be mixed with either the bird's water or food. You should alternate between vitamins and mineral supplements.

Honey sticks or bells are treats and should therefore be given to your bird only once or twice a month. Millet sprays, on the other hand, are a true health food, so it's okay to give them to your bird up to a couple of times a week.

Mineral blocks and cuttlefish bones are not essential, but they are good ways for the bird to trim its beak and obtain added calcium. Iodized mineral blocks are excellent sources of both minerals and iodine. Oyster shells and anise-flavoured bird gravel are not only good sources of calcium, but they also promote digestion. They must be placed in a separate feeder and not used as floor gravel.

Charcoal is not essential and can in fact be damaging to your bird, as it hinders the absorption of a number of essential vitamins.

During mating season, birds need unlimited access to a breeding supplement and oyster shells in a feeder not used for its regular food. During this active time, some birds also like egg biscuits. It is recommended that you provide food supplements before and during mating season, as these fortifying elements help boost fertility.

Don't forget that your pet bird needs fresh water all the time, every day. If you like, you can occasionally replace the water with unsweetened fruit or vegetable juice.

Birds' metabolism is fairly active, so they need to eat small amounts frequently. Only if their diet is inappropriate or if they lack exercise will birds show signs of overweight.

Seeds should be kept in the fridge in a sealed container. Seed mixes don't contain insecticides, which makes them convenient breeding grounds for pyralid moths. However, if you keep the food in the fridge, the moth's reproductive cycle will be hindered. Although these insects won't harm your bird, you don't want them to infest your home.

If you decide to hand-feed a baby bird, it should be at least 2½ to 3 weeks old (three to four weeks for cockatiels). Baby birds needs to be fed four to 10 times a day depending on their age and the breeding food used.

You will need to use a syringe or eye dropper until you see that the baby bird's crop is well dilated and that a bump has formed below the neck. Your food mixture must be made fresh at each meal. The food most recommended for this technique is manual tube-feeding meal.

After each meal, baby birds need to be cleaned with a small cloth to remove food that may have stuck to their plumage. Don't forget to disinfect all instruments after each meal.
At around four weeks (six for cockatiels), reduce the hand-feeding meal frequency to encourage the bird to start feeding itself. Start with the breeding meal and fruits, after which you can introduce growth meal and later follow up with seeds. And always remember to provide fresh water.

Baby birds are fragile: they always need to be kept warm, in a clean container lined with a paper towel or towel, and in a quiet location.