What is an extruded diet? 

The best method available for use in the manufacture of high quality pet foods is extrusion. Using the extrusion process, premium quality ingredients can be ground and combined with nutritional supplements to produce a food that will provide a balanced ratio of nutrients. This process consists of a cooking method that virtually pasteurizes the finished food and destroys bacteria that may be present in the raw ingredients. Ordinary pelletizing does not employ the same techniques and bacterial elimination cannot be assured. Seed diets, in addition to not containing a balanced nutrient ratio, may harbor bacteria commonly found in the wild that are harmful to your birds.

Here is a detailed explanation of what happens during the extrusion process:

First, the raw grains are coarsely ground in a hammer mill, then mixed together to the proper formula specifications with vitamin and mineral supplements. These mixed batches are then sent through a fine grinder and the particles are reduced to the size of flour (145 microns). This flour like substance is then mixed with steam at 200 degrees Fahrenheit and put into the extruder. Inside the extruder the flour is mixed with water and additional steam and is then heated through thermal and mechanical energy to form a dough. The dough reaches a temperature in excess of 300 degrees Fahrenheit and pressures reaching 900 to 1,100 pounds per square inch. Through these temperatures and pressures the food is pasteurized and virtually sterilized. As the product exits the extruder, the sudden drop in pressure will rupture living cells to insure a clean product. The steam still contained in the product forces it to expand, where it becomes a cereal like consistency, shaped, cut, and run through a dryer, dried at approximately 220 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. It is then cooled, flavored, and put into packaging.

Birds in captivity are not free to choose from a wide variety of food items and therefore depend upon us to provide them with food choices that approximate the nutrient makeup of their diets in the wild. Using extrusion, we can offer foods made from a wide variety of ingredients that contain correct amino acid profiles and proper fat and protein rations that are also flavorful and tremendously appealing to your birds.

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