Foods

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Peta

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Have just re-read the food list, and while they are a good point of information I wonder sometimes what someone who is just about to get or has just gotten a parrot would make of it. It could prove to be a problem when they tell you about apple pips for example. How many apple pips would a bird have to eat before they did him any harm? I think for a newcomer to parrot keeping could be a little panic stricken by this for example their bird eats a pip on a Sunday they panic as their vets is closed, I've seen this happen on many occassions with things that could harm the bird if eaten in excess. There are many sites that say this or that is poison for our beloved fids, but forget to mention that they are harmful when eaten in excess.

I think it is always wise to double check on things that you read or hear. My motto for all my babes is If in doubt leave it out.
 

Alison

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but forget to mention that they are harmful when eaten in excess.

That is generally done on purpose, because what is or isn't 'excessive' is open to individual interpretation. One persons view of excessive may be giving the bird the potentially deadly item once every couple days, while someone else may view it as excessive if the bird is given the item once a week. A third person will see it as excessive if given at all considering that it can be deadly. See what I mean? It's a subjective term, therefore it is best for an informative site to just tell people avoid the potentially dangerous and deadly item all together.
 
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I should have made myself clearer really, but I was having a real bad day yesterday, my fingers would not type what my brain was telling them.:(

There should have been a site with that one that had a couple saying how they fed their parrot chocolate each evening and a few other bits and bobs that I would never give any of my birds. I'll have to try and find that one and get it posted. They are saying its definately fine to give this to a bird every night:eek: I've got the site written down somewhere so I'll find that up and get it posted. Hopefully you'll see what my brain is so frantically telling my fingers to type, and they are completly ignoring everything.
 

Michael

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This is a subject that I tend to abstain from commenting, but today is your lucky day! :)
The topic of "safe" foods for avian species has been so exaggerated in recent years that it has caused many people to actually deprive their birds from having foods that they could benefit from, but due to warnings and scares, have the majority of bird keepers in a state of constant trepidation.
The Internet is a wealth of information; unfortunately so much that is put out there is based upon conjecture and supposition rather than verified facts.
There is a large percentage of what I call "avian folklore" that is floating about and unfortunately it is what appears to come up when the average Joe does a search seeking information concerning dietary advice.
It's not that I discount the advice and information that is presented, but I guess it's the manner in which it is given. Words like "never" and "always" tend to make me wince.
There are actually very few "poisonous or lethal" foods that are available to us and most of these would not even be in the running for us to choose to feed our birds, yet you will still read about apple seeds, strawberries, avocado, etc. Do you know that the light-colored flesh of the avocado is perfectly harmless to birds? And what "may possibly" cause an intestinal upset is the darker-colored flesh that is closer to the pit and the skin of the fruit. Not that I'm dying to feed my birds avocado, but it's one example of the "absolute nevers" that we hear tell about. Your bird will not die if it eats some avocado.
Spinach is another. A wonderful green food that has excellent nutritional properties, but for the fact that it has the ability to bind calcium because of the oxalic acid that it contains. What they don't tell you is that once it binds the maximum calcium that it can, the body is able to process the rest, normally. And for this to have a negative effect on a bird [or human] for that matter, both would have to consume tremendous amounts which is not likely.
Actually, it would have to be one of the sole foods that you would have to feed your bird in order for this to happen.
Sweet potato is another. NEVER feed it raw? Why? There is not one, solid reason for this other than I think someone's bird decided that it like it better cooked and the rest is history!
Forgive me for my rant. Avian dietary is a subject that I find fascinating and I am in a perpetual quest to provide a natural and varied diet that will physically benefit and mentally stimulate my flock, without putting them in harms way.
OK, I'm done. :D
 
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I think this is what I was trying to get my fingers to say but they are having none of it. There are so many different dos and donts that I doubt our fids would never eat anything if we followed everything they say in books or on the web.

I'm still having trouble with my fingers not typing what I want them to say but I'm trying, very trying lol.:04: I should really have left things alone til they worked properly, but I'm too impatient for that. :04:
 

Dave

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"""""""""""There is a large percentage of what I call "avian folklore" that is floating about and unfortunately it is what appears to come up when the average Joe does a search seeking information concerning dietary advice""""""""""

And what makes things even worse is that so much of that 'folklore' reading material is located in many widely read well known books, magazines, booklets which are written by so called well known bird specialists.
I find it best for myself to steer away from diet subjects. The subject always ends up with no definite answers attached.----------Dave
 

Alison

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See now, I never heard anyone say not to feed some of the things you mention Michael, such as strawberries, spinach, or sweet potatoes. I feed sweet potatoes quite often and I feed strawberries. I don't feed spinach, but not because I ever thought that there was anything wrong with feeding it. I don't feed it cause I can't stand it and never have it in my home. I guess I see why there is confusion.
 
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Poor Bucc never gets Strawberries, but that's only cos I love them and they never seem to make it to his food bowl, my mouth always seems to get there first.:eek: He's gotta be quick where Strawberries are concerned

I've tried Sweet potato's but the only thing they are good for, in his opinion, is to spit at the dogs, the dogs now love Sweet potato's:04:
 

Alison

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I've tried Sweet potato's but the only thing they are good for, in his opinion, is to spit at the dogs

LOL Leave it to Bucc to have a food fight. :D
 
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Alison said:
LOL Leave it to Bucc to have a food fight. :D

Oh yep, and we have loads here, and its always him that starts it. Maybe it just one food fight thats been ongoing for year.:eek:
 

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