Yet Another Food Sensitivity!

Fudgebunner! Freaking...hahh, I'm starting to lose my mind with these guys! More specifically, the budgies! So, as we all know, my budgies can't eat sweet potato (you wouldn't believe how much orange vomit I had to scrape off). But, we were still left wondering why the heck Samantha feels yucky. Well, I finally figured it out. Yesterday, I made them some cooked quinoa with chia thrown in to try to fatten up the kākāriki (for the first time in recorded history, someone's actually trying to fatten up a parrot). Today, I gave it to them again (along with other stuff). Almost immediately, Samantha started vomiting her guts out. Then I found poop with undigested millet in it (likely Samantha's). So, it looks like Samantha has some sort of quinoa intolerance.

What's more, I freaking feed them Goldn'obles III as a significant part of their diet, which, surprise surprise, has quinoa listed as one of the first ingredients. SWEET! I only have about six more bags of the stuff left, no big deal. Man, why quinoa? Of all the things she could be sensitive to, why does it have to be quinoa? Literally all the food I bought for them has quinoa in it >_<. Why Samantha, why does such a strong, resilient little bird have to be sensitive to quinoa? Fudge, I guess it's time to just feed them TOPs (along with veggies, seed, etc.).

I guess I should make it clear that I'm not upset with her. It's not her fault that quinoa makes her crop sad. It's nice to finally know that quinoa is to blame. I just wish I didn't have several pounds of parrot food with quinoa in it -_-.

I have always wish that Amazon would come with directions, including a warming section. My life would be far more boring. Now, I am going to add a wish for food sensitive issues to be part of my dream booklet.

Any Wild-Life Rehabs, Rehomer, Breeders, or Parrot Shops that you know of around you? As part of our Dry Food Mix, we have a number of common items that our Amazon has zero interest, or we elect not to provide him. We put together a care package after creating the latest batch and based on talks with each, provide packages. A donation, if you will, that they are happy to receive and we are happy to provide.

Thank you for your loving concern! Luck Parrots you got there!

Curious.... was the quinoa cooked or dry.? Just started adding it cooked to Cookies food.\probably stewpid question

I can empathize with you. My human son is allergic to wheat dairy eggs and peanuts.

I guess it was a stewpid question...
but its totally possible that birdies are having issues with the saponins in the quinoa. Cooked would probably be worse than dry... But there is a simple fix. Soak it for a bit then rinse well before giving it to birdies cooked or raw. I soak/rinse mine with no issues. Have a great thanksgiving

You could try one more experiment - not give any prep'd by yourself but still try the pellets? If a definite no, no then quinoa will be a complete off diet for her. There is quinoa in TOPs btw.

Sorry for not replying! I scrub the quinoa for a few minutes under running water before cooking it. I think the bag says it was prewashed two or three times, but I still rinse it to be safe. I'm not sure if it's the saponins or the quinoa itself that's causing the problem.

Oh, and plumsmum, I've tried just offering pellets before to see if they're allergic, but it's a pain in the butt trying to determine if the budgies are sensitive to certain foods. I think with certain foods, they have to eat sufficiently large amounts to become sick, but with other foods, they just need to eat a speck of it before vomiting everywhere (not to mention that it can take up to two weeks before they react negatively). With Noah, for example, I'd know right away if something was making him feel sick, but with the general malaise the budgies experience, it's just too hard to tell unless they start having diarrhea or vomiting. At this point, a general feeling of illness and discomfort is normal for the budgies. Like, most of my birds are old, so are they just quiet and inactive at the moment due to age? Are they scratching a bit more because they need to bathe? Are they poking at their bums due to allergies, or is it from hormones or tumours?

And darn it, Plum! Let me live in an imaginary world where TOPs doesn't contain quinoa ! (Thanks for the heads up!)

After a few weeks (it takes my birds forever to get food allergies out of their systems), I'll try scrubbing it, soaking it for half an hour, rinsing it several times, soaking it a bit more, then feed it to them.