Info needed!

I am confused on the subject of peanuts. I seen where they are not good for birds.Bossy digs though the bowl to get them. Since i have been on this forum i have read a lot of threads so things i did not know some i did.Looking for a little advise.Thanks in advance.

Raw peanuts in the shell can contain a mold that makes birds very sick with a condition that becomes chronic (lifelong) called aspergillosis. While 99% of birds who eat peanuts will have no problems, it is a real risk for no real reward, as there are many other safer nuts to feed that birds like just as well. You can try offering Bossy almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts instead. Being a big bird, Bossy will likely enjoy if you can find those nuts in-shell, as parrots love cracking nuts open as much as they do eating them. After all, that's what those big giant hook bills are- natures own nut crackers. If you can't find nuts in-shell, that's ok too. Just as long as they aren't salted, the above varieties are still better alternatives to peanuts.

very short (so I've skipped al lot of steps/ in debt explanation)


Peanuts are very fatty (so ony small small amounts plze, otherwise risk fatty liver diaease -> kills parots),

but the biggest concern are the unshelled ones (and shelled ones after that).
Birdy-nuts are not heated so they are rich in fungus (and spores).
Fungusinfections are a big reason parrots die -> kills parrots


Human-consumption peanuts are often salted (and yes, you guessed it: bad for kidneys -> possible dead parrot).



so... peanuts are a risk most people are no longer willing to take.

Just something to bring up- my AV said large parrots need to be eating nuts every day because they keep an organ called the 'gizzard' which is designed to grind up things like nuts and seeds in good working order and are part of their natural diet. If the gizzard becomes weak, they become prone to digestive infections and other digestive issues. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation regarding nuts and seeds in a parrots diet because some people feed them nothing but nuts and seeds, leading to fatty liver disease and subsequent demonization of ALL fat in their diets. Parrots do not need low fat diets, they need balanced diets ('balanced' being the key term here) that include sensible amounts of natural fat sources from nuts and seeds. My vet says she's seeing more and more parrots developing health issues from caring, good owners feeding them "too healthy" of diets. These birds eat terrible diets in nature and can process just about anything according to my vet. They should apparently eat moisture rich tropical fruits as the bulk of their diet, with some veggies though they don't eat much ground level vegetation in nature therefore they don't need a whole lot of vegetables that grow close to the ground. These guys really primarily eat tree growing fruits, nuts, seeds and ingest very minimal protein outside of what is in nuts and seeds naturally. If there's anything to be concerned about, it's too much extra protein. Parrots are opportunistic omnivores and will eat bugs, scavenge dead things or eat eggs, but it's not a significant portion of their natural diet. This may vary with old world parrots, but new world parrots (macaws, amazons, conures, pionus etc...) all eat pretty similarly to each other, and it's nothing like the commercialized diets pushed by pet food companies.

Good thoughts. My CAV recommends a good pellet as a base (I use Harrison's) heavily supplemented by veggies, a bit of fruit, good nuts like walnuts and almonds, and some treats like quinoa. On a couple of occasions over the decades, the Rb has added a cricket and a fruit fly or two.

Yes, birds do need to eat nuts, seeds, etc. It's what they eat in nature, and it serves their GI Tracts the entire way through, along with their beaks, and their mental stimulation. So healthier nuts as treats are good, but peanuts present a couple of issues...

The main one is Aspergilliosis, as Kiwi already mentioned, and that's the peanuts in the shells. So any seed-mixes that have in-shell peanuts should be avoided. Other than that, peanuts have a very high fat content, though they do have also a high protein content...So giving a raw, unsalted peanut out of the shell as a treat once in a while is okay, but not on a regular basis, and as Gail said, there are much healthier, safer nuts to give your bird, so peanuts really aren't needed.

Almonds, Walnuts, Brazil Nuts, Pecans, Filberts...all much healthier and safer than peanuts, but again, use them as treats, not as a part of his "diet", which needs to consist of a healthy pellet supplemented with a healthy, varied seed-mix, and then lots of fresh veggies and a little fresh fruit as a treat (too much sugar is not good either)...

Generally though, to answer your question, when you hear about peanuts being bad, it's the peanuts-in-the-shell and the risk of Aspergilliosis that is the main thing people are talking about, as Kiwi stated already...

For nuts in the shell, check out the Whole Foods chain and Luckies.

To add, the mold in peanuts is not killed by roasting! In human grade, they are supposed to be tested for low levels. Low is the risky word! If, after testing, they are stored in a warm, moist area, possible sick bird! I used to be a big peanut eater of unsalted roasted until I found out there are reasons for selecting other nuts, but we all have experienced that ‘funky, black’ peanut at times!

Flboy said:

For nuts in the shell, check out the Whole Foods chain and Luckies.

To add, the mold in peanuts is not killed by roasting! In human grade, they are supposed to be tested for low levels. Low is the risky word! If, after testing, they are stored in a warm, moist area, possible sick bird! I used to be a big peanut eater of unsalted roasted until I found out there are reasons for selecting other nuts, but we all have experienced that ‘funky, black’ peanut at times!

Click to expand...

I'm glad you wrote this, I wasn't sure, but I thought that it made no difference whether it was roasted or not regarding Aspergilliosis and certain types of mold, as not all molds are killed by heat, some are actually spread by heat, especially inside the shell...

What I would strongly caution against is going to a grocery store or veggie/fruit stand, seeing a pile of peanuts somewhere, and getting a bag by weight. Stay away from that. You don't know how long they've been laying there and what's in them. If you do buy some for the occational snack - which is fine, imo - look for what you perceive as fresh and from a reputable source. What I sometimes get are the ones by Hampton Farms at Stop&Shop (I think they sell them at baseball stadiums or with different team logos). They smell so fresh and are so tasty, even I'm surprised when I compare them to some other ones I've eaten in the past.

As others have stated, not too many due to the fat content.

Luckily, my bird prefers almonds and really likes walnuts and pistachios. Still trying to get her into pine nuts - she looks at those like... umm, what?