Bird Safe Fresh Foods & Toxic Food Lists + Sprouts

[MonicaMc]

It's fine by me!

 

[Kimmied]

I have also started picking out the pine nuts that are in their shells. They are just as bad at containing aspergillosis as peanuts. I just go to the health food store and get bags of cashews,shelled pine nuts,almonds, and a few shelled Brazil nuts. They have a lot of organic nuts there. I give her some of these with her food treat in the morning.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Sorry for potentially bumping an old thread (not sure if that is disallowed here) but this is a FANTASTIC source of information. I particularly like the pictures of the sprouts.

Oh yes, this is most definitely allowed, and actually much appreciated, especially with fantastic threads such as this one.

As a matter of fact, I just STUCK this thread, so it won't ever get lost in the crowd.

 

[Mommajack]

I asked this on another thread but haven't got an answer. The ones I had went rotten but I'd still like to know for next time: are the tops of radishes, the green leaves and stems, OK for macaws?

 

[MonicaMc]

If carrot tops are fine, I don't see why radish tops wouldn't be? I've seen where radish sprouts are recommended, so if those are ok, the tops should be, too!

 

[JerseyWendy]

YES, the top portion IS safe!!

 

[Mommajack]

Thanks guys. Rudy has taken to refusing just about anything green (except for parsley flakes >.< ) so I'm running out of options of what fresh green stuff to feed him.

 

[GladeWing]

Oh yes, this is most definitely allowed, and actually much appreciated, especially with fantastic threads such as this one.

As a matter of fact, I just STUCK this thread, so it won't ever get lost in the crowd.

Definitely! I saw it linked somewhere else and was like "wow, this should be a sticky!" this thread covers some of the most common dietary questions like: What is safe and what will kill my bird... LOL

Thanks again!

 

[MonicaMc]

Thanks guys. Rudy has taken to refusing just about anything green (except for parsley flakes >.< ) so I'm running out of options of what fresh green stuff to feed him.

What about making a mash diet? A little of every color? Red, green yellow, orange vegetables... some healthy grains and legumes and a small amount of fruit?

Would he eat something like that?

 

[goofybirdivy]

Hi. I am new to this forum but not a novice with parrots and cockatoos.

There is no nutritional reason to give a bird any milk/dairy products. Birds are not mammuals thus do not have the flora to digest milk products. I am lactose intolerate so I can imagine what it would be like to be a tiny bird eating milk that cannot be digested. Every board certified avian veterinarian I have spoken with has said NO to milk and NO to lactase or other probiotics that are not avian specific.

 

[goofybirdivy]

Organic foods are very popular. Unfortunately, the word "organic" is being thrown around with lots of misconceptions. Organic foods are not aspergillus or fungus free. They are not nitrate free either. Some organic foods are GMO, genetically modified, which in the case of seeds and other birdie foods, means the plant contains the pesticides that we are attempting to avoid. Instead of the plants being sprayed with fungicides and pesticides, the DNA has been altered so these chemicals are actually inside the plants/seeds.
Whatever you buy, you must clean it well. Both of my avian vets say to lightly steam all veggies, remove outer skins when possible and avoid all GMO foods. Problem here is that most GMO foods are not labeled as such.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Hi. I am new to this forum but not a novice with parrots and cockatoos.

There is no nutritional reason to give a bird any milk/dairy products. Birds are not mammuals thus do not have the flora to digest milk products. I am lactose intolerate so I can imagine what it would be like to be a tiny bird eating milk that cannot be digested. Every board certified avian veterinarian I have spoken with has said NO to milk and NO to lactase or other probiotics that are not avian specific.

Organic foods are very popular. Unfortunately, the word "organic" is being thrown around with lots of misconceptions. Organic foods are not aspergillus or fungus free. They are not nitrate free either. Some organic foods are GMO, genetically modified, which in the case of seeds and other birdie foods, means the plant contains the pesticides that we are attempting to avoid. Instead of the plants being sprayed with fungicides and pesticides, the DNA has been altered so these chemicals are actually inside the plants/seeds.
Whatever you buy, you must clean it well. Both of my avian vets say to lightly steam all veggies, remove outer skins when possible and avoid all GMO foods. Problem here is that most GMO foods are not labeled as such.

Welcome to the forum.

You appear to be quite knowledgeable, why not stop by HERE and introduce yourself, and tell us a bit about yourself? New Members Welcome - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community

 

[MikeyTN]

Hi. I am new to this forum but not a novice with parrots and cockatoos.

There is no nutritional reason to give a bird any milk/dairy products. Birds are not mammuals thus do not have the flora to digest milk products. I am lactose intolerate so I can imagine what it would be like to be a tiny bird eating milk that cannot be digested. Every board certified avian veterinarian I have spoken with has said NO to milk and NO to lactase or other probiotics that are not avian specific.

Some of those things such as yoghurt are quite beneficial more then you think. And I have had avian vets that suggest yoghurt. Samething about feeding cottage cheese. And I'm far from being a novice. I used to make high protein formula mix that contained cottage cheese and yoghurt and that's what kept the sick birds alive. It is something that I've personally done 16 years ago.

 

[Kimmied]

My avian vet has also said yogurt is beneficial for Mina in proper proportions. She likes cottage cheese as well. Her vet said as long as it's non fat it's fine. The yogurt should also be non fat and not contain aspertaime or Splenda. If I put milk in her oat meal it's skim and only a teaspoon. The vet assured me this won't harm her but I may want to switch to almond or soy.

 

[Maria_Metropolis]

This thread should be a sticky.

 

[Juliejet]

Thank you to the person who put this up I have learnt a lot actually the whole site has given me lots of info

 

[Kalidasa]

My avian vet has also said yogurt is beneficial for Mina in proper proportions. She likes cottage cheese as well. Her vet said as long as it's non fat it's fine. The yogurt should also be non fat and not contain aspertaime or Splenda. If I put milk in her oat meal it's skim and only a teaspoon. The vet assured me this won't harm her but I may want to switch to almond or soy.

That's odd, because low and non-fat yogurt has much more lactose than regular, and it's the lactose that is irritating, not the fat. Lowfat has much more whey which is the bad part. Check out the attachment below.

 

[Clearcreekid]

Is Wild Harvest Parrot food safe for my cockatoo ? Is the corn, soybean & wheat GMO free ?

 

[MonicaMc]

If you can buy it at a store like Walmart, it's probably crap.


Pellets are a better base diet for parrots. Harrison's, TOP's and Roudybush are some of the better brands out there.

 

[Dinosrawr]

Just saw this posted on my FB by a nearby bird rescue, thought it'd be a nice complement to the other sprouting posts and would make it easy for deciding how to mix and match. Here it is!