birds and alcohol

[Akraya]

Just while we're talking about bad drinks, what about cordial or home-made smoothies? My birds get into these a fair bit, they've developed the taste for it! Just curious =)

 

[MonicaMc]

Home-made fruit smoothies that are 100% fruit (and ice?) are probably fine!


Speaking of cocktails.. every now and then, I see people selling cocktails. Lutino cocktails, or in some cases, latino cocktails. I can only imagine cockatiels partying it up with some cocktails on the side and enjoying siestas!!! :54:

 

[Akraya]

More like berries, yogurt, icecream smoothie type things

 

[Brisch]

I think what is being said here is: do not purposely offer your bird restricted foods, and do your best to not let them have any. That being said $#it happens and you can not always watch them.

 

[mcw009]

On a serious note, while I still wouldn't allow my boys to partake, we seem to forget that alcohol is a naturally occurring substance, and birds in the wild do occasionally get a little drunk. In the rehab center I worked at, we once got a cardinal who got drunk on some fermented berries, picked a fight with a house sparrow, passed out mid-air and fell to the ground. He's lucky a nice lady found him instead of a predator (she also witnessed the bar fight; we deduced he was a drunkie by the purple stains on his beak), but when he woke up, he was fine.

 

[lexx510]

Actually my mother gave my brother rum once when he was an infant and had an earache.. it used to be quite common for teething and colic...

I think it is somewhat important to make a distinction between what is potentially dangerous physiologically and one's attitude towards alcohol. I'm not going to let my birds get into my cocktails on purpose because I think the risk isn't worth it. But they are "grown up" creatures, not infants. I wouldn't give an infant parrot pellets... or put one in a cage to sleep... so I'm not sure that's the most effective rule of thumb to apply here.

Then again, I grew up drinking wine at certain holidays, and I don't think of alcohol as something particularly evil which is always somewhat naughty.

They are infants in a sense that they will try to eat/put anything they can find into their mouth. They simply don't know any better. So therefore it's our job to keep them away from harmful/toxic products, as we would any infant.

 

[SpringCottageParrot]

Caper is grumpy enough in the morning while he is molting. I hate to think what he would be like with a hangover.

 

[DebsFlock]

Home-made fruit smoothies that are 100% fruit (and ice?) are probably fine!

But ones with a lot of other ingredients, maybe not so much, except in tiny portions.

Cordials... what I think of as a cordial is a mildly alcoholic fruit-based beverage. So I'm not sure about that!

Speaking of cocktails.. every now and then, I see people selling cocktails. Lutino cocktails, or in some cases, latino cocktails. I can only imagine cockatiels partying it up with some cocktails on the side and enjoying siestas!!! :54:

LOL! I've seen that, too!

They are infants in a sense that they will try to eat/put anything they can find into their mouth. They simply don't know any better. So therefore it's our job to keep them away from harmful/toxic products, as we would any infant.

This is actually contrary to my experience. While they do chew a lot, my observation is that parrots are much, much better than most animals, and decidedly better than human infants, at not swallowing the non-edibles. Otherwise 80% of parrot toys would be decidedly hazardous. In addition, mine are incredibly picky about what they will and won't eat. Sure I try to keep them away from things I know to be genuinely bad for them, but I personally don't see much mileage in thinking of them as if they were human babies. I do have an aversion to over-anthropomorphism. YMMV.

 

[MonicaMc]

More like berries, yogurt, icecream smoothie type things

Ice cream really isn't healthy for them, but the yogurt, particularly plain greek yogurt with live cultures, is!

So I'd say probably fine in very small amounts, or better yet, make a bird friendly smoothy!

 

[pinky0]

Well I have 2 budgies and someone in this house had given my blue and white one wine because he saw I had a glass and flew straight over to me trying to stick his head in. I thought thats strange he is always unsure of things at first (well for 2 mins anyway) but he wanted a sip and even carried on because I wouldn't give him any.It would be very bad for their organs but I have an addict now as soon as he sees that glass he is after it.

 

[Jewelz]

I recommend drinking beer out of a bottle lol....Felix is always more interested in what I am drinking than what I am eating....he can't get his head inside & there is no where to perch

 

[Chipper10]

Chipper my GCC is always trying to lick the condensation off of my evening vodka/OJ.......I'm not sure if it's dangerous or not but I always move my drink after he starts to go after it.