Do you give your conures Animal Protein?

[BoomBoom]

In my internet scouring I read that some people feed their conures cooked chicken, beef or fish. I haven't done this, but I've offered dried mealworms and hardboiled/scrambled eggs to my sun conure. He does not care for them.

Does anyone give these food items to their birds? Is it vital? If the bird gets their protein from pellets and almond nuts, can they get away from not eating animal protein? Are there unique benefits to eating animal products that make it essential in a conure's diet?

Your thoughts are highly appreciated!

 

[aliray]

I do give all my birds including my new ysgcc bits of boiled chicken mixed with cooked brown rice. I make it for my dogs every three days also bits of cooked ground beef, cooked fish cooked shrimp, bits of hard cheese, cooked eggs scrambled or hard boiled.I'm sure in the jungle they would be eating some insects or whatever they found that had bits of protien . Most of the sites of parrot nutrition seem to recommend some . I have also given plain yogurt and cottage cheese with pineapple in it.. I myself have never developed a taste for mealworms and since they live in my house and I am doing the cooking and shopping they have to eat what I would

 

[Annageckos]

My GCC had a field day with some chicken rib bones with a little meat still attached. I also give her a bit of scrambled egg cooked in coconut oil.

 

[DebsFlock]

I've yet to offer chicken, but I've offered egg. I think if you are doing an all fresh food diet, some protien supplementation is probably important. If mostly on pellets, they should include enough protien.

 

[friedsoup]

Chicken bones are mines favorite he loves to crack them to get at the marrow.

 

[SweetPeasFriend]

Our mitred lived for 28 years with us (wild caught, so not sure how old she was when she died) and ate everthing we did with a seed diet plus fresh pear (she loved pears, I think they look a little like mangos maybe.. ) on the side.

Our blue crown eats pellets and fresh veggies everyday, plus stuff from our plates, including little tastes of bacon, steak, chicken, eggs, lobster, shrimp, and burgers. We try to avoid junk food, but he does beg and beg and beg for anything that he isn't supposed to have. He'll ask about bacon by name.

 

[ruffledfeathers]

My sun conure's favorite food was chicken or turkey. I am vegetarian so she rarely got to have it, but whenever it was in the house for some reason, a holiday most likely, i would give her some. I don't know if they "need" to have it, having pellets and other fresh foods, but i think they appreciate the variety sometimes.

 

[budgie_man]

Ahhh you are making birds cannibals!!! LOL jk

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Me too... I give my 30-year old cherry-head all types of cooked animal protein, but plain without sauces, except a drop of tomatoe sauce sometimes (i.e. bbq), and not fried. He loves them all, especially shreds of chicken breast. Dairy of all kinds too (cottage cheese, yogurt, hard cheese, etc.) My husband used to give him fast food sandwich bites for many years - I would sometimes take them and swap them for something healthier and Pritti didn't care 'cause he loves home cooked foods. Also, he loves warm pizza when he gets a little treat of it - he scrapes off all the cheese and sauce and soft part of the top of the pizza dough (he's not a crust guy). When I cook, I often put a little extra in dish and wrap it up for him so it's there later or next day in fridge.

 

[BoomBoom]

Thank you for the replies. Looks like most people here feed some form of animal product to their birds.

My bird eats primarily fresh fruit, veggies, then pellets, nuts and seeds. He already gets his protein from the pellets and almond nuts so I didnt think he'd need animal protein still. Protein should be the same regardless of the source right? I'll try get him to eat more eggs and introduce chicken maybe.

I was just wondering what is in animal meat/product that is vital to their diet.