Does any one offer their parrots clay?

[Littleredbeak]

Someone mentioned they have clay in their emergency bird kit. It was a little while back I’m not sure if the vet used it on their parrot. I just started researching about clay for parrot consumption and was wondering if anyone uses it? If you do offer clay to your parrots, why do you? Is it for health reasons or detoxing their system? Do you see a difference in their health and were do you get it? Here is an article about parrots eating clay https://www.smithsonianmag.com/trav...s-gather-these-peruvian-clay-banks-180955719/

 

[Laurasea]

I think wild parrot eat close to detox. Aa wild parrots often eat food that is a little vtocic to them .

 

[chris-md]

Yes, as Laura alluded, clay binds toxins in the wild. Birds eat a LOT of unripe fruit which contains said toxins. This is why clay licks are common and necessary part of the diet.

We have no need for this. Vets will use charcoal to bind toxins in the vets office. Charcoal makes sense but I don’t think the average person has the means or wherewithal to force feed a parrot charcoal.

 

[Littleredbeak]

From my research I’m finding that the clay is used at a nutritional supplement.” In a recent paper in the journal Ibis, Brightsmith and colleagues report results from over 20,000 hours of parrot observations stretched over 13 years. The findings suggest that clay may give parrots the nutritional boost they need to rear their young.”https://www.tpr.org/science-technology/2017-09-07/why-do-parrots-and-people-eat-clay

 

[bug_n_flock]

I have a "manu mineral block" in Alex's cage. He nibbles a bit here and there. When I tried offering to the budgies they just had a blast powdering the thing, and it is too expensive for them to powder and not eat lol


Edit: huh. Googling them it isn't that expensive. Must have gotten ripped off buying from the other place. *grumble grumble* maybe I'll order more.

 

[SailBoat]

From my research I’m finding that the clay is used at a nutritional supplement.” In a recent paper in the journal Ibis, Brightsmith and colleagues report results from over 20,000 hours of parrot observations stretched over 13 years. The findings suggest that clay may give parrots the nutritional boost they need to rear their young.”https://www.tpr.org/science-technology/2017-09-07/why-do-parrots-and-people-eat-clay

Studies are commonly not worth the paper they are written on or the digital equipment that house them.

Note the catchall term: "MAY"
An action word like "CAN" provides the reader with knowledge that the cost of the study had some value and its findings have merit. Junk (weakly formed) Science should never be used as a reason to include 'stuff' into the diet of your Parrot.

Parrots in their Natural Range (as stated above) use clay to offset the effects of toxins they encounter. Clearly, clay has minerals that are useful to the Parrot. That said, clay 'can' include traces of heavy metals, etc... that are not.

In their Natural Range, Parrots will ingest clay from specific outcrops and avoid others. Why? Likely due to their looking for specific minerals and/or avoiding other chemicals?