Lamb bones safe for parrots?

[wrench13]

I have the bones from a rack of lamb chops. Salty loves chicken bones, so I wondered if anyone knows if lamb bones are safe for him to chew on ?

 

[LaManuka]

Jeepers, I don’t know about lamb bones...

I had an IRN once who also used to loooove chicken bones, that always was a little disturbing to me ...!

 

[Cardinal]

I have not read, heard or seen of parrots (with the exception of the Kea from New Zealand) feeding on animal bones; so I do not see why they need to be given this in captivity. I understand perfectly that captive diets can never be fully similar to wild diets but something completely alien to the diet should perhaps be avoided.

It would be like giving a strawberries to a Tiger.

 

[SailBoat]

Amazon's as are most large Parrots are bird's of opportunity! Their diet base does not cycle around meat and more specific their bones, but if an opportunity provides itself they will partake.

All of our Amazons have loved chicken bone and all came running across the table to grab a leg bone. No effort on our part required. With the exception of turkey, I have seen no interest regarding other animal bones.

Long held positions exist regarding feeding limited amounts of chicken, on occasion or even rarely /never anything else. So, my answer would be no. No Lamb bones, let alone its meat. My other issue with Lamb bones is in the density of the rib bone as with near all their other bones.

 

[ChristaNL]

I always went with the advice for dogs: be carefull of the splintery bones.

(that is why they advise you not to feed the legbones of grazing animals -cow, sheep etc.- over 3 months of age; the bones from head, nek, torso etc. are fine)


Almost every parrot in the world will eat some sort of animal protein ( small bugs, aphids etc.etc.) because insects etc. live in 'their' foodsources as well.
So why not give them some?

 

[Cardinal]

Almost every parrot in the world will eat some sort of animal protein ( small bugs, aphids etc.etc.) because insects etc. live in 'their' foodsources as well.
So why not give them some?

I am not quite sure of that. While many parrots may accidentally consume bugs, larvae etc, the only Parrots that actively go hunting for animal protein besides their main diet of seeds are the Hyacinth Macaws which have been known to occasionally consume apple snails, removing the flesh with their huge beaks.

So I have serious doubts whether vertebrate protein is necessary or even good for them.

 

[noodles123]

In the wild, Umbrella Cockatoos eat skinks (small lizards) sometimes and certain insects lol. I would be cautious...just like dogs with bones that can shear off and cause blockages, I would think the same would apply here--- especially since dogs are more carnivorous than parrots, and they still get into trouble with bones from chicken etc.

 

[wrench13]

Moot point, Salty immediately threw it to the ground. 'Boats and all, he loves chicken bones but he only gets them occasionally. I know Jim gives Amy a whole leg of chicken, with the meat, and it doesn't seem to faze him. Salty pops the ends off a chicken leg bone and goes for the marrow.

 

[SailBoat]

Moot point, Salty immediately threw it to the ground. 'Boats and all, he loves chicken bones but he only gets them occasionally. I know Jim gives Amy a whole leg of chicken, with the meat, and it doesn't seem to faze him. Salty pops the ends off a chicken leg bone and goes for the marrow.

So to the point Al. Amazon's love chicken marrow! Other then being in the way, the bone is little more than a shell.
Salty's approach to just another bone is just so Amazon!

 

[YSGC]

For those who do give bones to their birds, I gotta ask ...

Does your bird just chew off the meat?
The cartilage?
Or does your bird break open the bone to eat the marrow inside?

Does your bird actually chew up and swallow the bone itself?
If so, what kind (size) of parrot can do this?

 

[ChristaNL]

Rico, my first CAG ate chicken bone (mostly the marrow) whenever we had it (not very often / special family dinner)- recommended by the CAV at that time because of his feather-overbarbering/plucking and the vet had no way of testing for dietary deficienties, so it was an experimental enriching of his normal diet ( seed/vegg and fruit because pellets were not invented yet).


All my parrots love bland boiled chicken (white meat)- and since I do not cook entire chickens just for me...no bones...

 

[Cardinal]

In the wild, Umbrella Cockatoos eat skinks (small lizards) sometimes and certain insects lol. I would be cautious...just like dogs with bones that can shear off and cause blockages, I would think the same would apply here--- especially since dogs are more carnivorous than parrots, and they still get into trouble with bones from chicken etc.

Thanks for sharing. I did not know this about Umbrella cockatoos . Would love to read or preferably watch a documentary on this.
Amazing.


Dogs are 90% Carnivores (including scavenged meat), whereas some parrots may indulge in carnivory sometimes, probably for supplementing their nutrition or may be because they get bored.

 

[SailBoat]

For those who do give bones to their birds, I gotta ask ...

Does your bird just chew off the meat?
The cartilage?
Or does your bird break open the bone to eat the marrow inside?

Does your bird actually chew up and swallow the bone itself?
If so, what kind (size) of parrot can do this?

Our Amazons only targeted the marow and left the bones.
How much chicken meat depended on which Amazon. Some none, others a bit, but never much more than a couple of bits.