Supermarket coconuts?

[SpringCottageParrot]

Margaret has bought a whole coconut from the supermarket (hopefully I will get some). Will the shell make a good toy for our blue fronted amazon and is it necessary to wash it first in case they have used any pesticides on it?

 

[MacawGuy]

Yea wash it and u can make a toy from it.

 

[wenz2712]

They make great Toys!

 

[Grenage]

Our GCC loves coconut shells; one of our toys has three halves, and he regularly disappears into them.

 

[RescueMe]

I recently got a coconut from the store, dried out the fruit and had my boyfriend saw it in half and drill holes in it. I have it strung as a foraging toy which my Sparky loves. A $3.50 toy rather than $20 from the bird store.

 

[KatherineI]

I recently got a coconut from the store, dried out the fruit and had my boyfriend saw it in half and drill holes in it. I have it strung as a foraging toy which my Sparky loves. A $3.50 toy rather than $20 from the bird store.

Great idea!!

 

[IcyWolf]

You want to thoroughly wash any produce before giving it to your birds(or eating it yourself), I even wash off organic stuff, you just never know. Even with fruits that you don't eat the skin/rind like a watermelon, you want to be sure to wash before cutting. If you don't wash the outside, when you cut into it, you're just dragging all of those outer chemicals into the edible part of the fruit.

 

[henpecked]

Coconut are ok, you don't need to wash them. Where coconuts are grown they can;t afford pesticides, they're covered with a thick husk that;s been removered before you see it in the store.

 

[ann]

just be sure to crack it open first and make sure its healthy. I once got a coconut that looked fine on the outside, but was COVERED in mold on the inside e.o

 

[Alisana]

You want to thoroughly wash any produce before giving it to your birds(or eating it yourself), I even wash off organic stuff, you just never know. Even with fruits that you don't eat the skin/rind like a watermelon, you want to be sure to wash before cutting. If you don't wash the outside, when you cut into it, you're just dragging all of those outer chemicals into the edible part of the fruit.

My friend's mother who is an environmental health officer showed us what that looked like with a UV light. Urggh.... Creepy and scary as anything ><

 

[SpringCottageParrot]

Coconut are ok, you don't need to wash them. Where coconuts are grown they can;t afford pesticides, they're covered with a thick husk that;s been removered before you see it in the store.

There's always the risk with imported stuff that it has been sprayed with insecticide at some point to prevent non-native species from sneaking into the country.
There is already scorpions in south east England that have colonised after coming ashore at the docks. Not to mention the flocks of wild parrots around London that are breeding successfully.

 

[mrgoogls]

i would wash it well just to be sure even if it is organic. after that i would most certinly not only eat it but use it as a toy!