What kind of peanut in the shell

[aliray]

If you do decide to give your parrot a peanut in the shell> What kind do you buy? I see roasted salted, Raw, Boiled in the shell. Or do they have roasted and not salted ?. I know a lot of owners don't but some do So I am just curious as I didn't realize they came in so many kinds yet I do see some in the bigger parrot mixes

 

[cockatielgirl]

hi i give my cockatiels peanuts raw or roasted you have get there from most bird shops or heath food shops. i give them peanuts with or with out shells but they like ones with there shells more.

 

[crimson]

I am no peanut expert, but from what I understand, peanuts seem to be a gray area.
some say they are safe, others say they can have toxic properties to them.
either way I never feed my birds peanuts.
I just bought a new bag of food today that also contained peanuts in the shell, they all got tossed outside for the squirrels....better safe than sorry

 

[BoomBoom]

I'd love to give peanuts but I have read several articles and anecdotes online that they have a potential to carry the aspergillus mold. Aspergillosis is a disease that has affected a number of captive parrots. I haven't read thoroughly on the subject and I do not know the accuracy of what I find online, but I figured I'd stay away from peanuts just to be on the safe side. I figured I can get pistachios instead. Also in a shell (foraging fun), is a bit more nutritious as far as nuts go, although a bit more expensive.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Alison, if you want to give your fids the occasional peanut treat, I'd buy them hulled. If I'm not mistaken, the aspergillus mold is located IN the shell in peanuts, so giving your fids a few OUT of the shell "should" be ok.

And yes, pistachios are a HUGE hit. I buy them either raw or roasted (NO salt), IN the shell.

 

[weco]

Alison, if you want to give your fids the occasional peanut treat, I'd buy them hulled. If I'm not mistaken, the aspergillus mold is located IN the shell in peanuts, so giving your fids a few OUT of the shell "should" be ok.

Just so our SUPER MODERATORS aren't passing out erroneous information, the mold is normally on & grows on the outside of the shell, because the shell's makeup is an excellent host. Roasting kills any active mold growth & hanger-on spores, so, shelled, roasted peanuts should be OK, as long as they are sold in sealed plastic bags.....peanuts in-the-shell, either roasted or raw, sold in net bags, should be considered suspect.....

You can roast your own raw peanuts in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for 15-20 minutes and you can re-roast in-shell peanuts that might be suspect, in a 250 degree pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.....you can perk up/crisp peanuts that have gone stale, by this method also.....

As Paul used to say "...and now you know the rest of the story."

Disseminating erroneous information to inquiring minds serves to mainly do a disservice to our feathered friends, depriving them of a treat they enjoy.....

 

[aliray]

Weco thank you for the information I was wondering if the heat would kill any spores or fungus on the shells so thank you again also about them being in plastic versus net bags.

 

[henpecked]

I aspergillus fungus is really very common. Found on most everything every where fungus can grow. The issue is when it becomes very concentrated, actively growing. Like weco said , peanut shell and a little moisture/warm grow this fungus very well. Heating to kill the fungus is fine but it will grow back in time( i'm not sure what heat it takes to kill spores). Just because you buy roasted in the shell doesn't mean it won't contain aspergillus, or will not grow it. The same is true for many other foods with shells, ie; sunflower seeds. It's just peanut shells are a great growing medium. Keep foods fresh and be careful on how you store them. Another source is your dirty wet used birdie cage paper, Keep it changed. Check the expiration date on your pellets.

 

[aliray]

So I ended up buying a small bag of roasted, unsalted peants and putting the rest of the bag in a freezer container. in the freezer. I keep all the nuts for the birds in the freezer to keep them from going rancid. My Tiki used to get them from her old home and she was excited and dove right into it and unshelled her prize. Happy bird

 

[JDlugosz]

I'd love to give peanuts but I have read several articles and anecdotes online that they have a potential to carry the aspergillus mold. Aspergillosis is a disease that has affected a number of captive parrots.

Wouldn't boiling kill any mold?