Birdy beer beard

[SilverSage]

My husband is struggling with the concept that beer, pizza, etc, are not ok to feed the bird. He is doing pretty well most of the time, but he still doesn't understand how it can be so bad, since he eats pizza, drinks beer, and is still in top physical shape. Just now, FLC has been climbing all over him, generally just being a bird. Apparently, she stuck her head in the beer glass, got a beak full of beer, and shook it all over his chin. He is indignant, but he will now be more careful not to allow FLC to get things she shouldn't! (Don't worry, I believe this is the first taste she has ever had of beer, and she doesn't get pizza. We are careful, this was a slip up.)

 

[Kiwibird]

There are worse things a bird can ingest than a sip of beer or a bite of pizza. Obviously, don't make it a habit of it, but things like that aren't acutely toxic nor anything to worry about if the bird ingests it by accident.

 

[Dinosrawr]

It's difficult to make others understand sometimes, and that's okay Personally, my boyfriend and I looked into their physiology (we're nerds) as I'd taken a university class on birds during my bio degree with my textbooks and just light research. It helped us understand why we should avoid things or do certain things because we could accurately understand how it would affect them.

Birds are sensitive animals (but by no means "delicate"... you'd be surprised!), but so long as it's not directly poisonous don't fret too much as Kiwibird said. Just try and get your hubby to understand how certain things can affect them and in which way, and maybe then he'll be less willing to accidentally share

 

[SilverSage]

We have been talking a lot about how things like that are not good for US, and how with a bird they are much worse. I was amused and pleased that he now has his very own reason to watch what FLC eats!

 

[TessieB]

Wild birds around here are known to eat fermented fruit and get so drunk they can't fly. If they survive not getting nailed by a predator when in this altered state, the bird seems to recover and go back for more!

 

[MonicaMc]

You could always make a mini-vegetarian pizza for FLC!

 

[Kiwibird]

Wild birds around here are known to eat fermented fruit and get so drunk they can't fly. If they survive not getting nailed by a predator when in this altered state, the bird seems to recover and go back for more!

From what I understand (and am by no means suggesting anyone EVER knowingly give their bird alcohol), alcohol affects them in the same way it affects us and can range from harmless to deadly based on the amount. STRICTLY HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, a bird could probably have a couple sips of beer every day and live a long and (perhaps a little "happier") life. It would be the same as a person drinking a couple beers every day- not toxic, no significant long term damage not even necessarily intoxicating. HOWEVER, because they have absolutely no concept of what alcohol is or how it affects them, if they find it tasty, they can easily drink far too much and get alcohol poisoning OR have impaired judgement and injure/kill themselves by falling, flying into a wall ext... OR you have irresponsible people who think it's funny to get their animal drunk all the time (which it is not!) and long term consumption eventually fries their liver just like it would us. Again though, it's probably just best to keep your drinks well supervised when our feathered babies are out.Just because it won't *kill* them doesn't mean it's good for them to have!

Perhaps it's because I make ours from scratch using organic ingredients, but I always cave on the pizza with Kiwi. Sometimes he even gets a bit with some sauce and cheese. I also make him "birdie pizzas" with sweet potato sauce and just a few shreds of cheese that he can eat all day long if he wants. However, he isn't stupid, he likes the bird pizzas, but ours have a lot of cheese and he is a cheese fiend!

 

[Birdman666]

Well the biggest difference is they have a harder time processing it than we do.

So smaller amounts get them drunk faster, the effects last longer, and the liver damage accumulates faster and easier.

Pecker, when I got her, was actually a "biker bird" for 35 years. She was allowed to drink beer, and she was an absolute PEST when beer was around. (I drink mostly wine, thank god!) I suspect she was an alcoholic.

She also died at age 38. When I got her at 35 she was dying of liver disease.

A sip or two won't kill them. Prolonged exposure to it will shorten their life expectancy dramatically!