Cockatiel diet change.

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

So my 3 month old cockatiel is weaned into seeds (no sunflowers or safflower seeds and I would like to change his/her diet.
I'm wondering what fruits/vegetables I should give him/her and how to prepare them. He/she will eat carrots if I cut them up into small peices and put it in his/her seeds.
I'm thinking of ordering pallets online but they will take a month or 2 to be delivered.

Thanks in advance!!



​

 

[EllenD]

You can start feeding your Cockatiel pretty much any fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens EXCEPT for any Veggies in the Onion family, as they are all toxic/poisonous to birds. So no Onions of any kind, no Chives, no Leeks, etc. And you shouldn't give him any of the "watery" lettuces, such as Iceberg Lettuce or any of the Cabbages that are very watery or light in color, simply because all they provide to your bird is water, that's it, they contain very little to no nutritional-value at all...Instead, you want to stick to all of the dark-colored, leafy Greens such as Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Dandelion Greens, Arugula/Rocket, Chards, Escarole, Endive, Bok Choy, Pak Choy, Broccoli Rab, etc. These are all full of all kinds of vitamins, minerals, and even some protein. As far as fresh Veggies go, again, pretty much anything except for anything in the Onion family or Leeks, Chives, Garlic, etc. Some favorites include Green Beans of all varieties, Pea Pods of all varieties, Bell Peppers of all varieties/colors (Green, Red, Orange, Yellow, etc.), Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, all kinds of Squash including Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti, Yellow, and Green Squash (Zucchini), Okra, Eggplant, different varieties of Carrots, etc. Also, birds do not possess the receptors on their tongues/taste buds for capsaicin, so they cannot sense any of the "heat" from any types of peppers. They love the Bell Peppers and the Bell Pepper seeds for the flavor, and they aren't at all "hot", but they also love all different types of Peppers and their seeds, even the very, very hot Peppers that we have trouble eating because they cannot sense that they're hot. So you can try whatever different varieties of Peppers and their seeds that you have access to without worrying about them being "too hot" for your bird.

***Only feed your Cockatiel FRESH Veggies and dark, leafy Greens (and Fruit), no canned Veggies or Fruit at all, as they have lost most if not all of their vitamins and minerals, and they have a ton of added salt (Veggies) and sugars/syrups (Fruit)...And frozen Veggies and Fruit aren't optimal either, so try to stick to only feeding FRESH Veggies, Greens, and Fruit.

As far as fresh Fruit goes, it should not be fed every day, and it is not interchangeable with fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens, which SHOULD BE FED EVERY DAY. A lot of people mistakenly think that fresh Fruit is the same as fresh Veggies and Greens are, and that they are equally as healthy and good for their birds, and that isn't at all true, because all Fruit is absolutely full of all kinds of natural Sugar, which is turned into fat and stored as fat in their bodies, specifically in their Livers, just like the fat from the Sunflower Seeds, Nuts, and Dried Corn is. So fresh Fruit should only be fed to your bird 2-3 times a week and in small-portions, whereas fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens should be fed to your bird every single day.

***You can pretty much feed your bird any type of fresh Fruit except for Avocado, which is toxic/poisonous to birds, just like Onions are. Also, you should try to stay away from all types of Citrus Fruit, such as Oranges, Tangerines, Nectarines, Grapefruit, Limes, Lemons, etc., because all Citrus Fruit is extremely high in Vitamin C, and birds should not be fed much Vitamin C at all, because Vitamin C enhances the body's absorption of Iron naturally and automatically, and birds do not need nor can their bodies handle absorbing much Iron at all...If a bird absorbs much Iron at all, they will become extremely sick with a disease called "Iron Storage Syndrome", which is typically fatal without immediate medical treatment from an Avian Vet.[//B] They go into a kind of toxic-shock from the high level of Iron in their bloodstream, and they will die pretty quickly without medical treatment, and often medical treatment doesn't help. So for this reason you need to stay away from feeding your Cockatiel much, if any Citrus Fruit at all, nor giving them any types of Vitamin Supplements that contain Vitamin C or Iron.

However, there are plenty of Fruits that are completely safe to feed your bird as an occasional treat a few times a week without feeding them any Citrus Fruit...Favorite fresh Fruit include all types of Berries (Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, etc.), Cherries (NO PITS!), Bananas, Plantains, all varieties of Pears, all varieties of Apples, all varieties of Grapes (NO SEEDS!), Apricots and Peaches (NO PITS!), and then all of the "Tropical" Fruit such as Mango, Papaya, Guava, Star Fruit, Passion Fruit, Kiwi (NO SEEDS!), Coconut (IN SMALL AMOUNTS!), etc.

***[B} As opposed to feeding your birds the seeds from Peppers, which are good for them and safe, NEVER GIVE ANY SEEDS OR PITS FROM ANY TYPE OF FRUIT AT ALL TO YOUR BIRD! MOST OF THEM ARE VERY POISONOUS! So just stay away from ALL seeds and pits that come from any and all types of Fruit and you'll be safe. Only give your bird the flesh of the fresh fruit.

***As far as your Cockatiel's daily staple-diet, which apparently now is a low-fat seed-mix, as long as the seed-mix that you feed your Cockatiel contains NO Sunflower Seeds, NO Nuts of any kind, and NO Dried Corn at all, and as long as it does contain a wide array/variety of lower-fat seeds, grains, legumes, herbs, veggies, and a small amount of fruit, then it's every bit as healthy for your Cockatiel as any "Fruit-flavored" (multi-colored) or "Nut-flavored" Avian Pellet staple-diet is, because the Fruit-flavored (multi-colored) Avian Pellets contain so much added, artificial sugars in them that they end-up providing your bird with as much fat being stored in their bodies/livers as the cheap, junky seed-mixes that contain Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, and Dried Corn do; the same goes for any of the "Nut-flavored" Avian Pellets, which typically contain a ton of natural oils from actual Nuts, which are nothing but fat (Zupreem is one of the only brands that makes a "Nut-flavored" Avian Pellet, but many make the multi-colored, "Fruit-flavored" Avian Pellets, and all of them are terrible for them).

Now if the seed-mix that you're feeding your Cockatiel contains any Nuts (specifically Peanuts, you should not ever feed your bird ANY Peanuts, as not only are they very high in fat and provide little nutrition, they also carry a lot of lethal strains of mold and fungi), or if it contains any Dried Corn at all, then it's not a healthy seed-mix, and you need to either switch it to a low-fat, high-protein, varied seed-mix that does not contain the Sunflower Seeds, Nuts, or Dried Corn, as this will be much better for your Cockatiel than any Fruit-flavored Avian Pellet, OR you need to gradually transition your bird from the seed-mix over onto a "NATURAL-flavored" Avian Pellet, such as Harrison's, TOPS, Zupreem Natural, LaFaber Pelletberries, Tropican Granules, etc. If you were thinking of switching your Cockatiel from a low-fat seed-mix to a Fruit-flavored Pellet, then you're actually going in the wrong direction, because a low-fat, high-protein seed-mix as their staple-diet combined with at least one serving of fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens each day is much healthier than any of the Fruit-flavored Pellets are, due to their extremely high sugar-content.

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

You can start feeding your Cockatiel pretty much any fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens EXCEPT for any Veggies in the Onion family, as they are all toxic/poisonous to birds. So no Onions of any kind, no Chives, no Leeks, etc. And you shouldn't give him any of the "watery" lettuces, such as Iceberg Lettuce or any of the Cabbages that are very watery or light in color, simply because all they provide to your bird is water, that's it, they contain very little to no nutritional-value at all...Instead, you want to stick to all of the dark-colored, leafy Greens such as Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Dandelion Greens, Arugula/Rocket, Chards, Escarole, Endive, Bok Choy, Pak Choy, Broccoli Rab, etc. These are all full of all kinds of vitamins, minerals, and even some protein. As far as fresh Veggies go, again, pretty much anything except for anything in the Onion family or Leeks, Chives, Garlic, etc. Some favorites include Green Beans of all varieties, Pea Pods of all varieties, Bell Peppers of all varieties/colors (Green, Red, Orange, Yellow, etc.), Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, all kinds of Squash including Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti, Yellow, and Green Squash (Zucchini), Okra, Eggplant, different varieties of Carrots, etc. Also, birds do not possess the receptors on their tongues/taste buds for capsaicin, so they cannot sense any of the "heat" from any types of peppers. They love the Bell Peppers and the Bell Pepper seeds for the flavor, and they aren't at all "hot", but they also love all different types of Peppers and their seeds, even the very, very hot Peppers that we have trouble eating because they cannot sense that they're hot. So you can try whatever different varieties of Peppers and their seeds that you have access to without worrying about them being "too hot" for your bird.

***Only feed your Cockatiel FRESH Veggies and dark, leafy Greens (and Fruit), no canned Veggies or Fruit at all, as they have lost most if not all of their vitamins and minerals, and they have a ton of added salt (Veggies) and sugars/syrups (Fruit)...And frozen Veggies and Fruit aren't optimal either, so try to stick to only feeding FRESH Veggies, Greens, and Fruit.

As far as fresh Fruit goes, it should not be fed every day, and it is not interchangeable with fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens, which SHOULD BE FED EVERY DAY. A lot of people mistakenly think that fresh Fruit is the same as fresh Veggies and Greens are, and that they are equally as healthy and good for their birds, and that isn't at all true, because all Fruit is absolutely full of all kinds of natural Sugar, which is turned into fat and stored as fat in their bodies, specifically in their Livers, just like the fat from the Sunflower Seeds, Nuts, and Dried Corn is. So fresh Fruit should only be fed to your bird 2-3 times a week and in small-portions, whereas fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens should be fed to your bird every single day.

***You can pretty much feed your bird any type of fresh Fruit except for Avocado, which is toxic/poisonous to birds, just like Onions are. Also, you should try to stay away from all types of Citrus Fruit, such as Oranges, Tangerines, Nectarines, Grapefruit, Limes, Lemons, etc., because all Citrus Fruit is extremely high in Vitamin C, and birds should not be fed much Vitamin C at all, because Vitamin C enhances the body's absorption of Iron naturally and automatically, and birds do not need nor can their bodies handle absorbing much Iron at all...If a bird absorbs much Iron at all, they will become extremely sick with a disease called "Iron Storage Syndrome", which is typically fatal without immediate medical treatment from an Avian Vet.[//B] They go into a kind of toxic-shock from the high level of Iron in their bloodstream, and they will die pretty quickly without medical treatment, and often medical treatment doesn't help. So for this reason you need to stay away from feeding your Cockatiel much, if any Citrus Fruit at all, nor giving them any types of Vitamin Supplements that contain Vitamin C or Iron.

However, there are plenty of Fruits that are completely safe to feed your bird as an occasional treat a few times a week without feeding them any Citrus Fruit...Favorite fresh Fruit include all types of Berries (Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, etc.), Cherries (NO PITS!), Bananas, Plantains, all varieties of Pears, all varieties of Apples, all varieties of Grapes (NO SEEDS!), Apricots and Peaches (NO PITS!), and then all of the "Tropical" Fruit such as Mango, Papaya, Guava, Star Fruit, Passion Fruit, Kiwi (NO SEEDS!), Coconut (IN SMALL AMOUNTS!), etc.

***[B} As opposed to feeding your birds the seeds from Peppers, which are good for them and safe, NEVER GIVE ANY SEEDS OR PITS FROM ANY TYPE OF FRUIT AT ALL TO YOUR BIRD! MOST OF THEM ARE VERY POISONOUS! So just stay away from ALL seeds and pits that come from any and all types of Fruit and you'll be safe. Only give your bird the flesh of the fresh fruit.

***As far as your Cockatiel's daily staple-diet, which apparently now is a low-fat seed-mix, as long as the seed-mix that you feed your Cockatiel contains NO Sunflower Seeds, NO Nuts of any kind, and NO Dried Corn at all, and as long as it does contain a wide array/variety of lower-fat seeds, grains, legumes, herbs, veggies, and a small amount of fruit, then it's every bit as healthy for your Cockatiel as any "Fruit-flavored" (multi-colored) or "Nut-flavored" Avian Pellet staple-diet is, because the Fruit-flavored (multi-colored) Avian Pellets contain so much added, artificial sugars in them that they end-up providing your bird with as much fat being stored in their bodies/livers as the cheap, junky seed-mixes that contain Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, and Dried Corn do; the same goes for any of the "Nut-flavored" Avian Pellets, which typically contain a ton of natural oils from actual Nuts, which are nothing but fat (Zupreem is one of the only brands that makes a "Nut-flavored" Avian Pellet, but many make the multi-colored, "Fruit-flavored" Avian Pellets, and all of them are terrible for them).

Now if the seed-mix that you're feeding your Cockatiel contains any Nuts (specifically Peanuts, you should not ever feed your bird ANY Peanuts, as not only are they very high in fat and provide little nutrition, they also carry a lot of lethal strains of mold and fungi), or if it contains any Dried Corn at all, then it's not a healthy seed-mix, and you need to either switch it to a low-fat, high-protein, varied seed-mix that does not contain the Sunflower Seeds, Nuts, or Dried Corn, as this will be much better for your Cockatiel than any Fruit-flavored Avian Pellet, OR you need to gradually transition your bird from the seed-mix over onto a "NATURAL-flavored" Avian Pellet, such as Harrison's, TOPS, Zupreem Natural, LaFaber Pelletberries, Tropican Granules, etc. If you were thinking of switching your Cockatiel from a low-fat seed-mix to a Fruit-flavored Pellet, then you're actually going in the wrong direction, because a low-fat, high-protein seed-mix as their staple-diet combined with at least one serving of fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens each day is much healthier than any of the Fruit-flavored Pellets are, due to their extremely high sugar-content.

Thanks for the advice!

The dark, leafy greens you mentioned are really hard to come by where I'm from. But I think I will be able to supply the other veggies you mentioned. I'll be careful to not give Cookie any veggies from then onion family.

There are no nuts or dried corn in his/her seed-mix but there are a few sunflower seeds. Not too many though, maybe 1-5.

Also I have a question..will it be okay to give Cookie some yogurt as a treat every now and then?



​

 

[Riverpet100]

You can start feeding your Cockatiel pretty much any fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens EXCEPT for any Veggies in the Onion family, as they are all toxic/poisonous to birds. So no Onions of any kind, no Chives, no Leeks, etc. And you shouldn't give him any of the "watery" lettuces, such as Iceberg Lettuce or any of the Cabbages that are very watery or light in color, simply because all they provide to your bird is water, that's it, they contain very little to no nutritional-value at all...Instead, you want to stick to all of the dark-colored, leafy Greens such as Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Dandelion Greens, Arugula/Rocket, Chards, Escarole, Endive, Bok Choy, Pak Choy, Broccoli Rab, etc. These are all full of all kinds of vitamins, minerals, and even some protein. As far as fresh Veggies go, again, pretty much anything except for anything in the Onion family or Leeks, Chives, Garlic, etc. Some favorites include Green Beans of all varieties, Pea Pods of all varieties, Bell Peppers of all varieties/colors (Green, Red, Orange, Yellow, etc.), Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, all kinds of Squash including Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti, Yellow, and Green Squash (Zucchini), Okra, Eggplant, different varieties of Carrots, etc. Also, birds do not possess the receptors on their tongues/taste buds for capsaicin, so they cannot sense any of the "heat" from any types of peppers. They love the Bell Peppers and the Bell Pepper seeds for the flavor, and they aren't at all "hot", but they also love all different types of Peppers and their seeds, even the very, very hot Peppers that we have trouble eating because they cannot sense that they're hot. So you can try whatever different varieties of Peppers and their seeds that you have access to without worrying about them being "too hot" for your bird.

***Only feed your Cockatiel FRESH Veggies and dark, leafy Greens (and Fruit), no canned Veggies or Fruit at all, as they have lost most if not all of their vitamins and minerals, and they have a ton of added salt (Veggies) and sugars/syrups (Fruit)...And frozen Veggies and Fruit aren't optimal either, so try to stick to only feeding FRESH Veggies, Greens, and Fruit.

As far as fresh Fruit goes, it should not be fed every day, and it is not interchangeable with fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens, which SHOULD BE FED EVERY DAY. A lot of people mistakenly think that fresh Fruit is the same as fresh Veggies and Greens are, and that they are equally as healthy and good for their birds, and that isn't at all true, because all Fruit is absolutely full of all kinds of natural Sugar, which is turned into fat and stored as fat in their bodies, specifically in their Livers, just like the fat from the Sunflower Seeds, Nuts, and Dried Corn is. So fresh Fruit should only be fed to your bird 2-3 times a week and in small-portions, whereas fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens should be fed to your bird every single day.

***You can pretty much feed your bird any type of fresh Fruit except for Avocado, which is toxic/poisonous to birds, just like Onions are. Also, you should try to stay away from all types of Citrus Fruit, such as Oranges, Tangerines, Nectarines, Grapefruit, Limes, Lemons, etc., because all Citrus Fruit is extremely high in Vitamin C, and birds should not be fed much Vitamin C at all, because Vitamin C enhances the body's absorption of Iron naturally and automatically, and birds do not need nor can their bodies handle absorbing much Iron at all...If a bird absorbs much Iron at all, they will become extremely sick with a disease called "Iron Storage Syndrome", which is typically fatal without immediate medical treatment from an Avian Vet.[//B] They go into a kind of toxic-shock from the high level of Iron in their bloodstream, and they will die pretty quickly without medical treatment, and often medical treatment doesn't help. So for this reason you need to stay away from feeding your Cockatiel much, if any Citrus Fruit at all, nor giving them any types of Vitamin Supplements that contain Vitamin C or Iron.

However, there are plenty of Fruits that are completely safe to feed your bird as an occasional treat a few times a week without feeding them any Citrus Fruit...Favorite fresh Fruit include all types of Berries (Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, etc.), Cherries (NO PITS!), Bananas, Plantains, all varieties of Pears, all varieties of Apples, all varieties of Grapes (NO SEEDS!), Apricots and Peaches (NO PITS!), and then all of the "Tropical" Fruit such as Mango, Papaya, Guava, Star Fruit, Passion Fruit, Kiwi (NO SEEDS!), Coconut (IN SMALL AMOUNTS!), etc.

***[B} As opposed to feeding your birds the seeds from Peppers, which are good for them and safe, NEVER GIVE ANY SEEDS OR PITS FROM ANY TYPE OF FRUIT AT ALL TO YOUR BIRD! MOST OF THEM ARE VERY POISONOUS! So just stay away from ALL seeds and pits that come from any and all types of Fruit and you'll be safe. Only give your bird the flesh of the fresh fruit.

***As far as your Cockatiel's daily staple-diet, which apparently now is a low-fat seed-mix, as long as the seed-mix that you feed your Cockatiel contains NO Sunflower Seeds, NO Nuts of any kind, and NO Dried Corn at all, and as long as it does contain a wide array/variety of lower-fat seeds, grains, legumes, herbs, veggies, and a small amount of fruit, then it's every bit as healthy for your Cockatiel as any "Fruit-flavored" (multi-colored) or "Nut-flavored" Avian Pellet staple-diet is, because the Fruit-flavored (multi-colored) Avian Pellets contain so much added, artificial sugars in them that they end-up providing your bird with as much fat being stored in their bodies/livers as the cheap, junky seed-mixes that contain Nuts, Sunflower Seeds, and Dried Corn do; the same goes for any of the "Nut-flavored" Avian Pellets, which typically contain a ton of natural oils from actual Nuts, which are nothing but fat (Zupreem is one of the only brands that makes a "Nut-flavored" Avian Pellet, but many make the multi-colored, "Fruit-flavored" Avian Pellets, and all of them are terrible for them).

Now if the seed-mix that you're feeding your Cockatiel contains any Nuts (specifically Peanuts, you should not ever feed your bird ANY Peanuts, as not only are they very high in fat and provide little nutrition, they also carry a lot of lethal strains of mold and fungi), or if it contains any Dried Corn at all, then it's not a healthy seed-mix, and you need to either switch it to a low-fat, high-protein, varied seed-mix that does not contain the Sunflower Seeds, Nuts, or Dried Corn, as this will be much better for your Cockatiel than any Fruit-flavored Avian Pellet, OR you need to gradually transition your bird from the seed-mix over onto a "NATURAL-flavored" Avian Pellet, such as Harrison's, TOPS, Zupreem Natural, LaFaber Pelletberries, Tropican Granules, etc. If you were thinking of switching your Cockatiel from a low-fat seed-mix to a Fruit-flavored Pellet, then you're actually going in the wrong direction, because a low-fat, high-protein seed-mix as their staple-diet combined with at least one serving of fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens each day is much healthier than any of the Fruit-flavored Pellets are, due to their extremely high sugar-content.

You keep saying "No Nuts". But do you mean Peanuts? As nuts, such as Pine nuts, Walnuts, Brazilian nuts, Pecans, and Almonds(Just to name a few) are essential in a parrots diet. Obviously, more so in the larger parrots diet. Such as Macaws. But even smaller parrots need nuts!

 

[EllenD]

Nuts are NOT ESSENTIAL to a parrot's diet...Well, not a CAPTIVE/PET PARROT'S diet anyway...

What you have to keep in-mind is that wild parrots/birds spend 6-8 hours every single day foraging for enough food to fulfill their nutritional needs, and they typically fly an average of over 10 miles each and every day!!! So yes, you're correct that Nuts are essential to a wild parrot's diet, because they need the fuel and the fat to stay alive!!! Wild parrots also need fatty seeds as a regular, essential part of their daily diets, like Sunflower Seeds, Safflower Seeds, Millets, etc, as well as Corn and anything else they can find that is rich in protein and yes, FAT!

But when we're talking about a captive/pet parrot, they have a bowl full of nutrient-dense food 3 steps to their right all day long, every day, and most pet parrots don't fly a fraction of a mile a day. Pet parrots don't get much exercise at all, if any, and even pet parrots like mine who basically fly around my house all day long, every single day, don't need a fraction of the protein, fat, carbs/sugar, etc. that a wild parrot needs. And this is exactly why Fatty-Liver Disease is the #1 reason why pet parrots die well before their expected lifespans.

There is absolutely NO REASON AT ALL to EVER feed your pet parrot any Dried Corn or any Peanuts at all, not even as an occasional treat. Corn in and of itself is not really even a Vegetable, it's actually considered a "Starch", and it is full of nothing but fat and carbs. If you want to give your pet parrots some fresh Corn-on-the-Cob when you make once in a while during the summer months then that's fine, as long as it's just an occasional treat, but Dried Corn Kernels/Dried Cracked Corn is not supplying your bird with anything at all but totally empty calories, fat, and carbs that are turned into and stored as fat in their bodies/livers...And Peanuts are pretty much he same thing, the only thing that Peanuts contain that is beneficial to your pet parrot is protein, but they can get that protein daily from much leaner, healthier sources, and sources that don't put them at risk for eating dangerous molds and fungi that can make them very sick or kill them. So Peanuts shouldn't be given to your pet parrots as even a treat either.

***As far as the "healthier" Nuts you mention, such as Almonds, Brazil Nuts, Filberts/Hazelnuts, Pine Nuts, Pecans, etc., they are absolutely NOT an "essential part in a PET Parrot's diet" at all, not in any way!!! No pet Parrots of ANY SPECIES "need nuts", lol...I don't know why you think that, but unless you Free-Fly your pet parrots every day for miles, then no, pet Parrots do not at all "need" nuts! These healthier Nuts are still extremely high in Fat, Carbs that are turned into Fat and stored in their livers, and they can get any of the benefits that they get from eating these Nuts from their Pellets, a low-fat seed-mix, and their daily fresh Veggies and dark, leafy Greens. So no, there is absolutely no reason why Pet/Captive Parrots "need nuts" in their diets. Nuts are not "essential" nor necessary to pet/captive Parrots, and if you feed your pet Parrots any types of Nuts on a regular, daily basis, regardless of their species, whether they are Macaws, Cockatoos, Greys, Amazons, Conures, Cockatiels, etc., doesn't matter what species your pet Parrot is, unless you are flying them miles and miles each and every day so that they will actually be USING ALL THAT FAT AND THOSE CARBS THAT ALL NUTS POSSESS, then your pet Parrot is going to develop Fatty-Liver Disease. Period.

If you want to give your pet Parrots any of the healthier Nuts as OCCASIONAL TREATS, in small-quantities as Training-Treats, etc., then that's fine (not Peanuts). But unless your pet Parrot is getting the level of exercise that all Wild Parrots do every single day out of necessity, then no, they do neither "need Nuts", nor are Nuts ''an essential part of their diets"! You're simply going to kill your pet Parrots gradually over time. Nuts are no different to a pet/captive Parrot than Sunflower Seeds or Dried Corn are.

 

[EllenD]

To the OP, to answer your question about the Yogurt...Birds do not at all process Dairy (Lactose) well at all, and generally it will make them very sick and cause them all kinds of GI issues. So if you want to feed your bird some Yogurt as a treat, make sure that you only feed them Soy Yogurt, or some other type of Dairy-Free/Lactose-Free Yogurt. Soy Yogurt is now available cheaply at most-all grocery stores, and it comes in all the same flavors/varieties that regular Daily Yogurt comes in...Also now we have Yogurt made from Almond Milk (for people who are allergic to Soy), so that's another option for a Yogurt treat for your bird. But definitely stay away from ANY DAIRY PRODUCTS AT ALL, because they will make your bird very sick...I'm guilty of giving my birds a bite of cheese from my pizza or a little bite of Ice Cream every now and again (NO CHOCOLATE OR COFFEE ICE CREAM! NOTHING WITH CAFFEINE!)...And as long as it's in very small bits and not a regular or daily thing then that's fine, but I wouldn't give them Dairy Yogurt, as that is probably going to cause the GI upsets...Soy Yogurt is not only safe and they can process it, but it also provides them with the same Probiotics that Dairy Yogurt does, and that's good for their GI Tracts...

***Also, as far as the dark, leafy Greens that I mentioned, those are just the most-commonly available ones in the US; there are literally hundreds of different types of dark, leafy Greens available around the world, ESPECIALLY IN ASIAN COUNTRIES, and as long as they are not a part of the Onion family or related to the Onion family, you can pretty much feed your bird any of the dark, leafy Greens that you have access to. I wish we had access to all of the wonderful dark, leafy Greens available to the rest of the world her in the US, but unless you live in a large city with Asian markets and such, we're pretty limited over here to the ones I mentioned, with a few others available at some of the larger Grocery Stores chains that have large International-Produce sections, and sometimes at small international markets, but that's it...So any dark, leafy Greens that you have access to are wonderful to give to your bird...

 

[ChocolateChipCookiez]

To the OP, to answer your question about the Yogurt...Birds do not at all process Dairy (Lactose) well at all, and generally it will make them very sick and cause them all kinds of GI issues. So if you want to feed your bird some Yogurt as a treat, make sure that you only feed them Soy Yogurt, or some other type of Dairy-Free/Lactose-Free Yogurt. Soy Yogurt is now available cheaply at most-all grocery stores, and it comes in all the same flavors/varieties that regular Daily Yogurt comes in...Also now we have Yogurt made from Almond Milk (for people who are allergic to Soy), so that's another option for a Yogurt treat for your bird. But definitely stay away from ANY DAIRY PRODUCTS AT ALL, because they will make your bird very sick...I'm guilty of giving my birds a bite of cheese from my pizza or a little bite of Ice Cream every now and again (NO CHOCOLATE OR COFFEE ICE CREAM! NOTHING WITH CAFFEINE!)...And as long as it's in very small bits and not a regular or daily thing then that's fine, but I wouldn't give them Dairy Yogurt, as that is probably going to cause the GI upsets...Soy Yogurt is not only safe and they can process it, but it also provides them with the same Probiotics that Dairy Yogurt does, and that's good for their GI Tracts...

***Also, as far as the dark, leafy Greens that I mentioned, those are just the most-commonly available ones in the US; there are literally hundreds of different types of dark, leafy Greens available around the world, ESPECIALLY IN ASIAN COUNTRIES, and as long as they are not a part of the Onion family or related to the Onion family, you can pretty much feed your bird any of the dark, leafy Greens that you have access to. I wish we had access to all of the wonderful dark, leafy Greens available to the rest of the world her in the US, but unless you live in a large city with Asian markets and such, we're pretty limited over here to the ones I mentioned, with a few others available at some of the larger Grocery Stores chains that have large International-Produce sections, and sometimes at small international markets, but that's it...So any dark, leafy Greens that you have access to are wonderful to give to your bird...

Thanks for answering my question

Maybe I'll try and look for some of that Soy yogurt. I never heard of it before. I also didn't know dairy was bad for birds. I'll be careful about that.

Also Thanks for answering my concern about dark, leafy greens.



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[ChristaNL]

Actually when breeding hyacinth macaws (or trying to raise them) the succesrate seems to depend on whether or not they get their macadamia-nuts.
Those animals really need their oil!

So I do not agree.


(Roughly speaking: aussiebirds need the least- african birds are in the middle- south americans can handle the most fatty nutrients - overdoing it is easy, waaaaay to easy but I will argue they actually need them.)


Natural yoghurt (made by nature by fermenting caused by certain -beneficial- bacteria not by using some thickening agent to make it look and feel like yoghurt) will not harm a lactoseintolerant person, so I am convinced that is safe for parrots as well.

(It even depends on the type/breed of cow if someone reacts to the milk or products made from it, depends if the cow is A1 or A2 type actually / unfortunately most cows are 'the wrong type' but old breeds like the guernsey are safe.)

 

[ParrotGenie]

It really depends on the bird, some do actually require various nuts in their diet as others stated especially when mainly breeding. Now I do have mines on mostly pellets and what I refer to as parrot chop with mostly fresh veggie. Peanuts on the other hand are not recommended at all.