Conures and Mealworms??

[Owlet]

Someone was posting on facebook asking for a good 'brand' of mealworms to feed their conure. I have NEVER heard of feeding a conure insects or really any parrots. Is this something that is actually done? is there actually a benefit to that?? Mealworms are so protein packed I can't imagine it'd be very good for them.

 

[WilliamKenyon]

I have heard of it, but would never do it with my bird's. I believe they are sometimes used on breeding/egglaying birds in conjunction to calcium sources to promote healthy egg formation. (Correct me if I'm wrong?) However i don't think that they are used by many breeders. I wonder if wild parrots ever eat insects?. Bird's like cockatoo's are always wandering around grass paddocks turning up the soil I wonder if they would eat an insect if they came across one? Since parrots are not insectivores by nature ( only one carnivorous parrot the kea) it is generally not encouraged to give companion birds insects in thier diet.

 

[NightEule5]

We feed them to our chickens (although not near as much as we should) as well as feeding some of their eggs back to them (eat your own children! Lol) to boost their protein. With chickens, if you don't feed them high protein content they'll stop laying. I don't know about calcium content of mealworms but maybe.

I have, however, never heard about it for parrots. I don't know.

Btw: We raise our own mealworms. We started with about 50 or so, and now we have like 6 tubs of them, lol. It's really gross, so my Dad does most of the work with them, lol.

 

[Owlet]

I had a hedgehog so I am use to dealing with mealworms and insects and stuff but? Not for my parrot ><

 

[Flboy]

Since we also have a beardie, we will, at times, give JoJo a super. He goes through a full ritual, sneaking, and attacking it! A major event for him!

 

[NightEule5]

Since we also have a beardie, we will, at times, give JoJo a super. He goes through a full ritual, sneaking, and attacking it! A major event for him!

Lol, that's adorable!

 

[chris-md]

A bit here and here is fine. My avenían vet points out that all birds will be omnivorous to some degree. Go through leftovers at the best and you’re bound to find insect and worm remnants. But these are fully active wild birds. Our cage bound friends aren’t nearly as active so don’t quite need the energy support such diet additions bring.

But as a small treat on occasion, sure why not?

 

[clark_conure]

I know I'm bumping this old thread up to the front but is there any advantage to getting some mealworms for my flock and letting them go at them or is the only advantage diversity of food? They sometimes nibble on meats and I know they are opportunistic eaters but is there an advantage to getting a little tub giving a few to the birds and giving the rest to the outside birds?

It's about the same time this thread came up last year so I don't feel to bad about a repost if theres anything to learn....

 

[itzjbean]

I have heard of people feeding mealworms either dried, frozen or alive and it can be a good source of protein for parrots. I see it given as treats, and to birds who require more energy than others (like free-flighted birds or breeder birds) and there will be birds who love them and those who won't touch them. I haven' tried them personally but I would because I know other animals kept as pets eat them. I follow a popular macaw owner on instagram (parrotsrus) who feeds them as treats.

I don't think it would hurt to try it out and see what your parrots think of them!

 

[ChristaNL]

Sunny tried one yesterday (they are the mealworms I buy for work), it was fun to watch her explore.
Will not buy them esp. for feeding them to the parrots.
(I've read too many horrorstories of the larger mealworms eating their way to the outside straight through the crop of bird who did not kill them before swallowing -- they are probably just horrorstories, but still..)

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

I've fed dried mealworms to my flock on occasion. I've heard that if you're going to feed them to parrots, it's better to feed dried than live to reduce the possibility of disease, although I have no idea what disease or illness a parrot is going to get from a worm.

My two big guys, a DYH and a CAG will eat one or two if they're in the mood but don't go crazy over them. However my littles, a gcc, a linnie, and two lovies go wild for them. I don't know if the smaller parrots are just naturally more inclined to eat insects or if it's just coincidence, but that's what I've noticed in my flock.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[plumsmum2005]

It is possible to over do it, it is not necessary to feed a captive and relatively sedantary parrot everything; pellets, legumes, seeds, fruit, veg, flowers, weeds, herbs, pollen, insects, cooked meat, cheese, eggs, human table food plus the things they shouldn't have, bird treats (which are mostly rubbish, walk away!). Choose the diet you feed with care and please do not feel you have to incorporate every single one, this is probably worse than not enough. Fulfill the food groups and relax.