Fresh foods list for my Jenday!

[Prophecy]

We feed Sweety(our jenday conure) some fresh fruits and veggies already along with his seed/pellet mix, but we would love to expand his ''fresh list''.

Does anoyone have a fairly 'complete list' for fresh foods(both exotic and common foods)safe to try for my Jenday?

Sweety says Thanks in advance!

 

[Auggie's Dad]

It's probably easier to list unsafe foods. Nearly anything that is good for us is good for them. Perhaps the only exception I know of is avocado. Of course caffeine, alcohol, chocolate are quite dangerous for them too, but these are not good for us either ... except of course for chocolate, that has saved my life a time or two!

Other than avocado I don't think there are any fresh fruits of veggies that would be off limits, except for a couple that would be equally dangerous for us (ie rhubarb leaves).

There are a couple that are hard to digest - apparently many parrots have a hard time with asparagus, but it is not toxic and will not do any damage in moderation. It may give them indigestion, and a lot of it every day could then lead to dehydration and many other problems, but this would be an extreme case.

 

[Prophecy]

Do you happen to have a link to a list of good foods?

We feed baby salad greens(organic spring mix),seedless grapes,carrots, diced apples,various nuts,flax seeds,pears,banana,pitted cherries,organic/all natural granola(in moderation) stone ground wheat crackers(unsalted/in moderation)cranberries,strawberries,blackberries.

We're wondering about green bell peppers,broccoli and cauliflower(raw and minced up-or does it need cooked?),Squashes(both summer and winter-fine raw or need cooked?)Raw honey(to make treat bars with) and good protein sources besides nuts/seeds.Also some of the more ''exotic fruits'' like asain pears,star-fruits, pomegranates(how do I offer these-I know they can eat them,not sure how to prepare them) can they eat organic dried black mission figs,fresh olives(like right off an olive tree),dates,and stuff like that?

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I don't have a list of safe foods.... like I said, there are only a few dangerous foods, and these are not really any fresh fruits or veggies other than avocado.

All the items you mentioned are safe, most of them nutritious, and many of them I give regularly to Auggie. For foods you offer cooked just be aware of how their cooked - boiled or baked is best as there is no need for anything to be added (oils, etc). I've never given olives, these should be 'safe' however they do have quite a bit of fat... birds do need some fat, but don't over do it.

In addition to nuts, legumes, eggs, cheese, and meat are good protein sources for a bird. Cheese can be hard to digest if you give them too much, but it is safe in moderation and Auggie LOVES his cheeses. Boiled chicken is great, as are various cooked legumes. You can also offer boiled eggs with the shell and all crushed together, the shell gives some calcium and good minerals.

Auggie's had star-fruit on occasion, not a big fan, but he does love pomegranate. I don't think there is a wrong way to serve it. I've cleaned the pomegranate (ie removed the 'fruity' seeds) for myself to eat and offered Auggie some of the juicy seeds, but I suspect offering them a whole section of the pomegranate would give them the fun of shredding it to get to the seeds. I suspect though this could get quite messy.

Auggie gets plenty of dried fruit as well: papaya, mango, and dates on occasion.

It's pretty hard to go wrong with fresh fruits and veggies. Any dangers (except for avocado, and some say onion) come not from the food itself but rather what may be on it (pesticides, etc). So wash it well, and prepare it like you would for yourself and you should be set.

 

[Spiritbird]

The science of bird nutrition is a growing field. We know we just do not give them a cup of seed and expect a quality life. There are so many articles about this subject. I have 2 books just on nutrition for birds. Here is a link to a site I trust called Winged Wisdom. Winged Wisdom Pet Bird Magazine - Vegetable Nutrition Charts - Variations by Method Served - Pet Birds