Macaw Licks?

[baron1282]

I was researching Macaw's because one day I want to own one. When I came across some information.

I guess a lot of Macaws go to this cliff and eat the clay. I was wondering if you guys that own Macaws give them something that is like this clay for their diets? Is it even recommended for a pet parrot?

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n600mEuj_0s"]Macaw Clay Lick in Blanquillo, Peru - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ShellyBorg]

My girl licks me all the time. She loves my knees because it makes me giggle. Not sure if she is after salt or just me giggling.

 

[weco]

Kroger, CVS & Meijers have not made it into the jungles yet, so the clay licks, and there are quite a few in central & South America, as well as in South East Asia, Australia & Africa, serve as the local apothecary.....in the wild, many birds eat toxic substances and the salts, minerals & other chemicals they take from these licks are thought to neutralize those toxic substances as well as provide other substances they may not be finding in their diets...and the salts they find in the licks include sodium, which tends to fly in the face of all the instances, you find on the internet, that tell us salt is bad for our birds.....a theory that is thought to have come from the fact that birds do not sweat, the way mammals pass salt.....