No salt, but....

[Nakiska]

So, I know it's not okay to give our birds any salt, but I was thinking about this because our birds like to preen and lick us and they must be getting salt from our body.

I notice that our birds are sometimes MORE into "licking" (open beak with tongue rubbing up or down our arm, hand etc.) then other times and it made me think that perhaps they DO crave salt/sodium occasionally???



Toni

 

[stephend]

Seems likely. Do your birds have cuttlefish bones?

 

[Nakiska]

Yes, they each have cuttle bones and are fed a very well rounded diet of pellets, seed and a huge variety of fresh fruit/veggies are offered each day for their "tiel walkabout" LOL!

I was just thinking about the No Salt, as if it's a mortal sin for our birds, however, maybe they too need small quantities and that's why sometimes they are more into "tasting" us then other times.

It was just a thought....

Toni

 

[stephend]

They do need some salt and your guessing about their licking seems likely correct. The reason I asked about the cuttle bones is that they contain salt. Maybe birds are simply like people and want more salt than is good for them.