A: Meat is not part of the natural diet of a parrot. However, when offered a piece of chicken, many parrots will accept. Offer them a cookie, they will do the same.
I think we all went to school with a kid that ate the paste that glued pieces of construction paper together. I doubt that it was ever on the dinner menu at his house. Just because a parrot (or kid) eats something, it doesn’t mean it should. Yes, meat has protein, and yes, a parrot requires protein in its diet, some species more than others. However, the natural diet we should be feeding our parrots has enough protein to cover that dietary requirement.
Legumes (kidney beans, garbanzo beans etc), nuts and seed will fulfill all their protein needs (and more) without having to resort to animal proteins. Excessive amounts of protein in your birds diet (taking pellets into account, which are also high in protein) will almost certainly lead to kidney problems in his future.
Further, meat is high in saturated fats and cholesterol, which are not good for us or our birds.
To answer your question, meat is not a necessary part of your bird’s diet, and can complicate his health if his protein intake is already high. However, it isn’t unsafe. I will occasionally (accent on occasionally) allow mine a bite of lean, well cooked meat, like chicken or steak. Some parrots enjoys a bone with bits of meat on it.
If this is done in careful moderation, a parrot can enjoy a taste of meat as a snack without causing him harm.
Author Patty Jourgensen specializes in avian health, behavior and nutrition and has been working with and caring for rescue birds since 1987.
8 comments
No one told all the wild parrots on my property they should occasionally have meat Daily they strip the bark off the trees grabbing borer grubs and caterpillars. Black cockatoos , galahs , sulfer crested and major Mitchell’s. Not a one off either , every afternoon they are at it in the wattle Our quakers and princess parrots also come down when moving old wood and grab the worms and meal worms
I would like to say in regards to your comment that saturated fat and cholesterol isn’t good for us. It’s been shown both of these ARE actually natural and healthy. Saturated fat has been consumed by humans and animals for hundreds of thousands of years. Cholesterol is in fact a protein produced by the the body with which is used as a mechanism for transportation of hormones etc. Oxidised LDL cholesterol is when something has caused inflammation in the body, usually ingesting sugars, refined carbohydrates will be the result. Cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease.
I inherited an african grey from a friend. And in the 25 yrs I’ve known my friend this bird, zoe, hasn’t been out the cage but maybe 3xs. So zoe is not the friendliest. And she picked my friend to be her person. I’m not real sure how to build a trust with zoe. Plus , altho I’ve taken care of her I don’t have alot, any , exper. With birds. Any tips?
Paul = wuss.
Tuna has high mercury content and unless the chicken is free range and organic then your parrot is also consuming hormones, steroids, antibiotics and hyper-growth formulas. Personally, I haven’t eaten a bird or beast in 30 years, I just haven’t been able to reconcile loving their personalities and also eating them.
hey guys my name is Eva as i guess you already saw but I have a sunconure and im thirteen and i wondered excactly what do you feed your birds? right now im feeding him pellets with some seeds as rewards and recently ive been giving him some fruits for dinner in the evening. I would really like it if you maybe could post something on your blog about what you feed your birds everyday i know youre busy with the circus and everything (which was awsome!) but i think it would be cool if you could let us know. Thanks!!
Eva, This post will help: http://www.birdtricks.com/blog/the-4-most-important-components-of-a-healthy-diet/
cool thanks
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