what foods shouldn't an african grey parrot eat that we eat "everyday" (foods that you eat daily or a snack)

Question

i am courious about the foods i should give my bird is there anything i shouldnt give him ... i've heard choclate so i have'nt gave him any ...is there anything else should i be aware of? thanks for any help

if i shouldn't give him peanut butter is it ok that i give him shelled nuts ?.....peanuts ,walnuts, almonds ...and his favorite cashews ?

thanks to everybody for your answers ...they have all taught me something about my bird ...it is weird because he loves guacamole ..".im not gonna give him that any more he is too special to harm him " but thanks for all your answers they all helped alot

Answer 1

Stay away from processed foods, refined sugars, white flours. In other words, although these foods won't kill your Grey initially, in the long run it will shorten his life, just like it will ours. Give him fruits and veggies (preferably organic) mine loves melon, her favorite is watermelon. Also a little wheat toast now and then (no butter). Stay away from peanut butter too, Greys develop allergies just like people, it's been said that is one reason some of them pluck feathers. As far as tomatoes, mine loves a little whole wheat pasta and pasta sauce. She also loves baked corn tortilla chips. When I feed her a little egg, I mix some salsa in, just a dab for flavor and she gobbles that up. She eats lo-fat organic granola with berries every morning. Do Not Feed Him Olives or Avacado's, Asparagus, Eggplant or Rhubarb. And of course, No Chocolate, Caffiene or Alcohol.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Dear Glad, Avocados contain a toxin called persin that birds cannot metabolize like we can. Chocolate has theobromine which breaks down to an alkaloid and cannot be metabolized by birds and is toxic. There really isn't a standard for birds yet. A great pellet food, 10% fruits and veggies and 10% seeds. Avoid fatty foods since our birds generally don't get enough exercise and can get obesity and fatty liver disease. Getting fat is sometimes hard to notice because it could be just a few grams. I think whole grain pastas are fine, lean meats. I avoid celery because it is high in sodium and there isn't much nutrients in it. Some sources say to avoid grape seeds. I don't know the rationale for this. The seeds and pits of many fruits do contain a form of cianide naturally. My rule is no added sugar,salt or fat. If I ate like my bird, I would be healthier for it. Have a tweet year.

Answer 4

Avacado and Chocolate are the two no-no's. Everything else is fine, in moderation.

Again, I've posted this exact same thing before on a very similar question, but people really stress too much about their parrots. Your parrot can eat anything you do with the exception of the two things I've listed above. The key is moderation. Remember, a tiny portion for him is the same as a full plate for you. You wouldn't sit there and eat a full bag of chips, so when you give your bird chips, a couple will more than do it...

Really. Pellet for the main food, seed as treat, nuts in moderation, human food whenever you have some in moderation. My macaw, Rio sits on my lap and eats right off my plate.

Answer 5

Your parrot CAN eat Tomatoes, he just can't eat the leaves or the vine. Sun dried tomato is commonly put in pre-fab parrot food mixes.

You pretty much shouldn't feed your bird dairy products, anything with caffeine or carbonation and anything that is overly processed. If its not considered "good" for us you can assume its not good for him either.

If you feel like cooking fresh foods for your bird there are TONS of websites out there with good food recipes for your boy. Do a search and you'll be amazed.

Answer 6

I have an African gray also. You can give them pretty much anything just not chocolate, caffeine and avocado. They can have anything but those 3 things. i share food with my gray all the time. It's a good way to bond with it. But when you do give it human food just make sure you cut the food up small enough so that the bird doesn't choke.

Answer 7

the bird shouldnt have avocadoes. keep it away from anything salty. a little cheese is ok but not every day. no chocolate, or anything with a lot of sugar. and if you have a poinsetta plant in your home him away from that . that is poison to an african grey. also do not give your bird very many raisins. they are high in iron and too much iron is bad for the birds liver. hope this helps

Answer 8

1. Necropsies reveal that parrots suffer from the same cardiovascular diseases as humans, including hardening of the arteries. We do not know the mechanisms of cholesterol deposition in parrots--our biochemical systems are different--but it would be a reasonable preventative to apply the same dietary guidelines regarding fats and salts in your bird's diet as you would if you were trying to prevent heart disease in your own diet, i.e., low salt, low saturated fat and NO TRANS FATS. Almost all commercial peanut and other nut butters (except the ones at the health food stores) contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils as well as a lot of salt. Unless you want your bird to have a painful, disease-ridden old age, do not, under any circumstance, give him anything with even a trace of partially hydrogenated oil in it. Poison yourself with trans fats if you wish, but not your bird! Read the ingredient lists; remember that the label can state "no trans fat" and can still contain up to .5 gm per serving (you can thank our congress for helping food companies deceive American consumers).

2. Some seeds, like apple seeds, contain cyanogenic glycosides, and are to be avoided. Grape seeds are better than safe; they contain powerful antioxidants with health-boosting properties. Grape seed extracts are available as a "health" food for humans, and when seeded grapes are unavailable for my Ziggy to pilfer the seeds out of, I sometimes cut off a tiny piece of a grape seed extract tablet for him to munch on.

3. You will find many websites that spread the old wives' tale that olives are toxic to parrots. Processed olives are indeed way too salty and if you consume them, you should hide the olives from your bird. The fact is, though, that for some parrots, including the Australian green parrot and the Jardine, raw olives are such a major part of their diets that the birds are considered pests by olive growers. From a biochemical standpoint, if you could find olives in the produce section instead of the processed food section of your supermarket, they would make a remarkably safe addition to your bird's diet. Like grape seeds, olive fruit contains unique antioxidants that can be obtained in extract form at your "health" food stores.

Answer 9

never ever ever ever give your grey parrot avocado or chocolate. mine personally loves unsalted peanuts in the shell as a treat and egg whites. her main food source if 7 grain bread, because its high in calcium even if its just a rumor grey parrots need more calcium, half a slice in the morning and the other half at night, with her treat in between while shes out of her cage for 1-3 hours per day. but i find she especially love neck bones. i dont know if theyre bad for them but ive been feeding mine for years and shes fine. i also find she loves to play with the bones after shes wiped them clean.

Answer 10

Instead of sitting and reading, listen to books on tape as you walk, clean, or garden.