What to Feed Your Parrot (recipes, toxicities, links too!)

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 10:28 pm

Please post and tell me what I have missed so we can add it to the list and help out everyone here.
If you are hand-feeding or weaning, some basic info can be found here: http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... ?f=1&t=799

Tip: Use ctrl+f to search the list quickly.

Foods are listed as fruit/vegetable only. Any safe plant parts will be noted (e.g. "Carrots and carrot greens").

Common Foods for your Bird

Vegetables:
(veggies should be what your bird gets the most of; feed leafy greens in moderation at first to avoid diarrhea)

Artichoke
Arugula
Asparagus
Beets and greens
Bok Choy
Broccoli and greens
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage (both red and green)
Carrots and greens
Cauliflower and greens
Celery
Chard
Chickweed
Chicory
Chinese Cabbage
Cucumber
Dandelion Greens
Edamame (A.K.A. Soybeans; for details on feeding soy: http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... 360#p69360 )
Eggplant
Endive
Fennel and leaves, stems, seeds
Jicama
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce (Romaine, etc. - darker is better)
Mustard Greens
Okra
Peas/Snap Peas/String Beans/Snow Peas
Peppers (all kinds and colours)
Radicchio
Radish and greens
Spinach
Sweet Potato/Yam (cooked/parboiled)
Swiss Chard
Squash (all kinds including pumpkin and zucchini)
Tomatoes (fed in moderation, some concern about the acidity)
Turnips and turnip greens
Watercress
Wheat Grass
Yams (a true yam is not a sweet potato)

Fruits:
(your bird should get more veggies than fruits; remove pits/seeds from fruits you don't eat the seeds of like apples, peaches, etc.)

Apples (no seed)
Apricots (no seed)
Banana
Blackberries
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Cactus Fruit (A.K.A. Prickly Pear, Opuntia, Cactus Fig, Indian Fig, or Tuna [in Spanish])
Carambola (A.K.A. starfruit)
Cherries (no seed)
Coconut (feed sparingly due to fat content)
Cranberries
Currants
Custard Apple
Dates
Dragon Fruit
Feijoa (A.K.A. Pineapple Guava)
Figs
Gogi Berries
Gooseberries
Guava
Grapefruit
Grapes
Hawthorn
Hedge Apples (A.K.A. Osage Orange)
Horned Melon (A.K.A. African Cucumber or Kiwana)
Kiwi Fruit
Lemon
Lime
Longan
Lychee
Mango (no seed)
Melon (cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew)
Mulberries
Nectarine (no seed)
Olive (fresh)
Oranges
Papaya
Passion Fruit
Pawpaw (cooked; uncooked may be gastrointestinal irritant)
Peach (no seed)
Pear (no seed)
Persimmon (must be fully ripe, unripened can be toxic)
Pineapple
Plum (no seed)
Pomegranate
Pomelo
Quince
Raspberries
Rose Hips
Rowan Berries
Schizandra Berries
Strawberries
Tamarillo
Tangerine

Grains:
(fed in very small amounts)

Brown Rice (when fed with cooked beans, makes complete protein)
Buckwheat
Corn (frozen/fresh/dried/cooked: whole kernel, on the cob, plumped, popped, cracked)
Hemp
Oat Groat/Hulled Oat
Oatmeal
Pasta
Pearl Barley
Quinoa

Proteins/Other:

Beans (soaked overnight, rinsed thoroughly, and cooked) chick peas/garbanzo beans, broad beans, runner beans, mung beans, lentils (brown, green and red), adzuki beans, etc. (many bird owners just buy a 5/7/10/15 bean mix and cook small amounts as needed)
Chicken (cooked, many parrots will break open the bones for marrow)
Eggs (cooked through/hard boiled with or without shell which adds calcium)
Egg Food
Nuts (almonds, walnuts, acorns, pecans, hazel, macadamia, pine...)
Peanuts (more in depth info on peanut safety http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... 13&t=11110)
Seeds (typical birdseeds- GOOD for your bird!)
Sprouts (most nutritious as soon as the emerging sprout pokes through)
Yoghurt

Herbs & Spices

Alfalfa
Aloe
Anise
Basil
Bay leaf
Burnet
Cayenne
Chamomile
Chervil
Chickweed
Chives
Cinnamon (Ceylon)
Coriander (cilantro, Chinese parsley, dhania)
Cumin
Cress
Dill
Echinacea
Garden sorrel
Garlic
Ginger Root
Kelp/Seaweeds (Dulse, Wakame, Undaria, Kombu, Nori)
Lemon balm
Lemongrass
Lovage
Marjoram
Melissa
Milk Thistle
Mint
Mugwort
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Purslane
Roquette
Rosemary
Sage
Savory
Shepherds Purse
Sorrel
Tarragon
Thyme
Turmeric

Pellets:
NOT required for your FID's health and NOT a substitute for fresh foods!
If you are switching to pellets, read this post on an easy way to transition. http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... 287#p97324

Exact http://www.kaytee.com/
Harrison's http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/
Mazuri http://www.mazuri.com/parrot.aspx
Roudybush http://www.roudybush.com/
Totally Organics http://totallyorganics.com/
Tropican http://www.hagen.com/
Vetafarm http://www.vetafarm.com/
Zupreem http://www.zupreem.com/

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{Recipies}

https://companionparrotonline.com/Diet.html (Sally Blanchard’s famous ‘GLOP’)

https://featheredangels.wordpress.com/p ... s/recipes/

http://www.parrothouse.com/recipes.html

http://www.birdsnways.com/birds/recipes.htm

http://www.parrotparrot.com/parrot-heal ... irds-love/

Hane and Tsume's Sweet Potato Mash

Boil a sweet potato or two (quartered and skin on) til easily pierced with a fork then mash it.

Mix in a lot of finely diced or small uncooked veggies (carrots, squashes, peppers, cauliflower, peas, corn (though corn is a grain, NOT a veggie), etc. Broccoli can be used but I find it flavours the mix strongly so I won't mix it in every time. Optional: sprinkle in a little cayenne pepper for a spicy flavour.

Scoop the mix into ice cube trays and freeze for individual portions, putting in a freezer bag when hardened.

Warm a cube on the stove or microwave (stir a lot if you decide to use a microwave to avoid hotspots) and serve.

They also enjoy it cold (semi-thawed), but go mad over it when it is warm. (:

effekt · Post by **effekt** » Thu May 13, 2010 2:34 pm

This list is SO helpful, thank you for compiling!

I heard from the breeder I got my IRN from that celery is a bad idea because of the choking hazard (rhubarb too). Have you heard anything about that? I also read that asparagus is not recommended, although I'm not sure why. There seems to be so much conflicting information out there for what birds can and can't eat.

Just curious to get your input because I saw you included celery on your list.

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Sun May 30, 2010 11:36 pm

For celery, our parrots seem to chew on it until the water is gone and not actually eat the fibers. I imagine if a parrot did try to swallow the fibers on their own, it could be a choking hazard. Watch and see how yours eats it to be sure.

Asparagus can cause gastric upset if fed too much of it. As with everything, feed in moderation.

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It should be noted that ANY food (natural or not) can react badly with a particular parrot. ANY object can present a hazard if your parrot uses/eats it improperly. It's our job to keep watch and notice.

xx_sheena_xx · Post by **xx_sheena_xx** » Mon May 31, 2010 2:00 am

mine eat celary and never have choked

jimmyjack · Post by **jimmyjack** » Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:02 am

as for rhubarb - this should be added to the avocado and caffeine list of NEVER FEED YOUR BIRD

rhurbarb is actually toxic, even for humans. we cook it in particular ways to cook out the toxins, but for your bird it can be lethal. why you would try to feed your bird something like this is beyond me, but this is the reasoning!

out of curiousity, in what ratio of seed to fruit and veg should they be fed?
at the moment, i have seed through the day and a fruit/veg mix in the afternoon and night. should this be rotated the other way with fruit and veg more frequently available?

_Lady_Flame_ · Post by **_Lady_Flame_** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:29 pm

thank you sooo much for that list. it helps alot and that recepies sound very tasty

ill try something for Alex:)

moose · Post by **moose** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:17 am

Thanks for the List very helpful.
Cheers

Razsringnecks · Post by **Razsringnecks** » Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:52 am

Hi,
Just a few things about your fruit...

Apples (no seed) not a problem at all, a bird would have to consume tons of seeds for it to do any harm!
Apricots (no seed)
Banana
Blackberries
Blueberries
Carambola (starfruit)
Cherries (no seed)
Coconut (feed sparingly due to fat content)
Oranges
Grapes
Kiwi Fruit
Lemon
Lime
Mango (no seed)
Melon (cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew)
Nectarine (no seed)
Papaya
Passion Fruit
Peach (no seed)
Pear (no seed)
Pineapple
Plum (no seed)
Pomegranate
Raspberries
Strawberries

Some fruit and veg...when you cut them up it is easy to remove them....however.....
I just have to say...does a bird in the wild have the seeds taken out for them?

lol!

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Sat Sep 18, 2010 8:11 pm

jimmyjack wrote:out of curiousity, in what ratio of seed to fruit and veg should they be fed?
at the moment, i have seed through the day and a fruit/veg mix in the afternoon and night. should this be rotated the other way with fruit and veg more frequently available?

Since birds seem to eat the most in the mornings and late afternoon/evenings, those are the times I like to give fresh foods.
I generally like something around a 75/25 ratio of veg to fruit (or even less fruit), respectively. Some days the birds get a treat of mostly fruit and other days all vegetables. I like to switch it up and keep variety in their diet- instead of the same thing over and over.

I do leave seed or pellets in their dishes- but if they have fresh foods they definitely eat those instead!

jimmyjack wrote:as for rhubarb - this should be added to the avocado and caffeine list of NEVER FEED YOUR BIRD

rhurbarb is actually toxic, even for humans. we cook it in particular ways to cook out the toxins, but for your bird it can be lethal. why you would try to feed your bird something like this is beyond me, but this is the reasoning!

There is some interesting information on rhubarb floating around on the web. And actually, we don't cook out the toxins but rather cook and eat the parts that contain less of the toxic oxalic acid (the stem). The leaves and root carry the toxic levels.

You might be interested to know that grapes, cabbage, spinach, potatoes, berries and peas also contain differing levels of oxalic acid.

Some believe rhubarb (even the stalks) might be toxic because of anthraquinone glycosides (also found in aloes, the 'latex' part can cause a laxative effect and worse over time with constant ingestion) or a combination of that and the oxalic acid contained in the plant, though no one really knows just yet. Some are adamant that raw rhubarb is always poisonous, no matter what. Others believe raw rhubarb stalks are perfectly safe.

What we do know is that individuals can react to different foods in very different ways and our birds can too.

You might note that rhubarb isn't on the list to feed. But I thought this information was interesting nonetheless.

Rhubarb information:
http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/poison
http://www.suite101.com/content/rhubarb ... ons-a57047

Razsringnecks wrote:Some fruit and veg...when you cut them up it is easy to remove them....however.....
I just have to say...does a bird in the wild have the seeds taken out for them? lol!

Of course not. It is simply a universal precaution since some of our pet birds don't seem to know any better. As noted in an earlier post, ANY object can present a hazard if your parrot uses/eats it improperly. It's our job to keep watch and notice.

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Tue Nov 02, 2010 5:12 am

Couldn't sleep so... Updated:

Lists expanded (through research and answers to past topics) and links a little more organized/described.

Special notes: warning on Persimmons and Pawpaw.

violet · Post by **violet** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 2:20 am

hi there,

I am a brand new owner of a green indian ringneck. I was just reading this post and need to ask - its says they dont need pellets but the lady I got the bird from said they need these special multicoloured pellets and gave me some for him. also she gave me these seeds that i am supposed to make sprout and wash several times before giving them to my bird. I am way confused as to what i am supposed to give him. She also said to feed him small parrot bird seed.

Please help me, If i can just feed him fruit, veges and grain and seeds that would be much easier.

thanks for ur help,

Vi

By the way i havent named him yet

ellieelectrons · Post by **ellieelectrons** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 6:24 am

Hi Vi

Congrats on your new birdie & welcome to the forum.

There are all sorts of opinions on what you can / should feed your birds. You should definitely give them fruit and veg on a daily basis. I also give mine sprouting seed occasionally... however, when they were little I gave it to them daily as soaked seed is softer and easier for them to eat.

Each day I alternate between seed (small parrot seed is fine but I use budgie seed because I wanted to remove sunflower seeds from their diet) and pellets (I give them the multi-coloured ones but I have also given them roudybush in the past).

I also give them fruit & veg daily on a metal stick. I try to give them more veg than fruit as fruit is high in sugar.

Most days I give them a tiny bit of millet spray.

Less often I give them sprouting seed mixed with their veges in a bowl.

I've heard people say that pellets are a complete diet and you don't need to give them anything else. I've heard others say pellets are not natural and we shouldn't expect birds to eat them.... so I try to hedge my bets and keep it interesting for my birds and give them a mixture of things.

Good luck!

The most important thing is to ensure that your bird is eating, especially when they're young. If you try different fruit & veges, you'll soon get to know what he likes.

Enjoy your new companion.

Ellie.

violet · Post by **violet** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 3:54 pm

Hi Ellie,

Thank you for your reply. I guess its just like having kids, everyone will tell you what to do but its up to you to decide whats best =)

I think my bird is 3 months old, but I cant be entirely sure. He was hand raised but in the last few weeks has spent more time in a cage and as such he is quite afraid when I try to take him out. Hopefully time will help him to be more confidant.

I also have a 2 year old son who adores the bird already, my son giggles and squeals which of course scares the poor bird LOL but I am working on introducing them to each other slowly. Which is proving difficult as my little one always wants to touch the bird and when I take him away my son screams & cries.

Such fun lol

Oh and by the way I have named the bird "Pakshi" which is hindi for "bird"

kaz786 · Post by **kaz786** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:51 am

thanx ive heard many rumours about feeding your parrots chillies is this appropriate i dont think soo??

ellieelectrons · Post by **ellieelectrons** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:15 pm

There is no problem with feeding them chillis. They don't taste the spice as they have different taste buds. Someone on this forum told me green chillis help bring out their colourings.

Ellie.

neomymikey · Post by **neomymikey** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 3:22 pm

There is dried red chillies in my small parrot mix

Monique · Post by **Monique** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:33 pm

Hi everyone,

Glad I found this website!

Would anybody know if IRN can drink Soya Milk?

M

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:14 pm

Monique wrote:Hi everyone,

Glad I found this website!

Would anybody know if IRN can drink Soya Milk?

M

That would depend on what was added to it. In some places salt is added, and in others it is sweetened. Plain soya milk should be fine in small amounts.

Some info on soy posted a bit back, if you want to research it yourself. http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... 360#p69360

autumn · Post by **autumn** » Sun May 01, 2011 4:03 am

My babies are not eating yet but this thread is a great help in getting their diet ready. Thank you so much for all the work you put into this list for us all.

Ringneck newbi · Post by **Ringneck newbi** » Tue May 17, 2011 8:48 am

Should i be feeding cooked veggies or raw veggies? Thanks.

Edgar

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Fri May 20, 2011 10:23 am

Ringneck newbi wrote:Should i be feeding cooked veggies or raw veggies? Thanks.

Edgar

Hi Edgar,

That is up to you. I tend to only serve cooked veggies in the winter, and even then I only heat them enough to serve warm.

Anything that needs to be cooked on this list would have a note by it.

LadyKeet · Post by **LadyKeet** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:03 am

My guy loves fresh coconut so when I can I get one and crack it open. He not only enjoys eating the coconut meat but shredding the fibers on the shell.
Have yet to give him egg. Maybe today.... time to boil some eggs!

Cheryl & Jedi
Pennsylvania, USA

LadyKeet · Post by **LadyKeet** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:11 pm

Jedi loved the egg! I also gave him some radish sprouts. He had a blast playing with them before eating them. Such a silly bird!

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 12:10 pm

LadyKeet wrote:Jedi loved the egg! I also gave him some radish sprouts. He had a blast playing with them before eating them. Such a silly bird!

Great to hear he loved the egg! Congrats on teaching your bird to love all his foods.

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Added today: links to Herbs http://eclectusparrots.net/herbs.html and Landscaping plants http://www.holisticbird.org/pages/eplants.htm .

stv217 · Post by **stv217** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 12:24 am

Anyone know if these ingredients are safe?

Rice paper/rice noodles
Seaweed, dried
Lychee

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Wed Aug 10, 2011 9:56 pm

stv217 wrote:Anyone know if these ingredients are safe?

Rice paper/rice noodles
Seaweed, dried
Lychee

Lychee is already on the list as safe. (but terribly out of alphabetical order- fixed now)
Seaweed is really too salty to be fed. I would feed VERY sparingly. Remember, a small amount to you is a lot to a little bird! Parrots cannot rid their bodies of excess salt easily.
Rice noodles would be just fine.

Cindyp · Post by **Cindyp** » Sat Aug 13, 2011 8:56 am

Hi I hav a white Indian ring neck I'm just seein some site say don't feed them kiwi fruit or straw berries and some say it's okay. It's makes me worry . He's a very fussy eater has only had corn apple grapes seedless loves green ones docent like carrot or broccli but I still put it in the cage hoping he will eat it . has a few bites love banana and corn on cob ears the cob as well lol going to try stewed apple soon tomorrow is veggie day . Dozent like nuts or toys suffers with a bit of stress docent like the room changed or new things in it

but loves marbles medium size. Can say more for food love to still have a spoon of roudy bush at night

. Has a friend love bird that very very fussy only likes red grapes will only eat half . Eats corn some times and loves currants. He still on roudy bush with a bit o bannana msshed in .just not getting enough from seed will only eat sunflower seeds and who led oats . He grabs a bite of sunflower seed runs to the corner has one bite and drops it and repeats that way again . He loves his toys and love his slipper sock

with the strawberries do the have to be organic Or will washing them remover what's sprayed on them . I love my birds they mean the world to me . I won't go away and leave them with any one else as I can't trus any one. My ring neck loves cooked pineapple from pizza sucks the juice out

and with kiwi fruit are the seeds ok and do I have to peel it sorry if my spelling and stuff is not right I'm disabled and have a lot of truble with words band stuff lol

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 12:31 pm

Cindyp wrote: with the strawberries do the have to be organic Or will washing them remover what's sprayed on them . and with kiwi fruit are the seeds ok and do I have to peel it

Organic strawberries would indeed be best- they can have high amounts of pesticides on them otherwise.

Kiwis do not need to be peeled, but some feel that it is better. Your decision.

Here is a good article about chemical/pesticide toxicities in fruits and veggies we feed parrots.
http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww18eii.htm

bambooozel · Post by **bambooozel** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 9:53 am

this was great and alex really like the new food but i have a problem with him he does not whistle or make any noises at all any idea how to get him to make sounds he's between 5 and 7 months old

mgeorge · Post by **mgeorge** » Thu Nov 03, 2011 3:26 am

Thank you for this elaboration. I will definitely print it out in order to always have the list when I need it. I always check to not have plants or flowers at home which could be toxic for the birds. This year I received a big bouquet of valentines flowers and the best thing about it was that it were flowers which are not toxic for the birds but nevertheless I did not let them eat my wonderful bouquet.

smamph · Post by **smamph** » Fri Nov 11, 2011 10:00 pm

hey guys just wanted to check. Is it ok for my ringneck Arnna to eat banana skins?

i buy little ones that he likes but loves taking the skin off. as i just found out so want to check it is safe for him and yes they are organic lol.

He also likes biting off my nails lol.

I also buy dried frit for him that he picks up and dunks in his water bowl to get the water back in. He does his happy noise when he does it SO CUTE

thanks for any help xx

cindyp201 · Post by **cindyp201** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:48 am

Peas/Snap Peas/String Beans/Snow Peas and Brussel Sprouts should i cook them for my bird

also can they eat Silver beet i see it in the shop all the time and what sort of spinach we get spinach leave , baby spinach. ad English spinach are all theses safe ive never fed my birds these theses befor as i didnt know there safe want to get them on a good diet lol

Gemma · Post by **Gemma** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 2:00 pm

I love this post but I have been wondering if real christmas trees are ok or not for my alex, Claude, and ringneck, Benny. They absolutely love playing in our fake one and pulling off all the baubles so we want to make sure that if we did end up getting a real tree if that wouldn't harm them in any way. Its better to be safe then sorry, and I would hate to see my boys in suffering.

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:39 pm

smamph wrote:hey guys just wanted to check. Is it ok for my ringneck Arnna to eat banana skins?

i buy little ones that he likes but loves taking the skin off. as i just found out so want to check it is safe for him and yes they are organic lol.

He also likes biting off my nails lol.

I also buy dried frit for him that he picks up and dunks in his water bowl to get the water back in. He does his happy noise when he does it SO CUTE

thanks for any help xx

Banana skins in that case should present no problem. He's likely just peeling it, not really ingesting much skin anyway.

cindyp201 wrote:Peas/Snap Peas/String Beans/Snow Peas and Brussel Sprouts should i cook them for my bird

also can they eat Silver beet i see it in the shop all the time and what sort of spinach we get spinach leave , baby spinach. ad English spinach are all theses safe ive never fed my birds these theses befor as i didnt know there safe want to get them on a good diet lol

No, you don't have to cook those. Silver beet is another name for chard, and IRNs can indeed eat it as well as those spinach.

Gemma wrote:I love this post but I have been wondering if real christmas trees are ok or not for my alex, Claude, and ringneck, Benny. They absolutely love playing in our fake one and pulling off all the baubles so we want to make sure that if we did end up getting a real tree if that wouldn't harm them in any way. Its better to be safe then sorry, and I would hate to see my boys in suffering.

A good answer, along the lines of my own thoughts. http://www.parrotforums.com/eclectus/71 ... trees.html

Gemma · Post by **Gemma** » Sat Dec 24, 2011 5:49 pm

thanks for that!! i will have to remember that for next year!

Snowe · Post by **Snowe** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 12:40 pm

I tried the sweet potato mash recipe for my birds and they LOVE it ^__^ the dog also likes it lol she begs for a cube

tazysBABY · Post by **tazysBABY** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:38 am

heyyyyy all,
wow...amazin owners u all r!!!
nw yep ma BABY has turned 6 weeks, n ya i feed him formula!! n nw he even startd eating other stuffs as well, but yea ive gt a problem, he is not DRINKING WATERRRR!!!! i no its essential!! is it oki?? since m feeding him d formula too i think dat suffices him wid the amount of water content!

Gemma · Post by **Gemma** » Sun May 06, 2012 3:06 am

Anybody have any idea about pearl barley? My mum bought some and we don't like it but my birds like anything thats warm so they might but I'm not sure if it's safe for them or not. Thanks

ciqala20 · Post by **ciqala20** » Wed May 09, 2012 12:27 pm

its possible somebody already covered it but is cantalope and honey dew mellon ok?

ciqala20 · Post by **ciqala20** » Wed May 09, 2012 12:28 pm

oops nvr mind i found it

jmmercer · Post by **jmmercer** » Thu May 24, 2012 10:23 am

Great stuff! I'm bookmarking this one.

Quick question. I bought baby food for my IRN to mix in with her rice or pasta. It's the all natural baby food from gerber and contains no preservatives at all. Is this okay to occasionally mix in? Obviously it wouldn't be an everyday thing, just as a treat every now and again. Thoughts on this? Thanks.

jmmercer · Post by **jmmercer** » Fri May 25, 2012 10:59 am

I read somewhere that this is okay, but would like a second opinion. Thanks!

ellieelectrons · Post by **ellieelectrons** » Fri May 25, 2012 3:18 pm

I'm sorry JM, I don't know the answer but I think you could figure it out just by going through the ingredient list? It's a good idea... was thinking I might check it out too.

Ellie.

jmmercer · Post by **jmmercer** » Thu May 31, 2012 12:50 pm

Thanks, Ellie. There aren't any of the unsafe foods in there. I think I will try Emerson on it tomorrow and see how she likes it. ;)
I also wanted to know if grapefruit is okay. I've heard that the bird shouldn't have fruit high in acidity, but I've also heard that it's good for them to have a little orange, lemon, or grapefruit. Something about good bacteria?

Melika · Post by **Melika** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 10:27 pm

Gemma wrote:Anybody have any idea about pearl barley? My mum bought some and we don't like it but my birds like anything thats warm so they might but I'm not sure if it's safe for them or not. Thanks

Pearl Barley is safe- and adding to this list now.

jmmercer wrote:Quick question. I bought baby food for my IRN to mix in with her rice or pasta. It's the all natural baby food from gerber and contains no preservatives at all. Is this okay to occasionally mix in? Obviously it wouldn't be an everyday thing, just as a treat every now and again. Thoughts on this? Thanks.

It is indeed safe to give. In fact, one of the links I have listed contains Sally Blanchard's famous "Glop" recipe which includes baby food. It is something she has been making for her parrots for many years now.

https://companionparrotonline.com/Diet.html

jmmercer wrote:I also wanted to know if grapefruit is okay. I've heard that the bird shouldn't have fruit high in acidity, but I've also heard that it's good for them to have a little orange, lemon, or grapefruit. Something about good bacteria?

Yes, grapefruit is safe. I will add it to the list. I too had heard/read that citrus was bad for parrots but I have not come across anything proving that or indicating that in all these years. Instead I have been finding it on safe lists. As with everything, feed in moderation. Thank you for the questions. ^^

jmmercer · Post by **jmmercer** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 6:30 am

Thank you for the informed responses. This list has really come in handy. =)

willowisp71 · Post by **willowisp71** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 2:53 am

Hi there,

Just spent the last 10 mins reading through this thread...so very helpful, thanks!!

Not sure if I missed it somewhere along the line, but wanted to know if NUTS were safe to feed IRN's?

Thanks

willowisp71 · Post by **willowisp71** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 2:56 am

<facepalm> !!!!

Doh!! Sorry....just saw the nuts on the list!!

Tea.cos · Post by **Tea.cos** » Wed Oct 17, 2012 11:58 pm

Thank you

Very helpful!!!!

Tea.cos · Post by **Tea.cos** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 8:39 am

I was just wondering, I have heard that IRNs are lactose intolerant but there is yogurt on your list? Thank you all for your advice
Teresa