How about caterpillars?

[PythonzEve]

Hi all! This may sound kind of weird, but has anyone ever fed larvae to their IRNs?

I have an organic garden (don't spray a single thing, only use compost as fertilizer, etc) and June is the month for horn worms, which are 3-5 inch caterpillars of the sphinx moth that can decimate a variety of plants! The only bugs I myself actively kill outside are mosquitoes (smack!) and slugs (salt-water) and I like to see death go to good use (such as if you hunt, using everything you can to make the life given worth it). Smaller caterpillars I feed to my fish but this one's way too big for them. I have read up on horn worms and several birds are known to eat them, just some don't care for them and I was wondering if instead of drowning them in a can of water, what if I fed them to Sukha for some awesome protein the way he's supposed to get it? If I know exactly what I'm feeding and where it came from and whatnot.

I will not feed it until I get an OK from one of the Experts here with a knowledgeable opinion, but I figured it would be a great new food source for Sukha. He's pretty spoiled with fresh fruit and veggies from our garden, cooked food we eat and his pellet diet so he may not take it, but if it's safe I'd like to try it as I'm always looking for new things to further stimulate him. Otherwise I'll probably give it to some preschool or something so they can keep it and watch it grow.

Thanks in advance!

[ringneck]

Hey Jessica,

Was reading your post and I don’t see the harm in feeding him a caterpillar; however, the hornworm eats tomato leaves which are toxic to parrots.

Parrots are omnivores by nature and will eat almost anything they find in the wild that’s edible. A few times I have caught Archimedes eating the caterpillars of grain moths—those tiny white ones found in seeds. I buy my seeds in 50 lbs increments and times it’s hard to control the moths.

So, I would say pass on the horn worm:O)

Best Wishes ,
IMRAN-C

[PythonzEve]

Yeah I did read up because I knew the tomato plant itself was toxic and was wondering how the caterpillar metabolized it. Apparently the caterpillar itself is not toxic to birds in general for eating though. Something else that gave me a hint of its toxicity is how well it is camouflaged. Generally the better the camouflage the taster the bug, the more toxic or distasteful are usually bright and colorful. That's actually what sparked me looking up if the worm itself was toxic. Knowing the tomato plant is toxic (to most animals, including humans) but the hornworm is eaten by several species of birds, is it generally safe for parrots if other birds eat it? Good to hear that other people think outside the box and consider natural protein. Has anyone tried freeze dried crickets, mealworms, grubs (I always find them in my garden/compost) or other insects? If so how did your bird react and did they like it?

Thanks a lot!!!

[Shrek&Fiona]

What about collecting them and feeding them something non-toxic for a few weeks then feed them to the bird? Would that work? Like gutloading insects for spiders. I breed insects for my spiders, quail and axolotls and I know Shrek (my IRN) loves mealworms! You just have to feed them in moderation because they have a high fat content. Earthworms are supposed to be a superfood for alot of creatures so what about starting a worm farm? Good for your birds and your garden. I dunno about crickets because I think the birds would have trouble catching them so I havent tried yet. (I feed them live. Have never tried freeze drying)

[Melika]

All my outside bugs go to my backyard chickens. xD They eat hornworms just fine. But then again, chickens eat just about anything.

[PythonzEve]

Thanks both of you! So like I said, if other birds can eat them does that mean it's safe for parrots? For gutloading, I know hornworms feed on nightshades only and to my knowledge most nightshades are toxic, please correct me if I'm wrong. I did get some freeze-dried grasshoppers that says it's good for lizards, amphibians and birds, now it's getting him to try it (maybe smothering in peanut butter?)! How did you get your birds to eat the bugs? I would think live bugs would flip Sukha out, LOL! As for worms I actually already have several hundred to over a thousand or so in my compost, but again I wonder how he would take to moving food?

BTW you make me miss my tarantulas (Shrek&Fiona)...

[Shrek&Fiona]

Yeah, Shrek didn't have a problem with the livefood. He just went for it. If you think it's going to freak your bird out try decapitating it first (gruesome sounding I know but some people reckon to do that with mealworms all the time cause they have nippers). I have no idea about hornworms in specific. If the worms and things are small the birds should be fine with them I think. Shrek used to think they were great fun! Offer it repeatedly like vegies, one at a time, your bird should get used to it eventually. If you put it in the food bowl it might help Sukah to see it as food.

[PythonzEve]

I've also heard just crushing the heads with pliers works well too. Maybe I'll cut back on how much fresh food he gets while he's getting used to the bugs. Gonna try this next grasshopper with a dab of honey as I was going to give them as treats.

Oh and I got a hold of a botanist, who said: "All nightshade (Solinaceae) plants have toxic parts to them. The potato and the tomato plants are both in the nightshade family, and as you know, the parts we eat aren't toxic. The stems and the roots are usually the most toxic parts. When insects eat the plant, they ingest the toxin, but then they also break it down and detoxify it in most cases, leaving very little toxin in the insect itself. Only undigested matter in the insect's stomach would remain actively poisonous." I'm thinking an hour or so off the plant should take care of any undigested matter...

Good stuff!

[PythonzEve]

Here's another one... How about maggots? My fig tree is in season and I have fig bombs dropping and exploding all over my garden. The flies and the bees are everywhere and now I'm seeing maggots in the overripe figs in my garden... Those should be safe to eat right?

[Melika]

Here's another one... How about maggots? My fig tree is in season and I have fig bombs dropping and exploding all over my garden. The flies and the bees are everywhere and now I'm seeing maggots in the overripe figs in my garden... Those should be safe to eat right?

I think the main concern with insects outdoors is that they may have come in contact with pesticides/chemicals. In the wild parrots can and will eat insects, though it is a very very small portion of the diet. Insects aren't needed as an addition (from what I can find) to a standard hookbill diet. I don't think there is anything wrong with that kind of fly larvae, but I think I would personally limit the feeding of insects to hookbills.

[PythonzEve]

Right, it wouldn't be a large amount of anything but I'm always looking for new things to add variety is all I wouldn't take -anything- from my yard as it may have come in contact with dog feces, but my organic garden is cordoned off from everything with no chemicals or pesticides so, I just wonder...

[Shrek&Fiona]

Yeah, I think maggots would be fine. They are pretty nutritious actually, they just gross alot of people out.