A tip on fruit

[mamalovesrico]

I was reading the April Issue of Bird Times yesterday and wanted to share some info.
I have recently found some mold in an apple I was going to feed Rico. He is a very pickey eater. He has never had fruit before until I started feeding him apples within the past couple of weeks. I had read yesterday that apples aren't the best choice of fruit to feed him along with pears or grapes. They don't have that much nutritional value. (Someone on here told me this too last week, thank you) The article said that if you feel fruits are necessary, to feed them ripe mango or papaya and that they are nutruitionally superior to the above said fruits. The fruits should also only be 5% of their daily diet.
Just a little tip I read that I wanted to share.

[greyburd]

Thanks for that tip Lara. I wasn't aware of that information. I had plans on NOT feeding grapes because of the issues surrounding them lately. But I didn't know that pears and apples didn't have much nutrition.

[mamalovesrico]

Don, it stated that those fruits are composed of mainly water. They said veggies have far more nutrients, such as broccoli, than apples, etc. But if you feel it necessary to feed fruit then go for the mango or papaya. They also stated that we tend to feed caged birds sweet fruit. In the wild, when a bird eats fruit, they usually go for the fruit that hasn't quite ripened yet due to it's bitter taste.

[LMPego]

I'm so paranoid about feeding the girls fresh fruit since all the mold problems. I bought an orange to share with Cory and I realized we forgot to have it last night. Then I thought that I probably don't want to take the chance anyway. So I'll be having it alone - won't be even half as much fun...

[Skyebirdsmom]

Originally Posted by LMPego

I'm so paranoid about feeding the girls fresh fruit since all the mold problems. I bought an orange to share with Cory and I realized we forgot to have it last night. Then I thought that I probably don't want to take the chance anyway. So I'll be having it alone - won't be even half as much fun...

I fully believe oranges are ok as long as they only have some once or twice a week at the most. Something about citrus, and I claim senility as the the reason for not remembering what it was exactly! LOL But barring obviously no good fruit, you should be safe with an orange. And scrub it real good because my African Grey LOVES the skin. I don't know if he likes eating some of it, or just chewing it up and spitting it out! :aiwebs_02 He also loved Lemons!!!
Linda & HRC~

[Birdmaniac1990]

Are ripe mango or papaya good for conures? Citrus fruits give a bird a stomach ache that's why some birds shouldn't eat em.

[AinSophaur]

I give my IRN fresh fruit almost every day. Usually apple or pear. I also give him strawberries and blueberries often. Sometimes grapes. I just make sure to wash everything really well.

[Franciscus]

Here's a great article on fresh foods for parrots:http://www.parrothouse.com/pamelacla...companion.html

Pam Clark really knows what she's talking about.

[LissaKokoKiwiKaseySam]

I as a personal choice, feed fresh fruits almost never- I may give them a piece of cantelope or watemelon- but as a general rule fruits are not a part of my fildrens diets..because of their lack of nutrition. Yes it's fun to watch them tear into a piece of fruit, but I'm of the opinion that we have such a hard time trying to make sure our fids get the proper balance of vitamins and minerals, I'd rather they tear into a veggie and get some good benefit from it.

My fids don't seem to miss it- They get cranberries and blueberries in my ' Kitchen sink' recipe, but thats really about it. They get lots of beans and veggies, as well as seed, and a few pellets ( the ones that are in the seed mix only)


I have never heard of parrots having a belly ache as a result of feeding citrus.

What I HAVE been told is that birds fed primarily pellet diets should not eat citrus- something about a chemical reaction between the acids and the pellets causing liver damage..Hopefully somebody can make sure I have this right....

[mamalovesrico]

Birdmaniac, the article I read was in April's issue of Bird Times. The article is titled "Parrot Diets". You might want to log onto www.birdtimes.com. From what I remember it didn't say anything specific to conures.
Lissa, I just read an article on pellets. I thought it was in the above magazine but I just looked through it again and it's not in there. It was pretty good. If I find it I'll let ya know.
I just recently started taking "a" pellet a morning and crushing it between two spoons and sprinkling it on Rico's breakfast mush. I don't want to give him too much before I do some more research on the pro's and con's. From what I've read so far, there's more pro's than con's. Now I'm itching to find that article.